The Lakers–Pistons rivalry is an American

professional basketball In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger a ...

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

between the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

and

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. This rivalry, which was showcased three times in the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

( 1988,

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

), pitted the

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

filled Lakers teams against the blue collar, team-first oriented Pistons squads. Despite playing the role of underdog in all three of their final round meetings with Los Angeles, Detroit enjoyed significant success against the Lakers, claiming the NBA title against them twice.

History

1950–1962

Prior to facing each other in the 1988,

, and 2004 Finals, the Lakers and Pistons squared off in nine postseason series between 1950 and 1962. Both teams originally came from the NBL, one of two predecessors of the NBA. The Lakers were originally the Detroit Gems before moving to

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, while the Pistons were originally based in

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...

before moving to Detroit. The Lakers, featuring stars such as

George Mikan George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (; June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of ...

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lak ...

, and

Jerry West Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...

, defeated the Pistons of Andy Phillip, George Yardley, and Earl Lloyd in eight of the nine playoff meetings. The Lakers would appear in seven NBA Finals and won five titles during that era. The only Pistons victory came in the playoffs, en route to their first of two consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. After 1962, the Pistons declined from prominence and would not return to title contention until the mid-1980s with the arrivals of

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III ( ; born April 30, 1961), also known as "Zeke", is an American former professional basketball player who is head coach of the Saginaw Soul of the Basketball Super League, and also an analyst for NBA TV and Fox Sports. H ...

Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could play either shooting guard or point guard on offense and was ...

, Bill Laimbeer, and coach

Chuck Daly Charles Jerome Daly (July 20, 1930 – May 9, 2009) was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1989 and 1990—during the team's "Bad Boys" era— ...

. Meanwhile, the Lakers appeared in 12 of the next 25 NBA Finals and won five titles behind players such as Baylor, West,

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...

, and

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...

. Prior to 1978, the Pistons and Lakers were both members of the Western Division/Conference in all but three seasons. Detroit moved to the Eastern Conference before the 1978–79 season, and both teams are currently guaranteed to meet only twice per season.

1988

The Lakers and Pistons renewed their acquaintances in the

1988 NBA Finals The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1987–88 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers de ...

. Los Angeles swept the San Antonio Spurs in the opening round, but they needed 7 games to knock off both the Utah Jazz in the Western semifinals and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Still, the Lakers, who finished the season with a 62–20 record, were heavily favored to defeat the Pistons and become the first team since the

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

to repeat as NBA champions. Detroit finished their campaign with a 54–28 record, they defeated the Washington Bullets in the opening round and the Chicago Bulls in the conference semifinals, both in five games each. They survived a tough, 6-game Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics to reach the final round. The series started out with a customary kiss between

and

, who were close friends off the court. However, there would soon be no love lost between both teams. After defeating the Lakers with a 105–93 shocker in Game 1 at The L.A. Forum, the Pistons fought hard with Los Angeles and even took a 3–2 series lead heading into Game 6, which proved to be a classic battle, with Isiah Thomas overcoming a badly sprained ankle to score 25 points in the 3rd quarter. However, the contest ended on a sour note for Detroit. With the Pistons leading 102–101 with 14 seconds left, a controversial foul was called on Bill Laimbeer, enabling

to go to the foul line, which has since been dubbed the Phantom Foul. The legend calmly sank two free throws, giving the Lakers a 103–102 victory and helping Los Angeles force a Game 7. Despite a valiant effort by the Pistons, the Lakers managed to escape with a 108–105 win in the deciding game and capture their 5th NBA title of the 1980s.

James Worthy James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Wor ...

scored 36 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in the seventh game, and was named the

NBA Finals MVP The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of eleven medi ...

for his efforts.

1989

Both the Pistons and Lakers were considered to be the two best teams in the NBA entering the

1989 NBA Finals The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1988–89 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Ea ...

