2009 NBA playoffs |
| Tournament details |
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| Dates | April 18–June 14, 2009 |
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| Season | 2008–09 |
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| Teams | 16 |
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| Final positions |
|---|
| Champions | Los Angeles Lakers (15th title) |
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| Runners-up | Orlando Magic |
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| Semifinalists | |
|---|
|
The 2009 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP.
Overview
The Portland Trail Blazers made the playoffs for the first time since 2003 and earned home court advantage in a playoff series for the first time since 2000.
The Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. They pushed their first round opponents, the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics (respectively) to seven games before losing.
The first round series between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls set an NBA Playoff record for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played. However, the Boston Celtics prevailed in seven games.
With their first round win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Houston Rockets won a first round series for the first time since 1997, when they last made the conference finals. They pushed the eventual champion Lakers to seven games before losing. The Rockets would not return to the playoffs until 2013.
With their first round win over the Miami Heat, the Atlanta Hawks won a playoff series for the first time since 1999. However, they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals.
With their first round win over the New Orleans Hornets, the Denver Nuggets won a playoff series for the first time since 1994, when they became the first eighth seed to win a playoff series.
As for the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, they failed to advance past the first round for the first time since 2000. The Pistons were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Spurs lost to the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game upset. The Pistons would not return to the playoffs until 2016, while the Spurs would exact revenge against the Mavericks in next year's playoffs.
By sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the Conference Semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers became only the second team in NBA History (after the Miami Heat) to go 8–0 through the first two rounds by sweeping the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks (they would duplicate this feat in 2016, against the same two teams). This was also LeBron James’ last conference finals appearance as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers until 2015.
With their conference semifinals victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets made the conference finals for the first time since 1985. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, and would not return to the conference finals until 2020.
With their Game 7 road win over the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic made the Conference Finals for the first time since 1996. It also marked the first time the Boston Celtics lost a playoff series despite leading 3–2.
With their conference finals victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic made the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995. The Cavaliers would not return to the Conference Finals until 2015.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals marked the first ever finals win for the Orlando Magic. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals marked the first time since 1985 that two overtime games were played in the same NBA Finals series.
With the Lakers’ Game 5 win over the Orlando Magic, Phil Jackson overtook Red Auerbach with the most NBA Championships won by a head coach (10). It also marked the Lakers’ first NBA Finals series win since 2002.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals was also the last NBA Finals game ever played at Amway Arena.
The 3 division winners and 5 other teams with the most wins from each conference qualify for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record; however, a division winner is guaranteed to be ranked at least 4th, regardless of record.[1] All series are in a best-of-7 format with the Games 1–2, 5 and 7 on the home court of the team with the better record, regardless of their seed. For the NBA Finals, the team with the better record plays Games 1–2 and 6–7 at home.[2]
Tiebreak procedures
The tiebreakers that determine seedings are:[1]
- Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division
- Head-to-head record
- Division record (if the teams are in the same division)
- Conference record
- Record vs. playoff teams, own conference
- Record vs. playoff teams, other conference
- Point differential, all games
If there are more than 2 teams tied, the team that wins the tiebreaker gets the highest seed, while the other teams are "re-broken" from the first step until all ties are resolved. Since the three division winners are guaranteed a spot in the top 4, ties to determine the division winners must be broken before any other ties.[3][4]
Playoff qualifying
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Notes
— = not applicable
- a The regular season series was tied 2–2.
- b Tie between division leaders was broken first.
