2011 NBA playoffs

Postseason tournament

  • Chicago Bulls
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
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The 2011 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki was named NBA Finals MVP.

Overview

Western Conference

The San Antonio Spurs entered their fourteenth consecutive postseason. They also entered as the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2006, in addition to entering the postseason with 50+ regular season wins for the twelfth consecutive season.

The two-time defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers entered their sixth consecutive postseason. However, this would be their first since 2007 without posting the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Dallas Mavericks entered their eleventh consecutive postseason, and their eleventh straight appearance having won 50+ games in the regular season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs with their first Northwest Division title under this incarnation.

The Portland Trail Blazers entered their third consecutive postseason.

The New Orleans Hornets also returned to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. However, this was also their final postseason appearance before the franchise was renamed the Pelicans before the 2013–14 season. They lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, and would not return to the playoffs until 2015.

The Memphis Grizzlies also made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Unlike their previous three appearances, in which they were swept in the first round, The Grizzlies broke their trend by winning Game 1 of their series against the Spurs, their first playoff win in franchise history.

The Phoenix Suns, despite a run to the Western Conference finals last postseason, missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. This would also mark the start of a ten-season postseason drought for the Suns.

The Utah Jazz missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

The Denver Nuggets entered their eighth consecutive postseason and their first since 1995 without Carmelo Anthony on the roster.

Eastern Conference

The Chicago Bulls achieved several "firsts" since 1998: the East's best record, a Central Division title, and over 60 victories. They also clinched the NBA's best record for the first time since 1997, guaranteeing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Miami Heat entered their third consecutive postseason, and their first in the Big 3 era of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. They would also open the playoffs at home for the first time since 2006. Their in–state rivals, the Orlando Magic, entered their fifth consecutive postseason. In addition, for the first time, both franchises would open their playoff runs at home.

The New York Knicks made the playoffs for the first time since 2004, but this was their first playoff appearance as an above-.500 team since 2001. However, they were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round.

The Philadelphia 76ers appeared for the third time in four seasons. However, they lost in the first round to the Miami Heat.

The Indiana Pacers made the playoffs for the first time since 2006, despite posting a sub .500 record. However, they lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

First Round

By losing Game 1 of their series against the New Orleans Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers joined the San Antonio Spurs as the first top seeds to lose an opening game of the playoffs since the 16–team playoff format was introduced.

In Game 1 of the first round series between the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic tied a franchise record with 46 points (31 in the first half), tying Tracy McGrady's total in Game 2 of the 2003 First Round against the Detroit Pistons.

In Game 4 of their first round series against the Dallas Mavericks, the Portland Trail Blazers overcame a 23-point deficit to tie the series at 2. However, the Mavericks would go on to win the series in six games, giving the Trail Blazers their sixth consecutive first round series loss. They would not return to the playoffs until 2014.

With their first round win over the Denver Nuggets, the Oklahoma City Thunder won their first playoff series since relocating from Seattle. This also marked the first playoff series win for Kevin Durant.

With their first round sweep of the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics swept a best–of–7 playoff series for the first time since winning the 1986 Eastern Conference finals with a 4–game sweep of the Bucks; prior to the series win they had not swept a series overall since 1992, in Larry Bird's final season. However, they lost to the Miami Heat in the conference semifinals.

With their first round series victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat won their first playoff series since 2006, when they last won the NBA Championship. It also marked the first playoff series win for Erik Spoelstra as a head coach.

With their first round series win over the Indians Pacers, the Chicago Bulls won their first playoff series since 2007.

In Game 6 of their first round series against the San Antonio Spurs, the Memphis Grizzlies followed up their first playoff win by winning their first playoff series. They became the fourth eighth seeded team to beat a top seeded team in the first round, and the second team to do so since the first round expanded to a best–of–seven format in 2003. The Golden State Warriors were the most recent team to accomplish this feat.

With their series loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Orlando Magic became the first team coached by Stan Van Gundy to lose a first round playoff series.

For the first time since the current NBA Playoff format was introduced in 2003, no first-round series was pushed to a Game 7.

Conference semifinals

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks met in the playoffs for the first time since 1988. It also marked the lone postseason meeting that Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki would ever have. The series was extremely notable for the following reasons.

  • Game 1: The Dallas Mavericks overcame a 16-point fourth quarter deficit to win the game.
  • Game 2: The Los Angeles Lakers lost the first two games of a playoff series at home.
  • Game 3: The Los Angeles Lakers blew a 7-point fourth quarter lead to lose 92–98.
  • Game 4
    • The Dallas Mavericks set an NBA record with 20 three pointers (with Jason Terry shooting nine of them).
    • Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom getting ejected 45 seconds apart
    • With a 122–86 victory, the Dallas Mavericks not only swept the Los Angeles Lakers, but they also made the conference finals for the first time since 2006 (and fourth overall), and vindicated themselves following their shocking first round exit four years earlier.
    • This would also prove to be Phil Jackson's final game as an NBA head coach.
  • Their series loss to the Dallas Mavericks marked the Los Angeles Lakers’ first series loss despite having home court advantage since 1996. It also marked Phil Jackson's first time being swept in a playoff series.

Game 4 of the Heat–Celtics series was Shaquille O’Neal's final NBA game; he would announce his retirement three weeks later. It also marked the second time (the first being 2007) that his and Kobe Bryant's teams were eliminated in the same playoff series since the duo broke up in 2004.

With their conference semifinals win over the Atlanta Hawks, the Chicago Bulls returned to the conference finals for the first time since 1998, when they last made the NBA Finals.

Game 7 of the Grizzlies–Thunder series also ensured a 12th straight postseason with at least one Game 7 played. The last without one was the 1999 NBA playoffs. The 2011 Playoffs also marked the first time since 2007 that only one series went to a Game 7. That would not happen again until 2022. By winning this game, the Oklahoma City Thunder made their first Western Conference finals appearance since 1996 (when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics), and their first under the current incarnation.

Conference finals

For the first time since 2007, no #1 or #2 seed participated in the Western Conference finals.

With their Western Conference finals series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006.

With their Eastern Conference finals series win over the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006, guaranteeing an NBA Finals rematch with the Dallas Mavericks. It also marked the first time since 1990 that the Chicago Bulls lost an Eastern Conference finals series, and the first time since 1989 that the Bulls lost the ECF at home. As of 2023, this was the Bulls’ most recent Eastern Conference finals appearance.

NBA Finals

In a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, there were some extremely notable moments.

