query: when did the nba start best of 7

pos: NBA playoffs 1954 through 1966, the period of eight to nine league members). Round robins were played in 1954, uniquely in NBA history—a three-team round robin among the three playoff teams in each division. From 1955 to 1966, the first-place team in each division was idle while its two runners-up faced played a best-of-three. Division finals were expanded to best-of-seven in 1958 and division semifinals to best-of-five in 1961. With ten league members again for the 1966–67 season, eight teams were again admitted to the tournament, providing a simple three-round knockout (8-team bracket). A year later, the division semifinals were changed to

neg: 2017 NBA Finals Kerr still being out due to illness. The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA Finals history to fail to record a steal in a game. With the loss, the Cavaliers' nine game road playoff winning streak (a streak that began when they won Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals) came to an end. James dropped to 1–7 in NBA Finals openers in his career. The Warriors won Game 2 over the Cavaliers, 132–113, to improve their best start in NBA playoff history to 14–0. Their fourteen-game win-streak is the longest postseason win streak in NBA history. Golden State

neg: 2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season of the Week" for games played from December 13 through December 19 and again for games played March 7 through March 13 "Main article: 2011 NBA All-Star Game" "Main article: 2010–11 NBA season" On November 19, when San Antonio beat the Utah Jazz to go 10–1, it marked the best start to a season in franchise history. 2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season The 2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season was the 44th season of the franchise, 38th in San Antonio and 35th in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the playoffs, the Spurs lost to the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in six

neg: 2013 NBA Finals of the best games in which he has ever taken part. Dwyane Wade predicted it will go down as "one of the best finals games that's been seen", while NBA legend Magic Johnson called it "one of the best two or three games" he had ever seen. On July 17, 2013, Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals received the 2013 ESPY award for Best Game. The Spurs were leading 75–65 at the end of the third quarter, but LeBron James sparked a 20–7 run for the Heat to start the fourth quarter, personally scoring 11 of those points. With

neg: History of the Golden State Warriors The Warriors began the 2015–16 season by winning their first 24 games, eclipsing the previous best start in NBA history, set by the 1993–94 Houston Rockets and the 1948–49 Washington Capitols at 15–0. The Warriors surpassed the 1969–70 New York Knicks for the best road start in NBA history at 14–0, which is also the joint-third longest road win streak. Their record-setting start ended when they were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks on December 12, 2015. The Warriors broke a 131-year-old record of 20–0 set by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons baseball team, to claim the best start to a

neg: 2016–17 Golden State Warriors season ever to start 15–0 in the playoffs and their fifteen-game win streak to start the playoffs set the record for most consecutive postseason wins in NBA history. Their 16–1 record is the best playoff record in NBA history, ousting the 2000–01 Los Angeles Lakers. <noinclude> <nowiki>*</nowiki> – Recorded statistics when playing for Golden State 2016–17 Golden State Warriors season The 2016–17 Golden State Warriors season was the 71st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 55th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors won their fifth NBA Championship, setting the best postseason record in

neg: History of the Dallas Mavericks when Jackson was signed on March 3, the Mavs managed to rally, closing the season with a 7–14 mark, including two straight wins to end the season. That year the Mavericks finished 11–71 which was the 2nd worst record in NBA history. Dallas selected Kentucky forward Jamal Mashburn with the fourth overall pick of the 1993 NBA draft and hired Quinn Buckner as coach, but the team's progress was minimal. Part of the problem was that Buckner decided from the start to be a disciplinarian on the model of his college coach, Bobby Knight. The mostly young roster did not

neg: 1976 NBA Finals "Miracle of Richfield" Cleveland Cavaliers in six games each to reach their 14th NBA Finals. Boston was seeking its 13th NBA title. Boston swept the four-game regular season series. "Boston Celtics defeated Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2" Boston turned back the Suns in game one behind a balanced attack. John Havlicek did not start for the Celtics due to a painful heel injury. However, Boston coach Tom Heinsohn rushed Havlicek into the game with 7:24 left in the first quarter as Phoenix took an early 10–7 lead and the Ohio State product never came back out of the game.

neg: USA Thursday Game of the Week Philadelphia–Calgary series because of their coverage of the NBA playoffs. USA also didn't televise Games 2 and 5 of the playoff series between the Calgary Flames and Minnesota North Stars (April 30 and May 7 respectively) because of baseball games involving the Minnesota Twins vs. the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the Philadelphia Phillies respectively. In 1982, doubleheaders did not start until June 17. Prior to the doubleheaders starting, Monte Moore and Wes Parker did the individual game until then. When the doubleheaders finally began, Moore and Parker moved over to the late game for the

neg: 1997–98 Vancouver Grizzlies season which was the fourth overall pick in the draft. The Grizzlies got off to their best start in team history, as thirteen games into the season, the team had a 6–7 record. On October 31, 1997, Violet Palmer made history in Vancouver when she officiated the NBA season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks, in British Columbia, Canada. The team would then fall into a slump, which included a thirteen-game losing streak as they fell out of playoff contention. Vancouver would finish the year with a 19–63 record, their best in team history, and finish out of

neg: Luke Walton despite technically being winless, since the Warriors' record was credited to Kerr. Since Kerr was still the head coach, NBA rules stipulated that the team's record under an interim coach be credited to the head coach, though the league considered altering the rule given Walton's case. However, the NBA permits an interim or acting head coach to be eligible for coaching awards. The Warriors extended their record start to 24–0. They were 39–4, the second-best start in league history, when Kerr resumed coaching full-time on January 22, 2016. Golden State ended the season an NBA-record 73–9, and Kerr was voted

neg: MOJO HD programming series such as "After Hours with Daniel", "Three Sheets", "I Bet You", "Pressure Cook", "Wall Street Warriors", "Bobby G: Adventure Capitalist", "Start-Up Junkies", "Dr. Danger", "The King of Miami", "The Show", "Technology Jones", and "Uncorked with Billy Merritt". Other shows include "London Live", "Getting Abroad", "Hooked", "Timeless" and "Beer Nutz". MOJO HD aired select NBA TV games in HD, when many cable providers did not yet carry NBA TV HD; games were blacked out on systems which did not carry NBA TV, or if the game aired in a team's market, where the team's broadcaster received preference. Some cable

