Which team got swept most times in NBA Playoffs?
The 2023 NBA Playoffs have had two sweeps so far. The Philadelphia 76ers eliminated the Brooklyn Nets in four games of the first round, while the Denver Nuggets steamrolled the LA Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
The Miami Heat, who have a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics, could become the third team to complete a sweep in this year's NBA playoffs. If this happens, it'll likely be the last sweep of the postseason.
With their four-game loss to the Nuggets, the Lakers have tied the Detroit Pistons for the most sweep losses in NBA history. Both the Pistons and Lakers have been swept 11 times.
No team has been swept more often in the NBA Playoffs than the LA Lakers
The Detroit Pistons are among the worst teams in the league at the moment. However, they had some fantastic teams throughout history and were very dominant in the 1980s and the early 2000s.
The Lakers have been one of the greatest franchises in the league's history. They've won 17 championships, tied for the most with the Boston Celtics, and have had numerous legends play for them, from Wilt Chamberlain to Kobe Bryant.
Here are all the 11 series where the Lakers have been swept:
- 2023 Western Conference Finals (Denver)
- 2013 first round (San Antonio)
- 2011 second round (Dallas)
- 1999 second round (San Antonio)
- 1998 Western Conference Finals (Utah)
- 1989 NBA Finals (Detroit)
- 1983 NBA Finals (Philadelphia)
- 1977 Western Conference Finals (Portland)
- 1967 semifinals (San Francisco)
- 1959 NBA Finals (Boston)
- 1957 Western Conference Finals (St. Louis)
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Interestingly, the Lakers were swept three times in the NBA Finals and four times in the conference finals. They've had many fantastic runs throughout their history, but couldn't get the job done.
The Detroit Pistons haven't been successful for more than a decade. They've made the NBA Playoffs only three times since 2009, yet they've been swept in all of these series. Here are all of their sweeps:
- 2019 first round (Milwaukee)
- 2016 first round (Cleveland)
- 2009 first round (Cleveland)
- 2003 Eastern Conference Finals (New Jersey)
- 2000 first round (Miami)
- 1996 first round (Orlando)
- 1991 Eastern Conference Finals (Chicago)
- 1960 semifinals (LA Lakers)
- 1957 semifinals (LA Lakers)
- 1952 semifinals (Rochester)
- 1950 conference finals (LA Lakers)
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It's important to note that four of these sweeps (from 1950 to 1960) were played in the best-of-three series. This means that the Pistons were swept after losing only two games of the series.