Grade: Definitive proof the 2017 Warriors are the Greatest Team of All Time", "Raptors top Warriors for 1st title in team history", "The Finals are set: LeBron, Lakers will meet Butler, Heat", "LeBron James makes history, wins Finals MVP with 3 different franchises", "NBA : Golden State Warriors Finals appearances", "NBA.com: Líderes en la historia de las Finales (Estadísticas)", "NBA Career Finals Leaders and Records for Points", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBA_Finals&oldid=1010700422, Recurring sporting events established in 1947, Annual sporting events in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from December 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Woah. The 5th seed Heat beat the 3rd seed Celtics in 6 games in the Conference Finals, in a great series that showcased Jimmy Butler’s intensity and leadership and the importance of young guys like Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. The Lakers managed to defend their title in the 1988 Finals, winning the series in 7 games against the Pistons. After an inspired performance from Bird, the Celtics toppled the Lakers 4–3. Following Jordan's departure, the Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, won the 1994 and 1995 NBA titles. The 2019-20 NBA season was suspended in March 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed on a shortened schedule in July 2020 inside the NBA's isolated "bubble" set-up at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. Cleveland held on to win the title and end the city's championship drought, with James earning his third Finals MVP honor.[11]. Bird was named Finals MVP for the second time. All appearances when the team was in New Jersey. For individual game statistics, scroll further downwards.[17]. In Game 4, Johnson hit a hook shot with two seconds left to give the Lakers a 107–106 win and a 3–1 series lead. I got the list from the website. The series was initially known as the BAA Finals prior to the 1949–50 season when the Basketball Association of America (BAA) merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. Won eight straight titles from 1959 to 1966, and are tied with the Lakers as the most successful team in the NBA Finals, winning 17 championships each. September 9, 2020 1:29 AM. In the 2003 off-season, veteran stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone signed with the Lakers. In 1976, the Phoenix Suns, after only eight years of existence as a franchise, overcame a losing record early in the season to build a remarkable win streak to finish 42–40. Lost 4–3 in their last Finals appearance in 1974. But after a turnover, Sam Jones scored to give the Celtics a narrow 88–87 win and tying the series. From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, won three straight NBA Championships. 8 New York Knicks (27-23) in the Eastern Conference and this best-of-five series also came down to the wire. Chicago clinched the series in Game 6, 99–98, on John Paxson's three-pointer, as the Bulls became the third team in history to three-peat. 1 and 2 seeds since the NBA expanded the playoffs to include eight teams per conference in 1984. 1989 Chicago Bulls, No. Throughout the 1991–1992 season, Jordan and Drexler led their teams to the best records in their respective conferences, leading to several comparisons between the two players in anticipation of a postseason match-up. Following the success of the Lakers, the 1970s were characterized by a major breakthrough of the league's western franchises. These finals were the first to be played in the 2–3–2 format, which was suggested by Boston coach Red Auerbach to NBA commissioner David Stern, as he hoped to cut back on the frequent traveling from Boston to Los Angeles. Assuming you mean won the NBA championship, the answer would have to be No, no 8th seed has ever won the NBA championship. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. Includes a record of 9–9 while in Seattle, and 1–4 while in Oklahoma City. Yes. Although the Lakers lost the first game by 34 points in the Memorial Day Massacre, they won 4 of the next 5 games, including Game 6 at the Boston Garden. They qualified for the playoffs as the fourth and final seed in the East, while the Lakers, who had added Chamberlain in the off-season to join stars Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, won the West and were prohibitive favorites to become champions for the first time since relocating to Los Angeles. 