2006 NBA playoffs (Redirected from 2006 NBA Playoffs)

2006 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 22–June 20, 2006
Season2005–06
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsMiami Heat (1st title)
Runner-upDallas Mavericks
Semifinalists
← 2005
2007 →

The 2006 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Dwyane Wade was named NBA Finals MVP.

Overview

This season was the last time that the Sacramento Kings made the playoffs until 2023. The Kings held the longest playoff drought in NBA playoff history at 16 years. The MLB’s Seattle Mariners qualified for the playoffs in 2022. The Kings held the title for the longest active playoff drought among the four major North American sports leagues until 2023.

The Los Angeles Clippers made the playoffs for the first time since 1997, and advanced to the second round for the first time since 1976, when they were the Buffalo Braves. They came within one game of making the conference finals for the first time, but lost Game 7 to the Suns. Until 2020, this was the closest the Clippers came to making the conference finals.

The Phoenix Suns became the eighth team to win a playoff series despite trailing 3–1 with their first round victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals.

The Denver Nuggets also appeared in the playoffs as the 3rd seed in the Western Conference despite a 44–38 record (due to winning their division). However, they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, and forced the NBA to change how division winners are seeded starting the following season.

2006 was the playoff debut of LeBron James, who helped the Cleveland Cavaliers eke out 1–point OT victories over the Washington Wizards in Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series to advance. It was the Cavaliers first playoff appearance since 1998, and they earned their first playoff series win since 1993. The Cavaliers played against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons in the next round. The Cavs were routed in Game 1. The Cavs lost Game 2 by 6. The Cavs won the next three matches in a row, and they were 1 game away from beating the Pistons. Detroit recovered and won the last 2, in order to take the series in 7. The Pistons and Cavaliers met in the next year’s Playoffs, and the Cavaliers won that series in six games. This was the last time that the Pistons beat the Cavaliers in a playoff series, as of 2023.

This season also marked the first time that two 60–win teams met before the conference finals, due to the seeding format. The San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks played against each other in the Western Conference semifinals. The Mavericks won the series in seven games, marking the first time the Mavericks beat the Spurs in a playoff series.

This year’s NBA Finals also featured a number of firsts

  • Both NBA Finalists made their first NBA Finals: The Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat, for the first time since 1971.
  • Neither the Lakers nor the Spurs represented the Western Conference, for the first time since 1998.
  • For the first time since 1998, the NBA Finals did not feature Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant (although Kobe’s ex–teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, returned to the Finals for the fifth time in seven seasons)
  • For the first time since 2001, neither the Nets or the Pistons represented the Eastern Conference (coincidentally, these two teams were eliminated by the Miami Heat en route to their first Finals appearance)
  • The Mavericks became the first team since 1977 to lose the NBA Finals despite leading 2–0. They also became the first team in NBA History to win the first two games, build a double digit lead in game 3, lose game 3, and the rest of the series.
  • The Miami Heat won their first NBA Championship despite losing the first two games, the third team in NBA History to do so.
    • Prior to Game 6, Pat Riley motivated his players to pack “one shirt, one suit, one tie.” His effort paid off, and the Heat won that game, giving Riley his fifth NBA Championship as a head coach. He also avenged his previous NBA Finals loss in 1994, when his New York Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets despite leading 3-2.

The 2006 NBA Playoffs also featured several lasts.

  • Game 6 of the Spurs–Kings series was the last NBA Playoff game to be played at ARCO Arena.
  • The last time a division winner was granted a top three seed in the NBA Playoffs.
  • The Indiana Pacers’ last playoff appearance until 2011.
  • The last time the Chicago Bulls lost a first–round series following their 1998 championship.
  • The last time the Los Angeles Clippers won a playoff series until 2012 (and earned home court advantage until 2013).
  • The last time Shaquille O’Neal played in the NBA Finals.

Format

With the addition of the 30th NBA franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, in 2005, the NBA realigned its divisions. Each conference had three divisions of five teams each, and at this point in time, the winner of each division was guaranteed a top-three playoff seed regardless of whether the team had one of the top-eight records in its conference. However, the division champion was not guaranteed home-court advantage; a division-leading team could be seeded second or third but face a lower seed (that did not win its division) with a better record, and the lower seed would have home-court advantage.

This was illustrated in the first round here when the 44-win Denver Nuggets won the Northwest Division and had the third seed, yet did not have home-court advantage against the sixth-seeded, 47-win Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers had played the Memphis Grizzlies a week before the playoffs to determine the fifth and sixth seed. The loser of the game would face Denver, whereas the winner would face fourth-seeded Dallas, who had the second-best record in the conference. It was speculated that the Clippers lost on purpose to play Denver in the first round. Starting in the 2007 playoffs, being a division winner did not guarantee a top-3 playoff seed.

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

Best record in NBA

The Detroit Pistons clinched the best record in the NBA, earning home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. However, when the Pistons lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals, home-court advantage in the NBA Finals went to the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, which had a better record than the Heat.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

  1. Detroit Pistons (64–18) (clinched Central division)
  2. Miami Heat (52–30) (clinched Southeast division)
  3. New Jersey Nets (49–33) (clinched Atlantic division)
  4. Cleveland Cavaliers (50–32)
  5. Washington Wizards (42–40)
  6. Indiana Pacers (41–41)
  7. Chicago Bulls (41–41)
  8. Milwaukee Bucks (40–42)

Western Conference

Best record in conference

The San Antonio Spurs clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Conference semifinals, Dallas had home court advantage in the Western Conference finals.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:

