1988–89 Detroit Pistons season

The team won their first eight games of the season, and held a 31–13 record at the All-Star break. However, Adrian Dantley was unhappy with his role on the team, losing playing time to Dennis Rodman at the small forward position. At mid-season, the team traded Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for All-Star forward Mark Aguirre, a childhood friend of Isiah Thomas. Dantley felt that Thomas had a major role in engineering the trade, so that Aguirre could have the opportunity of winning a championship; an accusation that Thomas denied. The Pistons posted a nine-game winning streak in March, won eight consecutive games between March and April, then won their final five games, finishing with a league best record of 63–19.

Thomas led the team with 18.2 points, 8.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, while Joe Dumars averaged 17.2 points and 5.7 assists per game, and Vinnie Johnson contributed 13.8 points per game. In addition, Bill Laimbeer provided the team with 13.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Rodman provided with 9.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game off the bench, and Rick Mahorn averaged 7.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Dumars and Rodman were both named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Rodman finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and head coach Chuck Daly finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Pistons swept the Boston Celtics in three straight games, then swept the 5th-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in four straight games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they trailed 2–1 to Michael Jordan and the 6th-seeded Chicago Bulls, but managed to win the series in six games to advance to the NBA Finals, where the Pistons would win their first ever NBA championship, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games, as Dumars was named Finals MVP. This series was a rematch from last year's NBA Finals, with the Pistons avenging their NBA Finals loss.

Following the season, Mahorn was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA Expansion Draft, where he was selected by the newly expansion Minnesota Timberwolves. However, Mahorn never played for the Timberwolves due to a contract dispute, as he was then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers soon after. The Pistons and Lakers would face each other again 15 years later in the NBA Finals in 2004, where the Pistons won in five games en route to their third NBA championship, despite being underdogs to the heavily-favored Lakers.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
2	30	Fennis Dembo	Forward	United States	Wyoming
2	48	Micheal Williams	Guard	United States	Baylor

Roster

1988–89 Detroit Pistons roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB	From
SF	23	Aguirre, Mark	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	232 lb (105 kg)	1959–12–10	DePaul
SF	34	Dembo, Fennis	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	1966–01–24	Wyoming
SG	4	Dumars, Joe	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	1963–05–24	McNeese State
C	53	Edwards, James	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	1955–11–22	Washington
SG	15	Johnson, Vinnie	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	1956–09–01	Baylor
C	40	Laimbeer, Bill	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	1957–05–19	Notre Dame
SG	25	Long, John	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	1956–08–28	Detroit Mercy
PF	44	Mahorn, Rick	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	240 lb (109 kg)	1958–09–21	Hampton
SF	10	Rodman, Dennis	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	1961–05–13	SE Oklahoma State
PF	22	Salley, John	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	1964–05–16	Georgia Tech
PG	11	Thomas, Isiah	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	1961–04–30	Indiana
PG	24	Williams, Micheal	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	1966–07–23	Baylor

Head coach

Chuck Daly

Assistant coach(es)

Brendan Malone
Dick Versace (until 1/5/1989)
Brendan Suhr (hired 1/5/1989)

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Regular season

On February 15, 1989, the Pistons traded Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aguirre. Dantley was unhappy relegating the leadership role on the Pistons to Isiah Thomas, while Aguirre had clashed with his coaches and teammates in Dallas. Aguirre was more amenable to deferring to Thomas, and accepted his role in Chuck Daly's system. His ability to shoot the three, post up, run the floor, and pass was instrumental in the growth of the team.

Season standings

Central Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Detroit Pistons	63	19	.768	–	37–4	26–15	20–10
x-Cleveland Cavaliers	57	25	.695	6	37–4	20–21	19–11
x-Atlanta Hawks	52	30	.634	11	33–8	19–22	20–10
x-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	14	31–10	18–23	11–19
x-Chicago Bulls	47	35	.573	16	30–11	17–24	12–18
Indiana Pacers	28	54	.341	35	20–21	8–33	8–22

#	Eastern Conference v t e
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Detroit Pistons	63	19	.768	–
2	y-New York Knicks	52	30	.634	11
3	x-Cleveland Cavaliers	57	25	.695	6
4	x-Atlanta Hawks	52	30	.634	11
5	x-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	14
6	x-Chicago Bulls	47	35	.573	16
7	x-Philadelphia 76ers	46	36	.561	17
8	x-Boston Celtics	42	40	.512	21

9	Washington Bullets	40	42	.488	23
10	Indiana Pacers	28	54	.341	35
11	New Jersey Nets	26	56	.317	37
12	Charlotte Hornets	20	62	.244	43

