The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship series for the 1987–88 NBA season….which pitted the champion Los Angeles Lakers from the year before….who were coached by Hall of Fame Pat Riley….against the Detroit Pistons….who were coach by future Hall of Fame Chuck Daley…..after one of coach Pat Riley‘s most famous moments came when he promised the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers’ 1986-87 championship parade in downtown Los Angeles. With every team in the league now gunning for them….the Los Angeles Lakers still found a way to win….by taking their seventh consecutive Pacific Division title. While the 1988 Lakers did not produce as many wins in the regular season as the 1987 Lakers….they were just as successful in the playoffs…becoming the first team in 19 years to repeat as champions…..which motivated the Lakers….as they once again earned the league’s best record in the 1987–88 season at 62–20….despite winning three games less than the previous year.
The playoffs proved to be a difficult climb for the Lakers, however….for after sweeping the San Antonio Spurs in the first round…. they were pushed to the brink in the next two rounds by the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks….as the Lakers eventually prevailed in both series thanks to their championship experience.
The Pistons of head coach Chuck Daly were an up-and-coming team that gradually moved up the Eastern Conference ranks….as they became known as the “Bad Boys” for their physical and defensive-minded style of play….with a team core that featured guards Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, forwards Adrian Dantley and Rick Mahorn, center Bill Laimbeer and bench players Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman and John Salley….who had midway through the season gained a valuable backup to Laimbeer and Mahorn when they acquired James Edwards….as the 1987–88 season marked a further ascension for the franchise….when Detroit won the Central Division title with a 54–28 record. The second-seeded Pistons overcame the Washington Bullets and the Chicago Bulls in five games each….before facing the Boston Celtics once again in the conference finals. This time, the Pistons were the better team and eliminated the Celtics in six games for their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956
Game 2 was played on June 9, 1988 at the Los Angeles Forum….with Lakers James Worthy leading the scoring with 26 points….as Adrian Dantley’s 19 led Detroit…..as Laimbeer and Mahorn would have 9 rebounds each for the Pistons….while A. C. Green led the Lakers….with Magic Johnson having 11 assists to Dumars’ and Thomas’ 7 each…..so, facing the possibility of going down 2-0 with three games to play in Detroit….the veteran Lakers found resolve with a 108-96 win thanks to Wothy’s 26 points, Byron Scott’s 24 and Magic Johnson 23 despite battling the flu.
When you get right down to it….this game and this series featured two Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coaches in Chuck Daly and Pat Riley….plus 3 Lakers players in Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdule-Jabbar….and 4 Pistons players in Ishiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Adrian Dantley and Dennis Rodman….who are now all in the Basketball HOF…..and that makes this video well worth the watch.
