nba finals appearances by seed
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4–2 in the 2007 Western Conference First Round (becoming the first 8 seed to beat a 1 seed in the best of 7 formats). Miami became the third-lowest seeded team to … (The first round moved to … Dallas, which was coming off of a Finals appearance in 2006, had 67 wins, the No. Welcome to the West indeed, LeBron. Lakers outlast Celtics in Game 7 for NBA title", "Cuban finally ends silence, emerges as a champion", "Champs! Weaker Eastern Conference teams also often make it farther in the playoffs due to the conference imbalance. The following seasonthe Warriors woul… As basketball is a major sport in the United States, the Final round has become a large-scale event on the sports calendar, with higher popularity than the concurrent Stanley Cup final in the National Hockey League. Let's meet our contestants: The #1 seed Lakers dominated the NBA all year, and continued that in the playoffs, going 4-1 in each of the previous three series, taking down the Blazers, Rockets, and Nuggets. 2011-12: Philadelphia 76ers get lucky against the Chicago Bulls. Of the 74 NBA champions, 38 of them were from the Eastern Conference while the other 34 were from the Western Conference. Although both markets were small (so little coverage was offered) the series was spectacular. The Boston Celtics went 11–1 in the NBA Finals during 12 seasons (1956–57 to 1968–69). After a series sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors are heading back to the NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki had a dominant season, further cementing his place as one of the game's elite players; he won his fifth consecutive Euroscar during the season, ... Nowitzki took home the NBA Finals MVP honors, after averaging 26 points a game during the series, shedding the Mavericks … Grizzlies win, Clippers get home court", "Pastuszek: Could Yi Jianlian Help an NBA Playoff Team? The 76ers took out Boston in the Eastern Division Finals, four games to one, … 4 – Heat President Pat Riley coached the Lakers to four NBA championships during the 1980s.. 5 – Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is making his fifth NBA Finals appearance as a head coach.. 5 – The Heat is the first fifth seed to reach the NBA Finals since the current playoff format was implemented in the 1983-84 season.. 5 – There are a combined five international players on NBA Finals rosters: Kyle Alexander … Meanwhile, four runners-up played best-of-three series to determine the other finalist: the two second-place teams were matched in one short series and the two third-place teams in another; the winners of those two series played another one. All Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference (formerly Divisions before 1970), except in 1950 when the Eastern Division champion faced the winner between the Western and Central Division champions. 8 ‘We Believe’ Warriors ousted the No. The Phoenix Suns, winners of the Pacific Division and possessors of the third best record, were seeded second, while the Denver Nuggets, winners of the Northwest Division and tied for only the seventh-best record in the conference, were seeded third. Iguodala helped the No. Posted by 6 years ago. Boston … In all of its three years the BAA champion was finally determined in a best-of-seven series but its first two tournaments, the 1947 and 1948 BAA Playoffs, were otherwise quite different from the third, which 21st-century NBA playoffs nearly match. Welcome to the NBA Finals! Of the 73 NBA champions, 71 of them were either a No. [1], Both conferences conduct the playoffs in the traditional bracket format. Combined, these four have made the playoffs in 21 of 26 seasons, won 3 championships in 5 Finals appearances, 9 Eastern Conference Finals appearances. Notably, they capped off the regular season having won six in a row and eight of their last nine. Their other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992. 1: Toronto Raptors: 1: 0: 1.000: 2019: 2019: Only appearance in NBA Finals. The most common criticism of the current structure is related to parity of conferences. All six 1947 participants played their first tournament games on Wednesday, April 2; in 1948 the two Eastern runners-up (E2, E3 in the figure) were idle for a few days only because there was a three-way Western tie to break. The Thunder never got back to the NBA Finals, and Durant left in 2016 for Golden State, where he won his first title three months ago. The National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals is the championship series for the NBA and the conclusion of its postseason.All Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference (formerly Divisions before 1970), except in 1950 when the Eastern Division champion faced the winner between the Western and … Finals Appearances by Seed since 1985. NBA standings: Every team’s best win-loss regular-season record 25. 