Series Summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tuesday, June 5 | Detroit Pistons | 105-99 (1-0) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Game 2 | Thursday, June 7 | Detroit Pistons | 105-106 OT (1-1) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Game 3 | Sunday, June 10 | Portland Trail Blazers | 106-121 (1-2) | Detroit Pistons |
| Game 4 | Tuesday, June 12 | Portland Trail Blazers | 109-112 (1-3) | Detroit Pistons |
| Game 5 | Thursday, June 14 | Portland Trail Blazers | 90-92 (1-4) | Detroit Pistons |
The Pistons became the first team in Finals history to win Games 3 through 5 in the 2-3-2 series format which has been used since 1985.
"America the Beautiful" was sung by a then-unknown Mariah Carey, who would release her self-titled debut album on the day of Game 4. In response to Carey's performance, CBS Sports anchor Pat O'Brien quipped "The Palace now has a queen!"
The key moment in Game 5 of the Finals was Vinnie Johnson's series-clinching shot in the final seconds. On June 14, 1990, Johnson landed a 14-footer in the last second, beating Portland 92-90 in Game 5 of the Finals, thus giving Detroit the World Championship.
Bill Laimbeer broke the NBA record for most three pointers made in a Finals game with 6 in the Game 2 loss. Michael Jordan would later tie that in the 1992 NBA Finals, and Dan Majerle would also tie that in the 1993 NBA Finals. Later in the 1990s, Kenny Smith would break that record by connecting on 7 three-pointers. Scottie Pippen would tie Smith's record, as would Ray Allen, in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals. The record would then be broken by Ray Allen who hit 8 three-pointers in Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals.
This was the last Finals appearance for Earl Strom, a highly regarded referee, whose career spanned thirty-two years in professional basketball.
This would be the last series to be played on a Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday rotation until the 2004 series. From 1991-2003, the series were primarily on Wednesday-Friday-Sunday.
Read more about this topic: 1990 NBA Finals
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