2012 Heat is listed as both 1 and 2 seed. In 1975, after compiling a 48–34 regular season record, the Golden State Warriors swept the Washington Bullets 4–0 in the 1975 NBA Finals. But it would definitely be a darn good playoffs to watch if it ever happens. The 2006 NBA Finals were the only Finals during this time not to feature the Spurs or Lakers, instead featuring the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. In 1985, to ease the amount of cross-country travel, it was changed to a 2–3–2 format, where the first two and last two games of the series were played at the arena of the team who earned home-court advantage by having the better record during the regular season. With James limited in Game 1 due to leg cramps, the Spurs ended the game on a 31–9 run, winning 110–95. Their opponent in the Finals that year were the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Allen Iverson. The Heat's second appearance in the Finals came in 2011, where they were pitted against the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of the finals from five years earlier. 5 seed Miami is one of just four teams seeded so low to advance this far. The BAA would merge with the NBL to become the National Basketball Association before the 1949–50 season. The Rockets won a championship as a 6th Seed with 47-35 record in the 1995 post season. [14] The Raptors' Kawhi Leonard was named Finals MVP, becoming the first player to win the award while representing teams from both conferences, having previously won it with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. The Knicks made the 1999 NBA Finals as a No. Bryant was named Finals MVP, with the triumphs in 2009 and 2010 becoming Phil Jackson's 10th and 11th NBA titles. As the Clippers, they lost the conference semi-finals in, Joined NBA in 1976 after nine years in the, Reached the conference semifinals four times, first in the, Reached the conference semifinals twice, first in the. The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat met in the 2020 NBA Finals, marking the first time in NBA history that two teams that missed the playoffs the year before met in the Finals,[15] and the first time that the NBA Finals were played at a neutral site with no spectators. With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957, spearheaded by center Bill Russell, the team saw great success. The Bulls won the first two games in Phoenix, 100–92 and 111–108. Franchise defunct; not to be confused with current Washington Wizards franchise. 0–1 as the Baltimore Bullets, and 1–2 as the Washington Bullets. 5, 7, or 8 seed has ever won the NBA Finals Here's the source for my list. The first championship came at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers, which also saw the last appearance in the Finals for Magic Johnson. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Some NBA fans have credited luck … Winning an NBA title is a goal for many teams and players. The Warriors swept the Cavaliers 4–0, and Durant was again named Finals MVP. View photos for 7-Seed and 8-Seed Upsets in NBA Playoff History The Rockets made the Finals in 1981 and 1995, even winning in 1995, as No. 0–2 in Fort Wayne and 3–2 in Detroit. The Milwaukee Bucks also won their first title, defeating the Baltimore Bullets in 1971. Lost 4–0 in their last Finals appearance in 2018, as well as becoming the only team in the Finals to overcome a 3–1 deficit in 2016. One of five franchises to reach four consecutive NBA Finals. The 1986 NBA Finals saw the Celtics face off against the Rockets, with Boston winning in six games, securing their 16th title. Previously, no two teams had appeared in more than two consecutive finals. In the 2002 NBA Finals, the Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets, leading almost the entire time in each game; only for a short while after the beginning of Game 4 did the New Jersey Nets gain any significant lead in any game. 1 Miami Heat (33-17) and the No. Bucks in 6 confirmed. Miami won all three of their home games, two of which were sparked by fourth quarter comebacks led by Wade; the Heat won their first championship in game six. Second franchise to appear in five consecutive NBA Finals. The teams split the first four games, before Game 5 went into three overtimes and Boston won 128–126. Lost 4–1 in their last Finals appearance in 2009. The following season, he returned to the Eastern Conference to join the Philadelphia 76ers, who were the former Syracuse Nationals that had relocated to the city to cover the vacancy created with the departure of the Warriors. This team hosts the first two games and the other team hosts the next two games. For the rest of the series, Pippen guarded Johnson, allowing Jordan to primarily focus on scoring, and Chicago won the next four games. The majority of the 1990s was marked by the supremacy of the Chicago Bulls. This saw Chicago winning their sixth NBA championship, and winning their second three-peat. Eric Spoelstra’s team didn’t need a superstar to make it to where they did, as they became the fifth team to have a different scoring