. Behind the no-nonsense leadership of head coach

, Detroit finished with a franchise best 63–19 record, which was also the best record in the league. After sweeping both the Boston Celtics 3–0 in the first round, and the Milwaukee Bucks 4–0 in the second round, the Pistons eliminated

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

and the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Meanwhile, Los Angeles suffered slight slippage in the regular season, finishing with a 57–25 record. However, the Lakers, who still finished first in the Western Conference, compiled an outstanding 11–0 record in the postseason, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Phoenix Suns en route to the finals. Magic Johnson also earned his second NBA MVP award (Johnson, who had already won the award in 1987, would receive his third NBA MVP title in 1990). As the finals began, L.A. was once again favored to eliminate Detroit and successfully three-peat as champions. However, the Pistons were determined to prove that they were ready to overcome the sting of coming up short the previous year, and win the NBA title. L.A.'s hopes for another championship took a turn for the worse when

Byron Scott Byron Antom Scott (born March 28, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a role player, Scott won three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during the ...

and Johnson both suffered season-ending hamstring injuries. The Pistons' physical style of play and superior defense also proved to be too much for the Lakers to overcome, as Detroit swept Los Angeles in 4 games and captured their 1st ever NBA Championship. Pistons shooting guard

was awarded NBA Finals MVP honors. After the series, Abdul-Jabbar retired. The series would also turn out to be the final time that

Pat Riley Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also se ...

would make an appearance in the NBA Finals as head coach of the Lakers. This also marked the first time that the NBA Finals ended in a 4-game sweep since the Finals went to the current 2–3–2 format back in 1985. The Pistons successfully defended their crown the following season. They defeated the Trail Blazers in the

1990 NBA Finals The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1989–90 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series pitted the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Detr ...

4–1 to repeat as NBA champions.

2004

A whole new of generation of Pistons and Lakers would meet as they squared off again in the

2004 NBA Finals The 2004 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship round of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2003–04 NBA season, 2003–04 season, and the conclusion of the 2004 NBA playoffs, season's playoffs. This season's NBA Finals was contest ...

. Los Angeles originally entered the 2003–04 NBA season on a mission to win the championship, due to a multi-talented roster featuring 4 NBA superstars:

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

Gary Payton Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...

, and

Karl Malone Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone spen ...

. Despite trying to meet high expectations and getting off to a promising start, the Lakers suffered through injuries and turmoil throughout the campaign; Malone struggled with a knee injury which he had to have surgery on, and was limited to playing only 42 games. Payton never grew comfortable learning the nuances of head coach

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...

's triangle offense. Finally, O'Neal and Bryant spent the whole season feuding over who was a more valuable player for the Lakers. Nevertheless, Los Angeles finished with a 56–26 record, winning the Pacific Division title on the last day of the season. Next, the Lakers eliminated the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Minnesota Timberwolves to win the Western Conference crown. The Pistons also struggled through the early part of their season as well. However, their fortunes soon improved vastly thanks to the February acquisition of

Rasheed Wallace Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. A native of Philadelphia, Wallace played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before declaring for the draft in 1995. ...

via trade, and the firm guidance of head coach Larry Brown. Detroit finished with a 54–28 record. Then, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and Indiana Pacers en route to the Eastern Conference title. Just like they had in both 1988 & 1989, the Lakers entered the NBA Finals as the clear favorite to win the championship. Still, the Pistons were not discouraged by their underdog status, stunning Los Angeles with a Game 1 win in L.A. The Lakers pulled out an overtime victory over Detroit in Game 2, thanks to Bryant's game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation, enabling L.A. to eventually tie the series. However, as the series shifted to Detroit, the Pistons imposed their will on the Lakers. Their commitment to team basketball and tough, physical defense proved to be insurmountable. L.A.'s title dreams were dashed when Malone reinjured his knee in Game 4, and was unable to suit up for the Lakers in Game 5. The Pistons convincingly won the next 3 games at the

Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly known as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shock of the ...

, and won the series 4–1, capturing their 3rd NBA title overall. At the end of the series,

Al Michaels Alan Richard Michaels (born November 12, 1944) is an American television play-by-play sportscaster for '' Thursday Night Football'' on Amazon Prime Video and in an emeritus role for NBC Sports. He has worked on network sports television sin ...