neg: NBA Conference Finals divisional finals. In the , the league realigned itself to three divisions, with the addition of the Central Division. However, the arrangement was only used for one season and the league went back into two divisions format in . The two divisions format remained until , when the NBA realigned itself into two conferences with two divisions each, which led to the renaming to Conference Finals. The finals was a best-of-3 series from 1949 to 1950 to; a best-of-5 series from 1951–56, and a best-of-7 series since 1957. Currently, the Conference Finals are played in a best-of-7 series like the

neg: ABA–NBA merger Bucks defeating the Dallas Chaparrals, 106–103. Gradually, the ABA began to prove itself superior, going 15–10 against the NBA in 1973, 16–7 in 1974, and 31–17 in 1975. Overall, the ABA won more of these interleague games than the NBA did, and in every matchup of reigning champions from the two leagues, the ABA champion won, including in the final pre-merger season when the Kentucky Colonels defeated the Golden State Warriors. "Boston Globe" sportswriter Bob Ryan said of the ABA-NBA exhibition games: "When those exhibition games began, the view in the NBA was, 'Now we'll show those guys.' But then

neg: Aaron Gray summer of 2014, subsequently joining Stan Van Gundy's staff at the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach to work with the team's big men, and with the young prospects of the team's NBA D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive. Aaron Gray Aaron Michael Gray (born December 7, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A heart condition forced him into early retirement in 2015. Gray played high school basketball at Emmaus High School in Pennsylvania's highly competitive Lehigh Valley Conference. Gray did not start playing for the varsity team

neg: Hank DeZonie had been absorbed by the fledging NBA. The Rens, however, were left out of the merger, and they were forced to disband as the NBA began its 1949–50 season as an all-white league. Black players did not enter the league until the start of the 1950–51 NBA season, when Lloyd, Clifton, and Cooper earned roster spots on the Rochester Royals, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics, respectively. On December 3, 1950, DeZonie signed a contract with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, becoming the fourth black player in the NBA. DeZonie had the shortest career among the NBA's black pioneers, due mainly to

neg: 2006 NBA Playoffs in the 2007 playoffs, being a division winner did not guarantee a top-3 playoff seed. The Detroit Pistons clinched the best record in the NBA, earning home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. However, when the Pistons lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, home-court advantage in the NBA Finals went to the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, which had a better record than the Heat. The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East: The San Antonio Spurs clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when

neg: National Basketball Association 7, 83–79. Before the start of the 2010–11 season the NBA had an exciting summer with one of the most anticipated free agent classes of all time. Two of which signed, and one resigned, with the Miami Heat, leading to a season that was heavily centered on their eventual success or failure at taking home the championship. The Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, did in fact make the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, in a rematch for the franchises of the 2006 Finals. The Mavericks, led by Dirk Nowitzki (the eventual NBA Finals MVP), took

neg: Nate Archibald season, he was traded by the Nets to the Buffalo Braves before the 1977–78 season. Archibald tore his achilles tendon and never played a regular-season game for the Braves. Buffalo traded him to the Boston Celtics as part of a 7-player deal before the start of the next season. His career at the Celtics started poorly. He showed up 20 pounds overweight. However, he adjusted and helped guide the Celtics to the best record in the NBA for three consecutive years (1979–1982). Archibald won his first and only NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1980–81 season alongside young

neg: 2017 NBA Finals best winning percentage () in NBA playoffs history. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving tried their best to combat the Warriors offense but were unable to overcome a bad night from Kevin Love, who only had six points and a game low minus-21 in his 29 minutes, and the Cavaliers bench, which was outscored 7 to 35 by the Warriors' bench. The Cavaliers did come out aggressive early while Golden State dealt with a series of turnovers. Though the Warriors trailed 41-33 with 10:14 left in the second quarter, they chipped away at that deficit and eventually were able to take

neg: 2000–01 Washington Wizards season agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. 2000–01 Washington Wizards season The 2000–01 NBA season was the Wizards’ 40th season in the National Basketball Association. Washington hosted the 2001 NBA All-Star Game. Under new head coach Leonard Hamilton, and later on acquiring Tyrone Nesby from the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wizards continued to struggle with a 7–34 start to the season, as people scoffed that their best player Michael Jordan was sitting up in the owner's box. Juwan Howard, who grew disgruntled with all the team failures was traded at midseason to the Dallas Mavericks for Christian Laettner, Hubert Davis, and

neg: 2000–01 Washington Wizards season 2000–01 Washington Wizards season The 2000–01 NBA season was the Wizards’ 40th season in the National Basketball Association. Washington hosted the 2001 NBA All-Star Game. Under new head coach Leonard Hamilton, and later on acquiring Tyrone Nesby from the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wizards continued to struggle with a 7–34 start to the season, as people scoffed that their best player Michael Jordan was sitting up in the owner's box. Juwan Howard, who grew disgruntled with all the team failures was traded at midseason to the Dallas Mavericks for Christian Laettner, Hubert Davis, and rookies Courtney Alexander and Etan Thomas,

neg: Golden State Warriors win streak. Their record-setting start ended when they were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks on December 12, 2015. The Warriors broke a 131-year-old record of 20–0 set by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons baseball team, to claim the best start to a season in all of the major professional sports in America. Golden State also won 28 consecutive regular-season games dating back to the 2014–15 season, eclipsing the 2012–13 Miami Heat for the second longest winning streak in NBA history. The team set an NBA record with 54 consecutive regular-season home wins, which spanned from January 31, 2015 to March

neg: 1962 NBA Finals 1962 NBA Finals The 1962 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1962 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1961–62 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the Celtics' 6th straight trip to the Finals, and they won the best-of-seven series in Game 7, 110–107 in overtime. It was the second time in NBA history and the most recent Finals in which the series was decided by overtime in Game 7. The only other Finals series decided in overtime