5 – Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is making his fifth NBA Finals appearance as a head coach. ... On August 2, after the Memphis Grizzlies lost against the San Antonio Spurs, the Mavericks clinched a spot in the 2020 NBA Playoffs no worse than the 7th seed, marking … With only 47 wins, the Rockets entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western Conference. This meant that top two teams in a conference (by record) would be seeded either first and second (if they were in opposite divisions) or first and third (if they were in the same division). 1 seed (49), a No. In 1947 the Philadelphia Warriors won the runners-up bracket and beat the Western champion Chicago Stags four games to one, which the NBA recognizes as its first championship; in 1948 Baltimore won the runners-up and beat Eastern champion Philadelphia in the final. As part of the 2008 relocation settlement with the. The sixth seed would play third-seeded Denver in the first round, but would have home-court advantage (since the Grizzlies had the fourth-best record in the conference and the Clippers had the fifth-best), and would not have to face either San Antonio or Dallas until the conference finals at the earliest. 1955: The Syracuse Nationals faced the Fort Wayne Pistons. The Heat came into the playoffs as the fifth seed … Nevertheless, they made the playoffs as the sixth seed, but were defeated by the Boston Celtics in five games. Today as I was thinking about the upcoming finals this year I realized I didn't have much of an idea of how the teams that make it into the NBA Finals every year break down by seed. > The Lakers and Celtics have played each other in the NBA Finals 12 times, and have combined for 33 NBA Championships. The last time the Lakers made the NBA Finals in 2010, it was their 31st trip to the Finals in 64 seasons of the league. This format has been used since 2014, after NBA team owners unanimously voted to change the format of the NBA finals from the 2–3–2 format on October 23, 2013.[2]. • 5 – The Heat is the first fifth seed to reach the NBA Finals since the current playoff format was implemented in the 1983-84 season. The longest streak of playoffs appearances in a row is currently tied at 22 seasons between the San Antonio Spurs, who made it from 1997–98 season until the 2018–19 season, and the. [6] In the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers defeated the Nuggets in five games, while Memphis was swept by Dallas. Finally in 1984, the tournament expanded to its present 16-team, four-round knockout, and the now-complete set of first-round series was expanded to a best-of-five. In 2011, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs, 4–2 and in 2012, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago … The 1951 through 1953 playoffs changed the division finals into a best-of-five playoff. They are allowed up to 15 players and can designate two as inactive for each game. 1 overall seed.Yet for the second consecutive time … The Pacers started off the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks, who managed to secure the … With the first half of the NBA season in the books, and the second half underway. The Cavaliers wrapped up their first #1 seed since 2010 and embarked on a wrecking ball run through the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks collected an NBA-best 56 wins in 2019-20 and, as such, … It was tough picking between the 2006-07 edition of the pre-Rick Carlisle Mavs and the 2005-06 one that was 2-0 up on Miami in the NBA Finals … They stole Game 1 in Dallas and won all three games on their home floor to take the series in six. Meanwhile, they went 48 years without advancing past the second round of the playoffs in any format, until finally breaking through in 2015. The 2002 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's … In the East, the playoffs teams have been virtually decided but the tussle for finishing at a higher seed continues. Includes appearances as the New Orleans Jazz (1974–1979). From 1946 through 1949, when the league was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the playoffs were a three-stage tournament where the two semifinal winners played each other in the finals. 2 seed (16) or a No. Before the 2005 NBA draft, the Mavericks had traded all their picks away and were left empty-handed. The Warriors and Cavaliers came into the Finals with a combined record of 24-1, with the Cavaliers having only lost in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. Includes appearances as the Philadelphia Warriors (1946–1962) and the San Francisco Warriors (1962–1971). Before the six titles, the Chicago Bulls were finding their way in the … The Boston Celtics and the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers alone own almost half of the titles, having won a combined 34 of 74 championships (with 17 apiece). Lakers Playoff History Playoff Appearances 61 454-301 (.601) > The 1995 Rockets were the lowest seed to win the NBA Championship(6th). 