  1. San Antonio Spurs (63–19) (clinched Southwest division)
  2. Phoenix Suns (54–28) (clinched Pacific division)
  3. Denver Nuggets (44–38) (clinched Northwest division)
  4. Dallas Mavericks (60–22)
  5. Memphis Grizzlies (49–33)
  6. Los Angeles Clippers (47–35)
  7. Los Angeles Lakers (45–37)
  8. Sacramento Kings (44–38)

Bracket

First Round Conference semifinals Conference finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Detroit* 4
E8 Milwaukee 1
E1 Detroit* 4
E4 Cleveland 3
E4 Cleveland 4
E5 Washington 2
E1 Detroit* 2
Eastern Conference
E2 Miami* 4
E3 New Jersey* 4
E6 Indiana 2
E3 New Jersey* 1
E2 Miami* 4
E2 Miami* 4
E7 Chicago 2
E2 Miami* 4
W4 Dallas 2
W1 San Antonio* 4
W8 Sacramento 2
W1 San Antonio* 3
W4 Dallas 4
W4 Dallas 4
W5 Memphis 0
W4 Dallas 4
Western Conference
W2 Phoenix* 2
W3 Denver* 1
W6 LA Clippers 4
W6 LA Clippers 3
W2 Phoenix* 4
W2 Phoenix* 4
W7 LA Lakers 3
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

TV coverage

First and second-round games were televised on ABC, TNT, ESPN, ESPN2, and NBA TV in the United States and on TSN, The Score, and Raptors NBA TV in Canada; some games were also televised on local or regional TV networks. The Eastern Conference finals aired exclusively on ABC, and the Western Conference finals aired exclusively on TNT; TSN and The Score split coverage of the conference finals. The NBA Finals aired exclusively on ABC in the U.S. and on TSN in Canada. [1]

First round

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks

April 23
5:30 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 74, Detroit Pistons 92
Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 18–24, 19–25, 18–24
Pts: Charlie Bell 13
Rebs: Jamaal Magloire 9
Asts: Ford, Bogut 3 each
Pts: Rasheed Wallace 22
Rebs: Ben Wallace 17
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Detroit leads series, 1–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Eddie Rush, David Jones,
Bill Spooner, Bennie Adams
April 26
7:30 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 98, Detroit Pistons 109
Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 25–29, 27–31, 23–17
Pts: Michael Redd 29
Rebs: Andrew Bogut 13
Asts: Andrew Bogut 4
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 22
Rebs: Ben Wallace 11
Asts: Richard Hamilton 8
Detroit leads series, 2–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Tony Brothers, Don Garretson, Derrick Stafford
April 29
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 104, Milwaukee Bucks 124
Scoring by quarter: 27–30, 27–31, 20–29, 30–34
Pts: Chauncey Billups 26
Rebs: Antonio McDyess 8
Asts: Chauncey Billups 6
Pts: Michael Redd 40
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: T. J. Ford 15
Detroit leads series, 2–1
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, Scott Wall
May 1
7:30 pm
Detroit Pistons 109, Milwaukee Bucks 99
Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 24–25, 23–31, 35–23
Pts: Chauncey Billups 34
Rebs: Antonio McDyess 11
Asts: Tayshaun Prince 7
Pts: Michael Redd 33
Rebs: Jamaal Magloire 12
Asts: Andrew Bogut 6
Detroit leads series, 3–1
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 16,296
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Tom Washington, Mark Wunderlich
May 3
6:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 93, Detroit Pistons 122
Scoring by quarter: 23–39, 26–23, 17–35, 27–25
Pts: Michael Redd 23
Rebs: Michael Redd 9
Asts: T. J. Ford 6
Pts: Richard Hamilton 40
Rebs: Ben Wallace 14
Asts: Chauncey Billups 8
Detroit wins series, 4–1
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Sean Corbin, Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first three meetings.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Chicago Bulls

April 22
8:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 106, Miami Heat 111
Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 27–37, 31–24, 24–24
Pts: Ben Gordon 35
Rebs: Andrés Nocioni 16
Asts: Kirk Hinrich 8
Pts: Dwyane Wade 30
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 16
Asts: Dwyane Wade 11
Miami leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,288
Referees: Tony Brothers, Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa
April 24
8:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 108, Miami Heat 115
Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 31–35, 19–27, 32–20
Pts: Andrés Nocioni 35
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 9
Asts: Kirk Hinrich 7
Pts: O'Neal, Williams 22 each
Rebs: Antoine Walker 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 7
Miami leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,214
Referees: Mike Callahan, Dan Crawford, Courtney Kirkland
April 27
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 90, Chicago Bulls 109
Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 19–17, 29–39, 19–22
Pts: Dwyane Wade 26
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 10
Asts: Wade, Williams 4 each
Pts: Ben Gordon 24
Rebs: Andrés Nocioni 9
Asts: Kirk Hinrich 11
Miami leads series, 2–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,133
Referees: Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer, Mark Wunderlich
April 30
1:00 pm
Miami Heat 87, Chicago Bulls 93
Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 17–23, 19–21, 28–28
Pts: Antoine Walker 21
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 9
Asts: Dwyane Wade 10
Pts: Andrés Nocioni 24
Rebs: Andrés Nocioni 7
Asts: Kirk Hinrich 9
Series tied, 2–2
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,361
Referees: Ron Garretson, Monty McCutchen, Greg Willard
May 2
8:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 78, Miami Heat 92
Scoring by quarter: 19–25, 19–15, 23–21, 17–31
Pts: Andrés Nocioni 23
Rebs: Andrés Nocioni 10
Asts: Kirk Hinrich 5
Pts: Dwyane Wade 28
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5
Miami leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,287
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Scott Foster, Jack Nies
May 4
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 113, Chicago Bulls 96
Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 26–22, 29–28, 29–27
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 30
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 20
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6
Pts: Kirk Hinrich 23
Rebs: Luol Deng 6
Asts: Kirk Hinrich 6
Miami wins series, 4–2
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,584
Referees: Steve Javie, Tom Washington, Jess Kersey

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first three meetings.