neg: Ty Lawson first 10 three-point attempts to start a game. He went 10-of-11 from behind three-point range and finished the game with a career-high 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. On August 15, 2011, Lawson signed a one-year contract with Žalgiris Kaunas. The deal included an out-clause that allowed him to return to the Denver Nuggets when the 2011 NBA lockout ended. Lawson played seven Euroleague games during his stint in Kaunas, averaging 7.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists. In 2012–13, the Nuggets finished with a franchise-best record of 57-25 and earned the third seed in the Western Conference. However,

neg: NBA Fastbreak (pinball) tasks are: When all the tasks are completed, "Trophy Multiball" automatically starts (if you lose the ball before it starts, it will start on the next ball). The player then has unlimited balls for about 20 seconds. The center ramp is lit for 2 points and the goal is to outscore the "other team" (it seems like 6 or 7 shots are necessary to do this). If the player wins, a championship ring is awarded and the player becomes the current MVP. NBA Fastbreak (pinball) NBA Fastbreak is a 1997 pinball machine released by Williams Electronics Games (under the "Bally"

neg: Chris Crawford (basketball, born 1975) tryout with the New Jersey Nets, but did not ever play for them. In his NBA career, Crawford played in 252 games and scored a total of 1,654 points. Chris Crawford (basketball, born 1975) Christopher Lee Crawford (born May 13, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (50th pick overall) of the 1997 NBA Draft. A 6'9" forward from Marquette University, Crawford played in 7 NBA seasons, all with the Hawks. His best year was in the 2003–04 season where he averaged a career high 10.2 points per

neg: 2017 NBA Finals record of , while Cleveland finished the regular season with a record. The Warriors entered the 2017 Finals after becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to start , while the Cavaliers entered the 2017 Finals with a record during the first three rounds of the postseason. The Warriors' start in the playoffs is the most consecutive postseason wins in NBA history and their record is the best winning percentage () in NBA Playoff history. This was the Golden State Warriors' third consecutive trip to the NBA Finals and ninth appearance overall, having come short of back-to-back titles in

neg: Klay Thompson record by 41. On June 7, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Thompson scored a playoff career-high 34 points in a losing effort to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors went on to defeat the Cavaliers in six games to win the NBA championship and end the franchise's 40-year championship drought. Thompson opened the first seven games of the 2015–16 season shooting only 13-of-36 from 3-point range (36 percent). In the last 11 games of November, Thompson then shot a combined 32-of-73 from beyond the arc (43.8 percent). The Warriors' NBA-record start ended at 24 wins when they lost to

neg: James Jones (basketball player) injuries. Jones's turnover percentage of 5.23 turnovers committed per 100 plays during the 2005–06 season set an NBA record for lowest single-season turnover percentage. It is now fourth-place on the all-time list as of the end of the 2015–16 season. The NBA did not start recording individual turnovers until the 1977–78 season. He appeared in 76 games, with 7 starts, for the team during the 2006–07 season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 18.1 minutes a game. He was a DNP-CD six times. Jones made 45 consecutive free throws from January 5 to March 29, the longest consecutive free throws

neg: Dallas Mavericks The Mavericks came dangerously close to setting the all-time worst record in NBA history (at the time, 9–73 by the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers). But when Jackson was signed on March 3, the Mavs rallied, closing the season with a 7–14 mark, including two straight wins to end the season and finish 11–71, which was the second-worst record in NBA history. Dallas selected Kentucky forward Jamal Mashburn with the fourth overall pick of the 1993 NBA draft and hired Quinn Buckner as coach. Part of the problem was that Buckner decided from the start to be a disciplinarian on the model

neg: History of the Indiana Pacers over Indiana Hoosiers' standout Steve Alford. The Pacers missed the playoffs in 1987–88, drafted Rik Smits in the 1988 NBA draft, and suffered through a disastrous 1988–89 season in which coach Jack Ramsay stepped down following an 0–7 start. Mel Daniels and George Irvine filled in on an interim basis before Dick Versace took over the 6–23 team on the way to a 28–54 finish. In February 1989, the team did manage to make a trade that would eventually pay off, as they traded veteran center Herb Williams to the Dallas Mavericks for future NBA 6th Man-of-the Year Detlef Schrempf.

neg: 1962 NBA Finals Instead, the game went into OT in which the Celtics then won the game and thus the title. For the Lakers, it would start the pattern of not winning the big games in the NBA Finals, something that lasted until 1972 when the Lakers finally won their first title in Los Angeles. The Lakers would not defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals until 1985, which they did on the Celtics' home floor; they lost to the Boston Celtics in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984 and 2008. After the 1985 Finals, the Lakers would beat the Celtics in the

neg: History of the Los Angeles Lakers number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1999–2000 NBA season. Bryant was also named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. Entering the post-season, the Lakers would post a 12–3 record entering the Finals. However, problems suddenly arose when the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. The Celtics, the best-record team during the regular season, convincingly beat the Lakers 4–2 in the best of 7 series. In the 2009 season, the Lakers had only one goal in mind: "ring", their huddle chant throughout the year. In January, the Lakers would again

neg: 2003 NBA Finals || .000 || .800 || 4.7 || 1.0 || 0.7 || 0.5 || 3.7 The Nets had an inconsistent start to the 2003–04 NBA season, and with a 22–20 record early in the season they fired head coach Byron Scott. Lawrence Frank took over and led the Nets to another Atlantic Division title by winning 47 games, highlighted by a 13–0 start, the best start for a rookie head coach in sports history. Despite that, however, the Nets lost to the eventual NBA champion Detroit Pistons in seven games of the conference semifinals. , the 2003 Finals remain the Nets'

neg: Andre Iguodala Warriors' NBA-record start ended after 24 wins when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 108–95 on December 12. An ankle injury suffered in early March forced Igoudala to miss 13 straight games. The Warriors finished the regular season as the first seed in the Western Conference with a 73–9 record, the best overall record in NBA history, surpassing the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls' mark of 72–10, while Iguodala finished as runner-up for the 2015–16 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors faced the eighth-seeded Houston Rockets, and in a Game 4 win