  • Game 2: The Dallas Mavericks came back from a fifteen-point deficit to win the game, 95–93. Ironically enough, they held a nine-point lead in the first half before falling behind in the second half. LeBron James only scored two points in the final quarter.
  • Game 4: LeBron James did not score any points in the fourth quarter as the Dallas Mavericks won, 86–83. Dirk Nowitzki, on the other hand, played despite having a fever.
  • Game 5: LeBron James scored only two points in the fourth quarter for the third time in four games, allowing the Dallas Mavericks to take a 3–2 series lead back to Miami.
  • Game 6: With the win, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win the championship. The Dallas Mavericks also became the first team in NBA History to win the NBA Finals despite trailing 1–0 and 2–1 in the same finals series. Dirk Nowitzki, despite shooting 1 for 12 in the first half of the game, was Finals MVP. The Mavericks would not win another playoff series until 2022.

Format

The 3 division winners and 5 other teams with the most wins from each conference qualified for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record. However, a division champion is guaranteed to be ranked at least fourth, regardless of their record and their winnings.

Tiebreak procedures

The tiebreakers that determined seedings were:

  1. Division leader wins tie against team not leading a division
  2. Head-to-head record
  3. Division record (if all tied teams are in the same division)
  4. Conference record
  5. Record vs. playoff teams, own conference (top 8 of the conference east/west) (including tied teams)
  6. Record vs. playoff teams, other conference (top 8 of the conference east/west) (including tied teams) (this tiebreaker does not apply if 3 or more tied teams)
  7. Point differential, all games

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference
Best record
in NBA
1 Chicago Bulls 62–20 March 9 March 9 April 8 April 13
2 Miami Heat 58–24 March 10 April 3
3 Boston Celtics 56–26 March 7 March 20
4 Orlando Magic 52–30 March 16
5 Atlanta Hawks 44–38 March 26
6 New York Knicks 42–40 April 3
7 Philadelphia 76ers 41–41 April 1
8 Indiana Pacers 37–45 April 6

Western Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference
1 San Antonio Spurs 61–21 March 9 April 3 April 6
2 Los Angeles Lakers 57–25[a] March 20 March 20
3 Dallas Mavericks 57–25[a] March 20
4 Oklahoma City Thunder 55–27 March 27 April 6
5 Denver Nuggets 50–32 April 3
6 Portland Trail Blazers 48–34 April 5
7 New Orleans Hornets 46–36[b] April 6
8 Memphis Grizzlies 46–36[b] April 8

— = Did not achieve

Notes

  1. ^ a b Los Angeles Lakers clinched #2 seed over Dallas Mavericks based on winning Pacific Division.
  2. ^ a b New Orleans Hornets clinched #7 seed over Memphis Grizzlies based on Southwest Division winning percentage. (.563 vs .500)

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage for the playoffs does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams with home court advantage are shown in italics. If two teams with same record met in a round use normal tiebreakers. Tiebreakers in NBA Finals are head-to-head and record vs opposite conference.

First Round Conference semifinals Conference finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Chicago* 4
E8 Indiana 1
E1 Chicago* 4
E5 Atlanta 2
E4 Orlando 2
E5 Atlanta 4
E1 Chicago* 1
Eastern Conference
E2 Miami* 4
E3 Boston* 4
E6 New York 0
E3 Boston* 1
E2 Miami* 4
E2 Miami* 4
E7 Philadelphia 1
E2 Miami* 2
W3 Dallas 4
W1 San Antonio* 2
W8 Memphis 4
W8 Memphis 3
W4 Oklahoma City* 4
W4 Oklahoma City* 4
W5 Denver 1
W4 Oklahoma City* 1
Western Conference
W3 Dallas 4
W3 Dallas 4
W6 Portland 2
W3 Dallas 4
W2 LA Lakers* 0
W2 LA Lakers* 4
W7 New Orleans 2
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

First round

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers

April 16
1:00 pm
Recap
Indiana Pacers 99, Chicago Bulls 104
Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 28–28, 24–20, 20–33
Pts: Danny Granger 24
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 8
Asts: Darren Collison 9
Pts: Derrick Rose 39
Rebs: Joakim Noah 11
Asts: Derrick Rose 6
Chicago leads series, 1–0
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,986
Referees: Joe Crawford, Violet Palmer, Bennett Salvatore
April 18
9:30 pm
Recap
Indiana Pacers 90, Chicago Bulls 96
Scoring by quarter: 18–17, 29–27, 20–23, 23–29
Pts: Danny Granger 19
Rebs: Hansbrough, McRoberts 6 each
Asts: Dunleavy, Granger 4 each
Pts: Derrick Rose 36
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 16
Asts: Derrick Rose 6
Chicago leads series, 2–0
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,480
Referees: Bob Delaney, Marc Davis, Rodney Mott
April 21
7:00 pm
Recap
Chicago Bulls 88, Indiana Pacers 84
Scoring by quarter: 21–17, 21–25, 23–22, 23–20
Pts: Derrick Rose 23
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 11
Asts: Luol Deng 6
Pts: Danny Granger 21
Rebs: Paul George 12
Asts: Collison, Dunleavy, George, Granger 2 each
Chicago leads series, 3–0
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Mike Callahan, John Goble, Ken Mauer
April 23
2:30 pm
Recap
Chicago Bulls 84, Indiana Pacers 89
Scoring by quarter: 19–23, 14–26, 23–18, 28–22
Pts: Joakim Noah 21
Rebs: Joakim Noah 14
Asts: Derrick Rose 10
Pts: Danny Granger 24
Rebs: Granger, Hibbert 10 each
Asts: Danny Granger 4
Chicago leads series, 3–1
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Scott Foster, David Jones, Michael Smith
April 26
8:00 pm
Recap
Indiana Pacers 89, Chicago Bulls 116
Scoring by quarter: 25–36, 21–18, 19–30, 24–32
Pts: Danny Granger 20
Rebs: Tyler Hansbrough 11
Asts: Darren Collison 5
Pts: Derrick Rose 25
Rebs: Joakim Noah 8
Asts: Deng, Watson 7 each
Chicago wins series, 4–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,822
Referees: Dan Crawford, Zach Zarba, Bill Kennedy
Regular-season series
Chicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series
December 13, 2010
Recap
Indiana Pacers 73, Chicago Bulls 92
January 29, 2011
Recap
Indiana Pacers 89, Chicago Bulls 110

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series[1]
Chicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series

This series pitted the team with the best record in the regular season against the team with the worst record in the playoffs. As such, this series was expected to be a very easy one for the Bulls. However, despite the Bulls winning 4–1, the series was more competitive than the outcome would indicate. Every game but the last was tightly contested; the first four games were each decided by six points or fewer. The series could easily have gone six or seven games had the Pacers been more successful in the closing moments of each of the first three games. However, the Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for just the second time since the Michael Jordan era (the first being 2007).