(3) New Jersey Nets vs. (6) Indiana Pacers

April 23
12:30 pm
Indiana Pacers 90, New Jersey Nets 88
Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 20–22, 14–19, 26–23
Pts: Stephen Jackson 19
Rebs: Jeff Foster 9
Asts: Anthony Johnson 6
Pts: Vince Carter 31
Rebs: Vince Carter 13
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Indiana leads series, 1–0
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 18,752
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Scott Wall, Tom Washington
April 25
7:30 pm
Indiana Pacers 75, New Jersey Nets 90
Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 14–18, 17–29, 22–17
Pts: Anthony Johnson 16
Rebs: Jeff Foster 9
Asts: Johnson, Jones 4 each
Pts: Vince Carter 33
Rebs: Jason Kidd 11
Asts: Jason Kidd 13
Series tied, 1–1
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 18,472
Referees: Steve Javie, Ken Mauer, Violet Palmer
April 27
7:30 pm
New Jersey Nets 95, Indiana Pacers 107
Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 28–29, 15–27, 25–29
Pts: Carter, Jefferson 25 each
Rebs: Collins, Kidd 6 each
Asts: Richard Jefferson 7
Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 37
Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 15
Asts: Anthony Johnson 8
Indiana leads series, 2–1
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 14,706
Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Jess Kersey
April 29
3:00 pm
New Jersey Nets 97, Indiana Pacers 88
Scoring by quarter: 24–15, 26–22, 26–30, 21–31
Pts: Vince Carter 28
Rebs: Nenad Krstić 8
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 22
Rebs: Danny Granger 8
Asts: three players 4 each
Series tied, 2–2
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 16,401
Referees: Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer, Mark Wunderlich
May 2
7:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 86, New Jersey Nets 92
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 21–21, 19–23, 21–20
Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 19
Rebs: Danny Granger 12
Asts: Stephen Jackson 7
Pts: Vince Carter 34
Rebs: Vince Carter 15
Asts: Jason Kidd 15
New Jersey leads series, 3–2
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 18,804
Referees: Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen, Eddie F. Rush
May 4
7:30 pm
New Jersey Nets 96, Indiana Pacers 90
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 20–15, 32–28, 23–21
Pts: Richard Jefferson 30
Rebs: Jason Kidd 12
Asts: Jason Kidd 11
Pts: Anthony Johnson 40
Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 6
Asts: Anthony Johnson 5
New Jersey wins series, 4–2
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 16,586
Referees: Jimmy Clark, Ron Garretson, Jack Nies

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nets winning the first meeting.

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Washington Wizards

April 22
3:00 pm
Washington Wizards 86, Cleveland Cavaliers 97
Scoring by quarter: 20–31, 16–19, 21–24, 29–23
Pts: Gilbert Arenas 26
Rebs: Antawn Jamison 7
Asts: Antonio Daniels 6
Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: LeBron James 11
Asts: LeBron James 11
Cleveland leads series, 1–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Steve Javie, Derrick Stafford, Marc Davis
April 25
7:00 pm
Washington Wizards 89, Cleveland Cavaliers 84
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 16–15, 24–25, 28–21
Pts: Gilbert Arenas 30
Rebs: Caron Butler 9
Asts: Gilbert Arenas 6
Pts: LeBron James 26
Rebs: Drew Gooden 16
Asts: Eric Snow 4
Series tied, 1–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: David Jones, Eddie F. Rush, Bill Spooner
April 28
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 97, Washington Wizards 96
Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 31–32, 21–13, 26–25
Pts: LeBron James 41
Rebs: Gooden, Ilgauskas 8 each
Asts: James, Snow 3 each
Pts: Gilbert Arenas 34
Rebs: Caron Butler 11
Asts: Daniels, Jamison 3 each
Cleveland leads series, 2–1
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Ron Garretson, Monty McCutchen, Greg Willard
April 30
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 96, Washington Wizards 106
Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 30–20, 15–26, 24–34
Pts: LeBron James 38
Rebs: Donyell Marshall 11
Asts: LeBron James 5
Pts: Gilbert Arenas 34
Rebs: Jared Jeffries 11
Asts: Gilbert Arenas 6
Series tied, 2–2
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, James Capers
May 3
8:30 pm
Washington Wizards 120, Cleveland Cavaliers 121 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 24–27, 30–33, 26–22, Overtime: 13–14
Pts: Gilbert Arenas 44
Rebs: Caron Butler 11
Asts: Antonio Daniels 7
Pts: LeBron James 45
Rebs: Drew Gooden 11
Asts: LeBron James 6
Cleveland leads series, 3–2
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Joe Forte, Bernie Fryer, Mark Wunderlich
May 5
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Washington Wizards 113 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 31–25, 27–27, 32–31, Overtime: 7–6
Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: Anderson Varejão 10
Asts: Larry Hughes 12
Pts: Gilbert Arenas 36
Rebs: Caron Butler 20
Asts: Gilbert Arenas 11
Cleveland wins series, 4–2
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Tony Brothers, Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer
  • In Game 3, LeBron James hits the game-winner over Michael Ruffin with 5.7 seconds left, and in Game 5, he hits another game-winner from the baseline with .9 seconds left.
  • In Game 6, Gilbert Arenas forces overtime with a three from 32 feet with 2.3 seconds left, and in OT, Damon Jones hits the series-winning shot with 4.8 seconds left.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