Record vs. opponents

1988–89 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	NJN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	3–1	4–1	4–2	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–5	1–1	1–1	5–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	6–0	4–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1
Boston	1–3	—	6–0	1–3	1–4	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–3	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	5–1	3–3	3–3	0–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–4
Charlotte	1–4	0–6	—	1–4	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–4	2–4	2–4	3–3	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–5
Chicago	2–4	3–1	4–1	—	0–6	2–0	1–1	0–6	1–1	1–1	4–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	6–0	2–2	3–2	1–3	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–1
Cleveland	2–4	4–1	4–0	6–0	—	2–0	2–0	3–3	1–1	1–1	5–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–3	4–0	2–2	3–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–2
Dallas	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	—	3–3	0–2	1–3	1–5	1–1	3–1	0–4	6–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	5–1	2–2	4–2	1–1
Denver	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–3	—	1–1	3–1	4–2	1–1	2–2	1–3	5–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	3–3	2–2	3–3	1–1
Detroit	5–1	3–1	4–0	6–0	3–3	2–0	1–1	—	1–1	1–1	4–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–4	4–0	0–4	5–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	5–0
Golden State	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–3	1–1	—	1–3	1–1	5–1	2–3	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–4	2–4	2–3	3–1	2–4	2–2	1–1
Houston	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	5–1	2–4	1–1	3–1	—	2–0	2–2	1–3	4–2	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	6–0	2–2	2–4	0–2
Indiana	1–5	3–2	2–2	2–4	1–5	1–1	1–1	2–4	1–1	0–2	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–4	1–3	0–5	0–4	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–3
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–5	2–2	1–1	—	1–5	1–3	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–5	1–5	2–3	3–1	1–4	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	4–0	3–1	0–2	3–2	3–1	2–0	5–1	—	4–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–3	5–0	5–1	3–1	4–2	1–3	1–1
Miami	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–6	1–5	0–2	0–4	2–4	1–1	3–1	0–4	—	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–4	0–4	1–5	0–2
Milwaukee	0–6	2–2	4–0	0–6	3–3	2–0	2–0	4–2	2–0	1–1	4–2	2–0	1–1	2–0	—	4–1	1–3	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–1
New Jersey	1–4	1–5	4–2	2–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–4	—	2–4	1–5	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–5
New York	2–2	3–3	4–2	2–3	2–2	2–0	1–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	5–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	4–2	—	2–4	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	5–1
Philadelphia	2–2	3–3	3–3	3–1	2–3	1–1	1–1	0–5	1–1	2–0	4–0	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–3	5–1	4–2	—	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–2
Phoenix	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1	3–1	0–2	4–2	3–1	1–1	5–1	3–3	4–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	—	2–3	5–1	3–1	4–1	2–2	2–0
Portland	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–2	1–1	4–2	1–3	0–2	5–1	0–5	4–0	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	3–2	—	3–3	4–0	2–4	0–4	1–1
Sacramento	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	1–3	0–2	3–2	2–2	1–1	3–2	1–5	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–5	3–3	—	2–2	1–5	1–3	0–2
San Antonio	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–5	3–3	0–2	1–3	0–6	0–2	1–3	1–3	4–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–4	2–2	—	0–4	1–5	1–1
Seattle	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	4–2	2–2	1–1	4–1	2–4	4–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–4	4–2	5–1	4–0	—	3–1	1–1
Utah	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–4	3–3	0–2	2–2	4–2	1–1	3–1	3–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	5–1	1–3	—	2–0
Washington	1–3	4–2	5–1	1–3	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–5	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–4	5–1	1–5	2–4	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	—

Game log

Regular season

1988–89 game log
Total: 63–19 (Home: 37–4; Road: 26–15)

November: 11–3 (home: 4–1; road: 7–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
1	November 4 8:30 p.m. EST	@ Chicago	W 107–94	Dantley (22)	Mahorn (10)	Thomas (14)	Chicago Stadium 18,420	1–0
2	November 5 7:30 p.m. EST	Charlotte	W 94–85	Dantley (18)	Laimbeer (12)	Dumars, Thomas (7)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	2–0
3	November 8 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Philadelphia	W 116–109	Dumars (30)	Laimbeer (11)	Dumars, Thomas (9)	The Spectrum 10,115	3–0
4	November 9 7:30 p.m. EST	Atlanta	W 101–95	Thomas (21)	Laimbeer (13)	Thomas (12)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	4–0
5	November 11 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Boston	W 116–107	Dantley (31)	Mahorn (6)	Thomas (10)	Boston Garden 14,890	5–0
6	November 15 8:30 p.m. EST	@ Dallas	W 108–99	Laimbeer (23)	Laimbeer (21)	Thomas (12)	Reunion Arena 17,007	6–0
7	November 16 8:30 p.m. EST	@ San Antonio	W 94–88	Dumars (20)	Mahorn (10)	Thomas (8)	HemisFair Arena 11,991	7–0
8	November 18 9:30 p.m. EST	@ Phoenix	W 121–105	Dumars (31)	Rodman (12)	Thomas (11)	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 14,471	8–0
9	November 19 8:30 p.m. EST	@ Houston	L 98–109	Thomas (26)	Rodman (12)	Thomas (6)	The Summit 16,611	8–1
10	November 22 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Charlotte	W 99–93	Dumars (26)	Mahorn (10)	Thomas (8)	Charlotte Coliseum 23,389	9–1
11	November 23 7:30 p.m. EST	New York	L 111–133	Dantley (25)	Laimbeer, Rodman (9)	Thomas (11)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	9–2
12	November 26 8:30 p.m. EST	L.A. Lakers	W 102–99	Dumars (20)	Mahorn (11)	Thomas (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	10–2
13	November 29 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Indiana	L 98–107	Laimbeer (22)	Laimbeer (10)	Thomas (12)	Market Square Arena 10,275	10–3
14	November 30 7:30 p.m. EST	Indiana	W 114–111	Thomas (36)	Laimbeer (9)	Thomas (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	11–3