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers

April 16
3:30 pm
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 89, Miami Heat 97
Scoring by quarter: 31–19, 18–35, 20–26, 20–17
Pts: Thaddeus Young 20
Rebs: Thaddeus Young 11
Asts: Andre Iguodala 9
Pts: Chris Bosh 25
Rebs: LeBron James 14
Asts: James, Wade 5 each
Miami leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,600
Referees: Bob Delaney, Bill Spooner, Sean Wright
April 18
7:00 pm
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 73, Miami Heat 94
Scoring by quarter: 13–19, 18–30, 21–26, 21–19
Pts: Thaddeus Young 18
Rebs: Brand, Iguodala 7 each
Asts: Andre Iguodala 7
Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: Chris Bosh 11
Asts: LeBron James 6
Miami leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,204
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brown, Ron Garretson
April 21
8:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 100, Philadelphia 76ers 94
Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 29–23, 23–23, 27–19
Pts: Dwyane Wade 32
Rebs: LeBron James 15
Asts: Dwyane Wade 8
Pts: Elton Brand 21
Rebs: Elton Brand 10
Asts: Andre Iguodala 10
Miami leads series, 3–0
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Attendance: 20,404
Referees: Greg Willard, David Jones, Zach Zarba
April 24
1:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 82, Philadelphia 76ers 86
Scoring by quarter: 16–28, 31–18, 19–18, 16–22
Pts: LeBron James 31
Rebs: Dwyane Wade 8
Asts: LeBron James 6
Pts: Turner, Williams 17 each
Rebs: Elton Brand 11
Asts: Jrue Holiday 5
Miami leads series, 3–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Attendance: 19,048
Referees: Joe Crawford, David Guthrie, Dick Bavetta
April 27
7:00 pm
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 91, Miami Heat 97
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 19–18, 25–27, 24–25
Pts: Brand, Iguodala 22 each
Rebs: Iguodala, Turner 10 each
Asts: Jrue Holiday 8
Pts: Dwyane Wade 26
Rebs: Bosh, Wade 11 each
Asts: LeBron James 8
Miami wins series, 4–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,896
Referees: Steve Javie, Tony Brothers, Bennett Salvatore
Regular-season series
Miami won 3–0 in the regular-season series
October 27, 2010
Recap
Miami Heat 97, Philadelphia 76ers 87
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the 76ers.[2]

The newly revamped Heat, with the much-publicized off-season acquisitions of All-Stars and franchise players LeBron James and Chris Bosh, were heavy favorites going into this series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Along with Dwyane Wade, James and Bosh comprised the "Big 3" and were eager to show critics that they could compete in the playoffs after some slip-ups during the regular season (a 9–8 start, a five-game losing streak and a somewhat suspect record against the best teams in the league). However, many pundits believed that the end of the season showed the Heat playing the best they had all season. Although the Sixers offered some resistance, including some close losses and a come-from-behind victory in Game 4, the Heat were able to take it in five games and advance out of the first round for the first time since their NBA Championship in 2006.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks

April 17
7:00 pm
Recap
New York Knicks 85, Boston Celtics 87
Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 28–15, 13–20, 21–28
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 28
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 11
Asts: Anthony, Billups 4 each
Pts: Ray Allen 24
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 13
Asts: Rajon Rondo 9
Boston leads series, 1–0
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Jason Phillips, Tom Washington, Monty McCutchen
April 19
7:00 pm
Recap
New York Knicks 93, Boston Celtics 96
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 24–21, 22–30, 26–22
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 42
Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 17
Asts: Carmelo Anthony 6
Pts: Rajon Rondo 30
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 7
Boston leads series, 2–0
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, Michael Smith
April 22
7:00 pm
Recap
Boston Celtics 113, New York Knicks 96
Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 25–24, 34–19, 27–33
Pts: Paul Pierce 38
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 20
Pts: Shawne Williams 17
Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 11
Asts: Carmelo Anthony 6
Boston leads series, 3–0
Madison Square Garden, New York City
Attendance: 19,763
Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Gary Zielinski
April 24
3:30 pm
Recap
Boston Celtics 101, New York Knicks 89
Scoring by quarter: 29–23, 26–15, 27–34, 19–17
Pts: Kevin Garnett 26
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 32
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 12
Asts: Anthony Carter 4
Boston wins series, 4–0
Madison Square Garden, New York City
Attendance: 19,763
Referees: Mike Callahan, Derrick Collins, Ken Mauer
Regular-season series
Boston won 4–0 in the regular-season series
October 29, 2010
Recap
New York Knicks 101, Boston Celtics 105
December 15, 2010
Recap
Boston Celtics 118, New York Knicks 116
Madison Square Garden, New York City
March 21, 2011
Recap
Boston Celtics 96, New York Knicks 86
Madison Square Garden, New York City
April 13, 2011
Recap
New York Knicks 102, Boston Celtics 112

This was the 14th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning seven of the first 13 meetings.

Previous playoff series[3]
Boston leads 7–6 in all-time playoff series

Due to the Celtics' struggles at the end of the regular season and the star power of the Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, many observers predicted a first-round upset victory for New York. In the first two games, the Knicks were indeed able to show they could contend with the defending Eastern Conference champions. In Game 1, Ray Allen made a game-winning three-pointer after being freed up by a controversial screen. The Celtics captured Games 3 and 4 fairly easily as injuries to both Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups took their toll on the Knicks. This was the only sweep of the first round.

(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

April 16
7:00 pm
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 103, Orlando Magic 93
Scoring by quarter: 17–19, 38–29, 30–23, 18–22
Pts: Joe Johnson 25
Rebs: Josh Smith 8
Asts: Crawford, Johnson 5 each
Pts: Dwight Howard 46
Rebs: Dwight Howard 19
Asts: Hedo Türkoğlu 5
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 19,108
Referees: Scott Foster, Derrick Collins, Ron Garretson
April 19
7:30 pm
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 82, Orlando Magic 88
Scoring by quarter: 22–16, 20–32, 12–17, 28–23
Pts: Jamal Crawford 25
Rebs: Al Horford 10
Asts: Joe Johnson 5
Pts: Dwight Howard 33
Rebs: Dwight Howard 19
Asts: Hedo Türkoğlu 5
Series tied, 1–1
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 19,160
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Bill Spooner
April 22
8:00 pm
Recap
Orlando Magic 84, Atlanta Hawks 88
Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 17–26, 20–15, 22–22
Pts: Dwight Howard 21
Rebs: Dwight Howard 15
Asts: Jameer Nelson 10
Pts: Jamal Crawford 23
Rebs: Josh Smith 10
Asts: Joe Johnson 5
Atlanta leads series, 2–1
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,865
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Dick Bavetta, Leon Wood
April 24
7:00 pm
Recap
Orlando Magic 85, Atlanta Hawks 88
Scoring by quarter: 17–25, 20–21, 24–20, 24–22
Pts: Dwight Howard 29
Rebs: Dwight Howard 17
Asts: Jameer Nelson 6
Pts: Jamal Crawford 25
Rebs: Al Horford 12
Asts: Jamal Crawford 6
Atlanta leads series, 3–1
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,490
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy, Pat Fraher
April 26
7:30 pm
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 76, Orlando Magic 101
Scoring by quarter: 13–26, 22–32, 18–21, 23–22
Pts: Josh Smith 22
Rebs: Al Horford 14
Asts: Al Horford 6
Pts: Jason Richardson 17
Rebs: Dwight Howard 8
Asts: Jameer Nelson 5
Atlanta leads series, 3–2
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 19,091
Referees: Joe Crawford, Marc Davis, Jason Phillips
April 28
7:30 pm
Recap
Orlando Magic 81, Atlanta Hawks 84
Scoring by quarter: 18–23, 18–19, 19–20, 26–22
Pts: Dwight Howard 25
Rebs: Dwight Howard 15
Asts: Jameer Nelson 6
Pts: Joe Johnson 23
Rebs: Al Horford 12
Asts: Al Horford 6
Atlanta wins series, 4–2
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,282
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Michael Smith, Bill Kennedy
Regular-season series
Atlanta won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 8, 2010
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 89, Orlando Magic 93
December 6, 2010
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 80, Orlando Magic 74
December 20, 2010
Recap
Orlando Magic 81, Atlanta Hawks 91
March 30, 2011
Recap
Orlando Magic 82, Atlanta Hawks 85