5 seed Heat clinch their Finals appearance on Sunday night when he scored a season-high 15 points off the bench in Miami’s 125-113 victory over the Boston Celtics in … Prior to 2005, NBA division champions were seeded higher than the other teams in their conference, regardless of their record. So, which teams from both conferences are in prime position to make the 7th and 8th seeds in their respective conferences? ", "Winderman: Still time to add good player (or Eddy Curry) to playoff roster", "Details of settlement between Bennett, Seattle revealed", "Charlotte Hornets Name Returns to Carolinas", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBA_playoffs&oldid=1012077931, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Here’s a look back at how LeBron’s teams have fared in his 10 NBA FInals trips. The top three seeds would now be reserved for division champions. In September 2015, the NBA announced changes to the format of the NBA playoffs that would begin with the 2016 NBA playoffs. The 2020 Finals marked the 10th time a James-led team has reached the championship stage. 6 Seed. The first and only team based outside the United States to win an NBA title or reach the NBA Finals. [9], Playoff teams must identify their postseason roster before the playoffs begin. Their latest appearance came just last year when Nikola Jokic, along with Jamal Murray, led the Nuggets team to consecutive 3-1 comebacks in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. 8 seed in the 2007 Western Conference playoffs with a 42-40 record, a full 25 games back of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who the year before had gone to the NBA Finals. Then, in 1975 and 1977, respectively, a fifth and sixth team were added to each Division, necessitating an additional first round of best-of-three series. There were no byes, or idle time, for the division champions – as there would be for higher-seeded playoff teams 1955–66 and 1975–83. Anthony Davis making his very first appearance as LeBron and AD take on the Miami Heat, who came out of the East as the five seed to stun the world and make it to the NBA Finals. Includes appearances as the Syracuse Nationals (1946–1963). The top eight teams in each conference (East and West), ranked in order by win-loss records, qualify for the playoffs. Closing off Game 6 with a huge 31-10 run over a seven-minute stretch late in the fourth quarter, the Heat clinched their sixth NBA Finals appearance in franchise history and the first since 2014 with a 125-113 Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics.. Bam Adebayo was the team's star with a career-high 32 points, 14 rebounds, and five … • 10 – Miami and Los Angeles both finished in 10 th place in their respective conferences last season, making this the first NBA Finals to feature two teams that did not qualify for the playoffs the previous season. The National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals is the championship series for the NBA and the conclusion of its postseason. The Central champion Minneapolis Lakers became the first league champion under the NBA name by defeating Anderson from the West in a best-of-three, with Syracuse from the East idle, and then knocking off the Syracuse Nationals in six games.[4]. Memorable Finals series include: 1. Meanwhile, though the Cavaliers slipped to the second seed going into the playoffs, they only lost one game en route to defeating the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, setting up another match against the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the Finals. In 1947 and 1948, the Eastern and Western Division champions were matched in a best-of-seven series following the regular season, whose winner advanced to the championship round. The Phoenix Suns entered the 1984 playoffs as the sixth seed with a 41-41 record. Combined, these four have made the playoffs in 21 of 26 seasons, won 3 championships in 5 Finals appearances, 9 Eastern Conference Finals appearances. The fifth seed would likely need to defeat the best two teams in the conference without home-court advantage to advance to the conference finals, as it would face fourth-seeded Dallas in the first round and likely face first-seeded San Antonio if it managed to defeat Dallas. They had 2 NBA Finals appearances to show for it and one championship. 3 seed (6). The team has qualified for the playoffs in 34 seasons of their 48-season existence, ... Portland finished 54–28, securing the fifth seed in the playoffs against the Rockets. 