Thursday 4/20-
9PM EST:
1989- Cavs at Bulls: game 4
A decent but not great game, shown only to remind people in cleveland that the Cavs HAVE won playoff games vs chicago in the past....
Jordan drops 50+, Cavs still win, delaying their heartbreak one game.
11PM EST:
1987- Pistons at Celtics: game 5
Larry Bird's "steal" game. Never did quite get over this one, although it's not the most painful game I ever watched, if only because I was too young to put my fist through the TV.
Still, it was a really great game between an older team of hall of famers vs a young, deep and talented bunch of upstarts. The intensity in this game is very visible every second. They dont make em like this anymore.... Side note: This was my first pistons game.
Friday 4/21-
1am EST:
1986- Rockets at Lakers: game 5
GREAT game. The only game that has ever actually made me feel sorry for Laker fans.
Hakeem Olajuwon gets ejected mid-game for throwing a couple haymakers, and Ralph Sampson hits the most fluky buzzer-beater in NBA history. You gotta see it to believe it. Rockets win the series 4-1, and go on to the finals.
3am EST:
1993- Bulls at Knicks: game 2
Rim, set your VCR:
The infamous "starks dunks on the entire chicago team" game. Overlooked is that this game was really one of Ewing's finest moments. He absolutely plows over Chicago's whole frontline, keeping it close till the 4th quarter, and then Starks pulls off a ridicuous dunk on Jordan, Pippen, Grant, heck I think he even gave a stare to Jonny Kerr on his way back downcourt...
4am EST:
1986- Bullets at Sixers: game 1
funniest....playoff game...ever...
The Sixers were just crushing the Bullets all game. It wasn't even close. A young Barkley and Erving were tag-teaming them do death until the 4th quarter. This was a SEVENTEEN-POINT GAME with just over 3 minutes left, and all of a sudden, Manute Bol into Bill Russel, the Sixers don't score another point, and Washington runs off an 18-0 run to win at the buzzer in the 2nd most ridiculous game-winner I've ever seen in the playoffs.
7am EST:
1989-Sonics at Rockets, game 4
A sad final act in the downfall of the 80's rockets, who were dubbed "the team of the future." Oh well, you can't feel THAT sorry for them, can you? Great game throughout, until the final quarter, when houston absolutely collapses in the last minute, and allows a layup with 1 second left, off an inbounds play.
9am EST:
1990: Suns at Jazz, game 5
Kevin Johnson vs John Stockton. Awesome PG duel. Tom Chambers, Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, a young Dan Majerle, and the shawn Bradley of the 80's, Mark Eaton. Suns win the deciding 5th game by 2 points.
11am EST:
1991: Pacers at Celtics, game 5
Ah, the Pacers of the fun n gun days of Bo Hill and Chuck person....it really is striking to watch this game, and how little defense is being played. One of Bird's defining moments. Comes back after halftime with a concussion, and light the Pacers up in the 4th. Celtics win, 124-121.
I'd tell Jay to set his VCR, but Im pretty sure he already has it on tape....
1pm EST:
1992: Bulls at Heat, game 3
This is actually a fun game to watch, depite the fact it's very obvious that the Bulls are just toying with Steve Smith, Glen Rice and co. Jordan tunes Miami up for 52, Bulls edge the heat late in the game to sweep the series in 3.
3pm EST:
1993: Celtics at Hornets, game 4
Far be it for me to say this is a chance to see Alonzo Mourning in celebration. He does that after tying his shoelaces correctly.
What this game does GIVE you is a chance to see a matchup of two classic centers: Mourning and Robert Parish. They didnt play each other very often, and this is truly a study in a changing of the guard. The young hornets manage to choke away a 17-point 4th quarter lead, but Zo bails them out with a jumper at the buzzer to win the game.
What nobody every talks about is this: Boston's last attempt was clearly goaltended. No call. Also the last game of Kevin McHale's career. You can see the pain on his face at the end.
5pm EST:
1994- Suns at Warriors: game 3
Charles Barkley at his BEST. 23 of 31 from the floor, 56 points. Fun and gun dont get any funner than this game. Hardaway, KJ, Barkley, rookie of the year Chris Webber, Sprewell, Majerle, Mullin, I'm losing count of all the gunners in this game.
Suns win, 140-133. Not a great game per se, but WOW was it fun to watch.... Barkly morphs into jordan for a night.
7pm EST:
1997- Wizards at Bulls: game 2
Another game with CWebb and Juwan Howard in their primes. Of course, Jordan out-duels them with one of his "how did he do that?" games. Jordan throws up some ridiculous shots, Bulls come from behind to win behind Jordan's 51.