, who was serving as the play-by-play announcer for the ''

NBA on ABC Television broadcasts of the National Basketball Association (NBA) games were first broadcast by American broadcast network ABC from January 3, 1965 to May 10, 1973. Broadcasts produced by ABC Sports (later ESPN on ABC) returned on December 25 ...

'' during the finals, observed that even though the Lakers had

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

players, the Pistons beat L.A. by using players that nobody else wanted.

Chauncey Billups Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball with ...

, the Pistons' point guard, won the NBA Finals MVP Award. Billups became the first Finals MVP recipient since former Pistons star Joe Dumars to have won the award before making his first NBA All-Star team. Like Dumars, Billups would eventually go on to make multiple appearances in the NBA All-Star Game.

2021: Malice at the Palace 2

On November 21, 2021, two days after the 17th anniversary of the infamous Malice at the Palace, the rivalry got reignited following a brawl that occurred during a game in Detroit. The incident occurred in the third quarter when the Lakers'

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...

and the Pistons' Isaiah Stewart were jostling for position during a free throw. Their arms appeared to get intertwined and James swung his elbow, striking Stewart, who quickly had blood streaming from above his eye. Stewart was guided away from the spot where the contact occurred by teammates and coaches, though he appeared to become more incensed along the way. He then tried to double back multiple times and run toward James. Stewart was assessed two technical fouls, while James was assessed a flagrant foul 2, and both players were ejected. The next day the NBA announced James had been suspended one game for "recklessly hitting" Pistons' center Stewart in the face during their altercation, while Stewart had been suspended two games for "escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing" James.

Season-by-season results

, - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers and Pistons join the

Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (United States), National Basketball Lea ...

(BAA) from the National Basketball League (NBL) and are placed in the Western Division.
Lakers win 1949 BAA Finals. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , Basketball Association of America and National Basketball League merge to become the

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 Ca ...

(NBA).
Lakers and Pistons briefly join the Central Division. , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1950 Central Division Finals , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 1st NBA playoff meeting.
Lakers would go on to win

1950 NBA Finals The 1950 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s inaugural 1949–50 season following the merger of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America ...

. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers and Pistons move back to the Western Division. Neutral site game was played at Milwaukee Arena,

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

.
Lakers finish with the best record in the league (). , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site game was played at St. Paul Auditorium, St. Paul,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

.
Lakers win

1952 NBA Finals The 1952 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1952 NBA playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1951–52 season. The Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Divisi ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at * St. Paul Auditorium * War Memorial Coliseum,

* Milwaukee Arena. Lakers finish with the best record in the league (). , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1953 Western Division Finals , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 2nd NBA playoff meeting.
Lakers would go on to win

1953 NBA Finals The 1953 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1953 NBA playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1952–53 season. The Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Divis ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at * Milwaukee Arena *

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins men's basketball, Canisius Golden Griffins (Nationa ...

, Buffalo,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

.
Lakers finish with the best record in the league (). , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1954 Western Division Round-Robin , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , , style=";" , Lakers, , Only season in NBA history to use round-robin playoff format. Lakers advance by finishing first, while the Pistons were eliminated, finishing last.
Lakers would go on to win 1954 NBA Finals. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at * Madison Square Garden (III),

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

* Minot State College Fieldhouse,

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...

* Elkhart High School,

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The population was 53,923 at the 2020 census. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana. It is the most populous city in the Elkhart–Goshen metropolitan area, which in tu ...

. * St. Louis Arena,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. * St. Paul Auditorium Pistons finish with the best record in the league (tied with the

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA ...

) (). , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1955 Western Division Finals , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 3rd NBA playoff meeting, first series win for the Pistons.
Pistons would go on to lose 1955 NBA Finals. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (later ...

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Kiel Auditorium Kiel Auditorium was an indoor arena located in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the Saint Louis University basketball team, and hosted the NBA's St. Louis Hawks from 1955 to 1968. From 1913 to 1930, the site was home to Charles H. Tu ...

