1997 NBA playoffs
The 1997 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz 4 games to 2. This was the Bulls' second straight title, and fifth overall (They completed the 3-peat by beating Utah again in 1998). Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for the fifth time.
 | |||
| Dates | April 24–June 13, 1997 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 1996–97 | ||
| Teams | 16 | ||
| Champions | Chicago Bulls (5th title) | ||
| Runners-up | Utah Jazz (1st finals appearance) | ||
| Semifinalists | |||
| |||
This was the first Western Conference title for the Jazz in their 23-year history.
The Miami Heat's run to the Eastern Conference Finals marked the farthest they had reached in the playoffs up to that point; they did not return until 2005, and won the NBA Finals in 2006.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made their playoff debut after failing to win more than 30 games in their first 7 seasons. It was also the first of 7 straight years in which they made the playoffs only to lose in the first round. They were the last of the 1988/89 expansion four to make their playoff debut
This season was the first, and to date only, season since the ABA–NBA merger that none of the four former ABA teams (the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, and the New Jersey Nets) qualified for the playoffs. It was also one of only four times that the Spurs failed to make the playoffs since their admission to the NBA. The Spurs would not missed the playoffs again until 2020.
All four 1988/89 expansion teams (Minnesota, Miami, Orlando and Charlotte) made the playoffs for the first time. This would happen again in 2001.
The two #8 seeds in this tournament, the Washington Bullets and the Los Angeles Clippers, broke long playoff droughts (Bullets eight years, Clippers only just three) with their appearances in the 1997 Playoffs. (The Bullets' last playoff appearance was in 1988; the Clippers in 1993). Unfortunately for both teams, it would be a long time before they made the playoffs again; the renamed Wizards made their return in 2005; the Clippers in 2006). The Bullets qualified by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in a regular season finale that saw both teams fighting for the #8 seed.[1]
Game 4 of the Bulls–Hawks series was the last game ever played at The Omni. The Hawks' home playoff games for 1998 and 1999 were played at the Georgia Dome while the Omni was demolished to make way for Philips Arena, which would open in September 1999.
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena hosted its final NBA playoff game in Game 3 of the Clippers–Jazz series. When the Clippers returned to the playoffs in 2006, they had moved to the Staples Center, their home since the 1999–2000 season. The Sports Arena remained active until its closure and demolition in 2016.
Game 3 of the Bulls–Bullets series was the last playoff game ever played at the Capital Centre (named USAir Arena at the time). They moved into a new arena the next season.
In addition, the Bullets changed their team name to the Wizards on May 15, making it the last time the team was officially named the "Bullets".
After losing in the Western Conference Finals, the Houston Rockets would not win a playoff series until 2009 and would not return to the Conference Finals until 2015.
Bracket
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | |||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Washington | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Atlanta | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Atlanta | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Detroit | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Miami* | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| E3 | New York | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Charlotte | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| E3 | New York | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Miami* | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Miami* | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Orlando | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Utah* | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Utah* | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| W8 | LA Clippers | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Utah* | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| W4 | LA Lakers | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| W4 | LA Lakers | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Portland | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Utah* | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Houston | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Houston | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Minnesota | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Houston | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle* | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle* | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Phoenix | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
* Division winner
Bold Series winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage
Playoff qualifying
Best record in conference
The Utah Jazz clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
- Utah Jazz (64-18, clinched Midwest division)
- Seattle SuperSonics (57-25, clinched Pacific division)
- Houston Rockets (57-25)
- Los Angeles Lakers (56-26)
- Portland Trail Blazers (49-33)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (40-42)
- Phoenix Suns (40-42)
- Los Angeles Clippers (36-46)
Best record in NBA
The Chicago Bulls clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
- Chicago Bulls (69-13, clinched Central division)
- Miami Heat (61-21, clinched Atlantic division)
- New York Knicks (57-25)
- Atlanta Hawks (56-26)
- Detroit Pistons (54-28)
- Charlotte Hornets (54-28)
- Orlando Magic (45-37)
- Washington Bullets (44-38)
Memorable moments
The 1997 NBA Playoffs featured numerous clutch shots and other moments.