9pm EST:
1998- Nets at Bulls: game 2
This was probably the toughest 1st round opponent in the Jordan era of dominance. The Nets actually had a very good young team: Kittles, Cassell, Van Horn, Kendall Gill, Lucious Harris, etc. It really looked like they were going to take this game, until Jordan willed the Bulls to victory again, by picking the ball from kittles in OT and getting an and-1 dunk to put them away.
11PM EST:
1994- Buggets at Sonics: game 5
If you only see one game, see this one.
NCAA-type upsets happen in the NBA playoffs about as often as a blue moon. The #8 seed Nuggets at 42-40 pulled off the biggest upset in NBA playoff history, defeating the 63-19 Sonics, the league's top seed, in overtime. The sight of the Nuggets players in pure jubilation at the end is very much like what you'd see in march. Mt. Mutombo at his peak.
Saturday 4/22
1am EST:
1983: Lakers at Spurs
Watch if for no other reason than a rare Gervin vs Magic duel. I say this because there's really no other reason.
3am EST:
1987- Rockets at Sonics: game 5
Akeem Olajuwon's greatest game. I say this because he was playing Seattle's deep arsenal of great scorers 1 on 5. Akeem literally scored on triple-teams all afternoon to the tune od 49 points. Didn't matter, as Ellis, Chambers, McMillan and McDaniel all put on fantastic performances and Seattle took the series in double-OT, 128-125. How short handed was Hosuton in this game? They went to OLAJUWON for the last 3-point attempt.
5am EST:
2001- Dallas at Utah: game 5
Another "changing of the guard" game. Utah had been in the playoffs for 18 straight seasons and had reached 2 finals. Dallas hadn't even made the playoffs in 13 seasons. A young trio of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley lead a 17-point 4th quarter comeback as the Mavs shock the Jazz at the buzzer, 84-83.
7am EST:
2003: Suns at Spurs
Stephon Marbury a hero. A 19-year old Amare Stoudemire hitting clutch threes. DUncan shriveling in the clutch. How many things can you see in this game that you cant see anywhere else? Suns win at the buzzer in OT on a crazy shot by mr. clutch, 96-95.
9am EST:
2003: TWolves at Lakers
I satnd by that this was the worst-officiated game in NBA history. BOth teams got the shaft in this game, though Minnesota got it a little worse. KG hung 33 and 14 on the Lakers as Minnesota won in OT, 114-110.
9PM EST:
1989- Cavs at Bulls: game 4
A decent but not great game, shown only to remind people in cleveland that the Cavs HAVE won playoff games vs chicago in the past....
Jordan drops 50+, Cavs still win, delaying their heartbreak one game.
11PM EST:
1987- Pistons at Celtics: game 5
Larry Bird's "steal" game. Never did quite get over this one, although it's not the most painful game I ever watched, if only because I was too young to put my fist through the TV.
Still, it was a really great game between an older team of hall of famers vs a young, deep and talented bunch of upstarts. The intensity in this game is very visible every second. They dont make em like this anymore.... Side note: This was my first pistons game.
Friday 4/21-
1am EST:
1986- Rockets at Lakers: game 5
GREAT game. The only game that has ever actually made me feel sorry for Laker fans.
Hakeem Olajuwon gets ejected mid-game for throwing a couple haymakers, and Ralph Sampson hits the most fluky buzzer-beater in NBA history. You gotta see it to believe it. Rockets win the series 4-1, and go on to the finals.
3am EST:
1993- Bulls at Knicks: game 2
Rim, set your VCR:
The infamous "starks dunks on the entire chicago team" game. Overlooked is that this game was really one of Ewing's finest moments. He absolutely plows over Chicago's whole frontline, keeping it close till the 4th quarter, and then Starks pulls off a ridicuous dunk on Jordan, Pippen, Grant, heck I think he even gave a stare to Jonny Kerr on his way back downcourt...
4am EST:
1986- Bullets at Sixers: game 1
funniest....playoff game...ever...
The Sixers were just crushing the Bullets all game. It wasn't even close. A young Barkley and Erving were tag-teaming them do death until the 4th quarter. This was a SEVENTEEN-POINT GAME with just over 3 minutes left, and all of a sudden, Manute Bol into Bill Russel, the Sixers don't score another point, and Washington runs off an 18-0 run to win at the buzzer in the 2nd most ridiculous game-winner I've ever seen in the playoffs.
7am EST:
1989-Sonics at Rockets, game 4
A sad final act in the downfall of the 80's rockets, who were dubbed "the team of the future." Oh well, you can't feel THAT sorry for them, can you? Great game throughout, until the final quarter, when houston absolutely collapses in the last minute, and allows a layup with 1 second left, off an inbounds play.
