1987-88 National Basketball Association season

Seasons

1986-87

1987-88

1988-89

Teams and Alignment

Conference	Division	Team	Primary Venue	Municipality
Eastern Conference	Atlantic Division	Boston Celtics	Boston Garden	Boston
		New Jersey Nets	Meadowlands Arena	East Rutherford, New Jersey
		New York Knickerbockers	Madison Square Garden	Manhattan, New York
		Philadelphia 76ers	The Spectrum	Philadelphia
		Washington Bullets	Capital Centre	Lake Arbor, Maryland
	Central Division	Atlanta Hawks	Omni Coliseum	Atlanta
		Chicago Bulls	Chicago Stadium	Chicago
		Cleveland Cavaliers	Richfield Coliseum	Summit County, Ohio
		Detroit Pistons	Pontiac Silverdome	Pontiac, Michigan
		Indiana Pacers	Market Square Arena	Indianapolis
		Milwaukee Bucks	UWM Panther Arena	Milwaukee
Western Conference	Midwest Division	Dallas Mavericks	Reunion Arena	Dallas
		Denver Nuggets	McNichols Sports Arena	Denver
		Houston Rockets	The Summit	Houston
		Sacramento Kings	ARCO Arena (1985)	Sacramento, California
		San Antonio Spurs	HemisFair Arena	San Antonio
		Utah Jazz	Salt Palace (1969)	Salt Lake City
	Pacific Division	Golden State Warriors	Oakland Arena	Oakland, California
		Los Angeles Clippers	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena	Los Angeles
		Los Angeles Lakers	Kia Forum	Inglewood, California
		Phoenix Suns	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum	Phoenix
		Portland Trail Blazers	Veterans Memorial Coliseum	Portland, Oregon
		Seattle SuperSonics	Climate Pledge Arena	Seattle

Changes

• None.

Regular Season Results

Conference	Division	Team	W	L	GB
Eastern Conference	Atlantic Division	Boston Celtics	57	25
		Washington Bullets	38	44	19
		New York Knickerbockers	38	44	19
		Philadelphia 76ers	36	46	21
		New Jersey Nets	19	63	38
	Central Division	Detroit Pistons	54	28
		Chicago Bulls	50	32	4
		Atlanta Hawks	50	32	4
		Milwaukee Bucks	42	40	12
		Cleveland Cavaliers	42	40	12
		Indiana Pacers	38	44	16
Western Conference	Midwest Division	Denver Nuggets	54	28
		Dallas Mavericks	53	29	1
		Utah Jazz	47	35	7
		Houston Rockets	46	36	8
		San Antonio Spurs	31	51	23
		Sacramento Kings	24	58	30
	Pacific Division	Los Angeles Lakers	62	20
		Portland Trail Blazers	53	29	9
		Seattle SuperSonics	44	38	18
		Phoenix Suns	28	54	34
		Golden State Warriors	20	62	42
		Los Angeles Clippers	17	65	45

Postseason Results

Team (Best-of-Five)		Team (Best-of-Seven)		Team (Best-of-Seven)		Team (Best-of-Seven)		Champions
Boston Celtics	3	Boston Celtics	4	Boston Celtics	2	Detroit Pistons	3	Los Angeles Lakers
New York Knickerbockers	1
Atlanta Hawks	3	Atlanta Hawks	3
Milwaukee Bucks	2
Detroit Pistons	3	Detroit Pistons	4	Detroit Pistons	4
Washington Bullets	2
Chicago Bulls	3	Chicago Bulls	1
Cleveland Cavaliers	2
Los Angeles Lakers	3	Los Angeles Lakers	4	Los Angeles Lakers	4	Los Angeles Lakers	4
San Antonio Spurs	0
Portland Trail Blazers	1	Utah Jazz	3
Utah Jazz	3
Denver Nuggets	3	Denver Nuggets	2	Dallas Mavericks	3
Seattle SuperSonics	2
Dallas Mavericks	3	Dallas Mavericks	4
Houston Rockets	1