December: 9–4 (home: 6–1; road: 3–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
15	December 2 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Washington	W 120–114	Dantley (28)	Mahorn (8)	Thomas (10)	Capital Centre 12,606	12–3
16	December 4 7:30 p.m. EST	@ New Jersey	W 102–99	Dantley (21)	Mahorn (12)	Thomas (8)	Brendan Byrne Arena 12,517	13–3
17	December 6 8:30 p.m. EST	@ Milwaukee	L 84–109	Dantley (17)	Laimbeer (6)	Laimbeer (6)	Bradley Center 15,619	13–4
18	December 7 7:30 p.m. EST	Chicago	W 102–89	Dantley (31)	Laimbeer (12)	Thomas (13)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	14–4
19	December 9 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Atlanta	W 92–82	Dumars (24)	Laimbeer, Rodman, Salley (8)	Dumars (6)	The Omni 16,374	15–4
20	December 10 7:30 p.m. EST	Philadelphia	W 106–100	Thomas (37)	Laimbeer (15)	Laimbeer (7)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	16–4
21	December 14 7:30 p.m. EST	Milwaukee	L 110–119	Dantley (22)	Laimbeer (12)	Thomas (12)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	16–5
22	December 15 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Cleveland	L 98–119	Dumars (16)	Rodman (10)	Williams (7)	Richfield Coliseum 18,718	16–6
23	December 17 7:30 p.m. EST	Charlotte	W 100–91	Thomas (25)	Mahorn (12)	Thomas (7)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	17–6
24	December 20 7:30 p.m. EST	Miami	W 116–100	Johnson (22)	Rodman (9)	Thomas (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	18–6
25	December 22 7:30 p.m. EST	@ New York	L 85–88	Johnson (19)	Mahorn (14)	Yhomas (7)	Madison Square Garden 19,591	18–7
26	December 28 7:30 p.m. EST	Phoenix	W 106–100	Dantley (24)	Rodman (14)	Dumars (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	19–7
27	December 30 8:00 p.m. EST	Houston	W 95–83	Dumars (28)	Laimbeer, Mahorn (13)	Dantley, Laimbeer, Thomas (5)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	20–7

January: 8–6 (home: 7–2; road: 1–4)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
28	January 3 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Atlanta	L 104–123	Thomas (28)	Rodman (8)	Thomas (6)	The Omni 16,371	20–8
29	January 6 8:00 p.m. EST	Atlanta	W 111–88	Laimbeer, Thomas (19)	Laimbeer (10)	Thomas (12)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	21–8
30	January 7 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Indiana	L 99–113	Thomas (31)	Rodman (12)	Thomas (8)	Market Square Arena 16,105	21–9
31	January 11 7:30 p.m. EST	New York	L 93–100	Laimbeer (21)	Rodman (10)	Thomas (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	21–10
32	January 13 8:00 p.m. EST	Washington	W 119–103	Dantley (35)	Laimbeer (14)	Thomas (8)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	22–10
33	January 15 2:30 p.m. EST	@ Milwaukee	L 112–120	Thomas (25)	Laimbeer (10)	Thomas (13)	Bradley Center 18,633	22–11
34	January 16 7:30 p.m. EST	Boston	W 96–87	Johnson (21)	Laimbeer (12)	Thomas (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	23–11
35	January 18 7:30 p.m. EST	New Jersey	W 103–90	Dantley (24)	Rodman (16)	Johnson, Thomas (6)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	24–11
36	January 20 8:00 p.m. EST	Indiana	W 132–99	Laimbeer (27)	Laimbeer, Rodman (11)	Thomas (12)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	25–11
37	January 22 12 Noon EST	@ Boston	L 99–112	Thomas (26)	Salley (11)	Salley, Thomas (5)	Boston Garden 14,890	25–12
38	January 25 7:30 p.m. EST	Golden State	W 105–104	Thomas (27)	Rodman (16)	Thomas (8)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	26–12
39	January 27 8:00 p.m. EST	Cleveland	L 79–80	Johnson, Thomas (22)	Rodman (17)	Thomas (5)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	26–13
40	January 29 7:00 p.m. EST	Sacramento	W 122–97	Rodman (24)	Rodman (16)	Thomas (15)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	27–13
41	January 31 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Chicago	W 104–98 (OT)	Thomas (34)	Rodman (14)	Dantley (8)	Chicago Stadium 18,288	28–13