- April 30: Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Bullets, Game 3
Scottie Pippen made the series-winning dunk with 7.4 seconds left as the Bulls swept the Bullets 96–95 and advanced.[2]
- May 1: Seattle SuperSonics vs. Phoenix Suns, Game 4
With his team trailing 107–104 with 4.3 seconds left, Phoenix guard Rex Chapman took the inbounds pass, launched a 3-point shot while falling out of bounds, and made the shot to tie the game. The Sonics would however win in OT 122-115.
- May 6: Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks, Game 1
Scottie Pippen broke a 97-97 tie by making a 3-point shot with 43.9 seconds left. Neither team would score after that, and the Bulls beat Atlanta 100–97.
- May 14: New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat, Game 5
A courtside brawl erupted when Heat forward P.J. Brown body-slammed Knicks guard Charlie Ward causing both teams' benches to clear. For the Knicks, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson left the bench. All of the players involved were suspended. The Knicks, under-manned by the suspensions, lost the series in 7 games to start the Heat-Knicks rivalry. This was the first time in history where a New York-based major league sports team lost a playoff series after securing a 3–1 series lead; this would later be repeated when the New York Yankees blew a 3–0 series lead against the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and when the New York Rangers blew a 3–1 series lead against the Washington Capitals in 2009.
- May 25: Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets, Game 4
Eddie Johnson made a 3 as time expired to tie the Western Conference Finals at 2.
- May 29: Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets, Game 6
John Stockton scored 25 points and Karl Malone scored 24. John Stockton capped off a spectacular 4th quarter performance by hitting a 3 as time expired to send Utah to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
- June 1: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz, Game 1
With the game tied at 82 with 9.2 seconds left, Jazz forward Karl Malone missed two crucial free throws. Chicago regained possession and Michael Jordan hit a jumper as time expired for the Bulls to win 84–82.
- June 13: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz, Game 6
With most NBC viewers thinking Jordan would take the last shot with the game tied at 86, he instead passed to Steve Kerr, who made a 17-foot shot with 5 seconds left. On the next play, Scottie Pippen stole Bryon Russell's inbound pass and rolled the ball to Toni Kukoč, who clinched the title with a dunk.
Notes
- For the first time since 1992, a #5 seed did not beat their #4 seeded opponent in the first round.
- This would be the last postseason until 2004 to feature teams with sub .500 records.
- Until 2020, this is the most recent postseason where a Western Conference team (Minnesota, Phoenix, and the Los Angeles Clippers) qualified with a losing record.
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Washington Bullets
April 25 |
| Washington Bullets 86, Chicago Bulls 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 25–19, 13–17, 30–34 | ||
| Pts: Juwan Howard 21 Rebs: Rod Strickland 10 Asts: Rod Strickland 8 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 10 Asts: Michael Jordan 8 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 27 |
| Washington Bullets 104, Chicago Bulls 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–29, 35–29, 15–28, 24–23 | ||
| Pts: Calbert Cheaney 26 Rebs: Chris Webber 12 Asts: Rod Strickland 8 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 55 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 9 Asts: Luc Longley 6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 30 |
| Chicago Bulls 96, Washington Bullets 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 26–23, 22–24, 26–25 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 10 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 |
Pts: Rod Strickland 24 Rebs: Chris Webber 8 Asts: Rod Strickland 9 | |
| Chicago wins series, 3–0 | ||
| Chicago won 2–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the Bullets/Wizards franchise.[3]
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Orlando Magic
April 24 |
| Orlando Magic 64, Miami Heat 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 10–35, 20–14, 17–24, 17–26 | ||
| Pts: Derek Strong 15 Rebs: Nick Anderson 12 Asts: Anfernee Hardaway 3 |
Pts: Voshon Lenard 24 Rebs: P.J. Brown 12 Asts: Tim Hardaway 11 | |
| Miami leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 27 |
| Orlando Magic 87, Miami Heat 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 13–36, 27–24, 29–24 | ||