Western Conference first round

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Sacramento Kings

April 22
5:30 pm
Sacramento Kings 88, San Antonio Spurs 122
Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 15–41, 28–21, 21–28
Pts: Mike Bibby 17
Rebs: Shareef Abdur-Rahim 9
Asts: Ron Artest 4
Pts: Tony Parker 25
Rebs: Nazr Mohammed 17
Asts: Brent Barry 6
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Mike Callahan, Dan Crawford, Monty McCutchen
April 25
10:00 pm
Sacramento Kings 119, San Antonio Spurs 128 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 30–23, 26–28, 26–31, 27–27, Overtime: 10–19
Pts: Bonzi Wells 28
Rebs: Bonzi Wells 12
Asts: Mike Bibby 6
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 32
Rebs: Tim Duncan 13
Asts: Tony Parker 10
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe Forte, Bill Kennedy
April 28
9:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 93, Sacramento Kings 94
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 21–25, 23–21, 29–26
Pts: Tim Duncan 29
Rebs: Tim Duncan 12
Asts: Tony Parker 6
Pts: Mike Bibby 25
Rebs: Bonzi Wells 14
Asts: Mike Bibby 8
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317
Referees: Sean Corbin, Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore
April 30
10:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 84, Sacramento Kings 102
Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 19–28, 21–21, 20–27
Pts: Tony Parker 22
Rebs: Tim Duncan 8
Asts: Bruce Bowen 3
Pts: Bonzi Wells 25
Rebs: Bonzi Wells 17
Asts: Mike Bibby 7
Series tied, 2–2
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317
Referees: Jimmy Clark, Tim Donaghy, Eddie F. Rush
May 2
9:30 pm
Sacramento Kings 98, San Antonio Spurs 109
Scoring by quarter: 19–21, 27–22, 22–37, 30–29
Pts: Bonzi Wells 38
Rebs: Bonzi Wells 12
Asts: three players 4 each
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 27
Rebs: Duncan, Ginóbili 9 each
Asts: Tim Duncan 5
San Antonio leads series, 3–2
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: James Capers, Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford
May 5
10:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 105, Sacramento Kings 83
Scoring by quarter: 22–20, 23–18, 33–24, 27–21
Pts: Tony Parker 31
Rebs: Robert Horry 7
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 5
Pts: Mike Bibby 19
Rebs: Bonzi Wells 11
Asts: Ron Artest 4
San Antonio wins series, 4–2
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317
Referees: Bob Delaney, Scott Foster, Bernie Fryer
  • In Game 2, Brent Barry hit a wild 3 with 4 seconds left to force OT.
  • In Game 3, Kevin Martin hit the game-winning lay-up at the buzzer.
  • Game 6 was the final playoff game played at the Arco Arena.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Kings and the Spurs.

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers

April 23
3:00 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 102, Phoenix Suns 107
Scoring by quarter: 29–39, 21–19, 25–17, 27–32
Pts: Kobe Bryant 22
Rebs: Lamar Odom 14
Asts: Kobe Bryant 5
Pts: Tim Thomas 22
Rebs: Tim Thomas 15
Asts: Steve Nash 10
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Jimmy Clark, Bernie Fryer, Bill Kennedy
April 26
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Phoenix Suns 93
Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 29–16, 21–29, 25–26
Pts: Kobe Bryant 29
Rebs: Kobe Bryant 10
Asts: Bryant, Odom 5 each
Pts: Steve Nash 29
Rebs: Marion, Thomas 9 each
Asts: Steve Nash 9
Series tied, 1–1
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Joe Crawford, Jack Nies, Michael Smith
April 28
10:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 92, Los Angeles Lakers 99
Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 17–18, 30–28, 18–22
Pts: Shawn Marion 20
Rebs: Marion, Nash 7 each
Asts: Steve Nash 11
Pts: Smush Parker 18
Rebs: Lamar Odom 17
Asts: Kobe Bryant 7
LA Lakers lead series, 2–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Tim Donaghy, Eddie F. Rush, Bill Spooner
April 30
3:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 98, Los Angeles Lakers 99 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 15–16, 26–23, 23–26Overtime: 8–9
Pts: Steve Nash 22
Rebs: Shawn Marion 12
Asts: Steve Nash 11
Pts: Lamar Odom 25
Rebs: Kwame Brown 10
Asts: Kobe Bryant 8
LA Lakers lead series, 3–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Sean Corbin, Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore
May 2
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 97, Phoenix Suns 114
Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 22–29, 21–28, 29–30
Pts: Kobe Bryant 29
Rebs: Lamar Odom 15
Asts: Lamar Odom 6
Pts: Boris Diaw 25
Rebs: Boris Diaw 10
Asts: Boris Diaw 9
LA Lakers lead series, 3–2
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Ron Garretson, Greg Willard, Leon Wood
May 4
10:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 126, Los Angeles Lakers 118 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 30–37, 30–20, 28–28, 17–20Overtime: 21–13
Pts: Steve Nash 32
Rebs: Shawn Marion 12
Asts: Steve Nash 13
Pts: Kobe Bryant 50
Rebs: Lamar Odom 11
Asts: Lamar Odom 9
Series tied, 3–3
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Derrick Stafford
May 6
9:00 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 90, Phoenix Suns 121
Scoring by quarter: 15–32, 30–28, 20–30, 25–31
Pts: Kobe Bryant 24
Rebs: Sasha Vujačić 6
Asts: Smush Parker 4
Pts: Leandro Barbosa 26
Rebs: Shawn Marion 10
Asts: Diaw, Nash 9 each
Phoenix wins series, 4–3
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Mike Callahan, Joe Forte, Steve Javie
  • In Game 4, Kobe Bryant hit both a lay-up with 0.7 seconds left to force OT, and the game-winning jump shot at the buzzer in overtime.
  • In Game 6, Tim Thomas hit a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left to force OT.
  • The Suns became the 8th team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit.
  • This was the first playoff series a Phil Jackson coached team lost after taking a series lead, prior to this his record was 44-0.

