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The 2012 NBA Playoffs is the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2011–12 season. The playoffs began on April 28.

With the exception of the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz, the playoffs feature the same teams from 2011; all 8 from the East are the same as last year. They also had records over .500, the first time since 2005. The Clippers returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2006, while Utah made the playoffs for the 5th time in the last 6 years, it was their first without Jerry Sloan as head coach since 1988.

As was the case last season, both the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs finished atop their respective conferences, with the Bulls again clinching the top overall seed on the final day of the regular season. The Indiana Pacers opened the playoffs at home for the first time since 2004, while the Memphis Grizzlies earned home-court advantage for the first time in franchise history. For the fourth time since 2006, a division winner (in this case the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics) opened the playoffs on the road.

The defending champions Dallas Mavericks were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder 4–0, becoming the third defending champion to be swept in the First Round after the Philadelphia Warriors in 1957 and Miami Heat in 2007. The Mavericks were also swept in a 7-game playoff series for the first time, and only their second sweep since 1990.

The New York Knicks lost their 13th straight playoff game in Game 3 against the Heat, breaking Memphis' record from 2004–06 for the longest playoff losing streak.

The 8th-seeded Philadelphia 76ers defeated the 1st-seeded Bulls 4–2, becoming only the 5th team in NBA history to accomplish this upset. Following the Grizzlies 2011 upset of the 1st-seeded Spurs, this marked the first time in straight seasons an 8th-seed upset a #1 seed. The 76ers suffered the same fate as the Grizzlies, forcing the next series to a Game 7 but losing on the road.

Game 7 of the Lakers–Nuggets series ensured a 13th straight postseason with at least one Game 7 played. The last without one was the 1999 NBA Playoffs.

The Spurs became the fourth team, and the first from the West, to go 8–0 through the first two rounds of the playoffs, following the 2003 change in the first round format to 7 games. The Miami Heat in 2005, Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009 and Orlando Magic in 2010, all from the East, also previously went 8–0 through the first two rounds. In addition, all 3 lost Game 1 of their Conference Finals. The Spurs broke this trend by defeating the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. By winning 20 straight games, the Spurs also set an NBA record for the longest winning streak carried over from the regular season to the playoffs, which was broken with the Game 3 loss, and finished a win short of the longest unbeaten playoff run.

Format[link]

The 6 division winners and 10 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 winner is guaranteed to be ranked at least fourth, regardless of record.

Tiebreak procedures[link]

The tiebreakers that determine seedings are:

1. Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division
2. Head-to-head record
3. Division record (if all the tied teams are in the same division)
4. Conference record
5. Record vs. playoff teams, own conference
6. Record vs. playoff teams, other conference (only in 2-way tie)
7. Point differential, all games

If there were more than two teams tied, the team that wins the tiebreaker gets the highest seed, while the other teams were "re-broken" from the first step until all ties were resolved. Since the three division winners were guaranteed a spot in the top four, ties to determine the division winners had to be broken before any other ties.^[1]

Playoff qualifying[link]

Eastern Conference[link]

— = Did not achieve

Western Conference[link]

— = Did not achieve

Los Angeles Lakers clinched #3 seed over Memphis Grizzlies based on winning Pacific Division.

Dallas Mavericks clinched #7 seed over Utah Jazz based on head to head record (3–1).

Bracket[link]

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 belongs to the team with the better regular season record, regardless of seed. (If two teams with the same record meet in a round, the tiebreakers used are head-to-head and record vs. opposite conference.) Teams with home court advantage are shown in italics in the chart below.

Eastern Conference[link]

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

First Round[link]

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers[link]

The Bulls came into the playoffs as the first overall seed for the second straight year. The 76ers, meanwhile, came into the playoffs as the team with the lowest record in the playoffs. The Bulls made quick work of the 76ers, winning Game 1. However, with the Bulls leading by 12 with 1:20 to go in the fourth, Derrick Rose tore his ACL and he was ruled out for the playoffs, putting the Bulls championship hopes in serious jeopardy. The 76ers took the next three games to put the Bulls in the brink of elimination. In Game 3, Joakim Noah was injured when he stepped on Andre Iguodala's foot, ruling him out for the next two games. The Bulls staved off elimination by winning Game 5 at home. In Game 6, with the Bulls up 1 with 7 seconds to go, Ömer Aşık missed two crucial free-throws. Iguodala managed to rebound the ball and sprinted to the other side of the court. He got fouled by Aşık while going for a shot. Iguodala gave the 76ers the lead by making the free-throws. The Bulls, who were out of timeouts, had one last chance to force a Game 7 but C. J. Watson's halfcourt heave missed, giving the 76ers the series win. They advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2003. The Bulls, meanwhile, became the fifth first-seeded team to be upset by the eighth-seed.