| Pts: Anfernee Hardaway 26 Rebs: Derek Strong 16 Asts: Brian Shaw 4 |
Pts: Tim Hardaway 20 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 9 Asts: Tim Hardaway 11 | |
| Miami leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 29 |
| Miami Heat 75, Orlando Magic 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–13, 13–29, 15–23, 18–23 | ||
| Pts: Alonzo Mourning 17 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 17 Asts: Tim Hardaway 8 |
Pts: Anfernee Hardaway 42 Rebs: Anfernee Hardaway 8 Asts: Darrell Armstrong 8 | |
| Miami leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 1 |
| Miami Heat 91, Orlando Magic 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 14–26, 25–20, 27–26 | ||
| Pts: Alonzo Mourning 23 Rebs: Mourning, Brown 13 each Asts: Tim Hardaway 8 |
Pts: Anfernee Hardaway 41 Rebs: Darrell Armstrong 9 Asts: Anfernee Hardaway 4 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
May 4 |
| Orlando Magic 83, Miami Heat 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 14–19, 19–28, 30–22 | ||
| Pts: Anfernee Hardaway 33 Rebs: Derek Strong 12 Asts: Anfernee Hardaway 6 |
Pts: Alonzo Mourning 22 Rebs: P.J. Brown 14 Asts: Tim Hardaway 11 | |
| Miami wins series, 3–2 | ||
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the Magic.[4]
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Charlotte Hornets
April 24 |
| Charlotte Hornets 99, New York Knicks 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 23–29, 29–16, 24–34 | ||
| Pts: Vlade Divac 27 Rebs: Anthony Mason 13 Asts: Anthony Mason 5 |
Pts: Allan Houston 25 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 9 Asts: Chris Childs 8 | |
| New York leads series, 1–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Hugh Evans, Nolan Fine, Don Vaden |
April 26 |
| Charlotte Hornets 93, New York Knicks 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 23–24, 34–31, 12–21 | ||
| Pts: Glen Rice 39 Rebs: Mason, Divac 12 each Asts: four players 2 each |
Pts: Patrick Ewing 30 Rebs: Charles Oakley 10 Asts: Chris Childs 9 | |
| New York leads series, 2–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Jim Clark, Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush |
April 28 |
| New York Knicks 104, Charlotte Hornets 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–31, 20–18, 21–24, 25–22 | ||
| Pts: Larry Johnson 22 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 11 Asts: Johnson, Childs 5 each |
Pts: Glen Rice 22 Rebs: Anthony Mason 11 Asts: Glen Rice 9 | |
| New York wins series, 3–0 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 24,042 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, David Jones |
| Charlotte won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first meeting.
| New York leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Detroit Pistons
April 25 |
| Detroit Pistons 75, Atlanta Hawks 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 25–19, 15–22, 17–28 | ||
| Pts: Grant Hill 20 Rebs: Grant Hill 14 Asts: Grant Hill 7 |
Pts: Dikembe Mutombo 26 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 15 Asts: Christian Laettner 4 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 27 |
| Detroit Pistons 93, Atlanta Hawks 80 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–20, 19–20, 19–25, 29–15 | ||
| Pts: Grant Hill 25 Rebs: Otis Thorpe 8 Asts: Grant Hill 3 |
Pts: Steve Smith 22 Rebs: Mookie Blaylock 9 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 29 |
| Atlanta Hawks 91, Detroit Pistons 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 20–32, 26–16, 25–27 | ||
| Pts: Christian Laettner 25 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 21 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 10 |
Pts: Lindsey Hunter 26 Rebs: Terry Mills 7 Asts: Grant Hill 8 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 20,059 Referees: Mike Callahan, Bill Oakes, Bennett Salvatore |
May 2 |
| Atlanta Hawks 94, Detroit Pistons 82 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 24–15, 27–19, 21–25 | ||
| Pts: Steve Smith 28 Rebs: Mutombo, Laettner 12 each Asts: Mookie Blaylock 9 |
Pts: Grant Hill 28 Rebs: Terry Mills 10 Asts: three players 3 each | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Bob Delaney |
May 4 |
| Detroit Pistons 79, Atlanta Hawks 84 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 17–20, 20–12, 17–30 | ||
| Pts: Grant Hill 21 Rebs: Lindsey Hunter 9 Asts: Grant Hill 6 |
Pts: Christian Laettner 23 Rebs: Mutombo, Blaylock 9 each Asts: Blaylock, Corbin 5 each | |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–2 | ||
| Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning three series apiece.
