2004 NBA Playoffs

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The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003-04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court advantage. The Detroit Pistons won the 2004 NBA Playoffs by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the NBA Finals.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, after missing the playoffs their first seven seasons and losing in the first round the next seven years, won their first two playoff series in 2004 before falling to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

The Indiana Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since their NBA Finals run in 2000, after which they significantly changed the makeup of their team (yet continued to make the playoffs every year). Reggie Miller's clutch three-point shooting wasn't enough. Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Pistons proved to be pivotal, as Tayshaun Prince blocked an easy lay-up by Miller late in the game to preserve the victory for the Pistons; the Pistons won in six games.

The 2004 playoffs marked the first postseason appearance for the Memphis Grizzlies in their nine-year history which began as the Vancouver Grizzlies. However, they failed to win a single post-season game in their first three playoff appearances (2004, 2005, 2006) until in 2011, they won their first postseason victory.

This was the last playoff appearance for the New York Knicks until 2011, when they would be swept in the opening round.

2004 also saw the Utah Jazz missing the playoffs for the first time since 1983. The Portland Trail Blazers missed the playoffs after qualifying the previous 21 seasons.

This was the first playoff appearance for the Denver Nuggets since the 1994–95 season.

The New Orleans Hornets made their final postseason appearance as a member of the Eastern Conference. They would not make the postseason again until 2008, as a member of the Western Conference (the result of a realignment with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004-05 NBA season). Their playoff series with the Miami Heat, led by Dwyane Wade, was the last playoff series where the home team won all seven games until 2008's Boston-Atlanta and Boston-Cleveland playoff series.

2004 also marked the first time in 14 years that all Texas teams made the playoffs, and the second time (first in 10 years) that all former ABA teams made the playoffs.

1 Bracket
2 Playoff qualifying
- 2.1 Eastern Conference
  - 2.1.1 Best record in NBA
  - 2.1.2 Clinched a playoff berth
- 2.2 Western Conference
  - 2.2.1 Best record in conference
  - 2.2.2 Clinched a playoff berth
3 Eastern Conference
4 Western Conference
5 NBA Finals
- 5.1 (2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Detroit Pistons
6 External links

[edit] Bracket

First Round			Conference Semifinals			Conference Finals			NBA Finals

1	Indiana	4
8	Boston	0
			1	Indiana	4

			4	Miami	2
4	Miami	4

5	New Orleans	3
						1	Indiana	2
Eastern Conference
						3	Detroit	4
3	Detroit	4

6	Milwaukee	1
			3	Detroit	4

			2	New Jersey	3
2	New Jersey	4

7	New York	0
									E3	Detroit	4

									W2	L.A. Lakers	1
1	Minnesota	4

8	Denver	1
			1	Minnesota	4

			4	Sacramento	3
4	Sacramento	4

5	Dallas	1
						1	Minnesota	2
Western Conference
						2	L.A. Lakers	4
3	San Antonio	4

6	Memphis	0
			3	San Antonio	2

			2	L.A. Lakers	4
2	L.A. Lakers	4

7	Houston	1

[edit] Playoff qualifying

[edit] Eastern Conference

[edit] Best record in NBA

The Indiana Pacers clinched the best record in the NBA, and had home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.

[edit] Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

Indiana Pacers (clinched Central division)
New Jersey Nets (clinched Atlantic division)
Detroit Pistons
Miami Heat
New Orleans Hornets
Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks
Boston Celtics

[edit] Western Conference

[edit] Best record in conference

The Minnesota Timberwolves clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers gained home court advantage for the NBA Finals because the Lakers posted a better regular season record at 56-26 than the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons at 54-28.