Regular-season series

Chicago won 2–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 1991 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Chicago won 4–1).

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks[link]

The Heat defeated the Knicks in Game 1 by 33 points. Game 2 was much closer, even without Knicks' starting rookie guard Iman Shumpert who suffered an ACL injury the previous game, but the Heat still won by 10. In Game 3 in MSG, the Heat found themselves on the wrong end in the first half, trailing by as much as 11 points, before closing the half with a 7–0 run. The Heat led by 2 after the 3rd quarter. However, LeBron James quickly sparked an 8–0 run to start the 4th quarter, giving them a 10 point lead. The Knicks never recovered. James himself outscored the Knicks in the fourth, 17–14. By losing Game 3, the Knicks set a new league record by losing 13 straight playoff games, their last win coming April 29, 2001, in their series versus the Raptors.^[2] In Game 4, Knicks' starting guard Baron Davis injured himself in the third quarter and had to be carried off the court on a stretcher. But led by Carmelo Anthony's 41, the Knicks won 89–87, escaping a sweep as Wade's potential series-winning 3 missed at the buzzer. In Game 5, the Knicks started strong but Miami took over the rest of the way. The Heat led by 11 at the end of the first half. The Heat never squandered the lead, effectively sealing the game and the series with a 3-pointer by Battier that gave the Heat a 14-point lead with a minute left in the game. The Knicks were led by Anthony's 35. Amar'e Stoudemire, meanwhile, was plagued by foul trouble. He fouled out with about 4 minutes left in the game.

Regular-season series

Miami won 3–0 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals (New York won 4–3).

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic[link]

The Pacers were considered the heavy favorites in the series as the Magic would try to defeat Pacers without Dwight Howard. The Magic defied the odds in Game 1, as the Pacers went scoreless in the final 4 minutes of the game, allowing the Magic to go on an 11–0 run to finish the game and take a 1–0 series lead. The Pacers quickly took revenge, winning the next two games at home and on the road by an average of 19 points. Game 4 was close, with the game going to overtime. However, George Hill hit two free-throws with 2 seconds left to give the Pacers a 3–1 lead in the series. Game 5 was close throughout the first three quarters, with Magic taking a two-point lead heading to the 4th quarter. However, Indiana outscored the Magic 36–16 in the fourth to give the Pacers the series victory 4–1.

Regular-season series

Orlando won 3–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 1995 Eastern Conference Finals (Orlando won 4–3).

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks[link]

The Hawks had homecourt advantage for the series despite being the lower seeded team by having the better season-record of the two; the Celtics took the 4th-seed by winning their division title. The Hawks won Game 1 by nine points but Celtics took the next three games, pushing the Hawks to the brink of elimination. Games 2 and 3 were close victories for the Celtics with Game 4 being a blowout victory for them. Game 5 in Atlanta was a close one. In the final seconds, with the Hawks up by one, Rajon Rondo stole an inbound pass, giving the Celtics a chance to finish off the Hawks. However, Josh Smith stripped a Rondo pass intended for Kevin Garnett, letting the Hawks survive and force a Game 6. In Game 6, Garnett led the Celtics to an 83–80 victory and send the Celtics to the Semifinals. The Hawks had a chance to tie the game through free throws. However, Al Horford missed his first free throw that could have cut the lead to one. It was the Hawks' only miss at the free throw line the entire night. He made his second to cut it to one and the Hawks quickly fouled Paul Pierce. Pierce made both free throws to extend Celtics' lead to 3. With a chance to tie the game, Jeff Teague fumbled a pass, sealing the Hawks' demise.

Regular-season series

Boston won 2–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2008 Eastern Conference First Round (Boston won 4–3).

