The 1987-88 NBA season was the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

' 40th season in the NBA and 31st season in the city of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. The team played at the

Pontiac Silverdome The Pontiac Silverdome (also known simply as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, ...

in surburban

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 61,606. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about northwest of Detroit. Found ...

. The Pistons finishing with a then franchise-best record of 54–28 (.659), 1st place in the NBA Central Division. the first division championship for the franchise since moving to Detroit in 1957. In the 1988 NBA Playoffs, they defeated the

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

3–2 in the first round,

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

and the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

4–1 in the semifinals, and then

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...

and the top-seeded

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

4–2 in the Conference Finals. They would advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...

when the team was based in

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Cens ...

, only to lose to the defending and eventual NBA champion

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

in a hard fought 7-game series. Game 6 saw a remarkable performance, as Pistons star

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for '' NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Gr ...

went down with a gruesome ankle injury. On the sidelines, camera shots displayed the critical condition of Thomas’s foot, as he could barely fit his shoe back on, but Thomas insisted on playing. Hobbling badly for the rest of the game, the Pistons guard put on a show, scoring 25 points in the third quarter, and 43 points in the game. In the closing seconds, with the Pistons ahead, there was a controversial call on Pistons center

Bill Laimbeer William J. Laimbeer Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons. Known for his rough and violent style of play, he played a big part in the ...

. Lakers center

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

feinted over his right shoulder to the middle, then pivoted to his left for his classic sky hook along the baseline. Laimbeer raised his hands straight above his head to show he wasn’t fouling and yet was called for what Laker coach

Pat Riley Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also se ...

would call a "phantom foul." The Pistons lost 103–102 as Abdul-Jabbar made both free throws, and then, with a very limited Thomas for game 7, the Lakers took the title with a 108–105 victory in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. Pistons owner Bill Davidson said, "Well, the worst loss was out in LA when I was in the room with David Stern getting ready to accept the trophy, and they call a foul on Bill Laimbeer against Kareem. Bill pulled down a clean rebound, and Hugh Evans calls a foul. You know that he was set up, and you know … I don’t say he had a bet on the game, but that was … that was unconscionable! And that cost us a championship, which we should have had. Which we had." Detroit was led on the season by Thomas (19.5 ppg, 8.4 apg, NBA All-Star), forward

Adrian Dantley Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dantley is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection an ...

(20.0 ppg), and guard

Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the executive vice president and head of basketball operations of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He could play either shoo ...

(14.2 ppg). As the season came to a close, Game 5 of Finals was the franchise's last game at the

, as they would move to another Detroit-area suburban arena, the purpose-built

Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...

, the following season.

Birth of the Bad Boys

The Pistons of this era became known as the Bad Boys. At the start of the 1987–88 season,

Al Davis Allen Davis (July 4, 1929 – October 8, 2011) was an American football coach and executive. He was the principal owner and general manager of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) for 39 years, from 1972 until his death in ...

, owner of the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL sent Raiders merchandise to the Pistons to acknowledge the shared view of the teams and their physical style of play. Dan Hauser, Pistons Vice-President of Marketing said, "Al sent us Raiders sweaters, and when we played Golden State in Oakland, Al had Raiders warm-ups for us with our names and numbers on them. The rough bad-boy fighting style of the Raiders fits our image. That`s why, at our home games at the Palace, you see a sea of black: black caps, black T-shirts, black sweatshirts". The end of season video yearbook produced by the Pistons was titled Bad Boys, with a connection to the 1983 movie, and the Bad Boys name came into being. The Pistons players embraced the rough and tumble image,

Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...

released

Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball ''Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball'' is a futuristic basketball video game released by Hudson Soft for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1991. It was initially released in Europe under the name ''Future Basketball'' for the Amiga ...

, a futuristic basketball game without rules, without fouls, and weapons are permitted, the Pistons marketed around the Bad Boys identity, and Detroit fan embraced the blue-collar identity. Pistons guard

said, "You can't be great in this league and have zero identity". The positive view of the team was not universal with

declaring "“the Bad Boys are bad for basketball,” later adding "I hated them. And that hate carries even to this day."

David Stern David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. Stern oversaw NBA basketball's growth into one of t ...

