1989–90 Detroit Pistons season

The 1989–90 Detroit Pistons season was the 42nd season for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association, and their 33rd season in Detroit, Michigan.^[1] The Pistons entered the regular season as the defending NBA champions, after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-game sweep in the 1989 NBA Finals, winning their first ever NBA championship. This team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history.

As the defending champions, the Pistons got off to a 13–10 start to the regular season, but then won ten of their next eleven games, and later on held a 35–14 record at the All-Star break.^[2] The team posted a 13-game winning streak between January and February,^[3] and then posted a 12-game winning streak between February and March.^[4][5] The Pistons finished in first place in the Central Division with a 59–23 record, and earned the first seed in the Eastern Conference.^[6]

Isiah Thomas averaged 18.4 points, 9.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game, while Joe Dumars averaged 17.8 points and 4.9 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and James Edwards provided the team with 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. In addition, Mark Aguirre contributed 14.1 points per game, while Bill Laimbeer provided with 12.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, and Vinnie Johnson contributed 9.8 points and 3.1 assists per game. Meanwhile, Dennis Rodman averaged 8.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year,^[7][8][9] and John Salley provided with 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.^[10]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida, Thomas, Dumars and Rodman were all selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while head coach Chuck Daly was selected to coach the Eastern Conference; it was the first ever All-Star appearance for both Dumars and Rodman.^[11][12][13] Dumars and Rodman were also both named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team; Thomas and Dumars both finished tied in 13th place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[14] while Dumars also finished tied in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[14] and Daly finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[15][14]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1990 NBA playoffs, the Pistons faced off against the 8th–seeded Indiana Pacers, a team that featured All-Star guard Reggie Miller, Chuck Person, and sixth man Detlef Schrempf. The Pistons won the first two games over the Pacers at home at The Palace of Auburn Hills, before winning Game 3 on the road, 108–96 at the Market Square Arena to win the series in a three-game sweep.^[16][17][18]

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 5th–seeded New York Knicks, a team that featured All-Star center Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and Maurice Cheeks. The Pistons took a 2–0 series lead before losing Game 3 to the Knicks on the road, 111–103 at Madison Square Garden. The Pistons managed to win the next two games, which included a Game 5 win over the Knicks at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 95–84 to win the series in five games.^[19][20][21]

In the Eastern Conference Finals, and for the third consecutive year, the Pistons faced off against the 3rd–seeded Chicago Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant. The Pistons won the first two games over the Bulls at The Palace of Auburn Hills, before losing the next two games on the road at the Chicago Stadium, as the Bulls evened the series. After winning Game 5 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 97–83, the Pistons lost Game 6 to the Bulls at the Chicago Stadium, 109–91. With the series tied at 3–3, the Pistons won Game 7 over the Bulls at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 93–74 to win in a hard-fought seven-game series, and advance to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.^[22][23][24]

In the 1990 NBA Finals, the Pistons faced off against the 3rd–seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, and All-Star center Kevin Duckworth. The Pistons won Game 1 over the Trail Blazers at home, 105–99 at The Palace of Auburn Hills,^[25][26][27] but then lost Game 2 at home in overtime, 106–105 as the Trail Blazers evened the series.^[28][29][30] The Pistons managed to win the next three games on the road, including a Game 5 win over the Trail Blazers at the Memorial Coliseum, 92–90 to win the series in five games, and win their second consecutive NBA championship, as Thomas was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.^[31][32][33]

The Pistons finished third in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 879,705 at The Palace of Auburn Hills during the regular season.^[10][34] The Pistons would not reach the NBA Finals again until 2004, in which they won the Finals in five games against their heavily favored rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers to win their third NBA championship.^[35]