The 1994 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Hakeem Olajuwon was named NBA Finals MVP.
This was also the first time that the Boston Celtics (since 1979) and Los Angeles Lakers (since 1976) missed the playoffs. It was their first absence from the playoffs since the playoff field expanded to 16 teams in 1984. It was also the first time that both missed the playoffs in the same year. This would not occur again until 2014. It also marked the first time both of the two Los Angeles-based NBA teams, the Lakers and Clippers (who arrived in L.A. in 1984), missed the playoffs together. Had either team made the postseason, it would have been likely that a home playoff game would have been moved to the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas due to the death of Richard Nixon, which occurred on April 22, 1994.
The biggest upset came in the first round, when the Denver Nuggets came back from a 2–0 deficit to beat the Seattle SuperSonics in five games, marking the first time in NBA history that an eighth seed had defeated a #1 seed. Denver stretched their improbable playoff run with the Utah Jazz to seven games after being down 3–0, but Utah defeated them in Game 7 91–81.
The playoffs also featured the first playoff series victory for the Indiana Pacers in their 18-year NBA existence, as they swept the Orlando Magic (who were making their first playoff appearance in franchise history) in the first round, then eliminated the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks 4–2 in the second round. The Pacers advanced within one game of the NBA Finals, but lost Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Knicks.
This was the first time since the ABA–NBA merger prior to the 1976–77 season that all former ABA teams (Pacers, Nuggets, Spurs, and Nets) made the playoffs in the same year.
The Chicago Bulls, who made the playoffs despite the retirement of Michael Jordan, swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, but then lost in seven games to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This was also the fourth consecutive season the Bulls and Knicks met in the NBA playoffs with the Bulls winning all three prior series. They would meet again in the 1996 NBA Playoffs with the Bulls winning in five games.
The Knicks made history by playing a record 25 playoff games (one short of the maximum), the most postseason games an NBA team has played. The 2004–05 Detroit Pistons tied this record by playing 25 games, though their run ended with a seven-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. The mark was later surpassed by the 2007–08 Celtics, who played a record 26 games en route to winning the NBA Finals. The Knicks' easiest series was the first-round 3–1 win over the Nets. New York then forced three consecutive game sevens, eliminating the Bulls 4–3 in the Conference Semifinals, knocking off the Pacers 4–3 in the conference finals, both times at Madison Square Garden, before losing in game seven to the Rockets at The Summit in the NBA Finals. Game four of the NBA Finals took place at the Garden a day after the New York Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years in game seven of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Knicks coach Pat Riley made history by becoming the first (and to this date, the only) person in NBA history to have coached a game seven in the NBA Finals for two teams, having been with the Lakers in and .
In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors made their last playoff appearance until 2007. Game 3 of the Suns–Warriors series would be the last playoff game to take place inside the original bowl of the Oakland Coliseum Arena; the building was heavily renovated with increased seating capacity throughout the 1996–97 season, during which the Warriors moved to San Jose Arena, home of the NHL's San Jose Sharks. The arena was reopened the following season.
Game 3 of the Bulls-Cavaliers series was the last game played at the Richfield Coliseum.
Game 6 of the Bulls-Knicks series was the last game played at Chicago Stadium.
Game 5 of the Nuggets-Sonics series was the last to be played at Seattle Center Coliseum before its first renovation and eventual rechristening as KeyArena in 1995. During the renovations, the Sonics played the intervening 1994–95 NBA season at Tacoma Dome in nearby Tacoma, Washington; the arena had also been used intermittently by them during the early 1990s. After the SuperSonics relocated to and rebranded as the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, the building (which is still being used by the Sonics' former WNBA sister team Seattle Storm) later received a second renovation project to accommodate the NHL's Seattle Kraken. This third iteration of the Coliseum became Climate Pledge Arena and was reopened in 2021.
During Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals, NFL Hall of Famer O. J. Simpson began a slow speed freeway chase with the Los Angeles Police Department while being sought for arrest in connection with the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The chase attracted intense media coverage, and most NBC affiliates split the coverage of the game with the chase. At the time, Simpson was an NFL analyst on NBC.