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first two meetings.

Previous playoff series[4]
Orlando leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series

Despite defeating Orlando in three of their four regular-season meetings, the Atlanta Hawks were considered underdogs entering this series against the Magic, led by Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard. The Hawks were utterly unable to contain Howard in the first game; he scored 46 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. However, by limiting the contributions of the Magic's role players, Atlanta garnered a victory and stole the home-court advantage from the Magic. Although Orlando won the next game, better play by the Hawks down the stretch and the inability of the Magic to convert three-point shots gave the Hawks a 3–1 lead (the Magic shot 2-of–23 from beyond the arc in Game 4). The teams split the next two games and the Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third straight year.

Western Conference first round

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

April 17
1:00 pm
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 101, San Antonio Spurs 98
Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 18–21, 25–31, 31–24
Pts: Zach Randolph 25
Rebs: Zach Randolph 14
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 10
Pts: Tony Parker 20
Rebs: Tim Duncan 13
Asts: Tony Parker 5
Memphis leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy, Pat Fraher
April 20
8:30 pm
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 87, San Antonio Spurs 93
Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 27–24, 21–25, 22–27
Pts: Sam Young 17
Rebs: Marc Gasol 17
Asts: Conley, Mayo 4 each
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 17
Rebs: Tim Duncan 10
Asts: Tony Parker 7
Series tied, 1–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,760
Referees: Scott Foster, Ron Garretson, Leon Wood
April 23
7:30 pm
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 88, Memphis Grizzlies 91
Scoring by quarter: 20–29, 22–23, 24–19, 22–20
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 23
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Tim Duncan 6
Pts: Zach Randolph 25
Rebs: Marc Gasol 9
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 8
Memphis leads series, 2–1
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Greg Willard, Tom Washington, John Goble
April 25
8:00 pm
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 86, Memphis Grizzlies 104
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 24–27, 15–30, 21–26
Pts: Tony Parker 23
Rebs: Tiago Splitter 9
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 4
Pts: Mike Conley Jr. 15
Rebs: Gasol, Randolph 9 each
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 7
Memphis leads series, 3–1
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bill Spooner, Eric Lewis
April 27
8:30 pm
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 103, San Antonio Spurs 110 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 14–20, 28–30, 26–15, 29–32Overtime: 6–13
Pts: Zach Randolph 26
Rebs: Marc Gasol 17
Asts: Zach Randolph 6
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 33
Rebs: Tim Duncan 12
Asts: Tony Parker 9
Memphis leads series, 3–2
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Bob Delaney, David Jones, Ken Mauer
April 29
9:00 pm
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 91, Memphis Grizzlies 99
Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 27–22, 23–24, 25–29
Pts: Tony Parker 23
Rebs: Tim Duncan 10
Asts: Tony Parker 4
Pts: Zach Randolph 31
Rebs: Marc Gasol 13
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 3
Memphis wins series, 4–2
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Dan Crawford, Jason Phillips, Bennett Salvatore
Regular-season series
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
December 18, 2010
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 106, San Antonio Spurs 112

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series[5]
San Antonio leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series

The eighth-seeded Grizzlies won their first playoff game in franchise history by defeating the top-seeded Spurs 101–98 in Game 1. The Spurs evened the series in Game 2, but the Grizzlies won Games 3 and 4 to take a 3–1 lead. With San Antonio 1.7 seconds away from elimination in Game 5, Gary Neal connected on a three-point buzzer beater to force overtime. The Spurs would win in OT, 110–103. However, the Grizzlies defeated the Spurs in Game 6, 99–91, to win a playoff series for the first time. In so doing, Memphis became just the second eighth-seeded team to knock off a top-seeded team since the NBA began using a best-of-seven format in the first round.[6]

(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets

April 17
3:30 pm
Recap
New Orleans Hornets 109, Los Angeles Lakers 100
Scoring by quarter: 26–24, 29–23, 18–25, 36–28
Pts: Chris Paul 33
Rebs: Ariza, Paul 7 each
Asts: Chris Paul 14
Pts: Kobe Bryant 34
Rebs: Ron Artest 11
Asts: Pau Gasol 6
New Orleans leads series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Dan Crawford, Greg Willard, Greg Zielinski
April 20
10:30 pm
Recap
New Orleans Hornets 78, Los Angeles Lakers 87
Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 18–24, 15–16, 22–24
Pts: Trevor Ariza 22
Rebs: Aaron Gray 8
Asts: Chris Paul 9
Pts: Andrew Bynum 17
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 11
Asts: Steve Blake 5
Series tied, 1–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Steve Javie, Tony Brothers, Bill Kennedy
April 22
9:30 pm
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 100, New Orleans Hornets 86
Scoring by quarter: 30–23, 21–19, 24–26, 25–18
Pts: Kobe Bryant 30
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 11
Asts: Derek Fisher 5
Pts: Carl Landry 23
Rebs: Trevor Ariza 12
Asts: Chris Paul 8
LA Lakers lead series, 2–1
New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance: 18,340
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, Sean Wright
April 24
9:30 pm
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 88, New Orleans Hornets 93
Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 20–27, 22–20, 21–24
Pts: Kobe Bryant 17
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 9
Asts: Kobe Bryant 8
Pts: Chris Paul 27
Rebs: Chris Paul 13
Asts: Chris Paul 15
Series tied, 2–2
New Orleans Arena, New Orleans
Attendance: 18,083
Referees: Bob Delaney, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba
April 26
10:30 pm
Recap
New Orleans Hornets 90, Los Angeles Lakers 106
Scoring by quarter: 32–23, 19–31, 21–25, 18–27
Pts: Trevor Ariza 22
Rebs: Aaron Gray 6
Asts: Chris Paul 12
Pts: Kobe Bryant 19
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 10
Asts: Bryant, Gasol 4 each
LA Lakers lead series, 3–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott
April 28
8:00 pm
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 98, New Orleans Hornets 80
Scoring by quarter: 18–16, 22–18, 29–23, 29–23
Pts: Kobe Bryant 24
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 12
Asts: Ron Artest 5
Pts: Carl Landry 19
Rebs: Chris Paul 8
Asts: Chris Paul 11
LA Lakers win series, 4–2
New Orleans Arena, New Orleans
Attendance: 17,949
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Tom Washington
Regular-season series
Los Angeles won 4–0 in the regular-season series
January 7, 2011
Recap
New Orleans Hornets 97, Los Angeles Lakers 101
Staples Center, Los Angeles
March 27, 2011
Recap
New Orleans Hornets 84, Los Angeles Lakers 102
Staples Center, Los Angeles