February: 8–3 (home: 4–0; road: 4–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
42	February 3 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Philadelphia	W 124–106	Dantley (33)	Laimbeer, Salley, Thomas (7)	Thomas (7)	The Spectrum 15,268	29–13
43	February 5 2:00 p.m. EST	Chicago	W 113–102	Johnson (27)	Rodman (13)	Thomas (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	30–13
44	February 8 7:30 p.m. EST	Milwaukee	W 107–96	Laimbeer (22)	Rodman (12)	Thomas (14)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	31–13
All-Star Break
45	February 14 10:30 p.m. EST	@ L.A. Lakers	W 111–103	Dumars, Thomas (23)	Rodman (15)	Thomas (15)	Great Western Forum 17,505	32–13
46	February 16 10:30 p.m. EST	@ Sacramento	W 95–84	Dumars, Johnson, Laimbeer (20)	Rodman (15)	Thomas (14)	ARCO Arena 16,517	33–13
47	February 18 10:00 p.m. EST	@ Golden State	L 119–121 (OT)	Laimbeer, Rodman (32)	Rodman (21)	Thomas (13)	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena 15,025	33–14
48	February 20 4:00 p.m. EST	@ Denver	L 101–103	Johnson (21)	Laimbeer (16)	Thomas (10)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,022	33–15
49	February 22 7:30 p.m. EST	Portland	W 105–94	Dumars (19)	Rodman (15)	Thomas (12)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	34–15
50	February 25 7:30 p.m. EST	@ New Jersey	W 113–95	Aguirre (31)	Mahorn (9)	Dumars (10)	Brendan Byrne Arena 20,049	35–15
51	February 26 7:00 p.m. EST	L.A. Clippers	W 110–98	Thomas (21)	Rodman (13)	Thomas (11)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	36–15
52	February 28 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Cleveland	L 99–115	Aguirre, Thomas (28)	Rodman (11)	Thomas (13)	Richfield Coliseum 20,246	36–16

March: 16–1 (home: 9–0; road: 7–1)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
53	March 1 7:30 p.m. EST	Utah	W 96–85	Johnson (34)	Laimbeer (13)	Dumars (7)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	37–16
54	March 3 8:00 p.m. EST	Cleveland	W 96–90	Laimbeer (24)	Laimbeer (14)	Thomas (11)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	38–16
55	March 5 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Miami	W 109–100	Johnson, Thomas (22)	Rodman (10)	Thomas (8)	Miami Arena 15,008	39–16
56	March 6 7:30 p.m. EST	Denver	W 129–116	Dumars (25)	Mahorn (19)	Thomas (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	40–16
57	March 8 7:30 p.m. EST	Seattle	W 112–96	Thomas (27)	Laimbeer (19)	Thomas (12)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	41–16
58	March 11 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Philadelphia	W 111–106	Thomas (34)	Laimbeer (16)	Thomas (8)	The Spectrum 17,678	42–16
59	March 12 7:00 p.m. EST	Washington	W 110–104	Laimbeer (24)	Laimbeer (16)	Thomas (8)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	43–16
60	March 14 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Indiana	W 129–117	Dumars (30)	Johnson (7)	Dumars (8)	Market Square Arena 12,031	44–16
61	March 17 8:00 p.m. EST	Boston	W 106–98	Johnson (30)	Laimbeer, Rodman (10)	Dumars (7)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	45–16
62	March 18 9:00 p.m. EST	@ Milwaukee	L 100–117	Aguirre, Johnson (14)	Rodman (13)	Dumars (9)	Bradley Center 18,633	45–17
63	March 21 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Atlanta	W 110–95	Thomas (26)	Laimbeer (12)	Dumars (9)	The Omni 16,371	46–17
64	March 22 7:30 p.m. EST	San Antonio	W 115–94	Laimbeer (21)	Laimbeer (10)	Thomas (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	47–17
65	March 24 8:00 p.m. EST	New Jersey	W 112–96	Dumars (35)	Aguirre (11)	Thomas (11)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	48–17
66	March 25 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Charlotte	W 113–101	Dumars (18)	Laimbeer (11)	Thomas (6)	Charlotte Coliseum 23,388	49–17
67	March 27 7:30 p.m. EST	Dallas	W 90–77	Thomas (30)	Laimbeer, Rodman (11)	Dumars (6)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	50–17
68	March 29 9:30 p.m. EST	@ Utah	W 108–104	Thomas (25)	Mahorn (11)	Thomas (8)	Salt Palace 12,444	51–17
69	March 31 10:00 p.m. EST	@ Seattle	W 111–108	Dumars (27)	Rodman (7)	Dumars, Thomas (4)	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,810	52–17