neg: Russ Lee His best season for the Bucks was his rookie season, when he averaged 2.8 points per game. Before the start of the 1974-1975 NBA season, Lee was traded to the New Orleans Jazz with a 1975 NBA Draft first round pick for Steve Kuberski and a second round pick in 1975. Lee would play only 15 games for the Jazz, averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game before being cut and opting to retire. Russ is older brother of Ron Lee, former All-American basketball player at the University of Oregon and 1978 NBA steals leader. Russ has a brother

neg: NBA on ABC altogether (however, he would remain with ESPN). Meanwhile, longtime "Monday Night Football" commentator (and unofficial "Voice of ABC Sports") Al Michaels was hired to replace Nessler as the network's lead NBA play-by-play announcer; Michele Tafoya remained as its lead sideline reporter. Doc Rivers, a critically acclaimed analyst when he worked with Turner Sports for TNT's NBA broadcasts, became available after a 1–10 start by his Orlando Magic led to his firing as the team's coach. Rivers was hired weeks before ABC's Christmas Day season opener. He and Michaels worked that game together, one of only six they did together during

neg: Jack Ramsay 1986–87 season. Ramsay coached the Pacers to their second winning record as an NBA team. However, Ramsay was unable to duplicate that success in later seasons. Ramsay resigned as Pacers coach during the 1988–89 season after a 0–7 start. When Ramsay left the Pacers, he was second on the all-time wins list for NBA coaches with 864 wins, trailing only Red Auerbach. When he retired, Ramsay had the most combined college and professional wins of any coach. In 1992, Ramsay was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Trail Blazers retired Number 77 in Ramsay's honor on Jan. 14,

neg: 2015–16 Golden State Warriors season began the 2015–16 season by winning their first 24 games, eclipsing the previous best start in NBA history, set by the 1993–94 Houston Rockets and the 1948–49 Washington Capitols at . Their record-setting start ended when they were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks on December 12, 2015. The Warriors broke a 131-year-old record of set by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons baseball team, to claim the best start to a season in all of the major professional sports in America. They also won 28 consecutive regular-season games dating back to the 2014–15 season, eclipsing the 2012–13 Miami Heat for the

neg: Abe Saperstein from San Francisco. Started in 1939 with six players, the Hong Wah Kues became known for their speed and quick passing. They played the Harlem Globetrotters once, and lost. He had ambitions of owning a team in the National Basketball Association and hoped to start a team in California. That hope was dashed when the NBA approved the move of the Lakers from Minneapolis to L.A. The NBA also did not award the Warriors to Saperstein when the team moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Saperstein started the American Basketball League in 1961 and

neg: Juwan Howard season. Howard's April 17 start in the season finale against the Orlando Magic marked Howard's 900th career start. On May 30, during halftime of game 5 of the Eastern Conference championship against the Indiana Pacers, Howard delivered a passionate speech that fired up the team in its clinching game. With the retirement of Grant Hill on June 1, 2013, Howard became the oldest active player in the NBA at age 40. During the playoffs, Howard did not play, but he served as a quasi-assistant coach. In college, Howard was regarded as one of the best defensive big men in the

neg: NBA on ABC the Los Angeles Lakers (whose home city Michaels resides when not broadcasting sports events) or Sacramento Kings, a total of 21 consecutive games. Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals would end up being Michaels' last with the "NBA on ABC". For the 2005–06 season, Al Michaels and Hubie Brown were slated to remain as ABC's main broadcast team. The duo worked that year's Christmas Day game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat and were expected to work the NBA Finals together as well. However, that plan did not come to fruition. In 2005, the National Football League

neg: 2007 NBA Finals 2002 NBA Finals, when the Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets. This series was the last sweep in the NBA Finals until 2018, where the losing team was once again the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Finals were played using the 2-3-2 format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. The other playoff series were played in the 2-2-1-1-1 format. The best-of-seven series began on June 7, 2007, with the Western Conference champion

neg: Golden State Warriors and the 2015 ESPYs Best Male Athlete award. On July 27, 2015, David Lee—who had lost his starting power forward job to Draymond Green during the season—was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Gerald Wallace and Chris Babb; Golden State was seeking to offload his salary given his limited role on the team. The Warriors began the 2015-2016 season by winning their first 24 games, eclipsing the previous best start in NBA history. The Warriors surpassed the 1969–70 New York Knicks for the best road start in NBA history at 14–0, which is also the joint-third longest road

neg: 2016–17 Golden State Warriors season time in NBA history two teams have met for a third consecutive year. Golden State became the first team ever to start in the playoffs and their fifteen straight wins were the most consecutive postseason wins in NBA history. They also became the first team in all four major professional sports in America to start 15–0 in the postseason. The Warriors set the best playoff record in NBA history by going 16–1 (.941). Golden State won the Pacific Division title and Western Conference Championship for the third consecutive season. The Warriors became only the second team in NBA history to

neg: 1998–99 Boston Celtics season 1998–99 Boston Celtics season The 1998–99 NBA season was the 53rd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. The Celtics continued to build with youth as they selected Paul Pierce out of the University of Kansas with the tenth pick in the 1998 NBA draft. In the offseason, the team acquired second-year center Tony Battie from the Los Angeles Lakers. Pierce would get off to a fast start as he was named Rookie of The Month in February, after the season was delayed by a four-month lockout. However, after a 7–7 start to the season, the Celtics

neg: Bill Russell win 60 games in a season, and Russell was voted as the NBA's Most Valuable Player. In the post-season, the Celtics met the Philadelphia Warriors of Chamberlain, and Russell did his best to slow down the 50-points-per-game scoring Warriors center. In the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to only 22 points (28 below his season average) while scoring 19 himself. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of star forward Elgin