9am EST:
1990: Suns at Jazz, game 5
Kevin Johnson vs John Stockton. Awesome PG duel. Tom Chambers, Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, a young Dan Majerle, and the shawn Bradley of the 80's, Mark Eaton. Suns win the deciding 5th game by 2 points.
11am EST:
1991: Pacers at Celtics, game 5
Ah, the Pacers of the fun n gun days of Bo Hill and Chuck person....it really is striking to watch this game, and how little defense is being played. One of Bird's defining moments. Comes back after halftime with a concussion, and light the Pacers up in the 4th. Celtics win, 124-121.
I'd tell Jay to set his VCR, but Im pretty sure he already has it on tape....
1pm EST:
1992: Bulls at Heat, game 3
This is actually a fun game to watch, depite the fact it's very obvious that the Bulls are just toying with Steve Smith, Glen Rice and co. Jordan tunes Miami up for 52, Bulls edge the heat late in the game to sweep the series in 3.
3pm EST:
1993: Celtics at Hornets, game 4
Far be it for me to say this is a chance to see Alonzo Mourning in celebration. He does that after tying his shoelaces correctly.
What this game does GIVE you is a chance to see a matchup of two classic centers: Mourning and Robert Parish. They didnt play each other very often, and this is truly a study in a changing of the guard. The young hornets manage to choke away a 17-point 4th quarter lead, but Zo bails them out with a jumper at the buzzer to win the game.
What nobody every talks about is this: Boston's last attempt was clearly goaltended. No call. Also the last game of Kevin McHale's career. You can see the pain on his face at the end.
5pm EST:
1994- Suns at Warriors: game 3
Charles Barkley at his BEST. 23 of 31 from the floor, 56 points. Fun and gun dont get any funner than this game. Hardaway, KJ, Barkley, rookie of the year Chris Webber, Sprewell, Majerle, Mullin, I'm losing count of all the gunners in this game.
Suns win, 140-133. Not a great game per se, but WOW was it fun to watch.... Barkly morphs into jordan for a night.
7pm EST:
1997- Wizards at Bulls: game 2
Another game with CWebb and Juwan Howard in their primes. Of course, Jordan out-duels them with one of his "how did he do that?" games. Jordan throws up some ridiculous shots, Bulls come from behind to win behind Jordan's 51.
9pm EST:
1998- Nets at Bulls: game 2
This was probably the toughest 1st round opponent in the Jordan era of dominance. The Nets actually had a very good young team: Kittles, Cassell, Van Horn, Kendall Gill, Lucious Harris, etc. It really looked like they were going to take this game, until Jordan willed the Bulls to victory again, by picking the ball from kittles in OT and getting an and-1 dunk to put them away.
11PM EST:
1994- Buggets at Sonics: game 5
If you only see one game, see this one.
NCAA-type upsets happen in the NBA playoffs about as often as a blue moon. The #8 seed Nuggets at 42-40 pulled off the biggest upset in NBA playoff history, defeating the 63-19 Sonics, the league's top seed, in overtime. The sight of the Nuggets players in pure jubilation at the end is very much like what you'd see in march. Mt. Mutombo at his peak.
Saturday 4/22
1am EST:
1983: Lakers at Spurs
Watch if for no other reason than a rare Gervin vs Magic duel. I say this because there's really no other reason.
3am EST:
1987- Rockets at Sonics: game 5
Akeem Olajuwon's greatest game. I say this because he was playing Seattle's deep arsenal of great scorers 1 on 5. Akeem literally scored on triple-teams all afternoon to the tune od 49 points. Didn't matter, as Ellis, Chambers, McMillan and McDaniel all put on fantastic performances and Seattle took the series in double-OT, 128-125. How short handed was Hosuton in this game? They went to OLAJUWON for the last 3-point attempt.
5am EST:
2001- Dallas at Utah: game 5
Another "changing of the guard" game. Utah had been in the playoffs for 18 straight seasons and had reached 2 finals. Dallas hadn't even made the playoffs in 13 seasons. A young trio of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley lead a 17-point 4th quarter comeback as the Mavs shock the Jazz at the buzzer, 84-83.
7am EST:
2003: Suns at Spurs
Stephon Marbury a hero. A 19-year old Amare Stoudemire hitting clutch threes. DUncan shriveling in the clutch. How many things can you see in this game that you cant see anywhere else? Suns win at the buzzer in OT on a crazy shot by mr. clutch, 96-95.
9am EST:
2003: TWolves at Lakers
I satnd by that this was the worst-officiated game in NBA history. BOth teams got the shaft in this game, though Minnesota got it a little worse. KG hung 33 and 14 on the Lakers as Minnesota won in OT, 114-110.
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