Commissioner of the NBA The Commissioner of the NBA is the chief executive of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The current commissioner is Adam Silver, who succeeded David Stern on February 1, 2014. List of NBA commissioners Maurice Podoloff (1946–1963) ...

at the time, said, "If I had it to do over again, we would be more aggressive in regulating, shall we say, that style of play, because it led to our game becoming much more physical".

Jalen Rose Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Wolverines' " Fab Five" (along with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy ...

, who later starred as a member of the Fab Five at Michigan, embraced the Bad Boys brand as a teenager growing up in Detroit, stating “I loved everything about the Bad Boys. I loved how they played and how they didn’t back down. They just went out and kicked the other teams’ butts.” Pistons announcer

George Blaha George Blaha (born March 26, 1945) is an American broadcaster. He has been the radio and television play-by-play voice of the Detroit Pistons since the 1976–77 NBA season. He currently is the lead play-by-play man on Bally Sports Detroit, ...

said, "I think the people of Detroit and all across Michigan loved the Pistons’ don’t-back-down-ever mentality. Detroit’s a working person’s town and that’s the same type of fan that you have all across the state of Michigan from the big cities to the small towns. Never does a day go by that somebody that I talk to doesn’t bring up the Bad Boys; they loved ‘em".

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game logs

Regular season

, -style="background:#cfc;" , 1 , , November 6, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

W 110–99
, , , ,

28,676 , 1–0 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 2 , , November 7, 1987
9:00 PM EST , , @

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

L 105–119
, , , ,

MECCA Arena Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valle ...

11,052 , 1–1 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 3 , , November 10, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , @

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

L 118–121
, , , ,

Market Square Arena Market Square Arena was an indoor arena in Indianapolis. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530 for basketball and 15,993 for ice hockey. Seating capacity for concerts and other events was adjusted by the use of large cu ...

11,885 , 1–2 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , , November 13, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , @

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

W 113–94
, , , , The Spectrum
12,302 , 2–2 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 5 , , November 14, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , @

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

W 128–113
, , , ,

Richfield Coliseum Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, Summit County, Ohio, Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena ...

10,157 , 3–2 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 6 , , November 18, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

L 109–113
, , , ,

17,445 , 3–3 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 7 , , November 20, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , Golden State
W 131–108
, , , ,

20,362 , 4–3 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 8 , , November 21, 1987
8:30 PM EST , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 144–132 (OT)
, , , ,

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. ...

18,466 , 5–3 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 9 , , November 24, 1987
8:00 PM EST , , @

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

W 97–83
, , , , The Summit
16,611 , 6–3 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 10 , , November 25, 1987
8:30 PM EST , , @

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

L 107–113
, Dumars (19) , Rodman (10) ,

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

(15) ,

Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks. The ...

17,007 , 6–4 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 11 , , November 27, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

W 143–111
, , , ,

30,743 , 7–4 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 12 , , November 28, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , @

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

L 102–124
, , , , Capital Centre
13,028 , 7–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 13 , , December 1, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , @

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

W 124–115 (OT)
, , , ,

Brendan Byrne Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...

8,232 , 8–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 14 , , December 2, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 115–105
, , , ,

18,780 , 9–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 15 , , December 4, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

W 128–105
, , , ,

34,523 , 10–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 16 , , December 8, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , Portland
W 127–117
, , , ,

17,126 , 11–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 17 , , December 11, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 114–108
, , , ,

17,884 , 12–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 18 , , December 12, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 124–96
, , , ,

21,368 , 13–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 19 , , December 15, 1987
8:00 PM EST , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 127–123 (OT)
, , , ,

23,729 , 14–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 20 , , December 18, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 117–112
, Dantley (28) , Laimbeer (15) ,

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

(11) ,

19,426 , 15–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 21 , , December 25, 1987
12 Noon EST , , @

W 91–87
, , , ,

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...