leader in each of the first three rounds of the playoffs. The Celtics, who defeated the Lakers 4–2, were led by their "Big Three" superstars of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce, who was also named Finals MVP. The Lakers won the series 4–2, claiming their seventeenth title to tie the Boston Celtics' franchise record; LeBron James was named Finals MVP for the fourth time in his career, becoming the first player to win the award with three different franchises. With the new duo of Malone and Erving, the 76ers won the 1983 NBA Finals, losing only once in the entire playoffs, as well as sweeping the Lakers. Three of their four Finals losses occurred against the rival Lakers. To take it a step further, since the NBA changed the format of the first round of the playoffs from best-of-five to best-of-seven in 2003, this has happened just four times. The interesting thing this is year is that I feel seeds 1-8 in the west have a chance to win it all. 1 seeds in the NBA playoffs Share this: ... and New York made Miami pay. With a defensive squad led by David Robinson and Tim Duncan, San Antonio's 84.7 points allowed per game was the fewest average points allowed in the postseason in the last 30 years. During the 2010 off-season, the Miami Heat re-signed team captain Dwyane Wade and added free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form their Big Three. The Cavs won the East, but they lost both Love and Irving to injuries during their playoff run. All appearances in the Finals occurred while the team was in St. Louis. That's less impressive for the top seed, but it still leaves nothing to 4th and below. The Lakers returned to the finals in 2008, against the Boston Celtics. Kawhi Leonard was named Finals MVP, becoming the third-youngest Finals MVP after Duncan and Magic Johnson. The competition oversaw further name changes to NBA World Championship Series from 1950 to 1985, as well as a brief stint as the Showdown, before settling on NBA Finals in 1986. A look at the Houston Rockets 1994-95 season In 1968, Boston overcame a 3–1 deficit against Philadelphia to once again arrive in the Finals. With their win in Game 7, the Rockets denied New York from winning both the NBA and NHL titles in the same year, as the New York Rangers won the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. Other franchises that won their first titles in the 1970s included the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, and the Washington Bullets, who defeated the SuperSonics in 1978. Since the NBA was formed in a 1949 merger, there have only been eight championship series sweeps NBA. Won 4–1 in their last Finals appearance in 2014. Russell utilized this newly lacking mobility in West to organize fast breaks at every opportunity for the Celtics, which allowed them to gain an early lead. The following seasonthe Warriors woul… Despite the rise of the Knicks, the 1974 championship returned to the Celtics. I think that was the lowest seed to win it all but 8th seeds have made the Finals a couple times. The Heat made their first Finals since Lebron James led them there in 2014. 6 seeds. The 1970s saw ten different teams reach the Finals and eight different teams win a championship, with the Celtics and New York Knicks winning twice. The following season the Warriors would again reach the Finals, however they would fall short to the now defunct Baltimore Bullets. Includes a record of 9–11 while in Syracuse, and 15–18 while in Philadelphia. Despite encountering some difficulty when up against teams led by Wilt Chamberlain, for most of the late 1950s and 1960s, the Celtics and Russell managed to have an upper hand on Chamberlain's teams. No other team in NBA History has done that. But that was when the first round was a best-of-5 first round. The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. Won 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 2019. In the 1999 Playoffs, the Eastern Conference 8th seed, the New York Knicks, beat Miami (1 seed), Atlanta (4), and Indiana (2), to reach the NBA Finals where they lost to San Antonio. Five teams have reached the conference championship round of the playoffs as a six seed since the NFL expanded to its current playoff format ahead of the 1990 season. In 2018, James left the Cavaliers and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. From NBA.com Staff. Lost 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 2000. The Suns, rallying behind Barkley, won Game 3, 129–121 in Chicago in triple overtime. James was named Finals MVP for the second straight year. [7] They met the Houston Rockets in the 1981 Finals, practically single-handedly carried by Moses Malone, who upset the Lakers and Johnson in the first round. In 1955 the Syracuse Nationals would win their only title before becoming the Philadelphia 76ers, and in 1956 the Warriors won their second and last title in Philadelphia before eventually moving to California. Since the NBA expanded the playoffs to 16 teams in 1984, a top seed has been upset by a No. The SuperSonics managed to exact revenge on the Bullets the following season, as they won their first title in 1979. 