Special Event Results

Event	Away	Score	Home
NBA All-Star Game	Western Conference	133-138	Eastern Conference

Markets and Venues

Combined Statistical Area	Metropolitan Statistical Area	Metropolitan Division	County / Equivalent	Municipality	Venue	Team / Event	Regular	Postseason	Total
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Division	Fulton County, Georgia	Atlanta	Omni Coliseum	Atlanta Hawks	41	Six	47
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH Combined Statistical Area	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metropolitan Statistical Area	Boston, MA Metropolitan Division	Suffolk County, Massachusetts	Boston	Boston Garden	Boston Celtics	38	Nine	47
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area	Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metropolitan Division	Cook County, Illinois	Chicago	Chicago Stadium	Chicago Bulls	41	Five	46
						NBA All-Star Game			One
Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area	Akron, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area		Summit County, Ohio	Unincorporated	Richfield Coliseum	Cleveland Cavaliers	41	Two	43
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK Combined Statistical Area	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area	Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division	Dallas County, Texas	Dallas	Reunion Arena	Dallas Mavericks	41	Eight	49
Denver-Aurora-Greeley, CO Combined Statistical Area	Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area		Denver County, Colorado	Denver	McNichols Sports Arena	Denver Nuggets	41	Six	47
Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI Combined Statistical Area	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area	Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division	Oakland County, Michigan	Pontiac, Michigan	Pontiac Silverdome	Detroit Pistons	41	12	53
Houston-Pasadena, TX Combined Statistical Area	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area		Harris County, Texas	Houston	The Summit	Houston Rockets	41	Two	43
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN Combined Statistical Area	Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area		Marion County, Indiana	Indianapolis	Market Square Arena	Indiana Pacers	41		41
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA Combined Statistical Area	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division	Los Angeles County, California	Inglewood, California	Kia Forum	Los Angeles Lakers	41	14	55
				Los Angeles	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena	Los Angeles Clippers	41		41
Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area	Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area		Milwaukee County, Wisconsin	Milwaukee	UWM Panther Arena	Milwaukee Bucks	41	Two	43
New Haven-Hartford-Waterbury, CT Combined Statistical Area	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area		Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut	Hartford, Connecticut	PeoplesBank Arena	Boston Celtics	Three		Three
New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area	New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division	Bergen County, New Jersey	East Rutherford, New Jersey	Meadowlands Arena	New Jersey Nets	41		41
			New York County, New York	Manhattan, New York	Madison Square Garden	New York Knickerbockers	41	Two	43
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area	Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division	Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	The Spectrum	Philadelphia 76ers	41		41
Phoenix-Mesa, AZ Combined Statistical Area	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area		Maricopa County, Arizona	Phoenix	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum	Phoenix Suns	41		41
Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA Combined Statistical Area	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area		Multnomah County, Oregon	Portland, Oregon	Veterans Memorial Coliseum	Portland Trail Blazers	41	Two	43
Sacramento-Roseville, CA Combined Statistical Area	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area		Sacramento County, California	Sacramento, California	ARCO Arena (1985)	Sacramento Kings	41		41
Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT-ID Combined Statistical Area	Salt Lake City-Murray, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area		Salt Lake County, Utah	Salt Lake City	Salt Palace (1969)	Utah Jazz	41	Five	46
San Antonio-New Braunfels-Kerrville, TX Combined Statistical Area	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area		Bexar County, Texas	San Antonio	HemisFair Arena	San Antonio Spurs	41	One	42
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area	Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division	Alameda County, California	Oakland, California	Oakland Arena	Golden State Warriors	41		41
Seattle-Tacoma, WA Combined Statistical Area	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area	Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA Metropolitan Division	King County, Washington	Seattle	Climate Pledge Arena	Seattle SuperSonics	41	Two	43
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area	Washington, DC-MD Metropolitan Division	Prince George's County, Maryland	Lake Arbor, Maryland	Capital Centre	Washington Bullets	41	Two	43
Total							943	80	1,024