Bracket
| First Round
| | | Conference Semifinals
| | | Conference Finals
| | | NBA Finals | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E1 | Cleveland*
| 4 | | | | |
|
| E8
| Detroit
| 0
| |
| | E1 | Cleveland*
| 4 | |
| | |
| | | E4
| Atlanta
| 0
| |
| E4 | Atlanta | 4 | |
| |
| E5
| Miami
| 3
| |
| | E1
| Cleveland*
| 2
| |
| Eastern Conference | |
| | | E3 | Orlando*
| 4 | |
| E3 | Orlando*
| 4 | | |
| |
| E6
| Philadelphia
| 2
| |
| | E3 | Orlando*
| 4 | |
| | |
| | | E2
| Boston*
| 3
| |
| E2 | Boston*
| 4 | |
| |
| E7
| Chicago
| 3
| |
| | E3
| Orlando*
| 1
| |
| | |
| | | W1 | LA Lakers*
| 4 | |
| W1 | LA Lakers*
| 4 | | | |
| |
| W8
| Utah
| 1
| |
| | W1 | LA Lakers*
| 4 | |
| | |
| | | W5
| Houston
| 3
| |
| W4
| Portland | 2
| |
| |
| W5 | Houston | 4 | |
| | W1 | LA Lakers*
| 4 | |
| Western Conference | |
| | | W2
| Denver*
| 2
| |
| W3
| San Antonio*
| 1
| | |
| |
| W6 | Dallas | 4 | |
| | W6
| Dallas
| 1
| |
| | |
| | | W2 | Denver*
| 4 | |
| W2 | Denver*
| 4 | |
| |
| W7
| New Orleans | 1
| |
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
First round
- All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons
| Detroit Pistons 84, Cleveland Cavaliers 102 |
| Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 20–27, 20–21, 19–24 |
Pts: Rodney Stuckey 20
Rebs: Wallace, Brown 9 each
Asts: Hamilton, Stuckey 4 each | | Pts: LeBron James 38
Rebs: Žydrūnas Ilgauskas 10
Asts: LeBron James 7 |
| Cleveland leads series, 1–0 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Leon Wood, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie |
| Detroit Pistons 82, Cleveland Cavaliers 94 |
| Scoring by quarter: 14–23, 18–23, 18–31, 32–17 |
Pts: Richard Hamilton 17
Rebs: Antonio McDyess 11
Asts: Rodney Stuckey 6 | | Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: LeBron James 13
Asts: Mo Williams 7 |
| Cleveland leads series, 2–0 |
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Dan Crawford, Greg Willard, Joe Forte |
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Joe Crawford, Ken Mauer, Jim Clark |
Regular-season series
| Cleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan | | The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan | |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
Previous playoff series[30] | Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 2006 Eastern Conference Semifinals | | 2007 Eastern Conference Finals | |
The Cavaliers opened the series with a rout on Game 1, as LeBron James scored 38 points and the Cavaliers won by 18 points. In Game 2, the Cavaliers were leading by 27 points after the third quarter before the Pistons started a comeback in the fourth quarter. The Pistons managed to cut the Cavaliers' lead down to 7 points, but in the end the Cavaliers won the game by 12 points. Game 3 was a tight contest until an 18–2 run by the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter secured the victory for Cleveland. The Cavaliers swept the Pistons with a 21-point victory in Game 4, in which James scored 36 points while narrowly missing a triple-double for two straight games.
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Chicago Bulls
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 23,072
Referees: Scott Foster, David Jones, Bill Spooner |
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 23,067
Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy |
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 23,430
Referees: Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy |
Regular-season series
| Boston won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This series has been called the greatest first round series ever, and compared to the greatest series overall. It featured four overtime games with seven overtime periods, the most ever in a playoff series. The series highlights included future NBA MVP Derrick Rose setting an NBA single game rookie scoring record. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.
Previous playoff series[31] | Boston leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals | | 1986 Eastern Conference First Round | | 1987 Eastern Conference First Round | |
In Game 1, with the Bulls trailing by 1, rookie Derrick Rose hit 2 free throws with 9.6 seconds left. Celtics captain Paul Pierce had a chance to win the game with his own free throws from a Joakim Noah foul but missed the second, leading to overtime. In the overtime, with Rose fouling out, Tyrus Thomas scored six of the Bulls' eight points to put them up 105–103 with about 50 seconds left. Ray Allen, who had a poor shooting night, had a chance to tie the game and send it into a second overtime but he did not succeed. Even while the playoffs were continuing, many experts and analysts were calling it "the greatest playoff series ever".
