1983 NBA Playoffs
| |||
The 1983 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1982–83 season. This was the final postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals. Moses Malone was named NBA Finals MVP.
Malone made a famous prediction about the Sixers' chances prior to the playoffs, saying "Fo', fo', fo'" – predicting that the Sixers would accomplish four game sweeps in each of the three series. They nearly accomplished this, only losing one game (to Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals) en route to the championship. The Sixers set a record for highest winning percentage in the playoffs that was not broken until the Lakers went 15–1 in 2001. The Lakers' mark, however, came after the expansion to the current 16-team, four-round playoff format, which was first implemented in the 1984 playoffs, while the Sixers avoided the first round by virtue of their top seeding.
It was the third time in four years that the Lakers and 76ers had met in the NBA Finals, with the Lakers winning the previous two series.
After missing the playoffs the previous year, the Blazers began a string of 21 straight playoff appearances in 1983 lasting until 2003. They made the playoffs 25 out of 26 years from their title-winning season of 1977–2003. The record was just one season shy of the 22-year playoff run set by the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers from 1950–1971.
The Celtics were swept out of the playoffs for the first time in team history, losing 4–0 to the Bucks in the second round.
Until 1995, this was the Spurs' last appearance in the Conference Finals. However, for players such as George Gervin and Artis Gilmore, the 6-game loss to the Lakers was the last chance they got at reaching the NBA Finals, let alone an NBA Championship (Gilmore did return to the conference finals with the Celtics in 1988, but played sparingly).
Bracket
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Portland | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Seattle | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Portland | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | San Antonio | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Phoenix | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Denver | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Denver | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | San Antonio | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Philadelphia | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | New York | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | New Jersey | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | New York | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Milwaukee | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Boston | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Atlanta | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Boston | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Milwaukee | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
Western Conference
First Round
(1) Los Angeles Lakers and (2) San Antonio Spurs have first-round byes.
(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Denver Nuggets: Nuggets win series 2–1
- Game 1 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (April 19): Phoenix 121, Denver 108
- Game 2 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (April 21): Denver 113, Phoenix 99
- Game 3 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (April 24): Denver 117, Phoenix 112 (OT)
| Denver won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first meeting.
| Phoenix leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers: Blazers win series 2–0
- Game 1 @ Kingdome, Seattle (April 20): Portland 108, Seattle 97
- Game 2 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (April 22): Portland 105, Seattle 96
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first two meetings.
| Seattle leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Conference Semifinals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers: Lakers win series 4–1
- Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 24): Los Angeles 118, Portland 97
- Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 26): Los Angeles 112, Portland 106
- Game 3 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (April 29): Los Angeles 115, Portland 109 (OT)
- Game 4 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (May 1): Portland 108, Los Angeles 95
- Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 3): Los Angeles 116, Portland 108
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first meeting.
| Portland leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Denver Nuggets: Spurs win series 4–1
- Game 1 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (April 26): San Antonio 152, Denver 133
- Game 2 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (April 27): San Antonio 126, Denver 109
- Game 3 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (April 29): San Antonio 127, Denver 126 (OT)
- Game 4 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (May 2): Denver 124, San Antonio 114
- Game 5 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (May 4): San Antonio 145, Denver 105
| San Antonio won 4–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Spurs.[4]
Conference Finals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs: Lakers win series 4–2
- Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 8): Los Angeles 119, San Antonio 107
- Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 10): San Antonio 122, Los Angeles 113
- Game 3 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (May 13): Los Angeles 113, San Antonio 100
- Game 4 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (May 15): Los Angeles 129, San Antonio 121
- Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 18): San Antonio 117, Los Angeles 112
- Game 6 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (May 20): Los Angeles 101, San Antonio 100
| San Antonio won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
| Los Angeles leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Philadelphia 76ers and (2) Milwaukee Bucks have first round byes.
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks: Celtics win series 2–1
- Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 19): Boston 103, Atlanta 95
- Game 2 @ The Omni, Atlanta (April 22): Atlanta 95, Boston 93
- Game 3 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 24): Boston 98, Atlanta 79 (In this game, Hawks center Tree Rollins and Celtics guard Danny Ainge started a melee on the Boston Garden floor in which Rollins bit Ainge's finger.)
| Boston won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning five of the first six meetings.
| Boston leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) New Jersey Nets vs. (5) New York Knicks: Knicks win series 2–0
- Game 1 @ Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford (April 20): New York 118, New Jersey 107
- Game 2 @ Madison Square Garden, New York City (April 21): New York 105, New Jersey 99
| New Jersey won 4–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Knicks.[7]
Conference Semifinals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) New York Knicks: 76ers win series 4–0
- Game 1 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (April 24): Philadelphia 112, New York 102
- Game 2 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (April 27): Philadelphia 98, New York 91
- Game 3 @ Madison Square Garden, New York City (April 30): Philadelphia 107, New York 105
- Game 4 @ Madison Square Garden, New York City (May 1): Philadelphia 105, New York 102
| Philadelphia won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning five of the first seven meetings.
| Philadelphia leads 5–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Boston Celtics: Bucks win series 4–0
- Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 27): Milwaukee 116, Boston 95
- Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 29): Milwaukee 95, Boston 91
- Game 3 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (May 1): Milwaukee 107, Boston 99
- Game 4 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (May 2): Milwaukee 107, Boston 93 (First time the Celtics were swept in a playoff series.)
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
| Boston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Conference Finals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Milwaukee Bucks: 76ers win series 4–1
- Game 1 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 8): Philadelphia 111, Milwaukee 109 (OT)
- Game 2 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 11): Philadelphia 87, Milwaukee 81
- Game 3 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (May 14): Philadelphia 104, Milwaukee 96
- Game 4 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (May 15): Milwaukee 100, Philadelphia 94
- Game 5 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 18): Philadelphia 115, Milwaukee 103
| Philadelphia won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning two of the first three meetings.
| Philadelphia leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
NBA Finals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers: 76ers win series 4–0
- Game 1 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 22): Philadelphia 113, Los Angeles 107
- Game 2 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 26): Philadelphia 103, Los Angeles 93
- Game 3 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 29): Philadelphia 111, Los Angeles 94
- Game 4 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 31): Philadelphia 115, Los Angeles 108
| Philadelphia won 2–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
References
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Phoenix Suns (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — New York Knicks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.