| Tied 3–3 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Los Angeles Clippers
April 24 |
| Los Angeles Clippers 86, Utah Jazz 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 24–23, 20–26, 18–26 | ||
| Pts: Loy Vaught 20 Rebs: Loy Vaught 11 Asts: three players 3 each |
Pts: Karl Malone 27 Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 17 | |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Ed Middleton |
April 26 |
| Los Angeles Clippers 99, Utah Jazz 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 23–34, 32–23, 22–21 | ||
| Pts: Lorenzen Wright 17 Rebs: Loy Vaught 9 Asts: Darrick Martin 6 |
Pts: Karl Malone 39 Rebs: Karl Malone 11 Asts: Stockton, Hornacek 4 each | |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Terry Durham, Bill Oakes, Bennett Salvatore |
April 28 |
| Utah Jazz 104, Los Angeles Clippers 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–24, 26–18, 22–21, 24–29 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone 26 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: John Stockton 13 |
Pts: Loy Vaught 20 Rebs: Vaught, Wright 9 each Asts: Darrick Martin 5 | |
| Utah wins series, 3–0 | ||
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 11,747 Referees: Bob Delaney, Tommy Nunez Sr., Ed T. Rush |
| Utah won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
| Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (7) Phoenix Suns
April 25 |
| Phoenix Suns 106, Seattle SuperSonics 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–23, 31–24, 26–32, 29–22 | ||
| Pts: Rex Chapman 42 Rebs: Kevin Johnson 7 Asts: Jason Kidd 10 |
Pts: Gary Payton 23 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 15 Asts: Gary Payton 9 | |
| Phoenix leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 27 |
| Phoenix Suns 78, Seattle SuperSonics 122 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–35, 19–21, 26–29, 15–37 | ||
| Pts: Rex Chapman 18 Rebs: Wesley Person 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 8 |
Pts: Payton, Kemp 23 each Rebs: Shawn Kemp 15 Asts: Gary Payton 6 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 29 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 103, Phoenix Suns 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 40–30, 22–27, 19–25, 22–28 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton 34 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 11 Asts: Gary Payton 6 |
Pts: Wesley Person 29 Rebs: Wesley Person 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 10 | |
| Phoenix leads series, 2–1 | ||
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 19,023 Referees: Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush, Greg Willard |
May 1 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 122, Phoenix Suns 115 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–26, 25–23, 17–27, 29–31, Overtime: 15–8 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton 28 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 20 Asts: Gary Payton 14 |
Pts: Johnson, Kidd 23 each Rebs: Danny Manning 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 14 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 19,023 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
May 3 |
| Phoenix Suns 92, Seattle SuperSonics 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–33, 18–30, 32–18, 19–35 | ||
| Pts: Wesley Person 26 Rebs: Person, Kidd 8 each Asts: Jason Kidd 7 |
Pts: Detlef Schrempf 24 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 11 Asts: Gary Payton 10 | |
| Seattle wins series, 3–2 | ||
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning two of the first three meetings.
