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2005 NBA Finals
2005 NBA Finals logo
Team Coach Wins
San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich 4
Detroit Pistons Larry Brown 3
Dates: June 9–23
MVP: Tim Duncan
(San Antonio Spurs)
Hall of Famers Spurs:
Tim Duncan (2020)
Manu Ginóbili (2022)
Tony Parker (2023)
Pistons:
Ben Wallace (2021)
Chauncey Billups (2024)
Coaches:
Larry Brown (2002)
Gregg Popovich (2023)
Officials:
Dick Bavetta (2015)
Eastern Finals: Pistons defeated Heat, 4–3
Western Finals: Spurs defeated Suns, 4–1
NBA Finals
2004
2006

The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2004–05 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs.

The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs played the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons for the title, with the Spurs holding home-court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. (Unlike the previous three rounds, the team with home-court advantage hosted games one, two, six, and seven if all were necessary). The Spurs won the series four games to three in the first NBA Finals to go to a Game 7 since 1994 and the last until 2010, winning their third NBA championship. It also marked the Pistons' first NBA Finals loss since 1988.

Tim Duncan was named the NBA Finals MVP of the championship series for the third and final time in his career.

The games were broadcast on ABC, with Al Michaels and Hubie Brown commentating. National radio coverage was provided by ESPN Radio through announcers Jim Durham and Dr. Jack Ramsay.

2005 NBA Playoffs[]

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San Antonio Spurs (Western Conference Champion) Detroit Pistons (Eastern Conference Champion)
59–23 (.720)

1st Southwest, 2nd West, 2nd Overall

Regular season 54–28 (.659)

1st Central, 2nd East, 5th Overall

Defeated the (7) Denver Nuggets, 4–1 First Round Defeated the (7) Philadelphia 76ers,
4–1
Defeated the (3) Seattle SuperSonics, 4–2 Conference Semifinals Defeated the (6) Indiana Pacers, 4–2
Defeated the (1) Phoenix Suns, 4–1 Conference Finals Defeated the (1) Miami Heat, 4–3

Series summary[]

Game Date Home Team Result Away Team
Game 1 June 9 San Antonio 84–69 Detroit
Game 2 June 12 San Antonio 97–76 Detroit
Game 3 June 14 Detroit 96–79 San Antonio
Game 4 June 16 Detroit 102–71 San Antonio
Game 5 June 19 Detroit 95–96 (OT) San Antonio
Game 6 June 21 San Antonio 86–95 Detroit
Game 7 June 23 San Antonio 81–74 Detroit

Background[]

Both teams competing were considered to be defensively-oriented. The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons ranked first and second, respectively, in the fewest points allowed during the regular season. Although the Spurs are also considered to be capable of high-scoring games, the Pistons recorded few high-scoring games during the regular season.

This series was the first Finals to feature the previous two champions since the 1987 Finals. In that series, the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rivalry was in full swing, and the Celtics and Lakers were able to come to a rubber match after each having won one Finals series from the other in 1984 and 1985.

Going into the 2005 Finals, the Spurs had won two championships (1999 and 2003), while Detroit had three (1989, 1990, and 2004). The 2004 Championship was often ascribed to a fluke by sportswriters, because the Lakers were at the time considered one of the league's most offensive-minded and élite teams, but were crumbling as a result of internal quabbles and selfish play. Others have countered that Detroit's defense outplayed the Lakers' offense, thereby vindicating the Detroit franchise. Further, the Detroit team-oriented offense often dominated a Lakers team ridden with selfish play and the well-publicized tension between superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

The Spurs finished five games ahead of the Pistons during the regular season. Historically, NBA teams in this position have posted a 19-8 record. Both teams, though, were ranked number two in their respective conferences, with the Phoenix Suns ranked number one in the West and the Miami Heat ranked number one in the East.

Sportswriters all across the country generally considered this one of the few too-close-to-call series to occur. Most picked the series to go to six or seven games.

The Spurs breezed through the playoffs with relative ease, compared to the Pistons. They defeated the Nuggets 4-1 to open the playoffs. In that series, after trailing 1-0 after a home upset, they won four straight. The SuperSonics were then dispatched in six games. Phoenix was expected by many to put up a challenge, and many NBA legends of the past predicted them to take the Western Conference title. Contrary to this, the Spurs went up 3-0, and after the Suns staved off elimination one game, even with all the fans in Phoenix in Game 5 wanting a repeat of the Boston Red Sox comeback, the Spurs rose to bring the inevitable to pass.

The Pistons had to overcome more adversity. The opening round was fairly easy, a five-game victory over Philadelphia. Next, the Pistons faced the Indiana Pacers, one of the NBA's most resilient teams. Indiana was expected by most experts to falter and miss the playoffs after the Palace melee; however, the team, led by soon-to-retire Reggie Miller, still made the playoffs, defeating the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics. The Pacers, despite all their obstacles, put up a tough challenge, but in Game 6, it became apparent that Miller's storied career was over. A standing ovation came from the Conseco Fieldhouse crowd. Detroit next had to defeat conference winner Miami and star player Shaquille O'Neal. After winning Game 1, they fell behind 2-1 after three games and 3-2 after five games, but still rebounded in Game 6 on their home court. In Game Seven, Detroit overcame the odds and beat the Heat at American Airlines Arena and thus advanced to the NBA Finals for the second straight year.

Schedule[]

The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage's (San Antonio's) home court (SBC Center). This has been used in virtually all Major League Baseball best-of-seven playoff series since the founding of the league. The NBA, after experimenting it in the early years, only restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. As of yet, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format.

Features[]

The NBA, as has been done with every other NBA Finals, heavily advertised the series. In addition, the league attempted to qualify this series as the best ever. The teams were already deemed quality, so all that remained was quality in the other aspects of the game. Many fans discussed the NBA Finals on the NBA forums, and the league also sent many reporters and other officers to return the favour.

The NBA decided to track the noise levels at the stadium. After two games, the highest noise level recorded was 114 decibels, when Tim Duncan was introduced in Game 2, six away from the alleged maximum marking on the meter. Various Pistons fans made claims, in response, that during the three-game stretch at the Palace they would be so loud that they would blow the needle off the meter, in other words, getting the noise level past the fatal 120 mark.

The NBA also reported numerous Pistons fans who went into the SBC Center in games one and two. Spurs fans, in return, promised to remain loyal to their team in the three middle games in Detroit. Such "battleline-crossing" fans often receive abuse everywhere they travel, especially if they can be identified by team uniforms or other gear. Magic Johnson once stated, at the height of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, that upon landing in Boston he was immediately surrounded by zealous fans that hated him. He also reports that Bird received similar attention in Los Angeles. However, he said, when the teams were landing at home, a different type of mob surrounded them: those that were in support of them. The noise levels were expectedly very loud.

External links[]

Page on Wikipedia

Preceded by
2004
NBA Finals
2005
Succeeded by
2006
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