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2004 NBA Playoffs

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Season
  
2003–04

Teams
  
16

2004 NBA Playoffs

Champions
  
Detroit Pistons (3rd title)

Runner-up
  
Los Angeles Lakers (28th finals appearance)

Semifinalists
  
Indiana Pacers Minnesota Timberwolves

The 2004 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Chauncey Billups was named NBA Finals MVP.

Contents

The Minnesota Timberwolves, after missing the playoffs their first seven seasons and losing in the first round the next seven, won their first two playoff series in 2004 before losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. As of the end of 2016 season, the Timberwolves hold the longest active streak without a playoff berth, having missed the playoffs twelve straight years since.

The Indiana Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since their NBA Finals run in 2000, after which they significantly changed the makeup of their team (yet still made the playoffs every year). Game 2 of the series with the Pistons was pivotal, as Tayshaun Prince blocked a lay-up by Reggie Miller late in the game to preserve the victory; the Pistons won 4–2.

The 2004 playoffs was the first appearance for the Memphis Grizzlies in their 9-year history which began in Vancouver. However, they failed to win a single game in their first 3 playoff appearances (2004, 2005, 2006), before earning their first playoff game and series victories in 2011.

This was the last playoff appearance for the New York Knicks until 2011, when they would be swept in the first round.

The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz missed the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and 1983, respectively.

This was the Denver Nuggets' first playoff appearance since 1995.

The New Orleans Hornets made their final postseason appearance as a member of the East. They would not make the playoffs again until 2008, as a member of the West (the result of a realignment with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004–05 NBA season). Their playoff series with the Miami Heat, led by Dwyane Wade, was the last playoff series where the home team won all 7 games until 2008's Boston-Atlanta and Boston-Cleveland playoff series.

2004 was the first time in 14 years that all Texas teams made the playoffs, and the second time (first in 10 years) that all former ABA teams made the playoffs.

Best record in NBA

The Indiana Pacers clinched the best record in the NBA, and had earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. However, when Indiana lost to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, home court advantage for the NBA Finals switched to the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, who had posted a better regular season record at 56-26 than the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons at 54-28.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

  1. Indiana Pacers (61–21) (clinched Central division)
  2. New Jersey Nets (47–35) (clinched Atlantic division)
  3. Detroit Pistons (54–28)
  4. Miami Heat (42–40)
  5. New Orleans Hornets (41–41)
  6. Milwaukee Bucks (41–41)
  7. New York Knicks (39–43)
  8. Boston Celtics (36–46)

Best record in conference

The Minnesota Timberwolves clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers gained home court advantage for the NBA Finals because the Lakers posted a better regular season record at 56-26 than the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons at 54-28.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:

  1. Minnesota Timberwolves (58–24) (clinched Midwest division)
  2. Los Angeles Lakers (56–26) (clinched Pacific division)
  3. San Antonio Spurs (57–25)
  4. Sacramento Kings (55–27)
  5. Dallas Mavericks (52–30)
  6. Memphis Grizzlies (50–32)
  7. Houston Rockets (45–37)
  8. Denver Nuggets (43–39)

Eastern Conference

Champion: Detroit Pistons

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Boston Celtics

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.

(2) New Jersey Nets vs. (7) New York Knicks

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings.

(3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first two meetings.

(4) Miami Heat vs. (5) New Orleans Hornets

  • In Game 1, Dwyane Wade hits the game winner with 1.3 seconds left.
  • This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.

    (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (4) Miami Heat

    This was the first playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Heat.

    (3) Detroit Pistons vs. (2) New Jersey Nets

  • In Game 5, Chauncey Billups hits a half court buzzer beater to send the game to OT. 12 years later, Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors would do the same in Game 1 against the Miami Heat in their second round matchup.
  • This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

    Conference Finals: (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (3) Detroit Pistons

    This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first meeting.

    Western Conference

    Champion: Los Angeles Lakers

    (1) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (8) Denver Nuggets

    This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves.

    (2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Houston Rockets

    This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning three series apiece.

    (3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Memphis Grizzlies

    This was the first playoff meeting between the Grizzlies and the Spurs.

    (4) Sacramento Kings vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks

    This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

    (1) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (4) Sacramento Kings

    This was the first playoff meeting between the Timberwolves and the Kings.

    (3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers

    This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first nine meetings.

    Conference Finals: (1) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers

    This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.

    NBA Finals: (W2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E3) Detroit Pistons

  • Game 4 is Karl Malone's final NBA game.
  • This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning nine of the first 11 meetings.

    References

    2004 NBA Playoffs Wikipedia