2023-04-22 08:51:00
With a win in Memphis, the Los Angeles Lakers secured home advantage as the 7-seed and can go 2-1 on the night. There were only a handful of upsets from 7-Seeds anyway, the last time in 2010 with Dirk Nowitzki in the victim role.
In 1984, the NBA playoffs were expanded from 12 to 16 teams – so the 7 seeds have been around for almost 40 years. All too often, however, the underdogs in such a series have not prevailed once morest the respective 2-seed.
A year ago it looked like this: The Minnesota Timberwolves won Game 1 in the west once morest the Memphis Grizzlies, following four games the series was 2-2. In an extremely tight game 5 but then the Grizzlies prevailed with 111:109 and ended up winning the series 4-2.
This left the 7-Seed with just five surprises. SPOX shows them.
1986/87: Seattle SuperSonics vs. Dallas Mavericks 3-1
At that time it was still a best-of-5 series in which the SuperSonics were clear outsiders following a regular season with a negative balance (39-43) – all five games in the regular season went to Dallas (55-27). That seemed to hold true in Game 1, as the Mavs easily won 151-129. Nine players scored double digits for Dallas.
Led by Dale Ellis (32 points), Seattle then won a close game 2 in the Reunion Arena with 112:110. In game 3, Ellis really turned it up with 43 points – and game 4 finally turned into a blowout: After the 124:98, the SuperSonics were the first 7-seed to knock out a 2-seed.
By the way, a certain Detlef Schrempf came off the bench for the Mavs (7.8 points on average in the series). In 1993 “Det the Threat” went to the SuperSonics itself.
1988/89: Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz 3-0
Sweep! The Jazz (51-31) were in their sixth consecutive postseason with superstar duo John Stockton and Karl Malone and Defensive Player of the Year Mark Eaton but had only made it out of the first round twice before. But the Warriors (43-39) had a lot of firepower.
Golden States Guards made short work of the Jazz: Chris Mullin (41 points) and Mitch Ritchmond (30) shone in a tight Game 1 (123:119), a brutal Karl Malone (37 and 22) was not enough for Utah in Game 2. In game 3 it was once more Mullin (35) and Ritchmond (26) – the dubs won 120:106.
Incidentally, the Jazz playoff series lasted until the 2002/03 season! They reached the finals twice (1997 and 1998), twice Michael Jordan was too strong.
1990/91: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs 3-1
The Warriors once more, this time with “Run TMC”: The legendary trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Ritchmond and Rich Mullin played their second season together and were incredibly popular with their run-and-gun style: no other trio in the league scored better than the troupe (72.5 points total) that got its name from “Run-DMC”.
The Warriors (44-38) lost Game 1 to the Spurs (55-27) led by David Robinson 121-130, but then improved defensively and kept the Spurs under 100 twice in the following three games. In the next round, however, it was the end of the line once morest the Lakers (1-4).
Unfortunately, that was it with “Run TMC”: In November 1991, the Warriors traded Richmond to the Sacramento Kings for rookie Billy Owens. Coach Don Nelson felt “under pressure to put together a bigger team.” He later said, “I would never do that trade once more.”
1997/98: New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat 3-2
The only streak on this list to go the full distance: The Heat (55-27) at times led 2-1 once morest the Knicks (43-39), but led by Allan Houston and Larry Johnson (18 points each) managed to equalize in Madison Square Garden (90:85).
Game 4 was made famous by Johnson and Heat star Alonzo Mourning lashing out at each other in the closing seconds, each unleashing wild swingers. Thankfully, neither really landed before teammates intervened – and Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy desperately clutched Mourning’s leg to stop him.
Both brawlers were suspended for two games, Houston then led the Knicks to victory in Game 5 with 30 points (98:81).
2009/10: San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks 4-2
A year later, the Mavericks would win the longed-for title. In 2010 there was still a bitter defeat once morest the Texan arch-rival. Dallas (55-27) might have preferred to play the Trail Blazers or Thunder, who shared the same 50-32 record as the Spurs, but the tiebreakers led to this duel.
On the other hand: Dirk Nowitzki had won the last two series once morest Tim Duncan and Co. The German then put up 36 points in the Game 1 win, but the Mavs didn’t have much to report offensively in the next three games. Not once did they score more than 90 points, all were lost. Caron Butler led Dallas by 35 points to blowout success in Game 5, but in Game 6 the Mavs once more had a meager 87 points.
Playoff Upsets: Only the SuperSonics won another series
We summarize: So far, five teams have been able to survive as a 7-seed once morest the favorite. However, four of those teams lost in the next round – the Spurs even suffered a sweep from the Phoenix Suns in 2010.
Only the SuperSonics were able to maintain their momentum in 1987, but they also had a good opponent in 6-Seed Houston. In the end it was 4-2. In the conference finals once morest the overwhelming Lakers, however, nothing grew (0-4).
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