neg: 1962 NBA Finals NBA Finals again in 1987 and 2010, both times in California. 1962 NBA Finals The 1962 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1962 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1961–62 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the Celtics' 6th straight trip to the Finals, and they won the best-of-seven series in Game 7, 110–107 in overtime. It was the second time in NBA history and the most recent Finals in which the series was decided by overtime

neg: 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season to the NBA Finals where they defeated the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals won by the Celtics 4 games to 2. This time, the Lakers won the series 4 games to 3 for their 16th NBA title and handed Boston its first Game 7 loss in an NBA Finals in team history. Kobe Bryant won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP as well as his fifth and final NBA Championship. On July 14, 2010, Phil Jackson won the 2010 ESPY Awards for Best Coach/Manager while Kobe Bryant won for Best NBA Player. The Lakers came

neg: 2003–04 NBA season the NBA. The All-Star Game was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The West won 136-132; Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named Most Valuable Player. For the first time in 21 years the Portland Trail Blazers did not make the playoffs, ending the second longest streak in NBA history. For the first time in 20 years the Utah Jazz did not make the playoffs, ending the third longest streak in NBA history. Prior to the start of the season, Karl Malone and Gary Payton took major paycuts to leave their teams and join Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal

neg: NBA Finals The Houston Rockets were down 3 games to 1 to the Phoenix Suns in the Semi-Finals and won 2 out of 3 games on the road, including game 7 to advance to the Conference Finals. After his short stint with baseball, Jordan returned to basketball late in the 1994–95 season. Although he did not lead the Bulls to the Finals, he returned to pre-retirement form the next season while the team acquired perennial rebounding champion Dennis Rodman. The 1995–96 Bulls finished the regular season 72–10, attaining, at the time, the best regular season record in NBA history. They dominated in

neg: Tom Garrick Tom Garrick Thomas S. "Tom" Garrick (born July 7, 1966) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2nd round (45th overall pick) of the 1988 NBA Draft. He played guard in four NBA seasons, mainly for the Clippers. Garrick's best year as a Clipper was during the 1989–90 NBA season when he averaged 7.0 ppg in 73 games. He played collegiately at the University of Rhode Island. Garrick is currently the head women's basketball coach at UMass Lowell. He was the head coach of the University of Rhode Island women's

neg: 2009 NBA Playoffs 2009 NBA Playoffs The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP. The Boston Celtics lost a best-of-7 series after leading 3–2 for the first time to the Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Before that, their first round series with the Chicago Bulls set an NBA Playoff record for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played. The Houston

neg: 1994–95 San Antonio Spurs season Spurs struggled early in the season with a 7–9 start. However, they would soon go on a 15-game winning streak and win 21 of their final 23 games, finishing with the league's best record of 62–20. It was also their best regular season record in franchise history, surpassing the 56-win 1989–90 season, which would surpassed 12 seasons later by the 2005-06 squad (63-19), then 11 seasons later by the 2015-16 team (67-15). David Robinson was named Most Valuable Player of the Year. He was also selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game. In the first round of the playoffs, the

neg: 1984 NBA Playoffs 1984 NBA Playoffs The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983–84 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP. This was the first postseason allowing 16 teams to qualify, a format still in use. The first round format was also changed from best-of-3 to best-of 5. It was the first NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Lakers since 1969; they met 7 times in the Finals from

neg: 1997 NBA Playoffs courtside brawl erupted when Heat forward P.J. Brown body-slammed Knicks guard Charlie Ward causing both teams' benches to clear. For the Knicks, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson left the bench. All of the players involved were suspended. The Knicks, under-manned by the suspensions, lost the series in 7 games to start the Heat-Knicks rivalry. Eddie Johnson made a 3 as time expired to tie the Western Conference Finals at 2. John Stockton capped off a spectacular 4th quarter performance by hitting a 3 as time expired to send Utah to the NBA Finals for the first

neg: 2015–16 Golden State Warriors season loss also ended their 28-game winning streak (dating to the 2014–15 regular season), the second-longest in NBA history. The Warriors finished the 2015 calendar year with a 72-12 (.857) record between two seasons, the second-best winning percentage in NBA history. They went 88–17 (.838) including play-off games. In a win against the New York Knicks on January 31, Green tied Hall of Famer Tom Gola's franchise record of nine triple-doubles in a season. Golden State reached the NBA All-Star break at 48–4, the best start to an NBA season at this juncture. On February 13, Klay Thompson won the Three-Point

neg: Rubin Jackson when Jackson averaged 24.8 points per game (ranking him sixth in the country in scoring). Jackson teamed with future NBA player Carl Henry to lead the Chiefs to a Midwestrn City Conference tournament title. At the close of the season, Jackson was named the conference co-Player of the Year with Loyola's Darius Clemons. After his college career, Jackson was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1982 NBA Draft (fifth round, 99th pick overall). However, Jackson injured his ankle prior to the start of training camp and did not make the team. Rubin Jackson Rubin Jackson is an American former

neg: 1959 NBA Finals as the first of two times in NBA history that a team with a losing record made the NBA Finals (the other was in 1981). "Celtics win series 4–0" 1959 NBA Finals The 1959 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1958–59 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. It was Boston's third trip to the NBA Finals and Minneapolis's sixth. The Boston Celtics swept the Lakers 4–0. That was the start

neg: 1959 NBA Finals 1959 NBA Finals The 1959 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1958–59 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. It was Boston's third trip to the NBA Finals and Minneapolis's sixth. The Boston Celtics swept the Lakers 4–0. That was the start of the Celtics' 8 consecutive championships, from 1959–1966. To date, this is the most recent time that an NBA team from Minnesota appeared in an NBA Finals, as well

neg: Manu Ginóbili While Ginóbili did not start in a single playoff game as he did in 2003, his playoff statistics improved significantly, with 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. After some initial issues with San Antonio over his contract, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs and started every game during the 2004–05 season. This was his best season yet as he was selected as a reserve by NBA coaches to the 2005 Western Conference All-Star team, marking his debut in the elite mid-season showcase. During the playoffs, Ginóbili's play was pivotal to winning San Antonio's third championship. The Spurs first