Conference Semifinals[link]

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) Indiana Pacers[link]

Even though Heat won the season series, 3–1, the series was expected to be a close one. In Game 1, the Heat took a major blow when Chris Bosh got injured in the first half. He was expected to be out for the rest of the series. However, LeBron and Wade took over in the second half to give the Heat the win, 95–86. In Game 2, the Heat started strong, at one point taking a 9-point lead. The Pacers answered that by outscoring the Heat 28–14 in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead going to the fourth quarter. The Heat would comeback, taking a 72–71 lead with 4:11 to go. However, with LeBron and Wade missing key chances, the Pacers tied the series with a 78–75 win. Game 3 marked one of the worst playoff games for Wade, as he scored just 5 points on 2/13 shooting. Without Wade's contribution, the Heat found themselves down in the series 2–1 as the Pacers blew out the Heat 94–75. Before Game 4, the Heat regrouped and refocused on the series. The result was a 101–93 victory over the Pacers in Game 4 to tie the series at 2. LeBron scored 40 in the game, to go along with 18 rebounds and 9 assists. Wade recovered from his terrible Game 3 performance by scoring 30. In Game 5, it was the Pacers who took the major blow when Danny Granger got injured in the second quarter by stepping on LeBron's foot. He tried to come back in the third quarter but he aggravated his injury after fouling James. Then, after the third period, West left the game with a knee injury. Without Granger and West, the Pacers were unable to stop the Heat, as the Heat won 115–83 to take a 3–2 series lead, putting them a win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 6, West and Granger started for the Pacers despite their injuries. The Pacers started strong, even taking a 19–8 lead in the first quarter. However, the third quarter was decisive, with the Heat outscoring the Pacers 28–16 to take a 79–69 lead going to the fourth quarter. Led by Wade's 41 and LeBron's 28, the Heat never looked back as they won three straight, 105–93, to take the series, 4–2.

Regular-season series

Miami won 3–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Indiana won 4–2).

(4) Boston Celtics vs (8) Philadelphia 76ers[link]

The Sixers came off fresh of an upset over the injury-laden Bulls. Both the Celtics and the Sixers clinched their first round series on the same day. In Game 1, Rondo had another triple-double, but the Sixers held a 10-point lead with 10:53 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Celtics eventually came back, winning Game 1 by a point to take a 1–0 series lead. On the final possession, the Sixers were unable to foul a speedy Rondo, who dribbled off the clock. Game 2 saw the visitors lead for most of the game. With the Sixers leading 78–75 with 12 seconds to go, the Celtics squandered a chance to tie the game, as Garnett was called for an offensive foul. The Sixers would then hit their final four free-throws to tie the series at 1 going back to Philadelphia. In Game 3, the Sixers held their last lead with 9:09 left in the second quarter as the Celtics would takeover the rest of the game to lead them to a 2–1 series advantage. In Game 4, the Celtics would lead by as much as 18 in the third quarter. Facing the prospect of trailing 1–3 in the series, the Sixers would eventually come back to take the game from the Celtics and tie the series going back to Boston. Game 5 saw Brandon Bass score 27 points, including 18 in the third quarter as the Celtics blew out the Sixers, 101–85, to push them a win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. Before the start of Game 6, Allen Iverson presented the game ball, prompting huge cheers from the crowd. It was enough to motivate the Sixers to defeat the Celtics, 82–75, to force a Game 7. Jrue Holiday scored 20 points, including two huge free-throws with 31 seconds to go to put the game away. Game 7 was a tight contest, with the two teams going back-and-forth. Paul Pierce fouled out late in the fourth quarter. But Rajon Rondo had his second triple-double of the series, including a huge fourth quarter that helped the Celtics advance to the Conference Finals to face the Miami Heat.

Regular-season series

Philadelphia won 2–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2002 Eastern Conference First Round (Boston won 3–2)

Conference Finals: (2) Miami Heat vs. (4) Boston Celtics[link]

This series marked the third consecutive time that both the Heat and Celtics faced each other in a playoff series. They faced each other in the Eastern Conference First Round in 2010 (won by the Celtics, 4–1) and in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2011 (won by the Heat, 4–1). In addition, Wade and LeBron faced the Celtics for the third consecutive year in the playoffs. The LeBron-led Cavs also faced the Celtics in 2010 only to be defeated 2–4, which led to James's arrival on the Miami Heat. In Game 1, the Celtics started poorly, scoring only 11 points in the first quarter. The Heat had a 10-point lead after 1. The Celtics were hot in the second, scoring 35 points en rout to tying the game at halftime. Behind a big second half, the Heat eventually defeated the Celtics, 93–79, to take a 1–0 series lead. Game 2 was very different in Game 1, with the Celtics starting very strong. Midway through the second quarter, a Rondo jumper extended their lead to 15. However, the Heat would cut it to 7 at halftime. The Heat would have another big 3rd quarter. With the Celtics leading 71–66 with 4:24 to go in the third, a block by Wade on Allen ignited a 15–4 run by the Heat to end the quarter, as they take 6-point lead heading into the fourth. The fourth quarter was close. With the Heat leading 99–96 with 34 seconds left in the game, Allen made a 3-pointer to tie the game. It would eventually send the game to overtime, with James missing two chances to win the game. The Heat would eventually win in overtime, 115–111, to take a 2–0 lead in the series. Rondo led the Celtics with a career-high 44 points, along with 8 rebounds and 10 assists. The game is noted for it's controversy in regards to the officiating as the Heat shot 18 more free throws than the Celtics, the Celtics committed 33 fouls to the Heat's 18, as well as a play in overtime in a tie game where Rajon Rondo was hit in the head by Dwyane Wade and no foul was called, leading to a fast break dunk for the Heat.