Rose matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's playoff debut of 36 points to lead the Bulls into a Game 1 road victory. Rose also became the second player to have a 35-point, 10-assist game in their playoff debut in history, after Chris Paul did the feat in 2008; his 36 points was also the highest points scored by a Bull in a playoff game since Michael Jordan retired. The win also marked the Bulls' first postseason win against the Celtics in history.
In Game 2, Ben Gordon poured in 42 points, but lost the duel to Ray Allen. The Bulls were blown out in Game 3. At home in the end of regulation of Game 4, Gordon hit a big bank shot putting the Bulls up 95–93. The Bulls would go on to win in 2OT.
Game 5:
The Bulls held a double digit lead, and Boston came back behind Paul Pierce. Gordon hit a tough shot over Stephon Marbury. Pierce tied with his own jumper, Brad Miller missed 2 free throws with 2 seconds remaining in overtime, and Boston won.
Game 6:
The Bulls had to come back from being down 8 in the final 2 minutes of regulation, and did so behind John Salmons. Ray Allen scored 51 points, but the Bulls won in 3OT.
Game 7:
The Celtics finished the Bulls off with a 10-point victory.
[32]
(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer, Zach Zarba |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Steve Javie, James Capers, Greg Willard |
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia
Attendance: 16,492
Referees: Bill Kennedy, Jim Clark, Monty McCutchen |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Marc Davis |
| Orlando Magic 114, Philadelphia 76ers 89
|
| Scoring by quarter: 30–19, 32–29, 25–24, 27–17 |
Pts: Rashard Lewis 29
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 15
Asts: Rafer Alston 10 | | Pts: Andre Miller 24
Rebs: Samuel Dalembert 13
Asts: Andre Iguodala 6 |
| Orlando wins series, 4–2 |
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia
Attendance: 16,691
Referees: Derrick Collins, Scott Foster, Tom Washington |
Regular-season series
| Orlando won 3–0 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first meeting.
Previous playoff series[33] | Philadelphia leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1999 Eastern Conference First Round | |
In Game 1, the Magic had an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter and Andre Iguodala scored a jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the Sixers a road win over Hedo Türkoğlu. The Sixers almost managed another comeback in Game 2. The Magic led by 18 points midway through the third quarter before another late run by the Sixers brought the lead down to 5 points before the Magic finally won the game. The Sixers won Game 3 courtesy of another late shot; Thaddeus Young scored a layup with 2 seconds left to secure the win, despite a career playoff-high 36-point performance by Dwight Howard. The Magic secured a road win in Game 4 with their own late shot; Türkoğlu scored his own game-winning three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to even the series.
In Game 5, Dwight Howard had 24 points and a career playoff-high 24 rebounds, leading the Magic to a victory. Game 5 was marked with an elbowing incident by Howard on Samuel Dalembert, which led to a one-game suspension for Howard.[34] Rookie Courtney Lee also went down injured after taking an inadvertent elbow on the head from Howard. Despite losing two starters, Howard and Lee, the Magic won game 6, beating the Sixers on the road by 25 points to win the series.
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Miami Heat
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,851
Referees: Scott Foster, Joe DeRosa, Gary Zielinski |
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,146
Referees: Dan Crawford, Jason Philips, Ken Mauer |
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,600
Referees: Steve Javie, David Jones, James Capers |
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,600
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Michael Smith, Tom Washington |
| Miami Heat 91, Atlanta Hawks 106 |
| Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 20–39, 30–22, 21–21 |
Pts: Dwyane Wade 29
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 8
Asts: Mario Chalmers 6 | | Pts: Joe Johnson 25
Rebs: Josh Smith 8
Asts: Joe Johnson 6 |
| Atlanta leads series, 3–2 |
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,600
Referees: Mark Wunderlich, Marc Davis, Sean Corbin |
| Miami Heat 78, Atlanta Hawks 91 |
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 18–29, 16–16, 26–26 |
Pts: Dwyane Wade 31
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 13
Asts: Chalmers, Wade 4 each | | Pts: Joe Johnson 27
Rebs: Josh Smith 9
Asts: Mike Bibby 6 |
| Atlanta wins series, 4–3 |
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,864
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, Ron Garretson |
Regular-season series
| Atlanta won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| American Airlines Arena, Miami | | American Airlines Arena, Miami | |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first meeting.
