Aftermath
The two teams met again in the 1989 NBA Finals. Heading into the rematch, the Pistons took the league's best record with 63 wins; the Lakers not far behind with 57 wins. However, the Lakers appear well-rested after sweeping the first three playoff rounds against the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns, setting a playoff record 11-0 through the first three rounds, an accomplishment the Lakers would also achieve in 2001. The Pistons on the other hand won the first seven games of the playoffs, but were pushed by the Chicago Bulls in the conference finals before winning in six games.
The Lakers' chances for a third straight championship took a severe blow when Byron Scott and later Magic Johnson fell prey to hamstring injuries. Without its starting backcourt, the Lakers were no match for the younger Pistons and were swept in four games, ending Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 20-year career.
The Pistons' Finals appearance marked the first time since the American League baseball team Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series that a major professional sports team from Detroit competed for a championship. The Pistons' appearance started a run of at least one Detroit sports team competing for a championship six times within ten years, starting with the Pistons from 1988–90 and ending with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League competing in the 1995, 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup Finals, in both cases winning the final two appearances. The Lakers' championship triumph was followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers of baseball's National League winning the 1988 World Series.
Read more about this topic: 1988 NBA Finals
Famous quotes containing the word aftermath:
“The aftermath of joy is not usually more joy.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)