| Phoenix leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
April 24 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 95, Houston Rockets 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 23–30, 17–27, 30–24 | ||
| Pts: Stephon Marbury 28 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 9 Asts: three players 4 each |
Pts: Mario Elie 21 Rebs: Kevin Willis 13 Asts: Clyde Drexler 8 | |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 26 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 84, Houston Rockets 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 23–17, 22–25, 19–30 | ||
| Pts: Stephon Marbury 22 Rebs: Dean Garrett 14 Asts: Stephon Marbury 6 |
Pts: Charles Barkley 20 Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Clyde Drexler 7 | |
| Houston leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 29 |
| Houston Rockets 125, Minnesota Timberwolves 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–29, 27–30, 32–32, 34–29 | ||
| Pts: Matt Maloney 26 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 9 |
Pts: Tom Gugliotta 27 Rebs: Dean Garrett 15 Asts: Stephon Marbury 13 | |
| Houston wins series, 3–0 | ||
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,006 Referees: Terry Durham, Hue Hollins, Jack Nies |
| Houston won 4–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Timberwolves.[9]
(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers
April 25 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 77, Los Angeles Lakers 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 16—21, 22–25, 15–27 | ||
| Pts: Wallace, Sabonis 18 each Rebs: Chris Dudley 11 Asts: Isaiah Rider 5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 46 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Nick Van Exel 8 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Bernie Fryer, Greg Willard |
April 27 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 93, Los Angeles Lakers 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 25–16, 18–29, 24–29 | ||
| Pts: Rasheed Wallace 20 Rebs: Clifford Robinson 10 Asts: Kenny Anderson 7 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 30 Rebs: Eddie Jones 7 Asts: Nick Van Exel 9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Bob Delaney, Ed T. Rush, Tom Washington |
April 30 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 90, Portland Trail Blazers 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–32, 19–27, 22–25, 32–14 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 29 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12 Asts: O'Neal, Exel 4 each |
Pts: Kenny Anderson 30 Rebs: Chris Dudley 7 Asts: Kenny Anderson 5 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
May 2 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 95, Portland Trail Blazers 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–19, 23–30, 24–25, 27–17 | ||
| Pts: O'Neal, Campbell 27 each Rebs: four players 8 each Asts: Exel, Jones 5 each |
Pts: Arvydas Sabonis 23 Rebs: Arvydas Sabonis 10 Asts: Kenny Anderson 5 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–1 | ||
| Portland won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first six meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Conference Semifinals
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
May 6 |
| Atlanta Hawks 97, Chicago Bulls 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–19, 24–20, 20–38, 27–23 | ||
| Pts: Mookie Blaylock 31 Rebs: Mookie Blaylock 12 Asts: Christian Laettner 6 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 34 Rebs: Michael Jordan 11 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 24,397 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
May 8 |
| Atlanta Hawks 103, Chicago Bulls 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 26–23, 23–19, 27–25 | ||
| Pts: Steve Smith 27 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 15 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 9 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 27 Rebs: Michael Jordan 16 Asts: Scottie Pippen 9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
May 10 |
| Chicago Bulls 100, Atlanta Hawks 80 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 26–28, 25–16, 29–12 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 21 Rebs: Jason Caffey 11 Asts: Kukoč, Pippen 5 each |
Pts: Dikembe Mutombo 16 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 13 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,378 Referees: Bob Delaney, Hugh Evans, Derrick Stafford |
May 11 |
| Chicago Bulls 89, Atlanta Hawks 80 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–19, 22–23, 20–11, 14–27 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 27 Rebs: Jordan, Pippen 8 each Asts: three players 4 |
Pts: Christian Laettner 21 Rebs: Christian Laettner 12 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 4 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,378 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Hue Hollins, Bennett Salvatore |
Game 4 was Robert Parish's final NBA game.
May 13 |
| Atlanta Hawks 92, Chicago Bulls 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–33, 17–27, 24–19, 24–28 | ||
| Pts: Christian Laettner 23 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 12 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 8 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 24 Rebs: Dele, Longley 10 each Asts: Jordan, Pippen 7 each | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 | ||
| Chicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning two of the first three meetings.
| Atlanta/St. Louis leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) New York Knicks
May 7 |
| New York Knicks 88, Miami Heat 79 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 14–16, 29–16, 22–24 | ||
| Pts: Allan Houston 27 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 16 Asts: Johnson, Ward 5 each |
Pts: Tim Hardaway 21 Rebs: P.J. Brown 12 Asts: Tim Hardaway 6 | |
| New York leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 9 |
| New York Knicks 84, Miami Heat 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–20, 17–28, 27–22, 15–18 | ||
| Pts: Allan Houston 19 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 11 Asts: Chris Childs 7 |
Pts: Tim Hardaway 34 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 13 Asts: Hardaway, Majerle 4 each | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
May 11 |
| Miami Heat 73, New York Knicks 77 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–16, 18–18, 17–24, 14–19 | ||
| Pts: Voshon Lenard 22 Rebs: P.J. Brown 10 Asts: Tim Hardaway 8 |
Pts: Patrick Ewing 25 Rebs: Ewing, Oakley 11 each Asts: Ward, Starks 4 each | |
| New York leads series, 2–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Eddie F. Rush |
Patrick Ewing blocked a last second three pointer to preserve the victory.
