1990–91 Detroit Pistons season

The 1990–91 Detroit Pistons season was the 43rd season for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association, and their 34th season in Detroit, Michigan.^[1] The Pistons entered the regular season as both the 3-time defending Eastern Conference champions, and the 2-time defending NBA champions, after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the 1990 NBA Finals, and looked to win a third consecutive title.

The Pistons posted a nine-game winning streak in November as the team finished the first month of the regular season with a 13–2 record.^[2] However, the team lost six of their next seven games in December, but posted an 11-game winning streak between December and January, and later on held a 34–15 record at the All-Star break.^[3] Despite a five-game losing streak between February and March, the Pistons finished in second place in the Central Division with a 50–32 record, eleven games behind the Chicago Bulls, and earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference.^[4]

Joe Dumars averaged 20.4 points and 5.5 assists per game, while Isiah Thomas averaged 16.2 points, 9.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game, but only played just 48 games due to a wrist injury,^[5][6][7] and sixth man Mark Aguirre provided the team with 14.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game off the bench. In addition, James Edwards contributed 13.6 points per game, while Vinnie Johnson contributed 11.7 points and 3.3 assists per game off the bench, and Bill Laimbeer provided with 11.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Dennis Rodman averaged 8.2 points, led the team with 12.5 rebounds per game, and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year,^[8][9][10] and John Salley averaged 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and led the team with 1.5 blocks per game also off the bench.^[11]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thomas and Dumars were both selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, although Thomas did not participate due to his wrist injury.^[12][13][14] Dumars was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Rodman was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Thomas finished in 13th place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Dumars finished in 15th place;^[15] Dumars also finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[15] and head coach Chuck Daly finished in seventh place in Coach of the Year voting.^[15]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1991 NBA playoffs, the Pistons faced off against the 6th–seeded Atlanta Hawks, a team that featured All-Star forward Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers and Kevin Willis. After losing Game 1 to the Hawks at home, 103–98 at The Palace of Auburn Hills,^[16][17] the Pistons won the next two games to take a 2–1 series lead, before losing Game 4 to the Hawks on the road, 123–111 at the Omni Coliseum. With the series tied at 2–2, the Pistons won Game 5 over the Hawks at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 113–81 to win in a hard-fought five-game series.^[18][19][20]

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics, who were led by the quartet of All-Star forward Larry Bird, Reggie Lewis, All-Star forward and sixth man Kevin McHale, and All-Star center Robert Parish. The Celtics took a 2–1 series lead, as the Pistons lost Game 3 at The Palace of Auburn Hills by a blowout loss, 115–83.^[21][22] However, the Pistons managed to win the next three games, including a Game 6 win over the Celtics at The Palace of Auburn Hills in overtime, 117–113 to win the series in six games.^[23][24][25]

In their fifth consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and for the fourth consecutive year, the Pistons faced off against the top–seeded, and Central Division champion Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant. However, the Pistons lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the Chicago Stadium, and then lost the next two games at home, including a Game 4 loss to the Bulls at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 115–94; the Pistons lost the series in a four-game sweep, and were unable to reach the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year.^[26][27][28] The Bulls would advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, and defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the 1991 NBA Finals, winning their first ever NBA championship.^[29][30][31]

Towards the end of the loss to the Bulls in Game 4 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, most of the Pistons' players walked off the court towards the locker room without congratulating their opponents, or shaking hands; this was seen as a sign of disrespect by the outgoing champions, and was concocted by Laimbeer in response to comments made by Jordan, about the Pistons' physical playing style being bad for basketball, calling them "undeserving champions", and that he felt the league would be happy to see the Pistons lose.^[32][33][34]

The Pistons finished second in the NBA in home-game attendance behind the Charlotte Hornets, with an attendance of 879,614 at The Palace of Auburn Hills during the regular season.^[11][35] Following the season, Edwards was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers,^[36][37] Johnson signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs,^[38] and reserve center Scott Hastings was dealt to the Denver Nuggets.