1997 NBA Playoffs

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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 and marked the second time in as many years that the top two seeds in the East and West met for the championship.

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 2006, 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 2006, 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 in 2005; the Clippers in 2006.

[edit] Bracket

	First round					Conf. Semifinals					Conf. Finals					NBA Finals
	1	Utah	3
	8	L.A. Clippers	0
						1	Utah	4
						4	L.A. Lakers	1
	4	L.A. Lakers	3
	5	Portland	1
											1	Utah	4
	Western Conference
										3	Houston	2
	3	Houston	3
	6	Minnesota	0
						3	Houston	4
						2	Seattle	3
	2	Seattle	3
	7	Phoenix	2
																W1	Utah	2
															E1	Chicago	4
	1	Chicago	3
	8	Washington	0
						1	Chicago	4
						4	Atlanta	1
	4	Atlanta	3
	5	Detroit	2
											1	Chicago	4
	Eastern Conference
										2	Miami	1
	3	New York	3
	6	Charlotte	0
						3	New York	3
						2	Miami	4
	2	Miami	3
	7	Orlando	2

[edit] Notes

• For the first time since the 1992 postseason, a #5 seed beat their #4 seeded opponent in the first round.

[edit] External links

• Basketball-Reference.com's 1997 Playoffs section