April: 11–2 (home: 7–0; road: 4–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
70	April 2 9:00 p.m. EDT	@ L.A. Clippers	W 117–101	Dumars (23)	Laimbeer (18)	Dumars, Thomas (7)	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 14,309	54–16
71	April 4 10:30 p.m. EDT	@ Portland	L 100–118	Rodman (16)	Rodman (18)	Dumars (6)	Memorial Coliseum 12,880	53–18
72	April 6 7:30 p.m. EDT	Chicago	W 115–108	Dumars (20)	Laimbeer (22)	Thomas (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	54–18
73	April 7 8:00 p.m. EDT	@ Chicago	W 114–112 (OT)	Johnson (30)	Mahorn (11)	Dumars, Johnson (8)	Chicago Stadium 18,678	55–18
74	April 9 7:00 p.m. EDT	Milwaukee	W 100–91	Aguirre (20)	Aguirre (11)	Dumars (13)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	56–18
75	April 10 7:30 p.m. EDT	@ Washington	W 124–100	Laimbeer (27)	Laimbeer (11)	Dumars (11)	Capital Centre 11,305	57–18
76	April 12 7:30 p.m. EDT	Cleveland	W 107–95	Johnson (31)	Mahorn (11)	Dumars (11)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	58–18
77	April 14 8:00 p.m. EDT	@ New York	L 100–104	Laimbeer (19)	Rodman (10)	Dumars (8)	Madison Square Garden 19,591	58–19
78	April 16 7:00 p.m. EDT	Washington	W 104–98	Aguirre (19)	Laimbeer (10)	Dumars, Thomas (7)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	59–19
79	April 18 7:30 p.m. EDT	@ Cleveland	W 118–102	Dumars (42)	Mahorn (11)	Dumars (11)	Richfield Coliseum 20,273	60–19
80	April 19 7:30 p.m. EDT	Indiana	W 115–105	Dumars (20)	Rodman (14)	Dumars (11)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	61–19
81	April 21 8:00 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia	W 100–91	Aguirre (22)	Mahorn (9)	Dumars (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	62–19
82	April 23 3:30 p.m. EDT	Atlanta	W 99–81	Johnson (23)	Rodman (13)	Dumars (4)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	63–19

1988–89 schedule

Playoffs

1989 playoff game log

Eastern Conference First Round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 28 8:00 p.m. EDT	Boston	W 101–91	Dumars (25)	Laimbeer (12)	Thomas (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	1–0
2	April 30 3:30 p.m. EDT	Boston	W 102–95	Thomas (26)	Laimbeer (15)	Thomas (8)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	2–0
3	May 2 8:00 p.m. EDT	@ Boston	W 100–85	Johnson (25)	Rodman (9)	Thomas (10)	Boston Garden 14,890	3–0

Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	May 10 8:00 p.m. EDT	Milwaukee	W 85–80	Laimbeer (19)	Laimbeer (17)	Dumars (6)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	1–0
2	May 12 8:00 p.m. EDT	Milwaukee	W 112–92	Salley (23)	Rodman (13)	Thomas (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	2–0
3	May 14 3:30 p.m. EDT	@ Milwaukee	W 110–90	Thomas (26)	Laimbeer (11)	Dumars (10)	Bradley Center 18,633	3–0
4	May 15 8:00 p.m. EDT	@ Milwaukee	W 96–94	Dumars (22)	Thomas (10)	Thomas (13)	Bradley Center 18,633	4–0

Eastern Conference Finals: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	May 21 1:00 p.m. EDT	Chicago	L 88–94	Mahorn (17)	Laimbeer (15)	Thomas (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	0–1
2	May 23 8:00 p.m. EDT	Chicago	W 100–91	Thomas (33)	Rodman (12)	Thomas (4)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	1–1
3	May 27 2:00 p.m. EDT	@ Chicago	L 97–99	Aguirre (25)	Rodman (13)	Thomas (11)	Chicago Stadium 18,676	1–2
4	May 29 3:00 p.m. EDT	@ Chicago	W 86–80	Thomas (27)	Rodman (18)	Thomas (6)	Chicago Stadium 18,676	2–2
5	May 31 8:00 p.m. EDT	Chicago	W 94–85	Johnson (22)	Rodman (14)	Thomas (12)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	3–2
6	June 2 9:00 p.m. EDT	@ Chicago	W 103–94	Thomas (33)	Rodman (15)	Dumars (9)	Chicago Stadium 18,676	4–2

NBA Finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	June 6 9:00 p.m. EDT	L.A. Lakers	W 109–97	Thomas (24)	Aguirre, Rodman (10)	Thomas (9)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	1–0
2	June 8 9:00 p.m. EDT	L.A. Lakers	W 108–105	Dumars (33)	Aguirre (6)	Thomas (7)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	2–0
3	June 11 3:30 p.m. EDT	@ L.A. Lakers	W 114–110	Dumars (31)	Rodman (19)	Thomas (8)	Great Western Forum 17,505	3–0
4	June 13 9:00 p.m. EDT	@ L.A. Lakers	W 105–97	Dumars (23)	Johnson, Laimbeer (6)	Dumars, Johnson, Thomas (5)	Great Western Forum 17,505	4–0

1989 schedule

Playoffs

After finishing with the best record in the NBA, the Pistons swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference finals, they faced the Chicago Bulls, whom they had defeated in the conference semifinals a year earlier. Although the Bulls were able to win two of the first three games, the Pistons' use of their "Jordan Rules" defense wore out Michael Jordan, setting up Detroit's second consecutive NBA Finals appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Game officials