neg: Eddie Lee Wilkins Eddie Lee Wilkins Eddie Lee Wilkins (born May 7, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the New York Knicks in the sixth round (133rd pick overall) of the 1984 NBA Draft. A 6'10" forward/center from Gardner-Webb University, Wilkins played in 6 NBA seasons. He played for the Knicks (1984–85, 1986–87, 1988–91) and Philadelphia 76ers (1992–93). Wilkins graduated from Cass High School. In his NBA career, Wilkins played in 322 games and scored a total of 1,534 points. On November 15, 1990, he had one of his best games as a pro when he scored

neg: 1966–67 San Francisco Warriors season 1966–67 San Francisco Warriors season The 1966–67 NBA season was the Warriors' 21st season in the NBA and 5th in the San Francisco Bay Area. They entered the season hoping to improve upon their previous season output of a 35–45 record. They did, finishing the season with a 44-37 record. The Warriors even made it to the NBA Finals, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games. Over the offseason, the Warriors made three transactions, the first being made on June 7, when the team signed Bill McGill. McGill would not be on the team's final roster. On September 1,

neg: 1999–2000 Portland Trail Blazers season victory to advance to the 2000 NBA Finals, where they would go on to defeat the Indiana Pacers in six games to win their 12th NBA championship. This series has been widely criticized for its controversial officiating and many critics of the series feel that the NBA may have tampered with the series and especially with game 7. Following the season, Jermaine O'Neal was traded to the Indiana Pacers, and Brian Grant was dealt to the Miami Heat. The Blazers did not win another playoff series until May 2, 2014, when Damian Lillard hit a 3-point shot with 0.9 seconds

neg: 2011 European Speed Skating Championships 2011 European Speed Skating Championships The 2011 European Speed Skating Championships were held in Collalbo, Italy, from 7 to 9 January 2011. NQ = Not qualified for the 10000 m (only the best 12 are qualified) DNS = Did not start Source: ISU NQ = Not qualified for the 5000 m (only the best 12 are qualified) DNS = Did not start Source: ISU All participating skaters were allowed to skate the first three distances; 12 skaters may taken part on the fourth distance. These 12 skaters were determined by taking the standings on the longest of the first three

neg: History of the New Orleans Pelicans looking to trim the payroll. Indeed, at the start of the NBA free agency period on July 1, the Hornets had the highest payroll of all teams in the league, topping $77 Million. When the luxury tax level was set on July 7, it left the Hornets in excess of $7 million in the tax zone. Despite comments from the team owner- and leadership about the intention to compete and building a winner, it was still seen as quite surprising when on July 28, the Hornets landed center Emeka Okafor from the Charlotte Bobcats for Tyson Chandler. While the move

neg: 2000 NBA Finals to the Pacers. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse, as well as their first since 1993 without center Antonio Davis, who was traded for the rights to the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Jalen Rose replaced Chris Mullin in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award, while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man. The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home. The Pacers, like the Lakers, struggled in the playoffs. They

neg: 1999–2000 Indiana Pacers season NBA season brought several major changes to the Pacers. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse, as well as their first since 1993 without center Antonio Davis, who was traded for the rights to the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Jalen Rose replaced Chris Mullin in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award, while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man. The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home. The Pacers, like the

neg: 2011 European Speed Skating Championships distances, as well as the samalog standings after three distances, and comparing these lists as follows: 2011 European Speed Skating Championships The 2011 European Speed Skating Championships were held in Collalbo, Italy, from 7 to 9 January 2011. NQ = Not qualified for the 10000 m (only the best 12 are qualified) DNS = Did not start Source: ISU NQ = Not qualified for the 5000 m (only the best 12 are qualified) DNS = Did not start Source: ISU All participating skaters were allowed to skate the first three distances; 12 skaters may taken part on the fourth distance.

neg: 2014 NBA Playoffs Game 7s were played on the same day. Two other game sevens were played on the following day, featuring Dallas at San Antonio and Brooklyn at Toronto. The five game sevens in the first round already tied the record for the most number of game sevens in any NBA playoffs, set in the 1994 NBA Playoffs. However, the NBA only adopted a best-of-seven format for the first round beginning in 2003. The Hawks–Pacers series was the first series to force a Game 7, making this postseason the 15th consecutive postseason to have at least one Game 7. The 1999 NBA

neg:
2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres from each heat advanced to the final. All times shown are in seconds.
 Q denotes qualification by place.
 q denotes qualification by time.
 DNS denotes did not start.
 DNF denotes did not finish.
 AR denotes area record
 NR denotes national record.
 PB denotes personal best.
 SB denotes season's best. August 6 August 6 August 7 August 7 2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres The men's 100 metres at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on August 6 and August 7. The top three runners in each of the initial 8

neg: David Robinson (basketball) Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest University, who was, after a few years, the final key to Robinson's quest for an NBA title. Before the start of the 1998–99 season, the NBA owners and NBA commissioner David Stern locked out the NBA Players' Association to force negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. This lockout lasted for 202 days, well into the regular NBA season, before an agreement was finally reached. After playing a truncated 50-game season, the Spurs finished with an NBA-best record of 37–13, giving them the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Spurs blitzed through the first

neg: Hack-a-Shaq and media remained displeased with the continued use of the strategy, particularly in high-profile playoff games. In 2008, the NBA Competition Committee again considered rule changes but did not achieve consensus. According to an ESPN study in 2016, offensive efficiency was higher than the Golden State Warriors when the Hack-a-Shaq strategy was used against a team. NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the competition committee would look into changing the rule before the start of the 2016–2017 season due to extended length of games. A player against whom the Hack-a-Shaq strategy is most effective is one who shoots free throws

neg: 1998–99 NBA season 1998–99 NBA season The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, after a new six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. All 29 teams played a shortened 50-game regular season schedule and the 16 teams who qualified for the playoffs played a full post-season schedule. That season's All-Star Game was also canceled. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs winning the franchise's first NBA championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games