This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first nine meetings.

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Los Angeles Clippers

April 22
10:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 87, Los Angeles Clippers 89
Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 19–23, 21–22, 21–13
Pts: Anthony, Miller 25 each
Rebs: Marcus Camby 10
Asts: Andre Miller 6
Pts: Elton Brand 21
Rebs: Chris Kaman 13
Asts: Sam Cassell 7
LA Clippers lead series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 19,162
Referees: Ron Garretson, Rodney Mott, Greg Willard
April 24
10:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 87, Los Angeles Clippers 98
Scoring by quarter: 13–32, 21–24, 25–19, 28–23
Pts: Anthony, Camby 16 each
Rebs: Marcus Camby 14
Asts: Andre Miller 6
Pts: Cuttino Mobley 21
Rebs: Elton Brand 11
Asts: Sam Cassell 11
LA Clippers lead series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,794
Referees: Joe Crawford, Jack Nies, Michael Smith
April 27
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 87, Denver Nuggets 94
Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 29–21, 28–25, 17–24
Pts: Corey Maggette 23
Rebs: Brand, Livingston 8 each
Asts: Brand, Livingston 4 each
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 24
Rebs: Marcus Camby 14
Asts: Andre Miller 7
LA Clippers lead series, 2–1
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,099
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jimmy Clark, Leon Wood
April 29
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 100, Denver Nuggets 86
Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 32–24, 22–19, 22–22
Pts: Corey Maggette 19
Rebs: Elton Brand 10
Asts: Shaun Livingston 6
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 17
Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 11
Asts: Andre Miller 9
LA Clippers lead series, 3–1
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,099
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie, Jess Kersey
May 1
10:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 83, Los Angeles Clippers 101
Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 17–25, 17–25, 26–30
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 23
Rebs: Marcus Camby 11
Asts: Andre Miller 8
Pts: Maggette, Mobley 23 each
Rebs: Elton Brand 13
Asts: Shaun Livingston 14
LA Clippers win series, 4–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,648
Referees: Tony Brothers, Dan Crawford, Bill Spooner

This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Clippers.

(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies

April 23
8:00 pm
Memphis Grizzlies 93, Dallas Mavericks 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 29–32, 27–23, 15–20
Pts: Pau Gasol 24
Rebs: Jake Tsakalidis 8
Asts: Gasol, Jackson 4 each
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 31
Rebs: Erick Dampier 12
Asts: Jason Terry 4
Dallas leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,340
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Sean Corbin, Joe Forte
April 26
8:00 pm
Memphis Grizzlies 79, Dallas Mavericks 94
Scoring by quarter: 31–32, 12–24, 13–20, 23–18
Pts: Pau Gasol 16
Rebs: Pau Gasol 7
Asts: Pau Gasol 5
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 31
Rebs: three players 6 each
Asts: Jason Terry 9
Dallas leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,612
Referees: James Capers, Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington
April 29
5:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 94, Memphis Grizzlies 89 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 21–23, 22–15, 16–15, Overtime: 18–13
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 36
Rebs: three players 9 each
Asts: Dirk Nowitzki 5
Pts: Chucky Atkins 20
Rebs: Lorenzen Wright 10
Asts: Eddie Jones 5
Dallas leads series, 3–0
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 17,871
Referees: Tony Brothers, Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford
May 1
8:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 102, Memphis Grizzlies 76
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 22–16, 31–22, 23–15
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 27
Rebs: Josh Howard 9
Asts: Stackhouse, Terry 5 each
Pts: Pau Gasol 25
Rebs: Shane Battier 7
Asts: Chucky Atkins 4
Dallas wins series, 4–0
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 15,104
Referees: Bob Delaney, Steve Javie, David Jones
  • In Game 3, Dirk Nowitzki hit the game-tying 3 with 15.7 seconds left to force OT.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Grizzlies.

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference semifinals

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

May 7
3:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 86, Detroit Pistons 113
Scoring by quarter: 16–26, 32–43, 15–25, 23–19
Pts: LeBron James 22
Rebs: Anderson Varejão 8
Asts: James, Murray 4 each
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 24
Rebs: Ben Wallace 11
Asts: Chauncey Billups 10
Detroit leads series, 1–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: James Capers, Joe Crawford, Bill Spooner
May 9
7:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 91, Detroit Pistons 97
Scoring by quarter: 16–23, 20–29, 24–26, 31–19
Pts: LeBron James 30
Rebs: LeBron James 14
Asts: LeBron James 7
Pts: Rasheed Wallace 29
Rebs: Ben Wallace 15
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Detroit leads series, 2–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Derrick Stafford, Jess Kersey
May 13
5:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 77, Cleveland Cavaliers 86
Scoring by quarter: 17–18, 25–18, 14–17, 21–33
Pts: Richard Hamilton 22
Rebs: Ben Wallace 13
Asts: Billups, Hamilton 5 each
Pts: LeBron James 21
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: LeBron James 10
Detroit leads series, 2–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Bob Delaney, Steve Javie, Tom Washington
May 15
7:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 72, Cleveland Cavaliers 74
Scoring by quarter: 19–16, 19–20, 21–17, 13–21
Pts: Richard Hamilton 30
Rebs: Ben Wallace 10
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Pts: LeBron James 22
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: LeBron James 9
Series tied, 2–2
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Eddie F. Rush, Bennett Salvatore
May 17
7:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 86, Detroit Pistons 84
Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 30–25, 18–21, 18–18
Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: Donyell Marshall 13
Asts: Eric Snow 7
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 21
Rebs: Ben Wallace 13
Asts: Chauncey Billups 5
Cleveland leads series, 3–2
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Jimmy Clark, Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer
May 19
7:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 84, Cleveland Cavaliers 82
Scoring by quarter: 20–19, 18–18, 25–24, 21–21
Pts: Rasheed Wallace 24
Rebs: Ben Wallace 10
Asts: Billups, Wallace 4 each
Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: LeBron James 11
Asts: Eric Snow 7
Series tied, 3–3
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Joe Forte, Bernie Fryer, Ron Garretson
May 21
3:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 61, Detroit Pistons 79
Scoring by quarter: 15–21, 23–19, 10–18, 13–21
Pts: LeBron James 27
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: Larry Hughes 5
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 20
Rebs: Ben Wallace 9
Asts: Billups, Prince 3 each
Detroit wins series, 4–3
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Mike Callahan, Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa

2006 marked the first time the Cavaliers had made the playoffs since 1998 with Shawn Kemp, and the first time that major professional teams from Michigan and Ohio met in a postseason series or game since 1957. They came off a playoff series win vs the Wizards, while the Pistons came in off a 4-1 win vs the 8th seeded Bucks. Detroit was expected to win the series, and took a commanding two games to none lead with two wins at the Palace of Auburn Hills. James and the Cavaliers weren't intimidated however, and won their two home games to tie the series at 2. Coming into Game 5, both teams were confident, but the Pistons were expected to pull out the win easily. The game was low scoring throughout as usual in this series, with Cleveland holding a 68-66 lead through 3 quarters. With the game tied at 84 with 26 seconds left in regulation, Drew Gooden came through and hit a layup to give Cleveland the lead that they never squandered. James led the Cavs with 32 and this brought the series to Cleveland up 3–2, quite shockingly. In the final minute of Game 6, Richard Hamilton grabbed two offensive rebounds and passed the ball to Rasheed Wallace, who was fouled. Detroit held on to win Game 6 by 2, and won Game 7 at home to advance.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Cavaliers and the Pistons.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) New Jersey Nets

May 8
8:00 pm
New Jersey Nets 100, Miami Heat 88
Scoring by quarter: 38–21, 26–25, 20–18, 16–24
Pts: Vince Carter 27
Rebs: Jason Kidd 9
Asts: Jason Kidd 7
Pts: Dwyane Wade 25
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10
Asts: Wade, Williams 3 each
New Jersey leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,208
Referees: Sean Corbin, Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore
May 10
8:00 pm
New Jersey Nets 89, Miami Heat 111
Scoring by quarter: 19–41, 21–19, 27–24, 22–27
Pts: Vince Carter 22
Rebs: Nenad Krstić 7
Asts: Jason Kidd 6
Pts: Dwyane Wade 31
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6
Series tied, 1–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,227
Referees: Dan Crawford, Tim Donaghy, Ron Garretson
May 12
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 103, New Jersey Nets 92
Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 27–22, 18–23, 31–20
Pts: Dwyane Wade 30
Rebs: James Posey 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 10
Pts: Vince Carter 43
Rebs: Jason Collins 11
Asts: Jason Kidd 12
Miami leads series, 2–1
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,102
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Scott Foster
May 14
3:30 pm
Miami Heat 102, New Jersey Nets 92
Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 27–24, 22–25, 26–19
Pts: Dwyane Wade 31
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 11
Asts: Dwyane Wade 8
Pts: Vince Carter 26
Rebs: Nenad Krstić 14
Asts: Jason Kidd 12
Miami leads series, 3–1
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 19,474
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Anthony Jordan, Greg Willard, Jess Kersey
May 16
8:00 pm
New Jersey Nets 105, Miami Heat 106
Scoring by quarter: 33–24, 21–30, 28–31, 23–21
Pts: Carter, Jefferson 33 each
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Pts: Antoine Walker 23
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6
Miami wins series, 4–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,255
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Jack Nies

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first meeting.

Western Conference semifinals

This was the first time both conference semifinals went seven games since 1994.

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks

May 7
1:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 85, San Antonio Spurs 87
Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 23–20, 20–25, 13–16
Pts: Jerry Stackhouse 24
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 14
Asts: Marquis Daniels 3
Pts: Tim Duncan 31
Rebs: Tim Duncan 13
Asts: Duncan, Parker 4 each
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Dan Crawford, Greg Willard, Mark Wunderlich
May 9
9:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 113, San Antonio Spurs 91
Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 32–16, 26–28, 29–25
Pts: Josh Howard 27
Rebs: Howard, Nowitzki 9 each
Asts: three players 3 each
Pts: Tim Duncan 28
Rebs: Tim Duncan 9
Asts: Tim Duncan 3
Series tied, 1–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Steve Javie, David Jones, Eddie F. Rush
May 13
8:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 103, Dallas Mavericks 104
Scoring by quarter: 18–27, 30–26, 21–20, 34–31
Pts: Tim Duncan 35
Rebs: Tim Duncan 12
Asts: Tony Parker 4
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 27
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 15
Asts: Jason Terry 4
Dallas leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,865
Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Bill Spooner
May 15
9:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 118, Dallas Mavericks 123 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 26–19, 27–34, 27–31, 31–27, Overtime: 7–12
Pts: Tony Parker 33
Rebs: Tim Duncan 13
Asts: Tim Duncan 6
Pts: Jason Terry 32
Rebs: Dampier, Nowitzki 9 each
Asts: Devin Harris 6
Dallas leads series, 3–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,969
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jimmy Clark, Derrick Stafford
May 17
9:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 97, San Antonio Spurs 98
Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 33–28, 21–24, 19–17
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 31
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 12
Asts: Jason Terry 5
Pts: Tim Duncan 36
Rebs: Tim Duncan 10
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 5
Dallas leads series, 3–2
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Joe Forte, Bernie Fryer, Ron Garretson
May 19
9:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 91, Dallas Mavericks 86
Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 21–22, 26–20, 24–19
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 30
Rebs: Manu Ginóbili 10
Asts: Tony Parker 3
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 26
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 21
Asts: Dirk Nowitzki 5
Series tied, 3–3
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,986
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore
May 22
8:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 119, San Antonio Spurs 111 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 37–27, 27–23, 20–28, 20–26Overtime: 15–7
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 37
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 15
Asts: Jerry Stackhouse 6
Pts: Tim Duncan 41
Rebs: Tim Duncan 15
Asts: Tim Duncan 6
Dallas wins series, 4–3
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, Steve Javie