1 seed. Note: In the example below, both the East's #2 seed and the West's #3 seed are not division champions. Assuming no first-round upsets, this raised the prospect that the top two teams in the conference would face each other in the conference semifinals, instead of the conference finals. Includes appearances as the San Diego Rockets (1967–1971). 2005–2006: First Finals appearance. - The Finals included here are those in which the player was on the floor at least 1 second of 1 game.This doesn't take into account players who were injured or were on the bench but did not play at all. Even the 1950 tournament, following a transitional season with three divisions rather than two, initially determined one playoff champion from each division. Published February 25, 2021 NBA playoff predictions: Projecting East and West top 8 seeds, 2020-21 postseason bracket It's time for some NBA playoff predictions. The 2020 Finals series appearance ensures that the franchise maintains its record of at least one NBA Finals appearance in every decade of the NBA. Includes appearances as the Chicago Packers (1961–1962), the Chicago Zephyrs (1962–1963), the Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973), the Capital Bullets (1973–1974), and the Washington Bullets (1974–1997). This marks the 11th Finals appearance in franchise history, and the fifth in a row, something that - until this year - had only been done by Bill Russell's Boston Celtics that made 10 consecutive Finals appearances from 1957 to 1966, winning nine titles. The franchise's lone NBA championship, as well as all four NBA Finals appearances, occurred when the team was based in St. Louis. The playoffs begin in three weeks' time but things are not yet done and dusted as far as those top eight seeds are concerned in either Conference. Notes: - This list includes players with at least 2 Finals played. Ultimately, Dallas and San Antonio did meet in the second round, with Dallas winning in seven games and advancing all the way to the NBA finals. The two also have the most Finals meetings with 12; the Celtics own a 9–3 edge over their arch rivals. [1][2][3] The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The Miami Heat are Eastern Conference Champions once again! The home team won every game, the Nats taking the series with a free throw by George Kingat the end of Game 7, … The Finals MVP moved back ahead of … This period marks the largest stretch of seasons that a single team made up over 65% of Finals appearances, and also includes the only ever time the NBA Finals was decided in double overtime.. With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957, … 1 The two teams were already determined to be the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively, and had only to determine which rank higher. The Lakers are 9-0 in first-round series as a No. Both winners of the runners-up bracket, Philadelphia in 1947 and Baltimore in 1948, reached the final series having played fewer tournament games than their final opponents, Chicago in 1947 and Philadelphia in 1948, had played in the best-of-7 pairings of division champions. [3], In 1949, the third and last BAA tournament matched Eastern teams exclusively and Western teams exclusively, necessarily generating Eastern and Western playoff champions to meet in the final. Besides the prospect of a team losing earlier in the playoffs than its regular-season record or seeding would suggest, critics claimed that it also created an unfair advantage for teams in the 2-7/3-6 half of the Western Conference playoff bracket, who could advance to the conference finals without playing either of the two best teams in the conference in an earlier round. “(The No. The race to the NBA’s “play-in” tournament is beginning to take shape. The result was that each conference would have three divisions of five teams each, and the winner of each division was guaranteed a top-three playoff seed. Houston, which finished the season with a 47–35 record and was seeded sixth in the Western Conference during the 1995 … They are also the only team to have won an NBA … They won eight straight NBA championships from 1959 through 1966. The Indiana Pacers' 45-win season lifted them to their 5th-straight Playoff appearance. Following the 1995 title, the Rockets opted to modernize their look. The Jazz have had just two head coaches since the … Question by author superferd. As of 2020[update], the defending champions are the Los Angeles Lakers. ... let alone an NBA Finals appearance. The Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers met in the second-to-last game of the regular season, after the top four seeds had been clinched. And looking at LeBron James’ run of six straight NBA Finals appearances, seeding isn’t the end-all be-all for his team making its way to a championship. In 2003 the first round was changed to also be best-of-seven. However, this meant that if the top two teams (by record) in a conference were in the same division, they would be seeded first and