NBA Playoffs - 5 greatest team performances during a single post-season
Winning in the NBA is a difficult feat that takes every ounce of effort from a team as well as an established play style and even a slight dose of luck. Dominating the NBA Playoffs is a tough task but many franchises have swept through competition with incredible performances.
NBA Playoffs - 5 greatest team performances during a single post-season
This article will discuss the NBA Playoffs and list the 5 greatest team performances during a single post-season.
The list will be based on the team's winning percentages during their NBA Playoffs run. It is to be noted that the comparison of totals between teams from different eras is not an accurate description of events, given that the length of the NBA Playoffs was different in the past (shorter).
Without further ado, let us take a look at this great list.
#5 1989 Detroit Pistons - 15-2 record in the NBA Playoffs
The 1989 Bad Boy Pistons were a tremendous team filled with versatility, great defenders and high intensity. The team was led by Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman.
During their first NBA championship run, the Pistons dominated the 1989 NBA Playoffs with a 15-2 record. Their winning percentage (.882) is tied for fourth place in NBA history with the 1999 San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls.
What is impressive from the Pistons' run is the quantity of Hall of Fame members they played on their way to the NBA title (eight, even after playing the Boston Celtics without Larry Bird).
The Pistons defeated Boston (42-40 record in the regular season) in the first round, the Milwaukee Bucks (49-33), the Chicago Bulls (47-35), and the LA Lakers (57-25) in the NBA Finals. Only the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals were able to defeat them as Chicago took two games off Chuck Daly's team.
#4 1991 Chicago Bulls - 15-2 record in the NBA Playoffs
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls first-ever run to an NBA title included an incredible record of 15-2 in the NBA Playoffs.
They had a winning percentage of .882, tied with the 1989 Bad Boys and the 1999 Spurs. However, like Detroit, Chicago defeated eight Hall of Fame players during their NBA Playoffs run, which is the most ever.
Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson stormed to their first championship after sweeping the New York Knicks (39-43) in the first round, beating Charles Barkley and the Philadelphia 76ers (44-38), sweeping the two-time reigning champions Detroit Pistons (50-32), and beating Magic Johnson and the Lakers (58-24) in the NBA Finals.
The only teams to beat the Bulls during their NBA Playoffs run in 1991 were the Sixers and the Lakers.