. Pistons lose 1956 NBA Finals. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *

Rochester Community War Memorial Blue Cross Arena, also known as the War Memorial, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Rochester, New York. For hockey and lacrosse, its seating capacity is 10,662. The arena opened on October 18, 1955, as the Rochester Community War Memor ...

, Rochester,

Winnipeg Arena Winnipeg Arena was an indoor arena located in the Polo Park district of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The arena was the city's premier ice hockey venue from 1955 to 2004 and is best remembered as the home of the first Winnipeg Jets franchise, whi ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

* St. Louis Arena. , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1957 Western Division Semifinals , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 4th NBA playoff meeting.
Last season Pistons played as a Fort Wayne team. , - , , Tie , , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at * Madison Square Garden (III) * Convention Hall,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

* Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center. Pistons relocate to

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at * Madison Square Garden (III) * Madison Square Garden (III) * Kiel Auditorium

makes his debut for the Lakers. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1959 Western Division Semifinals , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 5th NBA playoff meeting, first for the Pistons in Detroit.
Lakers would go on to lose 1959 NBA Finals. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , Tie, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *Madison Square Garden (III) *St. Paul Auditorium , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1960 Western Division Semifinals , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 6th NBA playoff meeting.
Last season Lakers played as a Minneapolis team. , - , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *

Cow Palace The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena and events center located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through t ...

Daly City, California Daly City () is the second-most populous city in San Mateo County, California, United States. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and immediately south of San Francisco (sharing its northern border with almost all of San Francisco's southern ...

* Memorial Coliseum,

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

*Memorial Coliseum, Portland *Convention Hall *Madison Square Garden (III) Lakers relocate to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

makes his debut for the Lakers. , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1961 Western Division Semifinals , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 7th NBA playoff meeting, first for the Lakers in Los Angeles.
, - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *Madison Square Garden (III) *

Minneapolis Auditorium Minneapolis Auditorium was an indoor arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It hosted the National Basketball Association, NBA's Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 until they moved to the Minneapolis Armory in 1959. The arena held 10,000 people and was built ...

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

*War Memorial Coliseum , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1962 Western Division Finals , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , , style=";" , Lakers, , 8th NBA playoff meeting.
Lakers record their 100th win over the Pistons.
Lakers would go on to lose

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 champio ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *Madison Square Garden (III) *War Memorial Coliseum * Veterans Memorial Auditorium,

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

.
Lakers win 13 straight games against the Pistons (1962–1963).
Lakers lose the

1963 NBA Finals The 1963 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1963 NBA playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1962–63 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Ang ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *Minneapolis Auditorium *War Memorial Coliseum * Sports Arena,

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at * Civic Arena,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Cleveland Arena Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL team, the Cleveland Barons. The ar ...

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

.
Lakers lose

1965 NBA Finals The 1965 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1965 NBA playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1964–65 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Ang ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site game was played at War Memorial Coliseum. Lakers lose

1966 NBA Finals The 1966 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1966 NBA playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1965–66 season. The Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics faced the Western Division ...

. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Pistons, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , Neutral site games were played at *

Montreal Forum Montreal Forum () is a historic building located facing Cabot Square, Montreal, Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the home o ...

Montréal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Québec Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...

*Madison Square Garden (III). Last season the rivalry is played at a neutral site. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , Pistons move to the Eastern Division. Last season Lakers played at

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...

. On December 31, 1967, Lakers open The Forum.
Lakers lose the

1968 NBA Finals The 1968 NBA World Championship Series pitted the Boston Celtics from the East, against the Los Angeles Lakers from the West, for the sixth time in ten years. The Celtics won their tenth NBA Championship in twelve seasons, by defeating the Laker ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers lose

1969 NBA Finals The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968–69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The Lakers were heavily favored due to the presence of three formidable stars: Elgin Baylo ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , style=";" , Lakers, , Pistons record their 100th win over the Lakers. Lakers lose

1970 NBA Finals The 1970 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1970 NBA playoffs, which concluded the 1969–70 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Eastern Division champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Divi ...