Previous playoff series[35] | Atlanta leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1994 Eastern Conference First Round | |
The Hawks opened the series with a 26-point win after leading by as much as 20 points at halftime. The Hawks also tied a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a playoff game. However, the Heat managed to rebound from the loss and won Game 2 on the road to tie the series. The Heat won Game 3 at home, almost in similar fashion as the Hawks' victory in Game 1. The Heat was already leading by 19 points at halftime and ended up winning by 29 points. In the next game, the Hawks bounced back and won a road game to even the series.
Game 5 was marked by several hard fouls and technical fouls. Dwyane Wade was fouled and sent tumbling down by Solomon Jones before a skirmish between Wade, Jones, Jamaal Magloire and Josh Smith started. All four players were given technical fouls in the incident. Wade was later called for a flagrant foul after he fouled Maurice Evans during a layup attempt. The flagrant foul was later rescinded by the officials after they reviewed the play.[36] The Hawks finally won the game, despite losing starting center Al Horford due to injury in the second quarter. The Heat evened the series at 3–3 after winning Game 6. Wade scored 41 points to lead the Heat to a 26-point rout over the Hawks. The Hawks finally won the series after winning Game 7 at home, with 13 points difference. All seven games of the series were decided by at least 10 points, with an average margin of 19 points.
Western Conference first round
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Utah Jazz
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy, Joe Crawford |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Marc Davis, Sean Corbin, Monty McCutchen |
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Bennett Salvadore, Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis |
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Bill Spooner, Mark Wunderlich, Joe Derosa |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Gary Zielinski, James Capers, Steve Javie |
Regular-season series
| Los Angeles won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece.
Previous playoff series[37] | Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1988 Western Conference Semifinals | | 1997 Western Conference Semifinals | | 1998 Western Conference Finals | |
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets
Pepsi Center, Denver
Attendance: 19,536
Referees: Marc Davis, Monty McCutchen, Sean Corbin |
Pepsi Center, Denver
Attendance: 19,623
Referees: Mark Wunderlich, Violet Palmer, Joe DeRosa |
Pepsi Center, Denver
Attendance: 19,744
Referees: Steve Javie, Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy |
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.[38]
The Nuggets routed the Hornets in Game 1, led by hometown player Chauncey Billups's 36 points in his playoff debut for the Nuggets. He sank a career playoff-high 8 three-pointers and added 8 assists in the game. He continued his form in Game 2, scoring 31 points as the Nuggets took a 2–0 lead in the series. The Hornets bounced back with a victory in Game 3. Game 3 was marked with plenty of fouls, with a total of 58 personal fouls in the game, resulting in four players fouling out of the game, David West and Tyson Chandler for the Hornets, and Kenyon Martin and Nenê for the Nuggets. The referees also called three flagrant fouls from James Posey, Chandler and Billups. Hornets' head coach Byron Scott was also called for a technical foul after arguing on Posey's flagrant foul.
The Nuggets then pulled a 58-point win in Game 4. The margin tied the most lopsided victory in playoff history set 53 years ago by the Minneapolis Lakers. The Hornets recorded a playoff-low in points and also a playoff-high 26 turnovers, which led to 41 Nuggets' points. The Nuggets then recorded their first series win since 1994 after a victory in Game 5. Carmelo Anthony scored his career playoff-high with 34 points as the Nuggets cruised to another double-digit win. The average margin of victory in the Nuggets's four wins was 30.75 points.
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Dick Bavetta, James Capers, Tony Brothers |
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Mark Wunderlich, Joe Forte, Tom Washington |
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,491
Referees: Joe Crawford, Eddie Rush, Derrick Collins, Marc Davis |
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,829
Referees: Mike Callahan, Scott Foster, Zach Zarba |
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Ron Garretson, Greg Willard, Monty McCutchen |
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| American Airlines Center, Dallas | | American Airlines Center, Dallas | |
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning two of the first three meetings.