Regular-season series

Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Miami won 4–1).

Western Conference[link]

First Round[link]

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz[link]

The Spurs were touted the heavy favorites in the series, following their 10-game winning streak to end the regular season and their 3–1 season series victory over the Jazz. They quickly worked their way through the Jazz, scoring 31 points in the third quarter to blow the game open. They eventually won Game 1 106–91. In Game 2, the Spurs shot 10 three-pointers and shot more than 50% as they blew out the Jazz by 31 points, 114–83, to take a 2–0 series lead. Game 3 was close throughout the first half, with the Spurs leading only by 2 after the first half. However, the Spurs blew the game open in the second half and won the game by 12 to take 3–0 lead in the series. The odds were stacked for the Jazz as no team in NBA history have managed to win a series after trailing the series 3–0. Notably, before Game 4 had even been played, Jazz forward Al Jefferson commented that he didn't think any team would defeat the Spurs^[3] In Game 4, it seemed like the Spurs will complete the sweep when they had a 21-point lead. However, the Jazz eventually cut the lead to just 4 with 49.4 remaining in the fourth. However, Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili eventually sealed the series by stealing the ball and scoring on a basket respectively. The Spurs eventually completed the sweep, winning Game 4 by 6.

Regular-season series

San Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2007 Western Conference Finals (San Antonio won 4–1).

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks[link]

The Mavericks came into the playoffs only as the 7th-seed, one of the lowest placements for a defending champion. Game 1 was a very close affair, with both teams going back and forth in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. However, Kevin Durant scored on a one-handed jumper with just about 1 second remaining. The Mavs still tried to win but Shawn Marion failed to get a shot off at the buzzer, giving the Thunder a one-point victory and a 1–0 series lead. Game 2 was also a close one but the Thunder held on and managed to squeak a 102–99 win and 2–0 series lead over the defending champs. In Game 3, the Mavs were no match for the Thunder, with the Thunder eventually blowing out the defending champs 95–79 to send the Mavs into the brink of a sweep. In Game 4, it looked as if the Mavs would stave off elimination when they led by 13 at the end of the third quarter. However, the Thunder outscored the Mavs 35–16 in the fourth and held on for a 103–97 victory over the Mavs. Following the sweep, the Mavs became just the 3rd defending champion to be swept in the first round.

Regular-season series

Oklahoma City won 3–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2011 Western Conference Finals (Dallas won 4–1).

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets[link]

The Lakers won the opening game 103–88 after Andrew Bynum had a triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots. The blocked shots broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise record of nine, and tied the NBA playoff record set by Mark Eaton and Hakeem Olajuwon. Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and Pau Gasol added 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.^[4] The Lakers then won a close Game 2 but the Nuggets proceeded to blow out the Lakers in Game 3 99–84 to prevent the Lakers from taking a commanding 3–0 lead. Game 4 was close but Sessions and Blake hit pivotal 3's to put the Lakers in the lead for good and take a 3–1 series lead. Before Game 5, Bynum said that "Close-out games are actually kind of easy."^[5] The Nuggets responded by taking Game 5 102–99. The game saw the Lakers erase a 90–75 deficit with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter. In Game 6, Bryant played despite having a stomach illness, but still managed to score 31 points. However, with little contribution from Gasol and Bynum, the Nuggets forced Game 7 with a 113–96 blowout win over the Lakers. The Lakers won the series 4–3, and avoided becoming the the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3–1 series lead. Gasol had 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, Bynum had 16 points and a playoff career-high 18 rebounds, and Steve Blake scored a playoff career-high 19 points in a 96–87 win in Game 7. The Lakers blew a 16-point lead in the second half before Gasol put the Lakers ahead for good with a tip-in basket with 6:30 left. Kobe Bryant sealed Denver's fate by hitting a 3 with 48.3 seconds left to put the Lakers up 8. Denver had 19 turnovers in the game and shot just 7-of-27 shooting in the fourth quarter. Returning from his seven-game suspension, Metta World Peace scored 15 points, while Bryant had 17 points, and 8 assists.^[6]

Regular-season series

Los Angeles Lakers won 3–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: 2009 Western Conference Finals (Los Angeles Lakers won 4–2).