14,549 , 16–5 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 22 , , December 26, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 110–75
, , , ,

23,330 , 17–5 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 23 , , December 29, 1987
7:30 PM EST , ,

L 91–101
, , , ,

26,498 , 17–6 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 24 , , December 30, 1987
7:30 PM EST , , @

W 105–95
, , , ,

12,945 , 18–6 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 25 , , January 2, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

L 142–151
, , , ,

23,746 , 18–7 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 26 , , January 5, 1988
8:00 PM EST , , @

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

L 71–81
, , , , The Omni
16,451 , 18–8 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 27 , , January 6, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 90–87
, , , ,

25,749 , 19–8 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 28 , , January 8, 1988
8:00 PM EST , ,

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

L 104–106
, Dantley, Dumars (25) , Laimbeer, Mahorn (11) ,

(10) ,

40,278 , 19–9 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 29 , , January 13, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

L 105–143
, , , ,

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (la ...

14,890 , 19–10 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 30 , , January 15, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 97–93
, , , ,

19,622 , 20–10 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 31 , , January 16, 1988
8:30 PM EST , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

L 99–115
, , , ,

18,676 , 20–11 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 32 , , January 18, 1988
4:00 PM EST , , @

W 123–116
, , , ,

McNichols Sports Arena McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. Located adjacent to Mile High Stadium and completed in 1975, at a cost of $16 million, it seated 16,061 for hockey games and 17,171 for basketball games. Sports use It was ...

13,004 , 21–11 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 33 , , January 20, 1988
9:30 PM EST , , @

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

W 120–117
, , , ,

Salt Palace The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, more commonly known as the Salt Palace, is a convention center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Named after Utah's 11th governor, Calvin L. Rampton, the name "Salt Palace" was previously used by two ...

12,212 , 22–11 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 34 , , January 22, 1988
10:30 PM EST , , @

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

L 106–109
, , , ,

Seattle Center Coliseum Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was o ...

14,737 , 22–12 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 35 , , January 24, 1988
10:00 PM EST , , @ Portland
L 111–119
, , , , Memorial Coliseum
12,666 , 22–13 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 36 , , January 27, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 103–86
, , , ,

19,801 , 23–13 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 37 , , January 29, 1988
8:00 PM EST , ,

W 125–108
, , , ,

61,983 , 24–13 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 38 , , January 30, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

L 104–116
, , , ,

11,894 , 24–14 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 39 , , February 1, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

L 83–94
, , , ,

10,636 , 24–15 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 40 , , February 2, 1988
8:30 PM EST , , @

W 99–97
, , , ,

11,052 , 25–15 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 41 , , February 4, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

L 93–100
, , , ,

14,363 , 25–16 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 42 , , February 9, 1988
8:30 PM EST , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 89–74
, , , ,

17,846 , 26–16 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 43 , , February 10, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 98–87
, , , ,

19,160 , 27–16 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 44 , , February 12, 1988
8:00 PM EST , ,

W 108–92
, , , ,

35,884 , 28–16 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 45 , , February 13, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 82–73
, , , ,

40,369 , 29–16 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 46 , , February 15, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 102–95
, , , ,

21,530 , 30–16 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 47 , , February 18, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 108–95
, , , ,

24,482 , 31–16 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 48 , , February 19, 1988
9:00 PM EST , , @

L 108–119
, , , ,

11,052 , 31–17 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 49 , , February 21, 1988
3:30 PM EST , , @

L 110–117
,

(42) , Laimbeer (14) ,

(10) , The Forum
17,505 , 31–18 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 50 , , February 23, 1988
10:30 PM EST , , @

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

W 121–105
, , , , ARCO Arena
10,333 , 32–18 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 51 , , February 24, 1988
10:30 PM EST , , @ Golden State
W 107–93
, , , ,

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena Oakland Arena is an indoor arena located in Oakland, California, United States. From its opening in 1966 until 1996, it was known as the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. After a major renovation completed in 1997, the arena was renamed ...