Previous playoff series[39] | San Antonio leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 2001 Western Conference Semifinals | | 2003 Western Conference Finals | | 2006 Western Conference Semifinals | |
(4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Game 2 is Dikembe Mutombo's final NBA game.
Regular-season series
| Houston won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first two meetings.
Previous playoff series[40] | Houston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1987 Western Conference First Round | | 1994 Western Conference First Round | |
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Violet Palmer, Derrick Stafford, Dan Crawford |
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 20,143
Referees: Bill Spooner, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen |
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,241
Referees: Ron Garretson, Scott Foster, James Capers |
Regular-season series
| Cleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Cavaliers.[41]
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Orlando Magic
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Leon Wood, Scott Foster, Joe Derosa |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard |
This was the first time the Celtics lost a series when leading 3–2.
Game 7 is Stephon Marbury's last NBA game.
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.
Previous playoff series[42] | Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1995 Eastern Conference First Round | |
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Scott Foster, Joe Derosa, Tony Brothers |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Spooner, Greg Willard |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Derrick Stafford, Ken Mauer |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Dan Crawford |
Regular-season series
| Los Angeles won 4–0 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first seven meetings.
Previous playoff series[43] | Los Angeles leads 4–3 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1981 Western Conference First Round | | 1986 Western Conference Finals | | 1990 Western Conference First Round | | 1991 Western Conference First Round | | 1996 Western Conference First Round | | 1999 Western Conference First Round | | 2004 Western Conference First Round | |
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,631
Referees: David Jones, Tom Washington, Dan Crawford |
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,890
Referees: Ed Malloy, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen |
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,620
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore, Mark Wunderlich |
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,523
Referees: Joe Derosa, Marc Davis, Steve Javie |
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,962
Referees: Bill Kennedy, Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson |
Regular-season series
| Denver won 4–0 in the regular-season series
|
| American Airlines Center, Dallas | | American Airlines Center, Dallas | |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Mavericks winning the first meeting.
Previous playoff series[44] | Dallas leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1988 Western Conference Semifinals | |
Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Orlando Magic
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Ken Mauer, Ron Garretson |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Tom Washington, Monty McCutchen, Bill Kennedy |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Greg Willard, Joe Crawford, Mark Wunderlich |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Mike Callahan, Scott Foster, Joe DeRosa |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Bill Spooner, Dan Crawford, Marc Davis |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore, Derrick Stafford |
Regular-season series
| Orlando won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the first playoff meeting between the Cavaliers and the Magic.[45]
In Game 1, LeBron James dominated with a 49-point performance, while Howard had 30. Early in the game, Howard made a thunderous jam that caused the shot clock to fall backwards. Although James had a potential game-winning three-point play, a furious rally and a game-winning three-pointer by Rashard Lewis allowed the Magic to escape with a victory in game 1. Much like Game 1, Game 2 had the Cavs with an 18-point lead by the second quarter, only for the Magic to rally back in the closing minutes. A jump shot by Hedo Türkoğlu gave the Magic a 2-point lead with 1 second left on the clock, but LeBron James hit a three-pointer to tie the series at the buzzer. In Game 3, the Magic dominated at home, leading to a 10-point victory behind Dwight Howard's 24 points. In Game 4, two clutch free throws by LeBron James sent the game into overtime. While James dominated with 44 (his third 40-point game of the playoffs), an off half-court shot allowed the Magic to escape again with a victory. Down 3–1, James' triple-double allowed his team to stave off elimination in Game 5. After a win in Game 6, the Magic received their second NBA Finals berth in franchise history.
Western Conference finals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Joe Derosa |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Marc Davis, Steve Javie |
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,939
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Dan Crawford, James Capers |
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 20,037
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Spooner, Bennett Salvatore |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ron Garretson, Tom Washington |
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 20,037
Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Mark Wunderlich |
Regular-season series
| Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings.
