On June 14, 1990, the Detroit Pistons took down the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 to win their second-straight NBA Championship. One year and one day earlier, the Pistons swept the Los Angeles Lakers to win their first-ever NBA Championship.
During the 1989-1990 regular season, the Pistons (No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference) and Trail Blazers (No. 3 seed in Western Conference) finished with an identical 59-23 record.
On their road to the 1990 NBA Finals, the Pistons swept the Indiana Pacers in the opening round, took down the New York Knicks in five games in the second round, and eliminated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in a seven-game battle in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Detroit Pistons win 1990 NBA Championship to go Back-To-Back
It took the Pistons just five games to dispose of the Trail Blazers as they became the first team in NBA history to win Game 3, Game 4, and Game 5 on the road during an NBA Finals series.
| Game | Date | Road team | Result | Home team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 5 | Trail Blazers | 99–105 (0–1) | Pistons |
| Game 2 | June 7 | Trail Blazers | 106–105 (OT) (1–1) | Pistons |
| Game 3 | June 10 | Pistons | 121–106 (2–1) | Trail Blazers |
| Game 4 | June 12 | Pistons | 112–109 (3–1) | Trail Blazers |
| Game 5 | June 14 | Pistons | 92–90 (4–1) | Trail Blazers |
The NBA Finals included five future Hall of Fame players (Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Clyde Drexler, and Drazen Petrovic), two future Hall of Fame coaches (Chuck Daly and Rick Adelman), and three future Hall of Fame officials (Hugh Evans, Dick Bavetta, Darrell Garretson, and Earl Strom)
Here is Vinnie Johnson’s unforgettable game-winning shot with 0.07 seconds remaining on the clock.