This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.[7]

(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

April 16
9:30 pm
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 81, Dallas Mavericks 89
Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 15–26, 20–14, 24–28
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 27
Rebs: Marcus Camby 18
Asts: Andre Miller 6
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 28
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 10
Asts: Jason Kidd 4
Dallas leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,541
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Jones, Ken Mauer
April 19
9:30 pm
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 89, Dallas Mavericks 101
Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 28–28, 20–23, 17–28
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 24
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Andre Miller 8
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 33
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 10
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Dallas leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,620
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy, Pat Fraher
April 21
10:30 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 92, Portland Trail Blazers 97
Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 29–26, 20–21, 20–22
Pts: Jason Terry 29
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 9
Asts: Jason Terry 7
Pts: Wesley Matthews 25
Rebs: Gerald Wallace 11
Asts: Andre Miller 7
Dallas leads series, 2–1
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,217
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Eric Lewis, Jason Phillips
April 23
5:00 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 82, Portland Trail Blazers 84
Scoring by quarter: 16–11, 21–24, 30–14, 15–35
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 20
Rebs: Shawn Marion 11
Asts: Jason Kidd 4
Pts: Brandon Roy 24
Rebs: Gerald Wallace 11
Asts: Brandon Roy 5
Series tied, 2–2
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,357
Referees: Steve Javie, Bill Kennedy, Tony Brothers
April 25
8:30 pm
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 82, Dallas Mavericks 93
Scoring by quarter: 20–15, 23–29, 20–31, 19–18
Pts: Andre Miller 18
Rebs: Aldridge, Wallace 9 each
Asts: Andre Miller 7
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 25
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 20
Asts: Jason Kidd 14
Dallas leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,837
Referees: Scott Foster, John Goble, Tom Washington
April 28
10:30 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 103, Portland Trail Blazers 96
Scoring by quarter: 19–27, 33–16, 23–19, 28–34
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 33
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 11
Asts: Jason Terry 8
Pts: Gerald Wallace 32
Rebs: Gerald Wallace 12
Asts: Andre Miller 4
Dallas wins series, 4–2
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,494
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Greg Willard, Gary Zielinski
Regular-season series
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning two of the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series[8]
Portland leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series

The Mavericks won the first two games, but the Trail Blazers won Games 3 and 4 to tie the series. Portland played most of Game 4 from behind, including trailing Dallas by 23 points late in the third quarter. Although the Mavericks held a 67–49 lead after three quarters, the Trail Blazers pulled off their biggest fourth-quarter comeback in franchise history and won, 84–82, behind 18 points from Brandon Roy in the final quarter. Dallas recovered quickly from their Game 4 collapse, however, winning Games 5 and 6 to eliminate Portland.[9]

(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets

April 17
9:30 pm
Recap
Denver Nuggets 103, Oklahoma City Thunder 107
Scoring by quarter: 33–24, 27–35, 22–27, 21–21
Pts: Nenê 22
Rebs: Chandler, Nenê 8 each
Asts: Raymond Felton 8
Pts: Kevin Durant 41
Rebs: Kevin Durant 9
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Steve Javie, Zach Zarba, Bill Kennedy
April 20
8:00 pm
Recap
Denver Nuggets 89, Oklahoma City Thunder 106
Scoring by quarter: 15–31, 29–28, 22–22, 23–25
Pts: Ty Lawson 20
Rebs: Nenê 9
Asts: Ty Lawson 3
Pts: Kevin Durant 23
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–0
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Dick Bavetta, Rodney Mott
April 23
10:00 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 97, Denver Nuggets 94
Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 30–18, 15–24, 26–21
Pts: Kevin Durant 26
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 16
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8
Pts: Martin, Nenê, Smith 15 each
Rebs: Nenê 10
Asts: Felton, Lawson, Nenê 4 each
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–0
Pepsi Center, Denver
Attendance: 19,958
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Jason Phillips, Eric Lewis
April 25
10:30 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 101, Denver Nuggets 104
Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 25–19, 24–26, 32–33
Pts: Kevin Durant 31
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 14
Asts: Harden, Westbrook 5 each
Pts: Ty Lawson 27
Rebs: Martin, Nenê 9 each
Asts: Danilo Gallinari 4
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–1
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,155
Referees: Greg Willard, Ron Garretson, Michael Smith
April 27
9:30 pm
Recap
Denver Nuggets 97, Oklahoma City Thunder 100
Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 22–25, 26–22, 21–28
Pts: Arron Afflalo 15
Rebs: Kenyon Martin 10
Asts: Felton, Lawson 4 each
Pts: Kevin Durant 41
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 9
Asts: Russell Westbrook 4
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–1
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Spooner, Pat Fraher
Regular-season series
Oklahoma City won 3–1 in the regular-season series

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nuggets winning two of the first three meetings. All previous meetings took place while the Thunder franchise were still known as the Seattle SuperSonics.

Previous playoff series[10]
Denver leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference semifinals