8 seeds upsetting No. After the Thunder won Game 1 at home, the Heat won four straight games to win the series 4–1, becoming the first team to win a championship after trailing in three playoff series. A brief history of No. I wonder how close Seeds 1-3 were since 2000. This meeting has been immortalized as the beginning of the Lakers and Celtics rivalry of the 1980s, which pitted those two NBA teams represented respectively by Johnson and Bird. The comeback was led by Dwyane Wade's 12 points in the final six minutes and a clutch outside jumpshot by Gary Payton, who was appearing in his third NBA finals. 6 Seed. Lionel Hollins fifth-seeded Grizzlies will now look to achieve something only a few teams in their position have before. Reached three conference semifinals as the Braves, and five times as the Clippers. Chicago defeated the Trail Blazers in Game 1 by 33 points, a game notable for Jordan breaking the record for the most three-pointers in a first half, with six. #2 New York 2004 #3 Detroit def. 5 seeds out West have been decisively lopsided the last 10 years, with the No. Here are eight times the brooms came out in the NBA Finals. However, the Knicks won in overtime and continued their momentum for a 4–3 win, becoming the first team after the Celtics dynasty to win an NBA championship. [5] 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. [12] The Warriors set a playoff record of 15 consecutive wins and a 16–1 final record, as well as a 13.5-point differential in the Finals. To date the Baltimore Bullets are the only defunct team to win a championship. Without James, the Cavaliers struggled and did not return to the playoffs. Round: First. As generic as that sounds, its fact. The No. During the 1980 NBA draft, the Celtics traded two first round picks to the Warriors for Parish and a first round pick later spent on McHale. The Warriors started strong with a 3–0 lead over the Cavs, eventually winning the series in five games with Durant being named Finals MVP. Game 2 went into overtime, with the Trail Blazers outscoring the Bulls 18–7 in the final period to win the game, even with Drexler fouling out in the 4th quarter. Neither Cleveland nor Golden State earned the top playoff seed in the 2017–18 season, and both teams fell to 3–2 deficits in the Conference Finals, but both came back to win the series and ensure a fourth consecutive Finals matchup in 2018. The Heat didn’t just sneak through the Eastern Conference, though. Despite holding a 2–1 advantage going into Game 4, the Lakers led 87–86 and had the ball with 10 seconds to play. Lost 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 1992. The Spurs went on to defeat the Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the 2005 NBA Finals, as well as sweeping the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. Between 1980 and 1990, the Celtics, 76ers, Lakers, or the Detroit Pistons won every NBA Finals. Since they went best-of-7 in 2003, no 8th seed has … With no foundation of youth to build upon, the Bulls became a lottery-bound team for the next six seasons. Looking for a three-peat, the Heat reached the 2014 NBA Finals and faced the Spurs in a rematch of the 2013 Finals. They finished their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a victory in Game 5. The Lakers went on to claim the first seed in the Western Conference, while the Warriors struggled with injuries and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In the following season, Philadelphia coach Alex Hannum instructed Chamberlain to provide an increased focus on playing a team game, to avoid drawing the double-teams that troubled Chamberlain during the Finals. During their 2001 postseason run, the Lakers swept their first 3 series and won the Finals in 5 games, finishing with an unprecedented 15–1 record, the best postseason record in NBA history at the time. The 1995–96 Bulls finished the regular season 72–10, attaining, at the time, the best regular season record in NBA history. It was missing 2013 and 2014 Finals, which I added. The Los Angeles Lakers have contested the NBA Finals the most times, with 32 appearances. The Philadelphia Warriors also won multiple championships, including the inaugural title in 1947 and another in 1956 to bookend the NBA's first decade. 