. Elgin Baylor played his final game in this rivalry on March 20, 1970. He missed all ten meetings across the next two seasons before retiring. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers are placed in the Western Conference and the Pacific Division.
Pistons move back to the Western Conference, but are placed in the Midwest Division. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers finish with the best record in the league ().
Lakers win 1972 NBA Finals. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers lose

1973 NBA Finals The 1973 NBA Championship Series was the championship series of the 1972–73 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the culmination of that season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Co ...

. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , Jerry West played his final game in this rivalry on December 2, 1973. He missed four meetings the rest of the season before retiring. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=";" , Pistons, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, ,

makes his debut for the Lakers. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers finish with the best record in the league (). , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Lakers, , Pistons move from the Midwest Division in the Western Conference to the Central Division in the Eastern Conference. Last season where the Lakers and Pistons faced each other more than two games per season. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers
138–122 , style=";" , Lakers
123–100 , style=";" , Lakers, ,

make his debut for the Lakers.
Lakers win

1980 NBA Finals The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1979–80 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the ...

. , - , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
117–108 , style=", Lakers
111–102 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
123–111 , style=", Lakers
130–127 , style=";" , Lakers, ,

makes his debut for the Pistons.
Lakers win

1982 NBA Finals The 1982 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1981–82 season, the top level of competition in men's professional basketball in North America. The series saw the Western Con ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
127–112 , style=", Lakers
122–108 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers lose

1983 NBA Finals The 1983 NBA World Championship Series, also known as Showdown '83, was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1982–83 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It was the last NBA Championship Ser ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=", Pistons
121–118 , style=", Lakers
118–114 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers lose

1984 NBA Finals The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1983–84 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Wes ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
148–130 , style=", Pistons
121–98 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers win

1985 NBA Finals The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference pl ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
132–119 , style=", Pistons
118–115 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
128–111 , style=", Pistons
119–114 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers finish with the best record in the league (). Lakers win

1987 NBA Finals The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1986–87 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the defending NBA ch ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
117–110 , style=", Lakers
106–104 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers finish with the best record in the league ().
Last season Pistons play in the

Pontiac Silverdome The Pontiac Silverdome (also known as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, the fi ...

. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,

, style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , 9th NBA playoff meeting, first in the NBA finals.
First and only time in the rivalry to go to game seven. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=", Pistons
110–96 , style=", Pistons
119–110 , style=";" , Lakers, , Pistons open up

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly known as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shock of the ...

.
Pistons finish with the best record in the league (). , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,

, style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , 10th NBA playoff meeting, second in the NBA finals.
First and only sweep in the rivalry.
Final season for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. , - , , Tie , , style=", Pistons
108–97(OT) , style=", Lakers
107–97 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers finish with the best record in the league ().
Pistons win

. , - , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
114–90 , style=", Lakers
102–96 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers lose 1991 NBA Finals. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=", Pistons
98–93 , style=", Pistons
112–93 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , style=", Pistons
106–101 , style=", Lakers
123–121 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
105–97 , style=", Lakers
99–93 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers record their 200th win over the Pistons. Final season for Isiah Thomas. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
105–96 , style=", Lakers
115–98 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
87–82 , style=", Lakers
101–98 , style=";" , Lakers, , Final season for Magic Johnson. , - , , Tie , , style=", Pistons
100–97(2OT) , style=", Lakers
109–102 , style=";" , Lakers, ,

makes his debut for the Lakers. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
96–89 , style=", Lakers
105–103(OT) , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
101–93 , style=", Lakers
110–82 , style=";" , Lakers, , Due to a delayed Collective Bargaining Agreement, Lakers and Pistons did not play in the 1998 NBA season.
Lakers open up

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...

