The 1991 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP.
The Lakers reached the Finals despite not being the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 1981, and for just the second time since drafting Magic Johnson first overall in 1979.
After the Detroit Pistons had ended their season the last three years, the Bulls got revenge in the Eastern Conference Finals by sweeping the two-time defending NBA champions. It was the first time the Bulls won a playoff series over the Pistons since 1974, when both teams were still part of the Western Conference. Game 4 ended with some of the Pistons walking off the court before time expired, refusing to shake the Bulls' hands.
This edition marked the first of four consecutive seasons the Bulls and the New York Knicks faced off in the playoffs with the Bulls sweeping the Knicks out of the first round.
The seventh seeded Golden State Warriors stunned the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, defeating them 3 games to 1. It would be Golden State's last playoff series win until 2007.
The 76ers and the Bucks met in the first round of the playoffs where the 76ers swept the series. It would be both teams last playoff appearance until 1999.
Game 4 of the Blazers–Jazz series was the last game ever played at the Salt Palace. The Jazz moved to the Delta Center the following season.
The Spectrum hosted its final NBA playoff game in Game 4 of the Bulls–76ers series. When the 76ers returned to the playoffs in 1999, they had moved to the CoreStates Center, their home since the 1996–97 season.
Game 2 of the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics was the last weekday afternoon playoff game until the 2020 NBA bubble. The game was played at 1 PM EST locally.
This was the first year that NBC aired the NBA playoffs.
Bracket
First round
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) New York Knicks
Michael Jordan's famous dunk on Patrick Ewing.
+Regular-season seriesChicago won 4–0 in the regular-season series
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first two meetings. +Previous playoff seriesChicago leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Indiana Pacers
Larry Bird came back in the middle of the third quarter despite suffering a concussion in the second and inspired the Celtics' rally.
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series
This was the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Pacers.
(3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks
+Regular-season seriesDetroit won 5–0 in the regular-season series
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning three of the first five meetings. +Previous playoff seriesAtlanta leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series
(4) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers
Jay Humphries hits three pointer at the buzzer to force OT.
Adrian Dantley and Jack Sikma's final NBA game.
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first seven meetings. +Previous playoff seriesPhiladelphia leads 4–3 in all-time playoff series This is the most recent playoff series between the 76ers & Bucks until 2001.
Western Conference first round
(1) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (8) Seattle SuperSonics
+Regular-season seriesPortland won 4–0 in the regular-season series
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning two of the first three meetings. +Previous playoff seriesSeattle leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Golden State Warriors
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series
This was the first playoff meeting between the Warriors and the Spurs.
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Houston Rockets
Byron Scott hits the clutch shot with 15 seconds left.
+Regular-season seriesLos Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning two of the first three meetings. +Previous playoff seriesHouston leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
(4) Phoenix Suns vs. (5) Utah Jazz
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 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
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers
76ers' final playoff game at the Spectrum.
+Regular-season seriesPhiladelphia won 3–1 in the regular-season series
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesChicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series This is the most recent playoff series between the Bulls & 76ers until 2012.
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Detroit Pistons
+Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first five meetings. +Previous playoff seriesBoston leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Utah Jazz
This was the last game ever played at the Salt Palace.
+Regular-season seriesPortland won 3–1 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
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Golden State Warriors
Sam Perkins hits the game-tying lay-up with 2.4 seconds left to force OT. This is the last playoff match-up between Los Angeles & Golden State until 2023.
+Regular-season seriesLos Angeles won 3–2 in the regular-season series
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first six meetings. +Previous playoff seriesLos Angeles leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series
Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (3) Detroit Pistons
In their last show of defiance, Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and Mark Aguirre of the Pistons walked off the court with 7.9 seconds left in Game 4 so as not to congratulate the Bulls. Only Joe Dumars and John Salley shook hands with any of the Bulls. The Pistons walked off the court without shaking hands with the Bulls, supposedly due to comments by Michael Jordan in a pre-game interview, where he stated that “The Pistons are undeserving champions”, and that “The Bad Boys are bad for basketball.”
+Regular-season seriesChicago won 3–2 in the regular-season series
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning three of the first four meetings. +Previous playoff seriesDetroit leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
Western Conference finals
(1) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers
+Regular-season seriesPortland won 3–2 in the regular-season series
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning three of the first four meetings. +Previous playoff seriesLos Angeles leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
NBA Finals: (E1) Chicago Bulls vs. (W3) Los Angeles Lakers
Sam Perkins hits the game-winning 3 with 14 seconds left.
Michael Jordan does "The Move".
Michael Jordan hits the game-tying shot with 3.4 seconds left to force OT.
+Regular-season seriesTied 1–1 in the regular-season series
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings. +Previous playoff seriesLos Angeles leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series
Statistical leaders Category Game high Average Player Team High Player Team Avg. Points Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 46 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 31.1 17 Rebounds Karl Malone Utah Jazz 21 Hakeem Olajuwon Houston Rockets 14.7 3 Assists Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers 21 John Stockton Utah Jazz 13.8 9 Steals Tim Hardaway Golden State Warriors 8 Tim Hardaway Golden State Warriors 3.1 9 Blocks David Robinson San Antonio Spurs 8 David Robinson San Antonio Spurs 3.8 4
References
External links Basketball-Reference's 1991 NBA Playoffs page
fi:NBA-kausi 1990–1991#Pudotuspelit