neg: 2008–09 Boston Celtics season 2008–09 Boston Celtics season The 2008–09 Boston Celtics season was the 63rd season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They started the season as defending NBA champions, where they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, winning their seventeenth NBA championship, as well as marking their ninth series victory over the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Celtics started the season 27–2, which surpassed a mark set by the 1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers for the best two-loss start in NBA history. This run also included a 19-game winning streak, which improved a Celtics franchise

neg: 2002 NBA Playoffs NBA's second three-peat in seven years. This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Lakers. 2002 NBA Playoffs The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA Playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year. This year marked the return of

neg: 2002 NBA Playoffs 2002 NBA Playoffs The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA Playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year. This year marked the return of playoff success for the Boston Celtics, who had last made the playoffs in 1995, won their last playoff

neg: 2007 NBA Playoffs 2007 NBA Playoffs The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2006–07 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals. Tony Parker was named NBA Finals MVP, making him the first Spur other than Tim Duncan and the first European-born player to receive the award. The playoffs are conducted in 4 rounds of best-of-7 series. The 3 division winners in each conference, along with the 5 best non-division winners in each conference, qualify for the playoffs.

neg: Jason Kidd 41.5 mpg). Kidd averaged career highs in points (16.9 ppg), field goal percentage (.444), rebounds (6.8 rpg, best among NBA guards) and steals (2.28 spg, fourth in the NBA) and was the only player to be ranked among the top 50 in the NBA in 10 different statistical categories. The Suns won all seven of the games in which he had triple-doubles. The Suns acquired Penny Hardaway from the Orlando Magic before the start of the 1999–00 season in hope of creating the best backcourt duo in the league. Combination of Kidd and Hardaway in the starting lineup was often

neg: NBA draft players selected in the draft to play in the NBA was Manute Bol out of the Sudan in 1983 in the 5th round by the San Diego Clippers. Bol's selection was later deemed ineligible by the NBA. Two years later Bol was drafted again by the NBA this time out of Division II University of Bridgeport in 1985 as the 31st pick overall in the second round. Although Bol did not have a stellar career, he is known for being one of the tallest players ever to play the game at 7 feet and 7 inches. He holds the record

neg: Steve Stone (baseball) Orioles, again turning down four other offers. In 1979 Stone was 11–7 with a 3.77 ERA in 186 innings, and was 7th in the league in fewest hits allowed per 9 innings pitched (8.37). His best year was 1980, when he went 25–7 (.781) for the Orioles, won the Cy Young Award and "The Sporting News" Pitcher of the Year Award, and came in 9th in the AL MVP voting. Stone's relief pitchers did not blow a save for him all season until his last start of the year. He led the league in wins (his 25 wins set a

neg: Goldencents weeks later, but was bumped at the start and failed to reproduce his best form, finishing seventh of the ten runners behind Flat Out. Goldencents did not reappear as a four-year-old until June 7 when he carried 121 pounds in the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont. Ridden by Mike Smith, he took the lead a furlong and a half out but was caught 100 yards from the finish and beaten a length into second place by Palace Malice. The colt started 7/10 favourite for the Bing Crosby Handicap, but finished second again, failing by half a length to overhaul the gelding

neg: 1998–99 NBA season team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics. The following players were named the Players of the Month. The following players were named the Rookies of the Month. The following coaches were named Coaches of the Month. 1998–99 NBA season The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, after a new six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. All 29 teams played a shortened 50-game

neg: Aaron Gray Aaron Gray Aaron Michael Gray (born December 7, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A heart condition forced him into early retirement in 2015. Gray played high school basketball at Emmaus High School in Pennsylvania's highly competitive Lehigh Valley Conference. Gray did not start playing for the varsity team until the middle of his sophomore season. While at Emmaus, Gray was recruited by, and committed to attend, the University of Pittsburgh. He chose Pitt over Penn State and Rutgers, which also aggressively recruited him. In Gray's senior season,

neg: 2011–12 Toronto Raptors season 2011–12 Toronto Raptors season The 2011–12 Toronto Raptors season was the 17th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season start was delayed, and the season schedule was compressed due to the 2011 NBA lockout. The Raptors finished the season with a 23–43 record and did not make it to the playoffs. Many players signed with teams from other leagues due to the 2011 NBA lockout. FIBA allows players under NBA contracts to sign and play for teams from other leagues if the contracts have opt-out clauses that allow the players to return to the NBA

neg: Chris Childs (basketball) NBA, as he signed with the New Jersey Nets prior to the start of the 1994–95 NBA season. He spent his first two seasons with the Nets, and averaged an NBA career-high 12.8 points in 1995-96. However, Childs was perhaps best remembered for his five-year (1996–2001) tenure with the New York Knicks, who relied on his tight defense and streaky three-point shooting ability during their perennial runs to the NBA Playoffs. It was during this time that Childs helped lead the New York Knicks to the NBA Eastern Conference championship in 1999. He led the team in assists (6.1 per

neg: Athletics at the 2012 Summer Paralympics – Men's 100 metres T11 best. SB = seasonal best. "DQ" = disqualified. "DNS" = did not start. Athletics at the 2012 Summer Paralympics – Men's 100 metres T11 The Men's 100 metres T11 event for the 2012 Summer Paralympics took place at the London Olympic Stadium on 7 and 8 September. Prior to the competition, the existing World and Paralympic records were as follows. 7 September 2012, 12:13. Qual. rule: winner of each heat (Q) plus the 7 fastest other times (q) qualified. 8 September 2012, 12:15. Qual. rule: winner of each heat (Q) plus best second place (q) qualified. Q = qualified by

neg: Sports in Texas and Texas hosts three NBA teams: the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets, and the Dallas Mavericks. All three have won championships, however the Spurs having won at least 50 games over the past 15 seasons and 5 NBA championships, are arguably the best professional franchise in Texas sports and are considered one of the best NBA franchises in history. The Houston Rockets did however distinguish themselves as the first team in Texas to win an NBA Championship and are currently the only team in Texas to have back-to-back NBA Championships. Texas is home to one WNBA team, the Dallas

