Comments on: Miami-Dallas: The Strangest Finals Rematch Ever

By: huevonkiller

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:34:48 +0000

And Jordan took 27 shots a game in that 98 series, he's going to get calls.

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By: huevonkiller

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:33:17 +0000

There are multiple exceptions.

Chicago/New York? Chicago/Cleveland, Pistons/Chicago, LA/SA, LA/Sac, LA/Portland, Utah/LA (90's), LA/Utah (2008-2010), etc. There are multiple instances within a conference.

Game 5 2002: Shaq got 1 FT and fouled out in 32 minutes. Lakers lost by 1 point, just looks like you dislike them.

If Shaq and Kobe play 44-40 minutes a game each, why shouldn't the Lakers win? They weren't as deep as Sac but they shortened their rotation. Take out some of Samaki Walker and Devean George's minutes for Shaq and Kobe.

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By: Cort

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:40:36 +0000

huevon
only a couple exceptions, and when i started writing the post in my head i meant teams who met in back to back years. the 2 exceptions i pointed out were finals with a year in between (80/82, 85/87). but i expanded it to include Finals with a year off in between because the teams were similar in makeup to the first meeting.
only time the team who won first in back to back Finals won again was chicago in 97-98 vs utah. and the refs had a lot to do with that.
i dont consider 1981 and 1986 boston v. houston a real "rematch". bird and parish returned as starters, mchale was a key rookie reserve in 1981 yet a big star by 86. other than that no celtic remained from 81 in 86. only rocket who played a key role in 81 and was still there as a starter 86 was robert reid, although he had moved from forward to guard. allen leavell was a backup guard both series. he did play a key role in 81 off the bench, but not in 86.
i do agree that the 2002 lakers/kings conf finals was the REAL finals. kings should have won. same could be said of boston/philly in 1981 ECF, although they met three years in a row in the ECF; SA/Dallas in 2003 WCF too.

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By: BSK

Tue, 31 May 2011 15:17:28 +0000

The interesting thing is that neither team (particularly the Heat) would likely be in the Finals if not for all the re-tooling. If the Heat were still trotting out Shaq, Mourning, Wade, and Haslem, I doubt they get out of the basement.

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By: Mike Goodman

Mon, 30 May 2011 18:06:24 +0000

There were just 7 players in common between the 1970 and 1972 Knicks and Lakers;
but there were 10 common players between '70 and '73 ?
Mentioned earlier, Willis Reed missed the '72 Finals but returned in '73.
For the Lakers, Keith Erickson did likewise. Also Mel Counts returned to his 1970 team.

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By: huevonkiller

Mon, 30 May 2011 11:24:31 +0000

It is better to think of the top teams facing each other, rather than Finals opponents.

I forgot the Spurs in 2001 and 2002 as well, when they kept losing to the Lakers. 1st and 3rd in SRS.

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By: huevonkiller

Mon, 30 May 2011 11:22:29 +0000

Those are A LOT of exceptions.

"Some exceptions...1982 LA over Philly after Lakers beat 76ers in 1980; 1987 LA over Boston after 85 same result. But in 87 Boston was decimated by injury and a brutal gauntlet to just reach the Finals."

And Boston in 81 and 86. You made it sound absolute until the end. Bulls, Lakers, Lakers, Celtics.

Also teams frequently lose Conference Finals to the same opponent, think of the Kings vs the Lakers. It wasn't the Finals but it was the real Finals.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAC/2001.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAC/2002.html

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By: Cort

Mon, 30 May 2011 07:15:12 +0000

also
1957 boston over st louis
1958 st. louis over boston

1960 & 61 boston over st louis

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By: Cort

Mon, 30 May 2011 03:56:18 +0000

off the top of my head, other than the 1997-98 chicago vs. utah Finals, it seems that the team who lost the first time has won the rematch since 1970...
1970 NY over LA
1972 LA over NY
1973 NY over LA

1978 Wash over Sea
1979 Sea over Wash

1982 LA over Philly
1983 Philly over LA

1984 Boston over LA
1985 LA over Boston

1988 LA over Detroit
1989 Detroit over LA

2008 Boston over LA
2010 LA over Boston

Some exceptions...1982 LA over Philly after Lakers beat 76ers in 1980; 1987 LA over Boston after 85 same result. But in 87 Boston was decimated by injury and a brutal gauntlet to just reach the Finals.

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By: Cort

Mon, 30 May 2011 03:18:42 +0000

ricardo-
good point about fitch coaching the 1986 rockets vs. the celtics after leading boston to the 81 title over houston. if i recall correctly, houston had tried to hire tom heinsohn out of the CBS broadcast booth to coach them before hiring fitch. seems like they wanted some celtic mojo. may still now with the likely hiring of mchale.

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