This would be last time when neither conference's number one seed reached the conference finals until 2021.
Clock incident The clock incident happened in the last moments of game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Rockets and Jazz. Tom Chambers inbounded the ball to Jeff Hornacek with 13.5 seconds left and Utah down 2. As play resumed, the Jazz timekeeper did not start the clock as they were trying to look for an open shot. After 8 seconds, the clock finally started as Chambers got the ball down low but Utah did not take advantage of the extra time they were given, and after Chambers attempted a shot and missed, there was a mad scramble for the ball. It ended up in Robert Horry's hands, who passed it to Kenny Smith; Houston ran out the clock to win 80–78.
Bracket
First round
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) Miami Heat
+Regular-season seriesAtlanta won 3–1 in the regular-season series
This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Heat.
(2) New York Knicks vs. (7) New Jersey Nets
+Regular-season seriesNew Jersey won 4–1 in the regular-season series
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesNew York leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
(3) Chicago Bulls vs. (6) Cleveland Cavaliers
Final Cavaliers game at Richfield Coliseum.
+Regular-season seriesCleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first four meetings. +Previous playoff seriesChicago leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Indiana Pacers
Byron Scott hits the game-winning 3 with 2 seconds left.
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series
This was the first playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Magic.
Western Conference first round
(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
Denver becomes the first 8th seed to beat the 1st seed in playoff history.
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece. +Previous playoff seriesTied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Portland Trail Blazers
Hakeem's big block on Rod Strickland's layup.
+Regular-season seriesHouston won 4–0 in the regular-season series
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesHouston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
+Regular-season seriesPhoenix won 3–2 in the regular-season series
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first two meetings. +Previous playoff seriesPhoenix leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
(4) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Utah Jazz
+Regular-season seriesUtah won 5–0 in the regular-season series
This was the first playoff meeting between the Spurs and the Jazz.
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Indiana Pacers
+Regular-season seriesAtlanta won 3–2 in the regular-season series
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesAtlanta leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
(2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Chicago Bulls
This game saw a bench clearing brawl between Derek Harper and Jo Jo English that rolled into the stands, and took place immediately in front of then NBA Commissioner David Stern. Toni Kukoč hits the game-winner at the buzzer.
Hue Hollins called a "phantom foul" with 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when the Knicks' Hubert Davis attempted a 2-point shot which was contested by the Bulls' Scottie Pippen. Davis successfully made both free throw attempts to assist in the Knicks' 87–86 victory. Chicago head coach Phil Jackson, upset over the outcome of the game, was fined US$10,000 for comparing the loss to the gold medal game controversy at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Scottie Pippen's famous dunk on Patrick Ewing; final Bulls game at Chicago Stadium.
+Regular-season seriesNew York won 3–1 in the regular-season series
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first five meetings. +Previous playoff seriesChicago leads 5–0 in all-time playoff series
Western Conference semifinals
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (3) Phoenix Suns
Kevin Johnson's famous dunk on Hakeem Olajuwon.
The Rockets become the second team to win a best-of-seven playoff series after losing the first 2 games at home.
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Suns.
(5) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
Karl Malone hits the game-tying shot with 9.2 seconds left.
Reggie Williams hits the game-winner with 1.9 seconds left.
Denver became the first team since the 1951 New York Knicks to force a Game 7 after being down 0–3.
+Regular-season seriesUtah won 4–1 in the regular-season series
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece. +Previous playoff seriesTied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(2) New York Knicks vs. (5) Indiana Pacers
Reggie Miller's 25-point 4th quarter performance.
Patrick Ewing's clutch dunk with 26.9 seconds left.
+Regular-season seriesNew York won 4–0 in the regular-season series
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesNew York leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
Western Conference finals
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz
+Regular-season seriesTied 3–3 in the regular-season series
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesUtah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
NBA Finals (W2) Houston Rockets vs. (E2) New York Knicks
Sam Cassell hits the game-winning 3 with 32.6 seconds left.
Hakeem Olajuwon blocks John Starks' title-winning 3-point attempt.
+Regular-season seriesHouston won 2–0 in the regular-season series
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesHouston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
Statistical leaders