14,340 , 33–18 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 52 , , February 26, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 137–109
, , , ,

25,334 , 34–18 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 53 , , February 28, 1988
12:00 PM EST , ,

W 106–101
, , , ,

37,462 , 35–18 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 54 , , March 1, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

W 117–104
, , , , The Omni
16,451 , 36–18 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 55 , , March 2, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , L.A. Clippers
W 103–90
, , , ,

16,554 , 37–18 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 56 , , March 5, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

L 97–101
, , , , Capital Centre
15,656 , 37–19 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 57 , , March 6, 1988
7:00 PM EST , ,

W 109–99
, , , ,

24,751 , 38–19 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 58 , , March 8, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

L 104–117
, , , ,

13,220 , 38–20 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 59 , , March 9, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 103–98
, , , ,

20,623 , 39–20 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 60 , , March 11, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

W 116–88
, , , ,

21,612 , 40–20 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 61 , , March 12, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 104–100
, , , ,

33,854 , 41–20 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 62 , , March 14, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

W 109–97
, , , ,

16,909 , 42–20 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 63 , , March 17, 1988
7:30 PM EST , , @

W 102–99
, , , ,

13,261 , 43–20 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 64 , , March 20, 1988
7:00 PM EST , ,

W 118–110
, , , ,

22,075 , 44–20 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 65 , , March 22, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

W 123–104
, , , ,

18,645 , 45–20 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 66 , , March 25, 1988
8:30 PM EST , , @

L 106–107
, , , ,

HemisFair Arena HemisFair Arena (also known as the San Antonio Convention Center Arena) was an indoor arena located in San Antonio, Texas. It was home to the ABA/ NBA's San Antonio Spurs from 1973 to 1993 and the San Antonio Force of the AFL during the 1992 seas ...

8,596 , 45–21 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 67 , , March 26, 1988
9:30 PM EST , , @

W 108–103
, , , ,

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, located at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. It hosted the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association from 1968 to 1992, as well as indoor s ...

14,025 , 46–21 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 68 , , March 28, 1988
10:30 PM EST , , @ L.A. Clippers
L 100–102
, , , ,

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...

12,156 , 46–22 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 69 , , March 30, 1988
7:30 PM EST , ,

L 102–103
, , , ,

47,692 , 46–23 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 70 , , April 1, 1988
8:00 PM EST , , @

L 110–121
, , , ,

14,890 , 46–24 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 71 , , April 3, 1988
1:30 PM EDT , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

L 110–112
, , , ,

23,712 , 46–25 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 72 , , April 5, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , , @

W 125–108
, , , ,

11,586 , 47–25 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 73 , , April 8, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , , @

W 96–86
, , , , The Spectrum
15,164 , 48–25 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 74 , , April 9, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , , @

W 115–102
, , , , The Omni
16,451 , 49–25 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 75 , , April 11, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , , @

L 111–114 (OT)
, , , ,

13,312 , 49–26 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 76 , , April 13, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , ,

W 115–98
, , , ,

18,808 , 50–26 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 77 , , April 15, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , ,

W 92–91
, , , ,

27,126 , 51–26 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 78 , , April 16, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , ,

W 114–96
, , , ,

22,767 , 52–26 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 79 , , April 19, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , , @

L 110–121
, , , ,

14,890 , 52–27 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 80 , , April 21, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , , @

W 99–87
, , , , Capital Centre
11,713 , 53–27 , -style="background:#fcc;" , 81 , , April 22, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , ,

L 98–103
, , , ,

27,881 , 53–28 , -style="background:#cfc;" , 82 , , April 24, 1988
7:00 PM EDT , ,

W 128–118
, , , ,

27,854 , 54–28

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , , April 28, 1988
7:30 PM EDT , ,

W 96–87
,

(34) ,

(12) ,

(6) ,

17,356 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , , April 30, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , ,

W 102–101
,

(30) ,

(11) ,

(5) ,

18,293 , 2–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , , May 2, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , , @

L 106–114 (OT)
,

(29) ,

(8) ,

(8) , Capital Centre
9,673 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , , May 4, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , , @

L 103–106
, Dantley, Rodman (23) ,

(10) ,

(10) , Capital Centre
10,513 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , , May 8, 1988
3:30 PM EDT , ,

W 99–78
,

(20) ,

(11) ,

18,403 , 3–2 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , , May 10, 1988
8:30 PM EDT , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 93–82
,

(23) ,

(14) ,

(8) ,

18,312 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , , May 12, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

L 95–105
,

(25) ,

(14) ,

(13) ,

20,281 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , , May 14, 1988
1:00 PM EDT , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 101–79
,

Vinnie Johnson Vincent Johnson (born September 1, 1956), is an American former professional basketball player and a key player as sixth man for the Detroit Pistons during the team's National Basketball Association (NBA) championships of 1989 and 1990. He was n ...