neg: 2017 NBA Playoffs closer, but the Warriors still came out victors, going up 3–0 bringing them to 15–0 in the playoffs, the best ever start in NBA playoff history. The Cavs countered beating the Warriors 137–116 in Game four, with 86 points in the first half, setting an NBA Finals' record. On June twelfth, the Warriors bounced back and won game five at home 129-120, clinching the organization's fifth championship. Golden State's 16–1 record is an NBA playoff record since 03' for least games attempted to achieve an NBA championship. The title was all-star forward Kevin Durant's first and all-stars Stephen Curry's, Klay

neg: 1996 NBA Finals USA at the Atlanta Olympics. The Bulls would also defeat the Utah Jazz in six games in the 1998 NBA Finals. The Bulls' combined 87 wins in the regular season and postseason would stand as an NBA record until the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, coached by former Bull Steve Kerr, broke it with 88 total wins (thanks to the first round using a best-of-7 format instead of the best-of-5 in 1996), including a 73-9 regular season mark. However, the Warriors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, failing to repeat as champions after beating the same Cavaliers

neg: Big Three (San Antonio Spurs) the two combined for 48 points—25 from Duncan, 23 from Ginóbili—to take an 81–74 win in Game 7 to win the second NBA Championship of the "Big Three" era. The voting for the NBA Finals MVP award was very close between Duncan and Ginóbili, but Duncan ultimately won his third NBA Finals MVP award. During the 2005–06 NBA season, the "Big Three" was a part of the Spurs team that was able to make it to a franchise-best record of 63–19 and the best record in the Western Conference. Duncan averaged 18.6, Parker averaged 18.9 points and the third member

neg: Vlade Divac on the other team by purposely falling to the floor upon contact with an opposing player. Veteran NBA forward P. J. Brown claimed that Divac might have been the best of all time at flopping. Divac freely admitted doing so, adding that he usually did it when he felt like the officials had missed some calls and owed him. However, when the NBA instituted anti-flopping penalties in 2012, Divac expressed his support for such rules, stating that he felt players after him were "overdo[ing] it" with respect to flopping. Ian Thomsen, a "Sports Illustrated" columnist, grouped Divac with fellow international

neg: Double (basketball) An earlier player, Jackie Spencer of Louisville, accomplished the feat against Cincinnati during the 1984–85 season, but the NCAA did not record assists and steals throughout Division I women's basketball at that time. The Metro Conference, then home to both schools, did officially record these statistics, but the NCAA did not start doing so until 1985–86 for assists and 1987–88 for steals. Quadruple-doubles have only been possible since the 1973–74 season, when the NBA started recording both blocked shots and steals. It is often speculated by observers that other all-time greats, namely Oscar Robertson (all time triple-doubles leader with 181),

neg: Playoff format for the first three finishers in each of the league's four divisions to enter the postseason, but the first-place teams drew byes and did not play any best-of-three series; the postseason then proceeded as the NBA's did, with the second and all later rounds being best-of-seven. This remained the case until the 1979–80 season, when the NHL expanded its playoff field to 16 after absorbing four teams from the defunct World Hockey Association in a semi-merger, whereupon the byes were abolished and all 16 qualifying teams participated in the first round, which was lengthened to best-of-five. In both the NBA

neg: Earl Strom this role through his first stint in the NBA. He felt this "day job" provided security to his family since officiating in the NBA did not at the time. Strom became an NBA referee with the start of the 1957–58 NBA season after accepting an invitation to join the league from Jocko Collins, supervisor of officials. He further developed his skills in the league by learning from other officials such as Mendy Rudolph, Norm Drucker, and Sid Borgia. Strom ascended to the top of the officiating ladder by the end of his third season in the league as he was

neg: Yuta Tabuse ever to play in an NBA regular season game. However, he was waived by the Suns on December 16, 2004 after playing in four games and rejoined the Jam for the remainder of the season. In 2005, Tabuse signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, but was waived before the start of the regular season. That fall, Tabuse appeared on a limited edition cover of "NBA Live" video game in Japan, even though he did not play a single NBA regular season game. That year, he was drafted by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League (D-League) and averaged 6.5

neg: Randal Falker him MVP honors at the Missouri Valley Conference. As a junior, the 6-foot-7-inch forward averaged 12.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Salukis. Falker led the league in blocked shots and helped SIU advance to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA basketball tournament. After not being drafted at the NBA's 2008 NBA draft, Falker decided to start his pro career in Europe, and signed in the summer of 2008 with Cholet Basket (French Pro A League), where he became a major player of the team, under head coach Erman Kunter, and one of the best rebounders of

neg: NBA playoffs the 2–7 and 3–6 winners. The two winners advance to the third round, or conference finals. The winner from each conference will advance to the final round, or the NBA Finals. All rounds are best-of-seven series. Series are played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6, with games 5–7 being played if needed. This format has been used since 2014, after NBA team owners unanimously voted to change from a 2–3–2 format on October 23, 2013. The most common criticism of

neg: Al Jefferson Game 4 because of the injury. On June 4, 2014, Jefferson was named to the 2014 All-NBA third team. After kicking back into form in 2013–14 with his best averages since 2008–09, Jefferson continued to thrive with the young, newly named Charlotte Hornets in 2014–15. On November 7, 2014, Jefferson scored a season-high 34 points in the Hornets' 122–119 double overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks to move to a record of 3–3. Despite the great win and a promising start to the season, the Hornets went on to lose the next 12 out of 13 games, with a 10-game

neg: Brandon Fortenberry Brandon Fortenberry Brandon Fortenberry (born May 18, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for Balkan Botevgrad of the Bulgarian National Basketball League. He played college basketball for Southeastern Louisiana University Fortenberry was selected by the Bakersfield Jam in the round 6 of the 2013 NBA Development League Draft. He left the Jam before the start of the season. He did not played pro basketball from 2013 to 2015. For the 2015–16 season he signed with Balkan Botevgrad of the Bulgarian NBL. In 33 games he averaged 13.4 points per game. He was named the best foreign player in the