May 12 |
| Miami Heat 76, New York Knicks 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 14–28, 16–17, 24–21 | ||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway 14 Rebs: P.J. Brown 12 Asts: Willie Anderson 4 |
Pts: John Starks 21 Rebs: Charles Oakley 9 Asts: Chris Childs 8 | |
| New York leads series, 3–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Jack Nies |
May 14 |
| New York Knicks 81, Miami Heat 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 12–14, 25–31, 22–30 | ||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing 19 Rebs: Charles Oakley 9 Asts: Chris Childs 7 |
Pts: Voshon Lenard 21 Rebs: P.J. Brown 12 Asts: Tim Hardaway 6 | |
| New York leads series, 3–2 | ||
This game featured a fight between P.J. Brown and Charlie Ward, with John Starks, Larry Johnson, Patrick Ewing, and Allan Houston leaving the bench. Brown was suspended for the rest of the series; Ewing, Houston, and Ward were suspended for Game 6; Johnson and Starks were suspended for Game 7.
May 16 |
| Miami Heat 95, New York Knicks 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–27, 23–17, 24–22, 31–24 | ||
| Pts: Alonzo Mourning 28 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 9 Asts: Tim Hardaway 8 |
Pts: Chris Childs 22 Rebs: Charles Oakley 12 Asts: Chris Childs 9 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Jim Clark, Joe Forte, Ed T. Rush |
May 18 |
| New York Knicks 90, Miami Heat 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–25, 18–24, 22–22, 36–30 | ||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing 37 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 17 Asts: Charlie Ward 8 |
Pts: Tim Hardaway 38 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 12 Asts: Tim Hardaway 7 | |
| Miami wins series, 4–3 | ||
Miami becomes the 6th team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit.
| New York won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the Knicks.[12]
(1) Utah Jazz vs. (4) Los Angeles Lakers
May 4 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 77, Utah Jazz 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 15–25, 20–18, 17–23 | ||
| Pts: Nick Van Exel 23 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12 Asts: Nick Van Exel 4 |
Pts: Karl Malone 23 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: Jeff Hornacek 7 | |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Eddie F. Rush |
May 6 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 101, Utah Jazz 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 31–32, 30–28, 16–16 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 25 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12 Asts: Nick Van Exel 12 |
Pts: Karl Malone 31 Rebs: Karl Malone 11 Asts: Hornacek, Stockton 7 each | |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 8 |
| Utah Jazz 84, Los Angeles Lakers 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 15–20, 23–23, 25–32 | ||
| Pts: Jeff Hornacek 26 Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 8 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 19 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10 Asts: Nick Van Exel 5 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Terry Durham, Bill Oakes |
May 10 |
| Utah Jazz 110, Los Angeles Lakers 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 26–22, 28–25, 31–26 | ||
| Pts: Bryon Russell 29 Rebs: Bryon Russell 10 Asts: John Stockton 11 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 34 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Nick Van Exel 7 | |
| Utah leads series, 3–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Joe Forte, Ken Mauer, Ed T. Rush |
May 12 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 93, Utah Jazz 98 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 20–22, 16–13, 28–23, Overtime: 4–9 | ||
| Pts: Nick Van Exel 26 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 13 Asts: Shaquille O'Neal 5 |
Pts: Karl Malone 32 Rebs: Karl Malone 20 Asts: John Stockton 10 | |
| Utah wins series, 4–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ron Garretson, Derrick Stafford |
In Game 5, Kobe Bryant had an infamous rookie moment in which he airballed 4 jump shots from the end of regulation through the end of overtime.
