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List Of NBA Rivalries
Throughout more than 76 seasons, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has had many intense rivalries. This article lists some of the famous rivalries in the NBA. Rivalries are classified into three primary groups; intradivisional, interdivisional, and interconference. Intradivisional rivalries comprise games between opponents in the same division. Since the 2004–05 NBA season, there are 30 teams in six divisions of five teams each. Each team plays each division opponent four times during the regular season (twice at home, twice away) for a total of 16 games out of 82 total regular season games. Interdivisional rivalries comprise games between opponents in different divisions but within the same conference. A team plays against each team from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times. The total interdivisional games an NBA team plays is 36. Conference games are often important, as a team's record in common games, as well as its overall record ag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mavericks–Rockets Rivalry
The Mavericks–Rockets rivalry also known as the Battle of Texas, and the I-45 Rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets. As of the end of the 2025 NBA season, the Rockets lead the regular season series, 105-96. The two teams have met three times in the playoffs, with the Mavericks holding a 2-1 series record. History The Mavericks played their inaugural season in 1980, joining the Rockets in Texas, who had moved to Houston in the 1972 NBA season. Both teams joined the San Antonio Spurs as the three NBA teams in Texas. The teams first faced each other on October 29, 1980. Houston won the first matchup 109-103. The teams first met in the playoffs in 1988 in the first round. The Mavericks, the third seed, defeated the Rockets, the sixth seed, in five games. On April 11, 1995, the Mavericks defeated the Rockets 156–147 in double overtime. Two years later, the Rockets and Mavericks played the first-ever re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world. The league is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The NBA was created on August 3, 1949, with the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (United States), National Basketball League (NBL). The league later adopted the BAA's history and considers its founding on June 6, 1946, as its own. In 1976, the NBA and the American Basketball Association (ABA) ABA–NBA merger, merged, adding four franchises to the NBA. The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The NBA playoffs, league's playoff tournament extends into June, culminating with the NBA Finals championship series. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heat–Pacers Rivalry
The Heat–Pacers rivalry is a basketball rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The rivalry started in 1988 with the creation of the Heat franchise. The two organizations have faced each other five times in the NBA playoffs with Indiana winning their first matchup 4–2 in the 2004 Eastern Conference semifinals. Most recently, the rivalry was renewed when Miami swept Indiana in the 2020 Eastern Conference first round. During the early 2010s, both teams faced each other three consecutive years in 2012, 2013, and 2014, including back–to–back Eastern Conference Finals matchups. Miami's teams consisted of the " Big Three" (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh), while Indiana's core included star Paul George, David West, Roy Hibbert, Lance Stephenson, George Hill, and Danny Granger. The rivalry grew after several altercations occurred between core players from both teams throughout each series. They met once ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jazz–Rockets Rivalry
The Jazz–Rockets rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) List of National Basketball Association rivalries, rivalry between the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets. The rivalry began in the 1990s when the Rockets, led by dominant center Hakeem Olajuwon and college teammate Clyde Drexler, and the Jazz, led by the pick-and-roll duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton, were playoff powers in the Midwest Division (NBA), Midwest Division. The teams faced each other four times in the NBA playoffs during the decade. In all four instances, the winner was the eventual Western Conference champion and played in the NBA Finals. In 2007, the rivalry was restored as the two teams met again in the playoffs and a showdown of two of the best 1–2 combos of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming of the Rockets and Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer of the Jazz. In 2018, the rivalry was once again restored as the two teams met in the Western Conference Semifinals, where the Rockets won the series 4–1. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rockets–Spurs Rivalry
The Rockets–Spurs rivalry is an NBA rivalry between the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. It is considered one of the most bitter rivalries in the league due to both teams being in the same division, contested games, and close proximity. It is also known as the I-10 Rivalry since San Antonio and Houston lie on Interstate 10, it is one of the three National Basketball Association rivalries between teams from Texas, the others featuring Houston and San Antonio versus the Dallas Mavericks. Background The rivalry began in 1976, when the Spurs moved from the American Basketball Association along with the Denver Nuggets, New York Nets, and Indiana Pacers. The Rockets and Spurs competed for the division title, with the Rockets winning it first in 1977 and the Spurs in 1978 and 1979. In 1980, they met in the playoffs for the first time as the Rockets led by Moses Malone and Calvin Murphy beat the Spurs led by George Gervin and James Silas 2–1. The rivalry grew intense ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mavericks–Spurs Rivalry
The Mavericks–Spurs rivalry is an NBA rivalry between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs. It is an intense rivalry that often features contested games. It is also known as the I-35 Rivalry since San Antonio and Dallas lie on Interstate 35, it is one of the three National Basketball Association rivalries between teams from Texas, the others featuring Dallas and San Antonio versus the Houston Rockets. Background The Mavericks–Spurs rivalry is relatively new, emerging in the 2000s and early 2010s, but very fierce. It features two teams with Dallas roots—the Spurs began their life in the ABA as the Dallas Chaparrals and did not move to San Antonio until 1973. On October 11, 1980, the Mavs made their NBA debut by defeating the Spurs 103–92. The teams have met numerous times in the playoffs, with the Spurs defeating the Mavericks in 2001, 2003, 2010, and 2014, while the Mavericks defeated the Spurs in 2006 and 2009. The Spurs have won five championships and six confe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I-5 Rivalry
The I-5 rivalry was a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics. The two Pacific Northwest cities are 180 miles (290 km) apart and connected by Interstate 5. The rivalry ended in 2008 when the SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. On July 18, 2006, after unsuccessful efforts to persuade Washington state government officials to provide funding to update the SuperSonics' KeyArena, Howard Schultz and Basketball Club of Seattle LLP sold the SuperSonics and their sister team, the Women's National Basketball Association's Seattle Storm for $350 million to Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC), an investment group that was headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett. On April 18, 2008, NBA owners approved a potential SuperSonics' relocation to Oklahoma City in a 28–2 vote by the league's Board of Governors; only Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks and Paul Allen of the Trail Bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