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers[link]

The Clippers rallied to win Game 1 in one of the largest comebacks in playoffs history. Trailing by as many at 27, and down 95–71 with 9:13 remaining, the Clippers held the Grizzlies to just one field goal the rest of the game and pulled off an improbable 99–98 victory before a stunned, sold-out crowd of 18,119 at FedExForum.^[7] In Game 2, the Grizzlies avenged their embarrassing Game 1 loss by winning a close Game 2 to even the series going to Los Angeles. In Game 3, the Clippers survived a late Grizzlies rally in the final minute as Rudy Gay's three-pointer missed at the buzzer to give the Clippers a one-point victory and a 2–1 series lead. Game 4 was close, with the game going to overtime. With Chris Paul's heroics, the Clippers managed to win Game 4 and take a commanding 3–1 series lead. Back at home for Game 5, the Grizzlies tried to stave off elimination, at one point taking a 24-point lead in the third before the Clippers cut down on the lead again. However, the Grizzlies made sure there would be no collapse, using a 7–1 run in the final minute 44 seconds to win Game 5 92–80. Facing elimination on the road, the Grizzlies gathered themselves, storming back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to win Game 6 90–88, to force a decisive Game 7. In Game 7, the Clipper bench outscored their Grizzlies counterparts, 41–11, and it was enough as the Clippers won on the road to advance to the semifinals against the Spurs.

Regular-season series

The Clippers won 2–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: This is the first meeting between the Clippers and Grizzlies.

Conference Semifinals[link]

This is the first playoffs that the city of Los Angeles has both teams participating in the Conference Semifinals. The last time the Lakers and Clippers were in the Conference Semifinals was 1974, when the Clippers franchise was the Buffalo Braves. Also, another team based out of Staples Center, the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, participated in the 2012 NHL playoffs. As a result of these 3 teams sharing one arena, Games 3 and 4 of the Thunder–Lakers and Spurs–Clippers series were played back-to-back on May 18–19 and 19–20 respectively, to avoid scheduling conflicts.

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers[link]

The Spurs won their last 14 games coming into this series. They were also well prepared because they were able to sweep their previous opponents, the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, the Clippers were coming off a tough seven-game series against the Memphis Grizzlies and had to play Game 1 just 2 days after the Game 7 ended. Game 1 was close as the teams were tied coming into the 2nd Quarter. However, the Spurs quickly took control in the 2nd and 3rd Quarters as they defeated the Clippers, 108–92, and took a 1–0 series lead. Game 2 then saw a Spurs team taking control in the second half to defeat the Clippers and take a 2–0 lead. Going to Los Angeles for a back-to-back Games 3 and 4, the Clippers looked confident to defeat the Spurs, as they quickly took a 40–16 lead with 9:17 to go in the 2nd. However, the Spurs quickly cut the lead to 7 with 36.4 seconds before the half, with the half ending with a 10-point Clipper lead. Then, with the Clippers holding on to a 12-point lead with 9:39 to go in the 3rd, the Spurs unleashed a ferocious 24–0 run to take a 69–57 lead with 2 minutes to go in the 3rd. The Clippers never got closer than seven down the stretch as they watched the Spurs take a commanding 3–0 lead. Game 4 was a close one, with the Clippers leading for much of the fourth quarter before the Spurs took the lead on a Duncan hook shot. Then, in the final moments of the game, Paul made several mistakes, a bad pass and an off-balanced jump shot that missed, that ultimately led to Clippers' demise. Following Parker's free-throw that extended the Spurs' lead to 3, the Clippers had one last chance. However, out of timeouts, the Clippers were forced to take a long inbound pass. Mo Williams managed to catch the ball but was unable to get a shot off as the Spurs completed the sweep of the Clippers. The Spurs became just the fourth team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Regular-season series

San Antonio won 2–1 in the regular-season series:

Last Playoffs meeting: This is the first meeting between the Spurs and Clippers.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers[link]