Playoff Histories: Eastern Conference Finals

05/15/2011

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#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #2 Miami Heat

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Previous Meetings
2007 East First Round: #5 Bulls 4 - #4 Heat 0
1997 East Finals: #1 Bulls 4 - #2 Heat 1
1996 East First Round: #1 Bulls 3 - #8 Heat 0
1992 East First Round: #1 Bulls 3 - #8 Heat 0

    The Eastern Conference’s top 2 teams were able to hold serve and reach the conference finals. Will Chicago’s dynamic Derrick Rose and defensive pressure put them in the NBA Finals? Or will it be Miami’s dynamic duo of James and Wade and its defensive pressure?  The history between these two teams in the playoffs does not bode well for Miami at all. This may very well be the most lop-sided historical match up in NBA history.  Four times they’ve met before and Chicago has won 14 games, Miami 1. Let’s recall the bludgeoning.

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Playoff Histories: Western Conference, Round 2

05/02/2011

 

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #3 Dallas Mavericks

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Previous Meetings:
1988 West Finals: #1 Lakers 4 - #3 Mavericks 3
1986 West Semis: #1 Lakers 4 - #4 Mavericks 2
1984 West Semis: #1 Lakers 4 - #4 Mavericks 1

    Amazingly, this will be L.A. and Dallas’s first matchup since 1988. Of course during the 90s, Dallas was quite possibly the worst NBA franchise and missed the playoffs from 1990 to 2001. But back in the mid-80s, these two teams met in the playoffs three out of five seasons. L.A. won every series and you could see a young Mavs team rise and fall apart.
 

Playoff Histories: Eastern Conference, Round 2

05/01/2011

 

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

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Previous Meetings:
1997 Eastern Semifinals: #1 Bulls 4 – #4 Hawks 1
1993 Eastern First Round: #2 Bulls 3 – #7 Hawks 0
1970 Western Semifinals: #1 Hawks 4 – #4 Bulls 1
1967 Western Semifinals: #2 Hawks 3 – #4 Bulls 0

    These teams have met a few times in the playoffs, but never has the series been all that compelling and given the hamstring injury to Atlanta’s PG Kirk Hinrich, Derrick Rose just may be poised to make this series a yawn. Or maybe the Hawks will muster up a surprising stand. All of that lies ahead of us, however, let’s see how these teams have handled each other before.
 

Playoff Histories: Western Conference

04/17/2011

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As always, I try and keep things in perspective. So here is a recap of the previous meetings between this year's playoff participants.

#1 San Antonio Spurs vs. #8 Memphis Grizzlies

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Tim Duncan swatting Pau Gasol
Previous Meetings
2004 Western First Round: #3 San Antonio 4 - #6 Memphis 0

In their third year after moving from Vancouver – moment of silence – the Grizzlies franchise made their first playoff appearance in 2004 and got a date with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Things did not go well for Memphis. Coach Hubie Brown and 3rd-year forward Pau Gasol coaxed 50 wins during the regular season from the team but zero in this series as the Spurs and Tim Duncan beat down Memphis by an average of 14 points. As these teams set to square off once again, Memphis is still seeking its first playoff victory having been swept in three straight series.

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Playoff Histories: Eastern Conference

04/16/2011

2 Comments

 
As always, I try and keep things in perspective. So here is a recap of the previous meetings between this year's playoff participants.

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #8 Indiana Pacers

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Previous Meetings
1998 Eastern Finals: (1)Bulls 4 - (3)Pacers 3

As far as I can find, this is the one previous meeting between Chicago and Indiana. It was quite the matchup, too. The teams finished with the two best records in the East and for my money this was the toughest opponent the Bulls endured during their 6 championships. The series went the distance and was won mainly by the Bulls being able to control the glass in Game 7 50 to 34 en route to eking out an 88-83 victory. Having finished with just 4 more wins in the regular season than the Pacers was fortuitous. The home team won every game in the series.
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