fourth. From Quiz: NBA Playoffs 2007-08 (click to play it). They’re still the only No. Counting from Tuesday the byes provided five to eight extra days idle. The Clippers eventually lost to Memphis without much evidence to support the speculation that the Clippers had lost intentionally. Includes appearances as the Rochester Royals (1948–1957), the Cincinnati Royals (1957–1972), the Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972–1975), and the Kansas City Kings (1975–1985). The current home-and-away format in the NBA Finals is 2–2–1–1–1 (the team with the better regular-season record plays on their home court in Games 1, 2, 5, and 7), which has been used in 1947–1948, 1950–1952, 1957–1970, 1972–1974, 1976–1977, 1979–1984, and 2014–present. [11] Prior to the 2005-06 season, playoff rosters were limited to 12 players who were named before the playoffs began.[10][12]. 51. Finals MVP: Rick Barry This was a series that was believed to be over from the start. The beginning era of modern professional basketball was dominated by the Minneapolis Lakers, who won half of the first ten titles. Most Finals Appearances: ... > The 1999 Knicks were the only 8th seed to reach the Finals. After the NBA realigned its two conferences into three divisions each, the seeding rules remained largely unchanged. And both winners of the runners-up bracket won the final series. The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics lead the pack in this half of the NBA. March 7, 2021 1:19 AM . This would change slightly after the 2005–06 season; while division winners still receive automatic playoff berths, they are guaranteed a top-four seed, as described below. With ten league members again for the 1966–67 season, eight teams were again admitted to the tournament, providing a simple three-round knockout (8-team bracket). I was curious to find out how frequently lower seeds make it into the finals. The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. As of the 2018–19 season, the series remains the 76ers’ last NBA Finals appearance. 10 – LeBron James will play in his 10th NBA Finals, joining Bill Russell (12), Sam Jones (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10) as the only players with 10 or more appearances. 16: The 1995 Rockets, the sixth seed with a record of 47–35, were the lowest seeded team to win the NBA Finals. The NBA play-in tournament was introduced during the 2019-2020 season when the NBA was forced to play their remaining games, … Close. This turn of events led to the playoff format being criticized by many. Includes appearances as the Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1960). Only five 8th seeded teams have managed to win a series versus the number 1 seeded team: The, The 1999 Knicks are the only 8th seeded team to reach the. Beginning with the 2004 season, with the addition of the thirtieth NBA franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, the NBA realigned its divisions. As of the 2018–19 season [update], the series remains the 76ers’ last NBA Finals appearance. LeBron James' 10th NBA Finals appearance: How the Lakers got to this juncture, and why they are favored to win it all. Finals Appearances by Seed since 1985. New York has yet to return to the Finals. • Only five 8th seeded teams have managed to win a series versus the number 1 seeded team: The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Seattle SuperSonics 3–2 in 1994. Golden State and the Mavs faced off three times during the 2006-07 season - the Warriors won all three. All rounds are best-of-seven series. Includes appearances as the New Jersey Nets (1977–2012). Some NBA fans have credited luck … James has been the 2-seed five times in his career and he has reached the NBA Finals each of those times, taking out the 1 seed in the conference finals in four of those seasons. 39 The Boston Celtics ran off eight consecutive NBA championships, until which team in the 1966-67 season stopped their streak? With only nine league members in 1953–54, the NBA cut its postseason tournament field from eight teams to six (from 1954 through 1966, the period of eight to nine league members). Still, a ... With minor modifications in the number font, this version was used in all four of their NBA Finals appearances, including their 1994 and 1995 championships. These four teams are coached by four of the best coaches in the NBA (in order of seeding) – Mike Budenholzer, Nick Nurse, Brad Stevens, Erik Spoelstra. [10] Players are eligible to be on a team's playoff roster as long as they were on the team for at least one regular season game, and were not on another NBA team's roster after March 1. The National Basketball Association was established in 1949 by merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League but it recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history. The Mavs entered the 2011 NBA