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

May 2
8:00 pm
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 103, Chicago Bulls 95
Scoring by quarter: 28–18, 23–32, 21–21, 31–24
Pts: Joe Johnson 34
Rebs: Al Horford 13
Asts: Jeff Teague 5
Pts: Derrick Rose 24
Rebs: Joakim Noah 9
Asts: Derrick Rose 10
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,890
Referees: Monty McCutchen, John Goble, Ken Mauer
May 4
8:00 pm
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 73, Chicago Bulls 86
Scoring by quarter: 19–25, 18–23, 21–17, 15–21
Pts: Jeff Teague 21
Rebs: Al Horford 14
Asts: Al Horford 6
Pts: Derrick Rose 25
Rebs: Joakim Noah 14
Asts: Derrick Rose 10
Series tied, 1–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,872
Referees: Scott Foster, Mike Callahan, Sean Wright
May 6
7:00 pm
Recap
Chicago Bulls 99, Atlanta Hawks 82
Scoring by quarter: 29–23, 27–20, 24–20, 19–19
Pts: Derrick Rose 44
Rebs: Joakim Noah 15
Asts: Derrick Rose 7
Pts: Jeff Teague 21
Rebs: Josh Smith 13
Asts: Josh Smith 4
Chicago leads series, 2–1
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,521
Referees: Greg Willard, Marc Davis, Ron Garretson
May 8
8:00 pm
Recap
Chicago Bulls 88, Atlanta Hawks 100
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 20–19, 23–20, 19–33
Pts: Derrick Rose 34
Rebs: Joakim Noah 11
Asts: Derrick Rose 10
Pts: Joe Johnson 24
Rebs: Josh Smith 16
Asts: Josh Smith 8
Series tied, 2–2
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,263
Referees: Dan Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, Gary Zielinski
May 10
8:00 pm
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 83, Chicago Bulls 95
Scoring by quarter: 21–32, 21–16, 26–21, 15–26
Pts: Jeff Teague 21
Rebs: Al Horford 10
Asts: Jeff Teague 7
Pts: Derrick Rose 33
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 12
Asts: Derrick Rose 9
Chicago leads series, 3–2
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,980
Referees: Steve Javie, Tom Washington, Bill Kennedy
May 12
8:00 pm
Recap
Chicago Bulls 93, Atlanta Hawks 73
Scoring by quarter: 27–17, 18–18, 25–18, 23–20
Pts: Carlos Boozer 23
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 10
Asts: Derrick Rose 12
Pts: Joe Johnson 19
Rebs: Zaza Pachulia 13
Asts: Joe Johnson 4
Chicago wins series, 4–2
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,378
Referees: Joe Crawford, Ed Malloy, Bob Delaney
Regular-season series
Chicago won 2–1 in the regular-season series
March 2, 2011
Recap
Chicago Bulls 80, Atlanta Hawks 83
March 11, 2011
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 76, Chicago Bulls 94
March 22, 2011
Recap
Chicago Bulls 114, Atlanta Hawks 81

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the each team winning two series apiece.

Previous playoff series[11]
Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) Boston Celtics

May 1
3:30 pm
Recap
Boston Celtics 90, Miami Heat 99
Scoring by quarter: 14–20, 22–31, 26–25, 28–23
Pts: Ray Allen 25
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 8
Asts: Rajon Rondo 7
Pts: Dwyane Wade 38
Rebs: Chris Bosh 12
Asts: James, Wade 5 each
Miami leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,021
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy, Derrick Collins
May 3
7:00 pm
Recap
Boston Celtics 91, Miami Heat 102
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 16–20, 25–25, 24–30
Pts: Rajon Rondo 20
Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 9
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Pts: LeBron James 35
Rebs: Chris Bosh 11
Asts: Chris Bosh 4
Miami leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,104
Referees: Joe Crawford, Jason Phillips, Greg Willard
May 7
8:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 81, Boston Celtics 97
Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 25–17, 15–28, 20–25
Pts: Dwyane Wade 23
Rebs: Joel Anthony 11
Asts: Dwyane Wade 7
Pts: Kevin Garnett 28
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 18
Asts: Rajon Rondo 11
Miami leads series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Steve Javie, Bob Delaney, Bill Kennedy
May 9
7:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 98, Boston Celtics 90 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 22–22, 19–20, 17–13, Overtime: 12–4
Pts: LeBron James 35
Rebs: LeBron James 14
Asts: Dwyane Wade 4
Pts: Paul Pierce 27
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 5
Miami leads series, 3–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Tony Brothers, Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford
May 11
7:00 pm
Recap
Boston Celtics 87, Miami Heat 97
Scoring by quarter: 24–16, 25–31, 24–24, 14–26
Pts: Ray Allen 18
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11
Asts: Paul Pierce 4
Pts: Dwyane Wade 34
Rebs: Chris Bosh 11
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5
Miami wins series, 4–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,208
Referees: Scott Foster, Ron Garretson, Bill Spooner
Regular-season series
Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series
October 26, 2010
Recap
Miami Heat 80, Boston Celtics 88
November 11, 2010
Recap
Boston Celtics 112, Miami Heat 107
February 13, 2011
Recap
Miami Heat 82, Boston Celtics 85
April 10, 2011
Recap
Boston Celtics 77, Miami Heat 100

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series[12]
Boston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series

The series was seen as an opportunity for Heat small forward LeBron James to exact revenge on the Celtics after Boston eliminated James' former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in 2008 and 2010. James called the series "personal", saying "...You don't want to keeping getting beat by the same team, the same team keep sending you home to plan a vacation..."[13]

The Heat won the first two games, but the Celtics won Game 3, 97–81. In that game, Boston point guard Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow on a bizarre play in the third quarter where he became tangled up with Dwyane Wade. Rondo still contributed to the Celtics' victory, scoring four points in the fourth quarter after the injury and finishing with 11 assists. However, his left arm was visibly limp for the remainder of the series and he was unable to play at his usual level of ability.[13]

Miami bounced back after the Game 3 loss to win the series, 4–1, returning to their first Eastern Conference finals since the 2006 NBA playoffs.[13]

Western Conference semifinals

(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Dallas Mavericks

May 2
10:30 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 96, Los Angeles Lakers 94
Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 19–30, 27–25, 25–16
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 28
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 14
Asts: Jason Kidd 11
Pts: Kobe Bryant 36
Rebs: Lamar Odom 12
Asts: Pau Gasol 7
Dallas leads series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Steve Javie, Bob Delaney, Michael Smith
May 4
10:30 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 93, Los Angeles Lakers 81
Scoring by quarter: 26–20, 25–29, 17–13, 25–19
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 24
Rebs: Shawn Marion 9
Asts: Jason Kidd 6
Pts: Kobe Bryant 23
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 13
Asts: Derek Fisher 5
Dallas leads series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner
May 6
9:30 pm
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 92, Dallas Mavericks 98
Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 24–18, 21–19, 20–32
Pts: Andrew Bynum 21
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 10
Asts: Kobe Bryant 6
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 32
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 9
Asts: Jason Kidd 9
Dallas leads series, 3–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 21,156
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy, Tom Washington
May 8
3:30 pm
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 86, Dallas Mavericks 122
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 16–36, 23–23, 24–36
Pts: Kobe Bryant 17
Rebs: Pau Gasol 8
Asts: Pau Gasol 6
Pts: Jason Terry 32
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 9
Asts: José Juan Barea 8
Dallas wins series, 4–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 21,087
Referees: Jason Phillips, Ron Garretson, Scott Foster
Regular-season series
Los Angeles won 2–1 in the regular-season series
March 31, 2011
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 82, Los Angeles Lakers 110
Staples Center, Los Angeles

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series[14]
Los Angeles leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series

The Mavericks won the first two games in Los Angeles, including overcoming a 16-point deficit late in the third quarter of Game 1. Dallas overcame another second-half deficit to win Game 3, 98–92. In Game 4, the Mavericks blew out the Lakers, 122–86, sweeping the two-time defending NBA champions. Dallas equaled an NBA record in that game by sinking 20 three-pointers. Mavericks sixth man Jason Terry led the team in scoring with 32 points while making nine of his ten long-range attempts, tying another NBA playoff record that would go unequaled for nearly five years.[15] Also in the same game, Andrew Bynum was ejected—and eventually fined and suspended for five games of the next season—after committing a flagrant foul on J. J. Barea.[16]