1 overall seeds have fared in playoffs since 2000. Appeared in three straight NBA Finals, winning back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. The Philadelphia Warriors also won multiple championships, including the inaugural title in 1947 and another in 1956 to bookend the NBA's first decade. The Lakers took a 3–2 lead, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could not play in Game 6 due to injury. That's surprising to me. Team folded in 1954 and is the only championship-winning team to fold. By season's end, they broke the record for most wins in a season with 69, one more than the 1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers, before taking home the championship for the first time since relocating to Los Angeles. Rockets won as a 6th seed in 1995. [8] Seeking a three-peat in 1989, the Lakers were swept by the Pistons in a rematch of the previous year's Finals. I've adjusted the percentages accordingly. The game is considered one of the greatest playoff games in NBA history. They appeared in the next four finals, winning two in 2012 and 2013. All three wins and the 2016 loss were against the Cleveland Cavaliers; they became the first two teams to meet in four consecutive Finals. [9] The Heat were then considered the favorites by many to win multiple championships. In 2007, Tony Parker was named MVP, becoming the first European-born player to win the award. In 1990, the Pistons then went back-to-back after defeating the Clyde Drexler led Portland Trail Blazers in five games, attaining the nickname "Bad Boys" due to its rough, physical play. The Rockets were only the second team in NBA history to make the Finals after posting a losing record in the regular season, and the Celtics had an NBA best record of 62–20. In a key sequence with two minutes remaining in Game 7, LeBron James made a memorable chase-down block on Iguodala to keep the game tied, while Irving hit a 3-point shot a minute later to take the lead. [3], The statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual games won and lost. Lost 1–4 their last Finals appearance in 2012. They lost both of their Finals appearances, winning just one game between the two series. The Warriors won the title, with Iguodala becoming the first player to win the Finals MVP award without starting a regular season game that season. I hypothesize that 3rd seed Finals champions weren't too far off from being 2nd seed. In the 1985 NBA Finals, the Lakers made amends for their previous eight losses to the Celtics by defeating them in six games. The Houston Rockets also beat teams with at least 50 regular season wins in every round of the playoffs, with "Road Court" advantage. The Lakers returned to the NBA Finals in 1982, this time led by new coach Pat Riley, in a rematch against the 76ers. The Bulls, led by head coach Phil Jackson and star players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, won six titles in six Finals appearances from 1991 to 1998. After the Bulls took a 3–0 series lead, Seattle won the next two games after point guard Gary Payton asked his coach George Karl to be switched onto Jordan, leading to a sixth game. The beginning era of modern professional basketball was dominated by the Minneapolis Lakers, who won half of the first ten titles. Lost 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 2019. Includes records of 10–6 while in Philadelphia, 3–8 while in San Francisco, and 21–11 in their current incarnation. During the 2019 offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers obtained All-Star forward Anthony Davis via trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. In 1995, the Houston Rockets won their second consecutive NBA championship and became the lowest seed to win an NBA Finals. #3 New York 1968 #2 Boston def. All games played during the Finals have been against the Heat, and won 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 2011. 5 seed stealing home-court advantage and ultimately winning the series nine times. The Magical History of the Utah Jazz and the 5th Seed in the NBA Playoffs New, 24 comments The Utah Jazz are 5-0 the last five times they were the 5th seed. Johnson, a natural point guard, was shifted to center, and ended up playing every position on the court during the game, scoring 42 points, while also attaining 15 rebounds and 7 assists[6] to win his first championship while being awarded his first NBA Finals MVP; a remarkable performance in the annals of the sport. During the 2003 NBA Finals, the Spurs defeated the New Jersey Nets in 6 games, which also marked the first championship contested between two former ABA teams. A total of 19 franchises have won the NBA Finals, with the Los Angeles Lakers winning in 2020. O'Neal won the finals MVP all three times. Won one title in. The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game featured Magic Johnson's Michigan State University team facing off against