1997 NBA Playoffs

The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996-1997 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their fifth NBA championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four games to two.

This was the first Western Conference championship for the Jazz in their 22-year history.

The Miami Heat's run to the Eastern Conference Finals marked the farthest the franchise had gotten in the playoffs up to that point; they would not return to the East Finals until 2005, but would win the NBA Championship in 2006.

The Minnesota Timberwolves made their playoff debut after failing to win more than 30 games in any of their first seven seasons. Unfortunately for them, it was also the first of seven consecutive seasons in which they would make the playoffs only to lose in the opening round.

This was the first (and as of 2008, only) instance since the ABA merger in 1976-77 that "none" of the four former ABA teams (San Antonio, Denver, Indiana, New Jersey) managed to make the playoffs, even more remarkable considering the rarity with which the Spurs have missed the playoffs at "all" (as of 2008, only four times since the merger).

Ironically, it was also the first season in which "all" four of the 1988 and 1989 expansion teams (Minnesota, Miami, Orlando and Charlotte) made the playoffs. This would happen again in 2001.

The two #8 seeds in this tournament (the Washington Bullets and Los Angeles Clippers) broke long playoff droughts with their appearances in the 1997 playoffs. (The Bullets' last playoff appearance had been in 1988; the Clippers', in 1993). Unfortunately for both teams, it would be a long time before either would appear in the playoffs again; the renamed Wizards made their return in 2005; the Clippers in 2006.

Bracket

16TeamBracket

RD1=First Round
RD2=Conference Semifinals
RD3=Conference Finals
RD4=NBA Finals
group1=Western Conference
group2=Eastern Conference

RD1-seed01=1
RD1-team01=Utah
RD1-score01=3
RD1-seed02=8
RD1-team02=L.A. Clippers
RD1-score02=0

RD1-seed03=4
RD1-team03=L.A. Lakers
RD1-score03=3
RD1-seed04=5
RD1-team04=Portland
RD1-score04=1

RD1-seed05=3
RD1-team05=Houston
RD1-score05=3
RD1-seed06=6
RD1-team06=Minnesota
RD1-score06=0

RD1-seed07=2
RD1-team07=Seattle
RD1-score07=3
RD1-seed08=7
RD1-team08=Phoenix
RD1-score08=2

RD1-seed09=1
RD1-team09=Chicago
RD1-score09=3
RD1-seed10=8
RD1-team10=Washington
RD1-score10=0

RD1-seed11=4
RD1-team11=Atlanta
RD1-score11=3
RD1-seed12=5
RD1-team12=Detroit
RD1-score12=2

RD1-seed13=3
RD1-team13=New York
RD1-score13=3
RD1-seed14=6
RD1-team14=Charlotte
RD1-score14=0

RD1-seed15=2
RD1-team15=Miami
RD1-score15=3
RD1-seed16=7
RD1-team16=Orlando
RD1-score16=2

RD2-seed01=1
RD2-team01=Utah
RD2-score01=4
RD2-seed02=4
RD2-team02=L.A. Lakers
RD2-score02=1

RD2-seed03=3
RD2-team03=Houston
RD2-score03=4
RD2-seed04=2
RD2-team04=Seattle
RD2-score04=3

RD2-seed05=1
RD2-team05=Chicago
RD2-score05=4
RD2-seed06=4
RD2-team06=Atlanta
RD2-score06=1

RD2-seed07=3
RD2-team07=New York
RD2-score07=3
RD2-seed08=2
RD2-team08=Miami
RD2-score08=4

RD3-seed01=1
RD3-team01=Utah
RD3-score01=4
RD3-seed02=3
RD3-team02=Houston
RD3-score02=2

RD3-seed03=1
RD3-team03=Chicago
RD3-score03=4
RD3-seed04=2
RD3-team04=Miami
RD3-score04=1

RD4-seed01=W1
RD4-team01=Utah
RD4-score01=2
RD4-seed02=E1
RD4-team02=Chicago
RD4-score02=4

Playoff qualifying

Western Conference

Best record in conference

The Utah Jazz clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:

# Utah Jazz (clinched Midwest division)
# Seattle SuperSonics (clinched Pacific division)
# Houston Rockets
# Los Angeles Lakers
# Portland Trail Blazers
# Minnesota Timberwolves
# Phoenix Suns
# Los Angeles Clippers

Eastern Conference

Best record in NBA

The Chicago Bulls clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

# Chicago Bulls (clinched Central division)
# Miami Heat (clinched Atlantic division)
# New York Knicks
# Atlanta Hawks
# Detroit Pistons
# Charlotte Hornets
# Orlando Magic
# Washington Bullets

Notes

* For the first time since the 1992 postseason, a #5 seed did not beat their #4 seeded opponent in the first round.

Western Conference

Champion: Utah Jazz

First Round

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Los Angeles Clippers

(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Conference Finals

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (3) Houston Rockets

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Orlando Magic

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) New York Knicks

External links

* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1997.html Basketball-Reference.com's 1997 Playoffs section]