The Mavericks almost blew a 3-1 series lead to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, but managed to pull out a Game 7 overtime win in San Antonio to close out the series and become the 5th NBA road team to win Game 7 after leading series 3–1. This was also the second time in NBA history that the road team won a Game 7 in overtime; the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings in the same manner in the 2002 Western Conference finals. This was the most recent Game 7 went into Overtime until the 2021 Bucks vs. Nets series.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first two meetings.

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Los Angeles Clippers

May 8
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 123, Phoenix Suns 130
Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 36–27, 30–37, 32–37
Pts: Elton Brand 40
Rebs: Elton Brand 9
Asts: Shaun Livingston 9
Pts: Steve Nash 31
Rebs: Shawn Marion 15
Asts: Steve Nash 12
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Jimmy Clark, Bernie Fryer, Monty McCutchen
May 10
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 122, Phoenix Suns 97
Scoring by quarter: 38–22, 27–29, 33–28, 24–18
Pts: Elton Brand 27
Rebs: Chris Kaman 16
Asts: Sam Cassell 6
Pts: Raja Bell 20
Rebs: Shawn Marion 6
Asts: Steve Nash 8
Series tied, 1–1
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Joe Crawford, Jack Nies, Michael Smith
May 12
10:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 94, Los Angeles Clippers 91
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 22–20, 24–15, 22–28
Pts: Shawn Marion 32
Rebs: Shawn Marion 19
Asts: Steve Nash 10
Pts: Elton Brand 20
Rebs: Corey Maggette 14
Asts: Elton Brand 8
Phoenix leads series, 2–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 19,877
Referees: Tony Brothers, Joe Forte, Bennett Salvatore
May 14
8:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 107, Los Angeles Clippers 114
Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 23–28, 31–29, 25–24
Pts: Raja Bell 33
Rebs: Shawn Marion 10
Asts: Steve Nash 11
Pts: Elton Brand 30
Rebs: Corey Maggette 15
Asts: Sam Cassell 9
Series tied, 2–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 19,897
Referees: Sean Corbin, Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer
May 16
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 118, Phoenix Suns 125 (2OT)
Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 21–32, 26–26, 23–17, Overtime: 10–10, 7–14
Pts: Elton Brand 33
Rebs: Elton Brand 15
Asts: Brand, Cassell 5 each
Pts: Shawn Marion 36
Rebs: Shawn Marion 20
Asts: Steve Nash 13
Phoenix leads series, 3–2
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Mike Callahan, Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie
May 18
10:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 106, Los Angeles Clippers 118
Scoring by quarter: 32–31, 18–31, 31–26, 25–30
Pts: Shawn Marion 34
Rebs: Diaw, Marion 9 each
Asts: Steve Nash 11
Pts: Elton Brand 30
Rebs: Elton Brand 13
Asts: Sam Cassell 8
Series tied, 3–3
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 19,985
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Tom Washington, Greg Willard
May 22
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 107, Phoenix Suns 127
Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 29–33, 22–29, 28–33
Pts: Elton Brand 36
Rebs: Brand, Maggette 9 each
Asts: Sam Cassell 6
Pts: Shawn Marion 30
Rebs: Shawn Marion 9
Asts: Steve Nash 11
Phoenix wins series, 4–3
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Eddie F. Rush
  • In Game 4, Sam Cassell hit two three-pointers down the stretch, including one with 27 seconds left, after the Suns had rallied from 13 down to within one with under a minute to play.
  • In Game 5, Raja Bell tied the game at 111 on a three-pointer from the corner with 1.1 seconds left to force the second overtime, this after telling his teammates during a timeout he would make it. The Suns, who blew a 19-point third quarter lead, never trailed in the second extra session.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Clippers and the Suns.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference finals

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (2) Miami Heat

May 23
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 91, Detroit Pistons 86
Scoring by quarter: 33–25, 15–19, 18–17, 25–25
Pts: Dwyane Wade 25
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 9
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5
Pts: Richard Hamilton 22
Rebs: Ben Wallace 14
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Miami leads series, 1–0
May 25
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 88, Detroit Pistons 92
Scoring by quarter: 12–25, 25–23, 19–22, 32–22
Pts: Dwyane Wade 32
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12
Asts: Payton, Wade 5 each
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 24
Rebs: Ben Wallace 12
Asts: Chauncey Billups 8
Series tied, 1–1
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ron Garretson, Jack Nies
May 27
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 83, Miami Heat 98
Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 14–23, 24–25, 21–24
Pts: Chauncey Billups 31
Rebs: Rasheed Wallace 10
Asts: Tayshaun Prince 4
Pts: Dwyane Wade 35
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12
Asts: Antoine Walker 4
Miami leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,245
Referees: Dan Crawford, Tom Washington, Mark Wunderlich
May 29
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 78, Miami Heat 89
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 21–21, 22–18, 18–27
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 15
Rebs: Ben Wallace 11
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Pts: Dwyane Wade 31
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 9
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5
Miami leads series, 3–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,248
Referees: Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer, Greg Willard
May 31
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 78, Detroit Pistons 91
Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 23–22, 22–26, 13–18
Pts: Dwyane Wade 23
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 10
Asts: Jason Williams 6
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 29
Rebs: Richard Hamilton 10
Asts: Chauncey Billups 10
Miami leads series, 3–2
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Joe Forte
June 2
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 78, Miami Heat 95
Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 16–22, 17–25, 25–23
Pts: Richard Hamilton 33
Rebs: Rasheed Wallace 8
Asts: Chauncey Billups 8
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 28
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 16
Asts: Dwyane Wade 10
Miami wins series, 4–2
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,258
Referees: Mike Callahan, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