Pre season

Regular season

Game	Date	Opponent	Officials
1	11–4–1988	@ Chicago	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 40 Mike Lauerman
2	11–5–1988	Charlotte
3	11–8–1988	@ Philadelphia	No. 9 Bruce Alexander, No. 50 Lee Jones, No. 8 Lee Jones
4	11–9–1988	Atlanta	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 53 Jim Kinsey
5	11–11–1988	@ Boston	No. 25 Hugh Evans, Jim Huetter, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
6	11–15–1988	@ Dallas	No. 41 Ken Mauer, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
7	11–16–1988	@ San Antonio
8	11–18–1988	@ Phoenix	No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 14 Jack Madden
9	11–19–1988	@ Houston	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 25 Hugh Evans, Jim Huetter
10	11–22–1988	@ Charlotte
11	11–23–1988	New York	No. 63 Ted Bernhardt, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
12	11–26–1988	L.A. Lakers	No. 30 Gary Benson, No. 43 Dan Crawford, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
13	11–29–1988	@ Indiana	No. 40 Mike Lauerman, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 44 Ron Olesiak
14	11–30–1988	Indiana	No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 10 Dareel Garretson, No. 23 Ron Garretson
15	12–2–1988	@ Washington	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
16	12–4–1988	@ New Jersey
17	12–6–1988	@ Milwaukee	No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 24 Bill Saar, No. 57 Greg Willard
18	12–7–1988	Chicago	No. 33 Joe Borgia, No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 8 Lee Jones
19	12–9–1988	@ Atlanta	No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 54 Woody Mayfield
20	12–10–1988	Philadelphia	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 28 Tommy Nunez, No. 39 Tommie Wood
21	12–14–1988	Milwaukee	No. 25 Hugh Evans, Jim Huetter, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
22	12–15–1988	@ Cleveland	No. 19 Jim Capers, No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 8 Lee Jomes
23	12–17–1988	Charlotte
24	12–20–1988	Miami
25	12–22–1988	@ New York	No. 28 Tommy Nunez, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell, No. 44 Ron Olesiak
26	12–28–1988	Phoenix	No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 40 Mike Lauerman, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell
27	12–30–1988	Houston	Ted Bernhardt, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
28	1–3–1989	@ Atlanta	No. 30 Gary Benson, No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
29	1–6–1989	Atlanta	No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 13 Mike Mathis, Mo. 39 Jess Thompson
30	1–7–1989	@ Indiana	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 37 Blaine Reichelt
31	1–11–1989	New York	No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 44 Ron Olesiak
32	1–13–1989	Washington	No. 26 Bob Delaney, Jim Huetter, No. 20 Jess Kersey
33	1–15–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 9 Bruce Alexander, No. 12 Earl Strom, No. 39 Jess Thompson
34	1–16–1989	Boston	No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 14 Jack Madden
35	1–18–1989	New Jersey
36	1–20–1989	Indiana	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 53 Jim Kinsey
37	1–22–1989	@ Boston	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
38	1–25–1989	Golden State	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
39	1–27–1989	Cleveland	No. 35 Jack Nies, No. 21 Bill Oakes, No. 58 Derrick Stafford
40	1–29–1989	Sacramento
41	1–31–1989	@ Chicago	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 23 Ron Garretson, Rusty Herring
42	2–3–1989	@ Philadelphia	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 55 George Toliver
43	2–5–1989	Chicago	No. 33 Joe Borgia, No. 8 Lee Jones, No. 12 Earl Strom
44	2–8–1989	Milwaukee	No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 13 Mike Mathis
45	2–14–1989	@ L.A. Lakers	No. 21 Bill Oakes, No. 24 Bill Saar, No. 56 Don Vaden
46	2–16–1989	@ Sacramento
47	2–18–1989	@ Golden State	No. 40 Mike Lauerman, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 58 Derrick Stafford
48	2–20–1989	@ Denver	Jim Huetter, No. 35 Jack Nies, No. 12 Earl Strom
49	2–22–1989	Portland	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 41 Ken Mauer, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
50	2–25–1989	@ New Jersey
51	2–26–1989	L.A. Clippers
52	2–28–1989	@ Cleveland	No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell, No. 58 Derrick Stafford
53	3–1–1989	Utah	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 56 Don Vaden
54	3–3–1989	Cleveland	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 35 Jack Nies, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
55	3–5–1989	@ Miami
56	3–6–1989	Denver	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
57	3–8–1989	Seattle	Jim Huetter, No. 8 Lee Jones, No. 12 Earl Strom
58	3–11–1989	@ Philadelphia	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 40 Mike Lauerman
59	3–12–1989	Washington	No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 39 Jess Thompson
60	3–14–1989	@ Indiana	Rusty Herring, No. 42 Hue Holline, No. 18 Ed Middleton
61	3–17–1989	Boston	No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 21 Bill Oakes
62	3–18–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 30 Gary Benson, No. 43 Dan Crawford, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
63	3–21–1989	@ Atlanta	No. 20 Jess Jersey, No. 41 Ken Mauer, No. 16 Wally Rooney
64	3–22–1989	San Antonio
65	3–24–1989	New Jersey
66	3–25–1989	@ Charlotte
67	3–27–1989	Dallas	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 34 Ronnie Nunn
68	3–29–1989	@ Utah	No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
69	3–31–1989	@ Seattle	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 44 Ron Olesiak, No. 37 Blaine Reichelt
70	4–2–1989	@ L.A. Clippers
71	4–4–1989	@ Portland	No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 13 Mike Mathis
72	4–6–1989	Chicago	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 29 Steve Javie
73	4–7–1989	@ Chicago	No. 19 Jim Capers, No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
74	4–9–1989	Milwaukee	No. 9 Bruce Alexander, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 12 Earl Strom
75	4–10–1989	@ Washington	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 40 Mike Lauerman
76	4–12–1989	Cleveland	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
77	4–14–1989	@ New York	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
78	4–16–1989	Washington	No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 35 Jack Nies
79	4–18–1989	@ Cleveland	No. 43 Dan Crawford, No. 21 Bill Oakes, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
80	4–19–1989	Indiana	No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 54 Woody Mayfield
81	4–21–1989	Philadelphia	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 34 Ronnie Nunn
82	4–23–1989	Atlanta	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell

Playoffs

Game	Round	Date	Opponent	Officials
1	Eastern Conference First Round	4–28–1989	Boston	No. 12 Earl Strom, No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 18 Ed Middleton
2	Eastern Conference First Round	4–30–1989	Boston	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 23 Ron Garretson, No. 21 Bill Oakes
3	Eastern Conference First Round	5–2–1989	@ Boston	No. 4 Ed T. Rush, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
1	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–10–1989	Milwaukee	No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
2	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–12–1989	Milwaukee	No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
3	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–14–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 29 Steve Javie
4	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–15–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 7 Bernie Fryer
1	Eastern Conference Finals	5–21–1989	Chicago	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
2	Eastern Conference Finals	5–23–1989	Chicago	No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 12 Earl Strom, No. 24 Bill Saar
3	Eastern Conference Finals	5–27–1989	@ Chicago	No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 4 Ed T. Rush, No. 21 Bill Oakes
4	Eastern Conference Finals	5–29–1989	@ Chicago	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell, No. 16 Wally Rooney
5	Eastern Conference Finals	5–31–1989	Chicago	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 27 Dick Bavetta
6	Eastern Conference Finals	6–2–1989	@ Chicago	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 12 Earl Strom
1	NBA Finals	6–6–1989	L.A. Lakers	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell
2	NBA Finals	6–8–1989	L.A. Lakers	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 42 Hue Hollins
3	NBA Finals	6–11–1989	@ L.A. Lakers	No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
4	NBA Finals	6–13–1989	@ L.A. Lakers	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 12 Earl Strom

Player stats

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Mark Aguirre	36	32	29.7	.483	.293	.738	4.2	2.5	.44	.19	15.5
Adrian Dantley	42	42	31.9	.521	.000	.839	3.9	2.2	.55	.14	18.4
Darryl Dawkins	14	0	3.4	.474	.000	.500	.5	.1	.00	.07	1.9
Fennis Dembo	31	0	2.4	.333	.000	.800	.7	.2	.03	.00	1.2
Joe Dumars	69	67	34.9	.505	.483	.850	2.5	5.7	.91	.07	17.2
James Edwards	76	1	16.5	.500	.000	.686	3.0	.6	.14	.41	7.3
Steve Harris	3	0	2.3	.250	.000	1.000	.7	.0	.33	.00	1.3
Vinnie Johnson	82	21	25.3	.464	.295	.734	3.1	3.0	.90	.21	13.8
Bill Laimbeer	81	81	32.6	.499	.349	.840	9.6	2.2	.63	1.23	13.7
John Long	24	1	6.3	.475	.000	.846	.5	.6	.00	.08	2.0
Rick Mahorn	72	61	24.9	.517	.000	.748	6.9	.8	.56	.92	7.2
Pace Mannion	5	0	2.8	1.000	.000	.000	.6	.0	.20	.00	.8
Dennis Rodman	82	8	26.9	.595	.231	.626	9.4	1.2	.67	.93	9.0
Jim Rowinski	6	0	1.3	.000	.000	1.000	.3	.0	.00	.00	.7
John Salley	67	21	21.8	.498	.000	.692	5.0	1.1	.60	1.07	7.0
Isiah Thomas	80	76	36.6	.464	.273	.818	3.4	8.3	1.66	.25	18.2
Micheal Williams	49	0	7.3	.364	.222	.660	.6	1.4	.27	.06	2.6

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Mark Aguirre	17	17	27.2	.489	.276	.737	4.4	1.6	.47	.18	12.6
Fennis Dembo	2	0	2.0	1.000	.000	.000	.0	.0	.00	.00	1.0
Joe Dumars	17	17	36.5	.455	.083	.861	2.6	5.6	.71	.06	17.6
James Edwards	17	0	18.6	.471	.000	.784	2.1	.7	.06	.47	7.1
Vinnie Johnson	17	0	21.9	.455	.417	.758	2.6	2.5	.24	.18	14.1
Bill Laimbeer	17	17	29.2	.465	.357	.806	8.2	1.8	.35	.47	10.1
John Long	4	0	2.0	1.000	.000	1.000	.0	.0	.00	.00	1.2
Rick Mahorn	17	17	21.2	.580	.000	.654	5.1	.4	.53	.76	5.7
Dennis Rodman	17	0	24.1	.529	.000	.686	10.0	.9	.35	.71	5.8
John Salley	17	0	23.1	.586	.000	.667	4.6	.5	.53	1.47	8.9
Isiah Thomas	17	17	37.2	.412	.267	.740	4.3	8.3	1.59	.24	18.2
Micheal Williams	4	0	1.5	.000	.000	1.000	.5	.5	.25	.00	.5

NBA Finals

Main article: 1989 NBA Finals

The Pistons' overpowering play allowed them to sweep the Lakers, who struggled to fill the defensive void left by Byron Scott's injury prior to the start of the Finals. Joe Dumars was named Finals MVP. In addition, Magic Johnson pulled a hamstring early in the second game, and unable to play the rest of the series. The Lakers' depleted backcourt allowed the Pistons to easily win the 1988–89 NBA Championship.

