Record 58–24 (.707) Arena The Forum | Head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. End date 1991 | |
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The 1990–91 NBA season was the Lakers' 43rd season in the National Basketball Association and 31st in the city of Los Angeles. This season's highlight was Magic Johnson leading the Lakers to the NBA Finals, where they lost in five games to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. The Lakers would not return to the Finals until 2000. The season is generally considered the final season of the team's successful, uptempo Showtime era.
Contents
- Regular season
- Season standings
- West First Round
- West Conference Semifinals
- West Conference Finals
- Game 1
- Game 2
- Game 3
- Game 4
- Game 5
- Awards and Records
- References
During the offseason, the team signed unrestricted free agent Sam Perkins. The Lakers finished the regular season with a 58–24 record, but for the first time since the 1980–81 season, did not win their division. Johnson finished second behind Jordan in the voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. Johnson was the league's third-oldest point guard, and had grown more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble. Mike Dunleavy was the new head coach, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers swept the Houston Rockets in three straight games, then defeated the 7th-seeded Golden State Warriors in five games in the semifinals. In the Western Conference Finals, they defeated the top-seeded and Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers in six games to advance to the NBA Finals.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals was the last Finals game played at the Forum. It was also Magic's last NBA game as he would retire later in November due to an HIV Virus. Magic would make a brief return to the Lakers midway through the 1995–96 NBA season. After losing to the Houston Rockets in that year's playoffs, Magic retired again for good.
The team's season roster is featured in the video games NBA 2K16 and NBA 2K17.
Regular season
Season standings
y – clinched division titlex – clinched playoff spotz – clinched division titley – clinched division titlex – clinched playoff spotWest First Round
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Houston Rockets: Lakers win series 3–0
Last Playoff Meeting: 1990 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 3–1)
West Conference Semifinals
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Golden State Warriors: Lakers win series 4–1
Last Playoff Meeting: 1987 Western Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles won 4–1)
West Conference Finals
(1) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers win series 4–2
Last Playoff Meeting: 1989 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 3–0)
Game 1
Sunday, June 2, at the Chicago Stadium
Game 2
Wednesday, June 5, at the Chicago Stadium The Bulls shot a Finals record 61.7% from the floor—since broken by the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of the 2009 NBA Finals—with a Jordan layup over Sam Perkins a highlight.
Game 3
Friday, June 7, at the Great Western Forum
Game 4
Sunday, June 9, at the Great Western Forum
Game 5
Wednesday, June 12, at the Great Western Forum
The Lakers were facing elimination, and the lack of Worthy and Scott was not any help to the Lakers. This would not stop Magic Johnson as Johnson had 20 assists in the game, but it was not enough. Elden Campbell outscored Michael Jordan with 13 points in the first half, but it was not enough. The Lakers still fought and even led 93-90 in the fourth quarter, but a Bulls 9-0 run, and Paxson's 10 points in the final half of the fourth quarter helped secure the Chicago Bulls, and Michael Jordan's, first NBA title.