| Utah won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
| Los Angeles leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Houston Rockets
May 5 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 102, Houston Rockets 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–35, 30–29, 16–32, 31–16 | ||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp 24 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 11 Asts: Eric Snow 7 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler 22 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Mario Elie 8 | |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 7 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 106, Houston Rockets 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–30, 33–17, 17–23, 24–31 | ||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp 22 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 15 Asts: Gary Payton 9 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler 25 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 12 Asts: Clyde Drexler 8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
May 9 |
| Houston Rockets 97, Seattle SuperSonics 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 26–23, 17–35, 25–14 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 24 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Sedale Threatt 5 |
Pts: Payton, Kemp 28 each Rebs: Shawn Kemp 10 Asts: Payton, Kemp 5 each | |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 11 |
| Houston Rockets 110, Seattle SuperSonics 106 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 24–28, 27–24, 24–21, Overtime: 12–8 | ||
| Pts: Maloney, Barkley 26 each Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Hakeem Olajuwon 9 |
Pts: Gary Payton 27 Rebs: Kemp, Cummings 9 each Asts: Gary Payton 11 | |
| Houston leads series, 3–1 | ||
May 13 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 100, Houston Rockets 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 30–33, 22–19, 21–23 | ||
| Pts: Hersey Hawkins 23 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 10 Asts: Gary Payton 11 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 31 Rebs: Charles Barkley 20 Asts: Mario Elie 6 | |
| Houston leads series, 3–2 | ||
May 15 |
| Houston Rockets 96, Seattle SuperSonics 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–30, 24–21, 24–27, 35–21 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs: Charles Barkley 12 Asts: Clyde Drexler 6 |
Pts: Shawn Kemp 22 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 11 Asts: Gary Payton 13 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
May 17 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 91, Houston Rockets 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–30, 19–25, 17–19, 24–22 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton 27 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 10 Asts: Gary Payton 7 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler 24 Rebs: Charles Barkley 14 Asts: Mario Elie 11 | |
| Houston wins series, 4–3 | ||
- Seattle and Houston individually tie their regular season records with 57 wins apiece. Although the Sonics won the Pacific division, the Rockets won the regular season series over the Sonics 3-1, and gained home-court advantage.
| Houston won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first five meetings.
| Seattle leads 5–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Conference Finals
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (2) Miami Heat
May 20 |
| Miami Heat 77, Chicago Bulls 84 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–17, 24–21, 17–23, 11–23 | ||
| Pts: Alonzo Mourning 21 Rebs: Mourning, Austin 8 each Asts: Tim Hardaway 9 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 37 Rebs: Michael Jordan 19 Asts: Pippen, Harper 4 each | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 24,544 Referees: Hugh Evans, Eddie F. Rush, Bennett Salvatore |
May 22 |
| Miami Heat 68, Chicago Bulls 75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 12–22, 17–17, 16–12, 23–24 | ||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway 15 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 8 Asts: Tim Hardaway 5 |
Pts: Jordan, Pippen 23 each Rebs: Dennis Rodman 10 Asts: Ron Harper 6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 24 |
| Chicago Bulls 98, Miami Heat 74 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–15, 28–19, 25–15, 26–25 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 34 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 9 Asts: Toni Kukoč 6 |
Pts: Voshon Lenard 14 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 9 Asts: John Crotty 5 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–0 | ||
May 26 |
| Chicago Bulls 80, Miami Heat 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 12–23, 26–14, 23–26 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 11 Asts: Scottie Pippen 5 |
Pts: Tim Hardaway 25 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 14 Asts: Tim Hardaway 7 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 | ||
May 28 |
| Miami Heat 87, Chicago Bulls 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–33, 31–31, 15–16, 22–20 | ||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway 27 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 8 Asts: Lenard, Hardaway 5 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 13 Asts: Toni Kukoč 7 | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 | ||
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first two meetings.