This series was the one and only time a team coached by Phil Jackson was swept out of the NBA Playoffs.[15]

(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

May 1
1:00 pm
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 114, Oklahoma City Thunder 101
Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 29–23, 27–24, 30–30
Pts: Zach Randolph 34
Rebs: Marc Gasol 13
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 7
Pts: Kevin Durant 33
Rebs: Durant, Ibaka 11 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 6
Memphis leads series, 1–0
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Joe Crawford, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba
May 3
9:30 pm
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 102, Oklahoma City Thunder 111
Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 27–26, 24–22, 34–35
Pts: Mike Conley Jr. 24
Rebs: Marc Gasol 10
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 8
Pts: Kevin Durant 26
Rebs: Nick Collison 7
Asts: Russell Westbrook 6
Series tied, 1–1
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Tony Brothers, Bill Kennedy
May 7
5:00 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 93, Memphis Grizzlies 101 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 31–21, 25–20, 10–23Overtime: 7–15
Pts: Russell Westbrook 23
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 13
Asts: Russell Westbrook 12
Pts: Zach Randolph 21
Rebs: Zach Randolph 21
Asts: Conley, Mayo 4 each
Memphis leads series, 2–1
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer, Pat Fraher
May 9
9:30 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 133, Memphis Grizzlies 123 (3OT)
Scoring by quarter: 16–28, 33–25, 22–19, 25–24, Overtime: 13–13, 10–10, 14–4
Pts: Russell Westbrook 40
Rebs: Kevin Durant 13
Asts: James Harden 7
Pts: Zach Randolph 34
Rebs: Marc Gasol 21
Asts: Conley, Mayo 5 each
Series tied, 2–2
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Greg Willard, John Goble, Bill Spooner
May 11
9:30 pm
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 72, Oklahoma City Thunder 99
Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 18–29, 17–25, 20–28
Pts: Marc Gasol 15
Rebs: Zach Randolph 17
Asts: Conley, Mayo 4 each
Pts: Kevin Durant 19
Rebs: Nick Collison 10
Asts: Eric Maynor 9
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–2
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore, Jason Phillips
May 13
9:00 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 83, Memphis Grizzlies 95
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 33–21, 14–28, 15–23
Pts: Russell Westbrook 27
Rebs: Durant, Perkins 7 each
Asts: James Harden 5
Pts: Zach Randolph 30
Rebs: Zach Randolph 13
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 12
Series tied, 3–3
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Ron Garretson
May 15
3:30 pm
Recap
Memphis Grizzlies 90, Oklahoma City Thunder 105
Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 17–21, 24–30, 32–33
Pts: Mike Conley Jr. 18
Rebs: Zach Randolph 10
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 6
Pts: Kevin Durant 39
Rebs: Nick Collison 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 14
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–3
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Steve Javie, Ed Malloy, Mike Callahan
Regular-season series
Memphis won 3–1 in the regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Grizzlies and the Thunder.[17]

The Grizzlies and Thunder split the first two games. Memphis took a 2–1 series lead after overcoming a 16-point deficit late in the third quarter of Game 3. The Thunder tied the series back up in Game 4 with a 133–123 victory in triple overtime. Oklahoma City blew out the Grizzlies in Game 5, 99–72, but Memphis tied the series again in Game 6. The Thunder finally advanced to their first conference finals since they moved from Seattle by eliminating the Grizzlies in seven games. In the finale, Russell Westbrook became the fifth player to record a triple double in a Game 7.[18]

Conference finals

Eastern Conference finals

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (2) Miami Heat

May 15
8:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 82, Chicago Bulls 103
Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 25–28, 15–24, 19–31
Pts: Chris Bosh 30
Rebs: Chris Bosh 9
Asts: LeBron James 6
Pts: Derrick Rose 28
Rebs: Joakim Noah 14
Asts: Derrick Rose 6
Chicago leads series, 1–0
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,874
Referees: Dan Crawford, Michael Smith, Ken Mauer
May 18
8:30 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 85, Chicago Bulls 75
Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 29–20, 23–19, 14–10
Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: LeBron James 5
Pts: Derrick Rose 21
Rebs: Boozer, Noah 8 each
Asts: Derrick Rose 8
Series tied, 1–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 23,007
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford, Jason Phillips
May 22
8:30 pm
Recap
Chicago Bulls 85, Miami Heat 96
Scoring by quarter: 15–18, 25–25, 25–25, 20–28
Pts: Carlos Boozer 26
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 17
Asts: Joakim Noah 6
Pts: Chris Bosh 34
Rebs: Dwyane Wade 9
Asts: LeBron James 10
Miami leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,123
Referees: Steve Javie, Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson
May 24
8:30 pm
Recap
Chicago Bulls 93, Miami Heat 101 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 19–16, 27–28, 22–19, 17–22Overtime: 8–16
Pts: Derrick Rose 23
Rebs: Joakim Noah 14
Asts: Noah, Rose 6 each
Pts: LeBron James 35
Rebs: Haslem, Miller 9 each
Asts: LeBron James 6
Miami leads series, 3–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,125
Referees: Joe Crawford, Ed Malloy, Bennett Salvatore
May 26
8:30 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 83, Chicago Bulls 80
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 17–20, 19–17, 26–18
Pts: LeBron James 28
Rebs: LeBron James 11
Asts: LeBron James 6
Pts: Derrick Rose 25
Rebs: Noah, Thomas 8 each
Asts: Derrick Rose 8
Miami wins series, 4–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 23,057
Referees: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Greg Willard
Regular-season series
Chicago won 3–0 in the regular-season series
January 15, 2011
Recap
Miami Heat 96, Chicago Bulls 99
February 24, 2011
Recap
Miami Heat 89, Chicago Bulls 93

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning four of the first five meetings.