(23) ,

(10) ,

(11) ,

18,676 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , , May 15, 1988
3:30 PM EDT , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 96–77
,

(24) ,

(13) ,

(11) ,

18,676 , 3–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , , May 18, 1988
8:30 PM EDT , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

W 102–95
,

(25) ,

(13) ,

(9) ,

21,371 , 4–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , , May 25, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , , @

W 104–96
,

(35) ,

Rick Mahorn Derrick Allen Mahorn (born September 21, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who played power forward and center for the Washington Bullets, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Jersey Nets of the National ...

(10) ,

(12) ,

14,890 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , , May 26, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , , @

L 115–119 (2OT)
,

(24) ,

John Salley John Thomas Salley (born May 16, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player, talk show host, and actor. He was the first player in NBA history to win championships with three franchises (since joined by Robert Horry, Danny Gree ...

(12) ,

(11) ,

14,890 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , , May 28, 1988
3:30 PM EDT , ,

W 98–94
,

(29) ,

(9) ,

(6) ,

26,481 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , , May 30, 1988
3:00 PM EDT , ,

L 78–79
,

(29) , three players tied (8) ,

(7) ,

26,625 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , , June 1, 1988
8:00 PM EDT , , @

W 102–96 (OT)
,

(35) ,

(9) , Dumars,

(5) ,

14,890 , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , , June 3, 1988
9:00 PM EDT , ,

W 95–90
,

(24) ,

(9) ,

38,912 , 4–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , , June 7, 1988
9:00 PM EDT , , @

W 105–93
, Dantley (34) , Laimbeer (7) ,

(12) , The Forum
17,505 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , , June 9, 1988
9:00 PM EDT , , @

L 96–108
, Dantley (19) , Laimbeer, Mahorn (9) ,

, Dumars (7) , The Forum
17,505 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , , June 12, 1988
3:30 PM EDT , ,

L 86–99
,

(28) , Rodman (12) ,

(9) ,

39,188 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , , June 14, 1988
9:00 PM EDT , ,

W 111–86
, Dantley (27) ,

(9) ,

(12) ,

34,297 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , , June 16, 1988
9:00 PM EDT , ,

W 104–94
, Dantley (25) , Laimbeer (11) ,

(8) ,

41,372 , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 6 , , June 19, 1988
3:30 PM EDT , , @

L 102–103
,

(43) , Laimbeer (9) , Dumars (10) , The Forum
17,505 , 3–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 7 , , June 21, 1988
9:00 PM EDT , , @

L 105–108
, Dumars (25) , Salley (10) ,

(7) , The Forum
17,505 , 3–4

NBA Finals

Game 1

The Pistons had just dispatched the Celtics in six games, while the Lakers were coming off back-to-back seven-game wins over the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

and

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...

. The Lakers were tired, and it showed.

scored 34 points, hitting 14 of 16 shots from the field. The Pistons took control of the game with six seconds left in the first half when

hit a 3-point shot to put the Pistons up 54–40.

then fired an inbound pass intended for Byron Scott, but it was intercepted by

who let fly with another three-pointer which went in at the halftime buzzer. The Pistons had a 57–40 halftime lead and never looked back, stealing Game 1 with a 105–93 win.

Game 2

Facing the possibility of going down 2–0 with three games to play in Detroit, the veteran Lakers found resolve with a 108–96 win.

James Worthy James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers ...

led the Lakers with 26 points, Byron Scott had 24, and

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...

23 despite battling the flu.

Game 3

With Magic still battling the flu, the Lakers got a key win in Detroit, 99–86, to go up 2–1 in games. The Lakers took control of the game in the third period, outscoring the Pistons 31–14. Despite his illness, Magic had 18 points, 14 assists, and six rebounds.