Before the playoff matchup had happened, professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment had booked its television program Monday Night Raw on August 15, 2008, at the Pepsi Center by Vince McMahon for May 25, 2009 show. Because the Nuggets needed the arena for games 3, 4 and 6, the WWE had decided to relocate Raw (and later the Friday Night SmackDown/ECW tapings) to Staples Center, the site of games 1, 2, 5 and 7 and Denver was given a house show on August 7 instead.[46][47] The debacle would be a subject of a main event that night in a 10-man tag team match when a babyface team of John Cena, Batista, Montel Vontavious Porter, Jerry Lawler and Mr. Kennedy donning Lakers jerseys took on heels The Legacy (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, Jr.) and ShoMiz (The Big Show and The Miz) in Nuggets jerseys. Team Lakers would emerge victorious afterwards.[48]
Previous playoff series[49] | Los Angeles leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1979 Western Conference First Round | | 1985 Western Conference Finals | | 1987 Western Conference First Round | |
NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E3) Orlando Magic
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Ken Mauer, Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa |
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Steve Javie, Tom Washington |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Mark Wunderlich |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Mike Callahan, Scott Foster |
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Ken Mauer |
Regular-season series
| Orlando won 2–0 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Magic.[50]
Statistic leader board
References
- "Playoff Seeding Primer". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 2, 2007. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007.
- "Basketball U on the NBA Playoffs". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 7, 2004. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009.
- "NBA.com Playoff Picture". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009.
- "Current 2009 NBA Playoff Matchups". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009.
- "2009 NBA Playoff Matchups". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009.
- "Cavaliers clinch playoff spot with win over Bucks". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 3, 2009.
- "LeBron's 51 points give Cavs the Central title". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 13, 2003.
- "Cavaliers beat 76ers to clinch No. 1 spot in East". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009.
- "Cavaliers clinch home court advantage". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 13, 2004. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009.
- "Pierce's 17-footer, Allen's FTs lift Celtics by Nets". ESPN.com. March 4, 2009. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009.
- "Pierce scores 36 as Celtics beat Wade-less Heat". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 18, 2009.
- "Magic clinch playoff berth, 107-79". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 11, 2009.
- "Magic Switch: Orlando bounces Boston from 2nd". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 25, 2009. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009.
- "Parker has 42, Spurs beat Hawks 102-92". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 25, 2009.
- "Wade, Heat beat Bobcats 97-92 to reach playoffs". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 3, 2009. Archived from the original on April 7, 2009.
- "76ers clinch playoff spot with win". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 4, 2009.
- "Thunder eliminate Bobcats from playoff chase". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009.
- "Bynum leads Pistons into postseason". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009.
- "Bryant scores 23 as Lakers clinch playoff berth". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 12, 2009.
- "Gasol scores 36 as Lakers clinch top seed in West". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 27, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009.
- "Nuggets hold off Knicks behind Anthony's 29 points". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 31, 2009. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009.
- "Nuggets clinch division crown, home-court edge". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 13, 2009. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009.
- "Durant scores 31 as Thunder stun Spurs again". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 31, 2009. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009.
- "Spurs clinch Southwest Division with OT win". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 15, 2009. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009.
- "Rockets beat Blazers 102-88". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 5, 2009. Archived from the original on April 9, 2009.
- "Mavs clinch playoff spot with 130-101 win". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 9, 2009. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009.
- "Butler, West shoot down Heat, 93-87". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 7, 2009. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009.
- "Jazz thump Hornets, 108-94". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 5, 2009. Archived from the original on April 9, 2009.
- A good chunk of this game aired on ESPN2 due to the Bulls-Celtics game going 2OT
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Chicago Bulls (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Bulls beat Celtics 105-103 in OT in Game 1". Yahoo! Sports. April 18, 2009. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Orlando Magic versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Magic's Howard suspended for Game 6 against 76ers". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 29, 2009. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "It's win-or-else time for motivated Heat". NBC Sports. NBC Universal. April 30, 2009. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus New Orleans Pelicans (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Cleveland Cavaliers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Denver Nuggets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Pepsi Center stunned as WWE Raw goes to L.A." ESPN.com. May 20, 2009.
- "WWE event booted from Denver will be at Staples Center". Los Angeles Times. May 21, 2009.
- "WWE Monday Night RAW 05 25 2009". Online World of Wrestling. June 11, 2023.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
2009 NBA Playoffs.