Larry Bird's Indiana State University team. Although he did not lead the Bulls to the Finals for that season, he returned to pre-retirement form the next season while the team acquired perennial rebounding champion Dennis Rodman. Won 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 2020. In 1948 the Minneapolis Lakers would win the championship of the rival National Basketball League before joining the BAA. Jordan altered his game to deal with Payton, and the Bulls won Game 6 to win their fourth title. In 1969, the Celtics faced great difficulty entering the postseason, as they had an aging team and multiple injuries to a number of players. NBA Finals where no Number 1 seed made it 1951 #2 Rochester def. Includes a record of 0–4 in Baltimore and 5–11 in Washington, all as the Bullets. They dominated in the playoffs, with series records of 3–0, 4–1 and 4–0, before facing the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Finals. He also passed Auerbach's and National Hockey League coach Scotty Bowman's record for most titles as head coach in any major American professional sport. The Spurs were responsible for winning four championships during this time, in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007. Both losses in Detroit came in Game 7s. Lost 4–2 in both Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, both times against the Bulls. Series result: 3-2. The Cavs also traded for Kevin Love to form a new "Big Three" in Cleveland. 8 seed only five times. Anything can happen! #3 New York 1952 #2 Minneapolis def. The labor lockout shortened the season to 50 games, giving the reconstructed Knicks … Won 4–2 in their last Finals appearance in 1998. The final game of this series attracted the largest ever TV audience for an NBA game, and the second-largest ever for a basketball game, with only the game between the two stars played five years earlier having a larger audience. James won his first championship and was unanimously named NBA Finals MVP. The team that wins the series is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which replaced the Walter A. Now established as one of the powerhouses of the East, the Pistons returned to the NBA Finals the following year, before losing to the Spurs in seven games. Here's a look at some of the best eight seeds ever: —1998-99 New York Knicks. The Lakers and the Boston Celtics hold the record for the most victories, having both won the competition 17 times. It was the last NBA Finals played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format, until 2014. Chance for underdog: 15.0 percent. Maybe most voters think of the MVP as an award for the player who helped give his team the best chance of winning the championship during the season. The Mavericks won the first two games at home, but the turning point of the series was in Game 3, when the Heat overcame a 13-point deficit with less than 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter to win 98–96. Johnson and the Showtime Lakers reached the 1980 NBA Finals against the 76ers, which were also led by NBA superstar Julius Erving. Holds the record for the most games in a Finals, with a record of 20–15 in Minneapolis and 73–77 while in Los Angeles. Only six games separated the No. The 1999 Knicks were the 8 seed in the East and knocked off the Heat, Hawks and Pacers before losing to San Antonio in the NBA finals. The only other team to win a title during this time was the Houston Rockets who won titles in 1994 and 1995, during Jordan's first retirement from professional basketball. * The 4th seed in either the East or West has made the conference finals 10 times in NBA history. With 17 championships, no team has won more, and are tied with the Celtics. Lost 4–1 in their last Finals appearance in 1999. how many times has a #5 seed … They also attained a three-peat in Minneapolis from 1952 to 1954, and another in Los Angeles from 2000 to 2002. The Heat came into the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East. After being founded in 1946, the Basketball Association of America completed its inaugural season in April 1947 with the Philadelphia Warriors defeating the Chicago Stags in five games. Press J to jump to the feed. It also attracted the largest TV rating ever for an NCAA Championship game, as 38 percent of all television viewers that night tuned in. Good eye. ", "NBA Finals Live: Cavs vs. Warriors in Game 7", "Powered by Kevin Durant, Warriors roll to second NBA title in three years", "G.O.A.T. The Suns won Game 5, 108–98, sending the series back to Phoenix. Winning on the road is hard though and if they were the 8th seed, it could be the emotional wear and tear of the season coming to the top and that could in theory halt some of their steam after a while. #4 Seattle 1994 #2 Houston def.