(now known as Crypto.com Arena).
Lakers finish with the best record in the league ().
Lakers win

2000 NBA Finals The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conferen ...

. , - , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
112–88 , style=", Lakers
125–119(OT) , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers win

2001 NBA Finals The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2000–01 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers to ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
94–82 , style=", Lakers
121–92 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers win

2002 NBA Finals The 2002 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2001–02 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Lo ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
95–85 , style=", Pistons
111–88 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
94–89 , style=", Pistons
106–96 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,

, style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Pistons, , style=";" , Lakers, , 11th NBA playoff meeting, third in the NBA finals. First NBA Finals series in the rivalry to take place in the 21st century. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=", Pistons
111–90 , style=", Pistons
103–81 , style=";" , Lakers, , Pistons lose

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

. , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
105–94 , style=", Pistons
102–93 , style=";" , Lakers, , Pistons finish with the best record in the league (). , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=", Pistons
97–83 , style=", Pistons
93–78 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
103–91 , style=", Pistons
90–89 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers lose

2008 NBA Finals The 2008 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 NBA season, 2007–08 season and conclusion of 2008 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. A best-of-seven playoff series that was ...

. , - , , Tie , , style=", Pistons
106–95 , style=", Lakers
92–77 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers win

2009 NBA Finals The 2009 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2008–09 season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. A best-of-seven playoff series starting on June 4 and concluding on June 14, 2009, ...

. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
106–93 , style=", Lakers
93–81 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers win

2010 NBA Finals The 2010 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2009–10 NBA season, 2009–10 season and conclusion of 2010 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs, held from June 3 to 17, 2010. A best-of ...

. , - , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
108–83 , style=", Lakers
103–90 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , , style=", Pistons
88–85 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lockout shortened season results in one game played between the rivals. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
108–79 , style=", Lakers
98–97 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
114–99 , style=", Lakers
106–102 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
93–85 , style=", Lakers
106–96 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
97–85 , style=", Pistons
111–91 , style=";" , Lakers, , Final season for Kobe Bryant. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=", Pistons
102–97 , style=", Pistons
121–102 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
113–93 , style=", Pistons
112–106 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
113–100 , style=", Pistons
111–97 , style=";" , Lakers, ,

signs with the Lakers. , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
106–99 , , style=";" , Lakers, , League shortened due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic.
Lakers win

2020 NBA Finals The 2020 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 NBA season, 2019–20 season and conclusion of 2020 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, th ...

. , - , - , , Tie , , style=", Lakers
135–129(2OT) , style=", Pistons
107–92 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
110–106 , style=", Lakers
121–116 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
128–121 , style=", Lakers
124–117 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=", Lakers
125–111 , style=", Lakers
133–107 , style=";" , Lakers, , Lakers win the inaugural 2023 NBA Cup. , - , , style=";" , Pistons , style=";" , , style=", Pistons
117–114 , style=", Pistons
115–103 , style=";" , Lakers, , , - , - , Regular season games , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , - , Postseason games , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , , , - , Postseason series , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , ,

: 1988,

Central Division Finals:

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

Western Division Finals:

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

Western Division Semifinals:

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

, - , Regular and postseason , style=";" , Lakers , style=";" , , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Lakers, , style=";" , Pistons, , There were 44 total Neutral site games played. , -

Individual Records

Top Scorers (Regular Season)

Per Game (Regular Season, min. 10 GP)

(LAL) – 29.0 (110 GP) #

(LAL) – 28.1 (99 GP) #

(LAL) – 26.9 (14 GP) #

(LAL) – 25.2 (10 GP) #

Bob Lanier Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played center (basketball), center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). L ...

(DET) – 23.9 (38 GP) #

(LAL) – 23.4 (35 GP)

Top Scorers (NBA Playoffs)

Per Game (NBA Playoffs)

(LAL) – 34.4 (16 GP) #

(LAL) – 26.6 (11 GP) #

(LAL) – 26.6 (5 GP) #

– 24.1 (9 GP) #

(LAL) – 23.3 (11 GP) #

(LAL) – 22.6 (5 GP) # Richard Hamilton (DET) – 21.7 (5 GP)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lakers-Pistons rivalry NBA rivalries Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Lakers

History

1950–1962

1988

1989

2004

2021: Malice at the Palace 2

Season-by-season results

Individual Records

Top Scorers (Regular Season)

Per Game (Regular Season, min. 10 GP)

Top Scorers (NBA Playoffs)

Per Game (NBA Playoffs)

See also

References