Western Conference finals

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks

May 24
8:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 121, Dallas Mavericks 118
Scoring by quarter: 35–29, 27–29, 29–27, 30–33
Pts: Boris Diaw 34
Rebs: Shawn Marion 13
Asts: Steve Nash 16
Pts: Devin Harris 30
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 19
Asts: Terry, Stackhouse 3 each
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,789
Referees: Joe Forte, Bernie Fryer, Greg Willard
May 26
8:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 98, Dallas Mavericks 105
Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 35–25, 25–28, 21–30
Pts: Boris Diaw 25
Rebs: Shawn Marion 19
Asts: Steve Nash 11
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 30
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 14
Asts: Dirk Nowitzki 6
Series tied, 1–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,934
Referees: Jimmy Clark, Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa
May 28
8:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 95, Phoenix Suns 88
Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 25–27, 25–16, 23–20
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 28
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 17
Asts: Dirk Nowitzki 5
Pts: Steve Nash 21
Rebs: Shawn Marion 18
Asts: Steve Nash 7
Dallas leads series, 2–1
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Mike Callahan, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush
May 30
8:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 86, Phoenix Suns 106
Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 18–23, 21–28, 19–27
Pts: Josh Howard 16
Rebs: Josh Howard 9
Asts: Devin Harris 5
Pts: Leandro Barbosa 24
Rebs: Boris Diaw 9
Asts: Steve Nash 7
Series tied, 2–2
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Ron Garretson, Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington
June 1
8:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 101, Dallas Mavericks 117
Scoring by quarter: 23–36, 32–22, 26–24, 20–35
Pts: Tim Thomas 26
Rebs: Shawn Marion 10
Asts: Steve Nash 11
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 50
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 12
Asts: Jason Terry 9
Dallas leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,977
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer, Jack Nies
June 3
8:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 102, Phoenix Suns 93
Scoring by quarter: 14–29, 25–22, 23–15, 40–27
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 24
Rebs: Josh Howard 15
Asts: Nowitzki, Terry 3 each
Pts: Boris Diaw 30
Rebs: Diaw, Marion 11 each
Asts: Steve Nash 9
Dallas wins series, 4–2
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first meeting.

NBA Finals: (W4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (E2) Miami Heat

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)
June 8
9:00 pm
Miami Heat 80, Dallas Mavericks 90
Scoring by quarter: 31–23, 13–23, 24–24, 12–20
Pts: Dwyane Wade 28
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 9
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6
Pts: Jason Terry 32
Rebs: Josh Howard 12
Asts: three players 4 each
Dallas leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,475
Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Bennett Salvatore
June 11
9:00 pm
Miami Heat 85, Dallas Mavericks 99
Scoring by quarter: 17–18, 17–32, 24–32, 27–17
Pts: Dwyane Wade 23
Rebs: Dwyane Wade 8
Asts: Payton, Williams 4 each
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 26
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 16
Asts: Jason Terry 9
Dallas leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,459
Referees: Bob Delaney, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush
June 13
9:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 96, Miami Heat 98
Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 22–23, 34–16, 19–30
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 30
Rebs: Erick Dampier 9
Asts: Jason Terry 5
Pts: Dwyane Wade 42
Rebs: Dwyane Wade 13
Asts: Shaquille O'Neal 5
Dallas leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,145
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer, Jack Nies
June 15
9:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 74, Miami Heat 98
Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 19–24, 23–24, 7–20
Pts: Jason Terry 17
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 9
Asts: Jerry Stackhouse 4
Pts: Dwyane Wade 36
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 13
Asts: Jason Williams 6
Series tied, 2–2
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,145
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Bernie Fryer
June 18
9:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 100, Miami Heat 101 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 30–19, 20–27, 22–23Overtime: 7–8
Pts: Jason Terry 35
Rebs: Josh Howard 10
Asts: Marquis Daniels 4
Pts: Dwyane Wade 43
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12
Asts: Wade, Williams 4 each
Miami leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,145
Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Bennett Salvatore
June 20
9:00 pm
Miami Heat 95, Dallas Mavericks 92
Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 26–18, 22–20, 24–24
Pts: Dwyane Wade 36
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12
Asts: Jason Williams 7
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 29
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 15
Asts: Jason Terry 5
Miami wins series, 4–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,522
Referees: Dan Crawford, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush

This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Heat.

This NBA Finals featured two teams that never made it to the finals before. The last time this happened was in 1971, when the Milwaukee Bucks met the Baltimore Bullets.

Statistic leaders

Category High Average
Player Team Total Player Team Avg. Games played
Points Dirk Nowitzki
Kobe Bryant
Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Lakers
50 Gilbert Arenas Washington Wizards 34.0 6
Rebounds Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks 21 Bonzi Wells Sacramento Kings 12.0 6
Assists Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 16 Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 10.2 20
Steals Shawn Marion
Vince Carter
Phoenix Suns
New Jersey Nets
6 Larry Hughes Cleveland Cavaliers 2.2 9
Blocks James Jones
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Tim Duncan
Phoenix Suns
Cleveland Cavaliers
San Antonio Spurs
6 Marcus Camby Denver Nuggets 2.8 5

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-12-12 07:24 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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