| Chicago leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(1) Utah Jazz vs. (3) Houston Rockets
May 19 |
| Houston Rockets 86, Utah Jazz 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 17–29, 25–30, 21–22 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 13 Asts: Hakeem Olajuwon 5 |
Pts: Karl Malone 21 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: John Stockton 13 | |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 21 |
| Houston Rockets 92, Utah Jazz 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 19–23, 26–35, 24–21 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs: Charles Barkley 12 Asts: Clyde Drexler 4 |
Pts: John Stockton 26 Rebs: Karl Malone 15 Asts: John Stockton 12 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 23 |
| Utah Jazz 100, Houston Rockets 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–18, 20–33, 21–29, 28–38 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone 21 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 9 Asts: John Stockton 10 |
Pts: Eddie Johnson 31 Rebs: Charles Barkley 16 Asts: three players 6 each | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 25 |
| Utah Jazz 92, Houston Rockets 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 26–24, 23–27, 16–20 | ||
| Pts: Malone, Stockton 22 each Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 8 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 27 Rebs: Charles Barkley 16 Asts: Matt Maloney 6 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Eddie Johnson hits the game-winning 3-pointer to even the series.
May 27 |
| Houston Rockets 91, Utah Jazz 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 17–23, 20–24, 27–25 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 33 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 10 Asts: Charles Barkley 5 |
Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Karl Malone 14 Asts: John Stockton 6 | |
| Utah leads series, 3–2 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ron Garretson, Bennett Salvatore |
May 29 |
| Utah Jazz 103, Houston Rockets 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 20–28, 27–22, 33–29 | ||
| Pts: John Stockton 25 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 14 Asts: John Stockton 13 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler 33 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Sedale Threatt 9 | |
| Utah wins series, 4–2 | ||
John Stockton hits the series-winning 3-pointer.
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning two of the first three meetings.
| Houston leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
NBA Finals: (E1) Chicago Bulls vs. (W1) Utah Jazz
June 1 |
| Utah Jazz 82, Chicago Bulls 84 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–17, 24–21, 22–24, 18–22 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone 23 Rebs: Karl Malone 15 Asts: John Stockton 12 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 31 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 12 Asts: Michael Jordan 8 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer.
June 4 |
| Utah Jazz 85, Chicago Bulls 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 11–22, 28–31, 26–19 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone 20 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: John Stockton 7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 38 Rebs: Michael Jordan 13 Asts: Michael Jordan 9 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 24,544 Referees: Hugh Evans, Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore |
June 6 |
| Chicago Bulls 93, Utah Jazz 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 23–30, 15–16, 33–27 | ||
| Pts: Scottie Pippen 27 Rebs: Ron Harper 7 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 |
Pts: Karl Malone 37 Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 12 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 | ||
Scottie Pippen tied a then-Finals record with 7 3-pointers.
June 8 |
| Chicago Bulls 73, Utah Jazz 78 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–21, 24–14, 16–21, 17–22 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 22 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 12 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 |
Pts: Karl Malone 23 Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 12 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
John Stockton threw a full-court pass over Michael Jordan to Karl Malone to give Utah the lead for good.
June 11 |
| Chicago Bulls 90, Utah Jazz 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–29, 33–24, 18–19, 23–16 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 38 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 10 Asts: Pippen, Jordan 5 each |
Pts: Karl Malone 19 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 15 Asts: Karl Malone 6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–2 | ||
(The Flu Game), Michael Jordan plays 44 minutes and scores 38 points despite being ill from food poisoning.
June 13 |
| Utah Jazz 86, Chicago Bulls 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–17, 21–20, 26–27, 16–26 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone 21 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 8 Asts: John Stockton 5 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 39 Rebs: Jordan, Rodman 11 each Asts: Michael Jordan 4 | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–2 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 24,544 Referees: Joe Crawford, Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore |
Steve Kerr hits the series-winner with 5 seconds left, then Scottie Pippen steals Bryon Russell's inbounds pass and rolls the ball to Toni Kukoč, who dunks it with 6 tenths left to bring the Finals to a close.
| Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first NBA Finals meeting between the Bulls and the Jazz.[17]
References
- "Bullets Beat Cavs, Earn Playoff Berth". Eugene Register-Guard. 21 April 1997. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- Roberts, Selena (1 May 1997). "Bulls Prevail, but Bullets Go Out Fighti". New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Charlotte Hornets versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Clippers versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus Phoenix Suns (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Minnesota Timberwolves (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Chicago Bulls (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
External links
- Basketball-Reference.com's 1997 Playoffs section
- Official Website on NBA.com at the Wayback Machine (archived September 3, 2000)