Finals as underdogs, due to Miami's "Big Three" coming together during the 2010–11 NBA Playoffs. On August 15, 2005, veteran guard Michael Finley was waived under the new "Allan Houston Rule." James' triple-double lifts Heat to title", "LeBron leads Heat to second straight title", "Spurs beat Heat 104-87 in Game 5 to win NBA title", "Warriors win NBA title, down LeBron, Cavs 105-97 in Game 6", "2017 NBA Finals – Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors", "2018 NBA Finals – Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors", "NBA to suspend season following Wednesday's games", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_NBA_champions&oldid=1005886381, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 February 2021, at 22:49. LeBron James and the Lakers will face the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals, the team with which James won his first two NBA Championships. Prior to 2004, when the NBA was aligned into two conferences with two divisions each, the division champions were guaranteed the top two seeds. Both tournaments generated one finalist from the Eastern and one from the Western Division, but only by chance. This page was last edited on 14 March 2021, at 13:48. The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage.The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with the first team to collect four … The Mavericks had the second-best record in the Western Conference and the third-best record in the entire league, behind the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio. It was previously in a 2–3–2 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on their home court in Games 1, 2, 6, and 7) during 1949, 1953–1955, and 1985–2013,[4][5][6][7][8][9] in a 1–1–1–1–1–1–1 format during 1956 and 1971,[10][11] and in a 1–2–2–1–1 format during 1975 and 1978.[12][13]. The 1961 byes provided five and seven extra days idle for the first-place teams. The Sixers would win only 43 games in the 2001-02 NBA season, as injuries were the story of their season. 2005–06: First finals appearance Prior to the 2005 ... 1st in the league and the #1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The defunct Central Division, in existence during the 1949–50 NBA season when the NBA was divided into three divisions and different from the current Central Division created in 1970 when the then existing Eastern Division was upgraded as a conference, won one championship. Includes record as Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors, Includes record as Baltimore and Washington Bullets, Includes record as New York Nets and New Jersey Nets, Minneapolis was the Central Division (now defunct, no relation to the current, Boston Celtics and the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics (Oklahoma City Thunder), List of NBA players with most championships, List of NBA franchise post-season droughts, List of NBA franchise post-season streaks, List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks, List of National Basketball League (United States) champions, "1948–49 Minneapolis Lakers Schedule and Results Summary", "1952–53 Minneapolis Lakers Schedule and Results Summary", "1953–54 Minneapolis Lakers Schedule and Results Summary", "1954–55 Syracuse Nationals Schedule and Results Summary", "1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors Schedule and Results Summary", "1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks Schedule and Results Summary", "1974–75 Golden State Warriors Schedule and Results Summary", "1977–78 Washington Bullets Schedule and Results Summary", "Anderson, Lakers Play for Shot at Syracuse Nationals", "Lakers: First Champs of Newly Formed NBA", "Royals Reign, Despite Knicks' Unlikely Comeback", "Warriors Reign Over League's 10th Season", "Celtics Officially Launch Their Dynasty", "Celtics Give Sharman Championship Sendoff", "Celtics, Lakers Work OT to Start Rivalry", "Red Lights Cigar to Close Coaching Career", "West's Heroics Can't Deprive Russell of 11th Title", "Lakers' Legendary Season Leads to Elusive Title", "Celtics Win First Title of Post-Russell Era", "Triple-OT Classic Highlights Boston's 13th Title", "Rookie Makes the Lakers Believe in Magic", "Moses Helps Dr. J, Sixers Reach Promised Land", "Celtics Win First Bird-Magic Finals Showdown", "Kareem, Lakers Conquer the Celtic Mystique", "Frontcourt Vaults Celtics to Front of the Pack", "Waiting Game Ends for Impatient Pistons", "Bulls Finally Get That Championship Feeling", "Paxson's Trey Propels Bulls Into NBA History", "Houston's Championship: Dream Come True", "Bulls' Record-Setting Season Ends in Victory", "MJ Adds More Finals Heroics to His Legacy", "Jordan's Jumper Secures Chicago's Sixth Title", "Let the semi-season begin: Expect injuries, intensity and a new champion in '99", "L.A. Finishes Off Magic, Claims 15th Championship", "Revenge!