Game 4

With pride in front of their home fans, the Pistons tied the series at 2–2 with a 111–86 blowout win. The Pistons decided to attack the basket and make

defend. Johnson wound up on the bench early in the second half with foul trouble. With Magic out of the game, the Pistons built a substantial lead. During timeouts,

was almost frantic. He kept saying, "No letup! We don't let up!" They didn't, and blew out the defending NBA champions by 25 points. Left open by the trapping Lakers defense, Dantley led the team with 27 points.

came off the bench to add 16 while James Edwards had 14 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Game 5

The Pistons' 104–94 victory was a perfect farewell to the

. "I told

with a minute left in the game to look around and enjoy this because you'll never see anything like it again," Laimbeer said. "Forty-one thousand people waving towels and standing. It was awesome." The Lakers opened Game 5 with a fury of physical intimidation, scoring the game's first 12 points. But that approach soon backfired, as the Laker big men got into foul trouble. Dantley played a major role in the turnaround, scoring 25 points, 19 of them in the first half, to rally the Pistons to a 59–50 halftime lead.

added 12 of his 16 points in the first half to keep Detroit moving.

added 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting to send the Pistons back to Los Angeles, one win away from their first NBA title.

Game 6

This game turned out to be a classic confrontation between a team hungry for their first title (Detroit) and a veteran team with their backs to the wall (the Lakers). The Lakers led 56–48 in the third quarter when

suddenly began a classic performance. He scored the game's next 14 points, hitting two free throws, a driving layup, four jump shots, and a running bank shot. On the Pistons' next possession, Thomas stepped on

Michael Cooper Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the boys varsity coach at Culver City High School. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning ...

's foot, rolled his ankle, and had to be helped from the floor. Despite a severe sprain, Thomas returned to the game 35 seconds later and continued his dizzying onslaught. By the end of the third quarter, Thomas had scored 25 points, an NBA Finals record for one quarter, on 11-of-13 shooting. This helped the Pistons gain an 81–79 lead. The Pistons' momentum carried into the final period as they led 102–99 with a minute left. Byron Scott cut the lead to one with a 14-footer in the lane with 52 seconds remaining. The Lakers then turned up the defense on the Pistons' next possession, forcing Thomas into a desperation 18-footer. Forty-one-year-old

then got the ball on the Lakers' trip down the floor and posted up

for his signature skyhook. As Kareem shot, Laimbeer was whistled for a foul, even though replays showed he barely touched Kareem. Jabbar then coolly sank the two free throws to put the Lakers up 103–102. The lead held up as Thomas, bad ankle and all, missed another shot at the buzzer. Thomas would end up with 43 points and eight assists, but it was for naught as the series moved to Game 7.

Game 7

One of the best NBA Finals in recent memory closed out with another classic. Thomas' ankle was still sore, as evidenced by his limping badly in warmups. He did manage to play the first half, scoring 10 points and leading the Pistons to a 52–47 halftime lead. But, the delay between halves caused the ankle to stiffen, and Thomas could not continue. With Isiah on the bench, the Lakers turned the halftime deficit into a 90–75 lead late in the 4th quarter.

Chuck Daly Charles Jerome Daly (July 20, 1930 – May 9, 2009) was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1989 and 1990—during the team's "Bad Boys" era—a ...

then went to a faster lineup with

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best reboundin ...

, and

that created matchup problems for the Lakers and enabled the Pistons to score at a torrid pace. With 3:52 left, Salley canned two free throws to cut the Laker lead to 98–92, sending the Forum fans into a panic. With 1:17 left, Dumars hit a jump shot to cut the lead to 102–100.

then hit a free throw after a Rodman foul to put the Lakers up by three. On the Pistons' next trip down the floor, Rodman took an ill-advised jumper with 39 seconds left. Byron Scott rebounded and was fouled. His two free throws pushed the lead to 105–100. After Dumars made a layup,

hit a free throw and

canned a three-pointer, pushing the score to 106–105 with six seconds showing.

A. C. Green A.C. Green Jr. (born October 4, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Iron Man", he holds a National Basketball Association (NBA) record for most consecutive regular-season games played with 1,192. Green played ...

completed the scoring with a layup off a length-of-the court pass from Magic, making it 108–105, and although the Pistons got the ball to Thomas at midcourt with a second remaining, he fell without getting off a shot. Worthy racked up a monster

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

: 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. For that and his earlier efforts in the series, he was named the Finals MVP.

External links

Detroit Pistons on Database Basketball

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1987-88 Detroit Pistons Season Det Detroit Pistons seasons Eastern Conference (NBA) championship seasons