Game	Home Team	Road Team	series
Game 1	Detroit 109	L.A. Lakers 97	1–0
Game 2	Detroit 108	L.A. Lakers 105	2–0
Game 3:	L.A. Lakers 110	Detroit 114	3–0
Game 4:	L.A. Lakers 97	Detroit 105	4–0

Pistons win series 4–0

Award winners

External links

References

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"Pistons Halt an Uneasy Marriage; Adrian Dantley Sent Packing for a Younger Man". Mitch Albom. Detroit Free Press. February 16, 1989. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
^ McCallum, Jack (March 6, 1989). "And the Winner Is...; Who Got the Better Deal, Detroit in Mark Aguirre or Dallas in Adrian Dantley?". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
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v t e Detroit Pistons 1988–89 NBA champions
4 Dumars (Finals MVP) 10 Rodman 11 Thomas 15 Johnson 22 Salley 23 Aguirre 24 Williams 25 Long 34 Dembo 40 Laimbeer 44 Mahorn 53 Edwards
Head coach Daly
Assistant coaches Malone Suhr
Regular season Playoffs

1988–89 NBA season by team

Eastern

Atlantic	Boston Charlotte New Jersey New York Philadelphia Washington
Central	Atlanta Chicago Cleveland Detroit Indiana Milwaukee

Western

Midwest	Dallas Denver Houston Miami San Antonio Utah
Pacific	Golden State L.A. Clippers L.A. Lakers Phoenix Portland Sacramento Seattle

v t e NBA champions
1940s	1947: Philadelphia Warriors 1948: Baltimore Bullets 1949: Minneapolis Lakers
1950s	1950: Minneapolis Lakers 1951: Rochester Royals 1952: Minneapolis Lakers 1953: Minneapolis Lakers 1954: Minneapolis Lakers 1955: Syracuse Nationals 1956: Philadelphia Warriors 1957: Boston Celtics 1958: St. Louis Hawks 1959: Boston Celtics
1960s	1960: Boston Celtics 1961: Boston Celtics 1962: Boston Celtics 1963: Boston Celtics 1964: Boston Celtics 1965: Boston Celtics 1966: Boston Celtics 1967: Philadelphia 76ers 1968: Boston Celtics 1969: Boston Celtics
1970s	1970: New York Knicks 1971: Milwaukee Bucks 1972: Los Angeles Lakers 1973: New York Knicks 1974: Boston Celtics 1975: Golden State Warriors 1976: Boston Celtics 1977: Portland Trail Blazers 1978: Washington Bullets 1979: Seattle SuperSonics
1980s	1980: Los Angeles Lakers 1981: Boston Celtics 1982: Los Angeles Lakers 1983: Philadelphia 76ers 1984: Boston Celtics 1985: Los Angeles Lakers 1986: Boston Celtics 1987: Los Angeles Lakers 1988: Los Angeles Lakers 1989: Detroit Pistons
1990s	1990: Detroit Pistons 1991: Chicago Bulls 1992: Chicago Bulls 1993: Chicago Bulls 1994: Houston Rockets 1995: Houston Rockets 1996: Chicago Bulls 1997: Chicago Bulls 1998: Chicago Bulls 1999: San Antonio Spurs
2000s	2000: Los Angeles Lakers 2001: Los Angeles Lakers 2002: Los Angeles Lakers 2003: San Antonio Spurs 2004: Detroit Pistons 2005: San Antonio Spurs 2006: Miami Heat 2007: San Antonio Spurs 2008: Boston Celtics 2009: Los Angeles Lakers
2010s	2010: Los Angeles Lakers 2011: Dallas Mavericks 2012: Miami Heat 2013: Miami Heat 2014: San Antonio Spurs 2015: Golden State Warriors 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers 2017: Golden State Warriors 2018: Golden State Warriors 2019: Toronto Raptors
2020s	2020: Los Angeles Lakers 2021: Milwaukee Bucks 2022: Golden State Warriors 2023: Denver Nuggets 2024: Boston Celtics

Detroit Pistons seasons

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1988–89

1990s

1989–90

2000s

2003–04

2010s

2020s

Bold indicates NBA Finals victory

v t e National Basketball Association's Top Ten Teams in NBA History
1964–65 Boston Celtics 1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers 1969–70 New York Knicks 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers 1982–83 Philadelphia 76ers 1985–86 Boston Celtics 1986–87 Los Angeles Lakers 1988–89 Detroit Pistons 1991–92 Chicago Bulls 1995–96 Chicago Bulls

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