Previous playoff series[19]
Chicago leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series

Chicago swept Miami in the regular season en route to the league's best record and also blew out the Heat in Game 1 of the conference finals, 103–82. However, Miami advanced to the NBA Finals by capturing the next four games. In Game 5, the Heat erased a 12-point deficit with three minutes remaining to eliminate the Bulls, 83–80.[20]

This series marked the only time all season that the Bulls lost more than two consecutive games.[20]

Western Conference finals

(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (4) Oklahoma City Thunder

May 17
9:00 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 112, Dallas Mavericks 121
Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 21–35, 31–35, 33–31
Pts: Kevin Durant 40
Rebs: Kevin Durant 8
Asts: Kevin Durant 5
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 48
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 8
Asts: Jason Kidd 11
Dallas leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,911
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Zach Zarba
May 19
9:00 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 106, Dallas Mavericks 100
Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 33–26, 18–19, 29–24
Pts: Kevin Durant 24
Rebs: Collison, Harden 7 each
Asts: Durant, Harden, Westbrook 4 each
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 29
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 13
Asts: Jason Kidd 7
Series tied, 1–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 21,051
Referees: Greg Willard, Bill Spooner, Tom Washington
May 21
9:00 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 93, Oklahoma City Thunder 87
Scoring by quarter: 27–12, 25–24, 18–20, 23–31
Pts: Marion, Nowitzki 18 each
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 15
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Pts: Russell Westbrook 30
Rebs: Kevin Durant 12
Asts: Kevin Durant 5
Dallas leads series, 2–1
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Bob Delaney
May 23
9:00 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 112, Oklahoma City Thunder 105 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 32–28, 23–22, 24–20, Overtime: 11–4
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 40
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 8
Asts: Jason Kidd 7
Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Kevin Durant 15
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8
Dallas leads series, 3–1
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Dan Crawford, Tony Brothers, Ken Mauer
May 25
9:00 pm
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 96, Dallas Mavericks 100
Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 28–26, 21–20, 20–28
Pts: Russell Westbrook 31
Rebs: Nick Collison 12
Asts: James Harden 6
Pts: Marion, Nowitzki 26 each
Rebs: Chandler, Nowitzki 9 each
Asts: Jason Kidd 10
Dallas wins series, 4–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 21,092
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Jason Phillips, Derrick Stafford
Regular-season series
Dallas won 2–1 in the regular-season series

This was the third playoff series between these two teams, with each team having won one of the prior series. Both previous meetings took place when the Thunder franchise was still known as the Seattle SuperSonics.

Previous playoff series[21]
Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series

In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas set a playoff record for most free throws made without a miss with 24, previously held by Paul Pierce (21) in 2003. The Mavericks won, 121–112. The Thunder and Mavericks then split the next two games. In Game 4, Dallas rallied from a 15-point deficit with five minutes left in regulation to win in overtime for a 3–1 series lead. The Mavericks then wiped out another deficit late in Game 5 to win the game, 100–96, and reach their first NBA Finals since 2006.[22] It would be the last time that neither a #1 seed nor a #2 seed reached a Conference finals until 2020.

NBA Finals: (E2) Miami Heat vs. (W3) Dallas Mavericks

May 31
9:00 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 84, Miami Heat 92
Scoring by quarter: 17–16, 27–27, 17–22, 23–27
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 27
Rebs: Shawn Marion 10
Asts: Jason Kidd 6
Pts: LeBron James 24
Rebs: Dwyane Wade 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6
Miami leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,003
Referees: Steve Javie, Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy
June 2
9:00 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 95, Miami Heat 93
Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 23–23, 20–24, 24–18
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 24
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 11
Asts: Terry, Kidd 5 each
Pts: Dwyane Wade 36
Rebs: James, Bosh 8 each
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6
Series tied, 1–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,003
Referees: Joe Crawford, Ed Malloy, Ken Mauer
June 5
8:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 88, Dallas Mavericks 86
Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 18–20, 20–22, 21–22
Pts: Dwyane Wade 29
Rebs: Dwyane Wade 11
Asts: LeBron James 9
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 34
Rebs: Chandler, Nowitzki 11 each
Asts: Jason Kidd 10
Miami leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,340
Referees: Dan Crawford, Scott Foster, Derrick Stafford
June 7
9:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 83, Dallas Mavericks 86
Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 26–24, 22–20, 14–21
Pts: Dwyane Wade 32
Rebs: LeBron James 9
Asts: LeBron James 7
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 21
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 16
Asts: José Juan Barea 4
Series tied, 2–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,340
Referees: Monty Mccutchen, Marc Davis, Greg Willard
June 9
9:00 pm
Recap
Miami Heat 103, Dallas Mavericks 112
Scoring by quarter: 31–30, 26–30, 22–24, 24–28
Pts: Dwyane Wade 23
Rebs: James, Bosh 10 each
Asts: LeBron James 10
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 29
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 7
Asts: Kidd, Terry 6 each
Dallas leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,340
Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy
June 12
8:00 pm
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 105, Miami Heat 95
Scoring by quarter: 32–27, 21–24, 28–21, 24–23
Pts: Jason Terry 27
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 11
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Pts: LeBron James 21
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 9
Asts: Mario Chalmers 7
Dallas wins series, 4–2
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,003
Referees: Steve Javie, Scott Foster, Derrick Stafford
Regular-season series
Dallas won 2–0 in the regular-season series
November 27, 2010
Recap
Miami Heat 95, Dallas Mavericks 106
December 20, 2010
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 98, Miami Heat 96

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series[23]
Miami leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series

Statistic leaders

Category High Average
Player Team Total Player Team Avg. Games played
Points Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks 48 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 28.6 17
Rebounds Marc Gasol
Zach Randolph
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
21 Dwight Howard Orlando Magic 15.5 6
Assists Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics 20 Chris Paul New Orleans Hornets 11.5 6
Steals Kobe Bryant
Luol Deng
Joe Johnson
Jason Kidd
Los Angeles Lakers
Chicago Bulls
Atlanta Hawks
Dallas Mavericks
5 Manu Ginóbili San Antonio Spurs 2.6 5
Blocks Serge Ibaka Oklahoma City Thunder 9 Serge Ibaka Oklahoma City Thunder 3.1 17

See also

References

  1. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  3. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  4. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  5. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Memphis Grizzlies versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  6. ^ Grizzlies vs. Spurs | Western Conference First Round | 2011 NBA Playoffs. NBA.com. Retrieved 14 June 2011
  7. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus New Orleans Pelicans (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  8. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  9. ^ Trail Blazers vs. Mavericks | Western Conference First Round | 2011 NBA Playoffs. NBA.com. Retrieved 14 June 2011
  10. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  11. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Chicago Bulls (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  12. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  13. ^ a b c Celtics vs. Heat | Easter Conference Semi-Finals | 2011 Playoffs. NBA.com. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  14. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  15. ^ a b Mavericks vs. Lakers | Western Conference Semi-Finals | 2011 NBA Playoffs. NBA.com. Retrieved 14 June 2011
  16. ^ Andrew Bynum suspended, fined. ESPN. Retrieved 14 June 2011
  17. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Memphis Grizzlies versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  18. ^ Grizzlies vs. Thunder | Western Conference Semi-Finals | 2011 NBA Playoffs. NBA.com. Retrieved 14 June 2011
  19. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Heat vs. Bulls | Eastern Conference finals | 2011 NBA Finals. NBA.com. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  21. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  22. ^ Thunder vs. Mavericks | Western Conference finals | 2011 NBA Playoffs Archived 2016-05-18 at the Wayback Machine. NBA.com. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  23. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2011 NBA Playoffs.
  • 2011 playoffs at NBA.com
  • 2011 NBA Playoffs at ESPN
  • 2011 NBA Playoffs at Basketball Reference