This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2012)

The 2012 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2011–12 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP.

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

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 Mavs 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 do so. 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 first from the West to go 8–0 through the playoffs' first two rounds following the 2003 change in the first round format to 7 games. The Heat in 2005, Cavs in 2009 and Magic in 2010, also 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, they 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 tying the longest unbeaten playoff run in a single postseason.^[1] They ended up losing the series 4–2 after leading 2–0.

The Chicago Bulls were eliminated after losing Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to injuries, and the New York Knicks lost to the Miami Heat while losing Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert to knee injuries. The Heat were not immune, losing Chris Bosh for most of the playoffs en route to their championship. Commissioner David Stern initially said there was no connection between the injuries and the lockout that compressed the regular season to 66-game in 124 days; however, he backed off those comments a week later, saying more research was needed.^[2][3]

Contents 1 Format 1.1 Tiebreak procedures 2 Playoff qualifying 2.1 Eastern Conference 2.2 Western Conference 3 Bracket 4 Eastern Conference 4.1 First Round 4.1.1 (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers 4.1.2 (2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks 4.1.3 (3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic 4.1.4 (4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks 4.2 Conference Semifinals 4.2.1 (2) Miami Heat vs. (3) Indiana Pacers 4.2.2 (4) Boston Celtics vs (8) Philadelphia 76ers 4.3 Conference Finals: (2) Miami Heat vs. (4) Boston Celtics 5 Western Conference 5.1 First Round 5.1.1 (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz 5.1.2 (2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks 5.1.3 (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets 5.1.4 (4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers 5.2 Conference Semifinals 5.2.1 (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers 5.2.2 (2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers 5.3 Conference Finals: (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder 6 NBA Finals: (W2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (E2) Miami Heat 7 Statistic leaders 8 References 9 External links

Format [edit]

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 [edit]

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.^[4]

Playoff qualifying [edit]

Eastern Conference [edit]

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in Conference	Best record in NBA
1	Chicago Bulls	50–16	March 24	April 12	April 24	April 26
2	Miami Heat	46–20	April 3	April 15	—	—
3	Indiana Pacers	42–24	April 13	—	—	—
4	Boston Celtics	39–27	April 14	April 18	—	—
5	Atlanta Hawks	40–26	April 16	—	—	—
6	Orlando Magic	37–29	April 15	—	—	—
7	New York Knicks	36–30	April 19	—	—	—
8	Philadelphia 76ers	35–31	April 23	—	—	—

— = Did not achieve

Western Conference [edit]

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in Conference	Best record in NBA
1	San Antonio Spurs	50–16	April 8	April 14	April 23	—
2	Oklahoma City Thunder	47–19	April 1	April 7	—	—
3	Los Angeles Lakers	41–25	April 13	April 24	—	—
4	Memphis Grizzlies	41–25	April 18	—	—	—
5	Los Angeles Clippers	40–26	April 16	—	—	—
6	Denver Nuggets	38–28	April 21	—	—	—
7	Dallas Mavericks	36–30	April 19	—	—	—
8	Utah Jazz	36–30	April 24	—	—	—

— = 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 [edit]

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.

	First Round					Conference Semifinals					Conference Finals					NBA Finals
	1	Chicago*	2
	8	Philadelphia	4
						8	Philadelphia	3
						4	Boston	4
	4	Boston*	4
	5	Atlanta	2
											4	Boston	3
	Eastern Conference
											2	Miami	4
	3	Indiana	4
	6	Orlando	1
						3	Indiana	2
						2	Miami	4
	2	Miami*	4
	7	New York	1
																E2	Miami	4
															W2	Oklahoma City	1
	1	San Antonio*	4
	8	Utah	0
						1	San Antonio	4
						5	L.A. Clippers	0
	4	Memphis	3
	5	L.A. Clippers	4
											1	San Antonio	2
	Western Conference
											2	Oklahoma City	4
	3	L.A. Lakers*	4
	6	Denver	3
						3	L.A. Lakers	1
						2	Oklahoma City	4
	2	Oklahoma City*	4
	7	Dallas	0

Eastern Conference [edit]

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

First Round [edit]

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

April 28 1:00 pm	Recap	Philadelphia 76ers 91, Chicago Bulls 103				United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 21,943 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Jason Phillips, Michael Smith,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 18–25, 24–26, 25–24
		Pts: Elton Brand 19 Rebs: Elton Brand 7 , Jrue Holiday 7 Asts: Andre Iguodala 5 , Evan Turner 5		Pts: Derrick Rose 23 Rebs: Joakim Noah 13 Asts: Derrick Rose 9

May 1 8:00 pm	Recap	Philadelphia 76ers 109, Chicago Bulls 92				United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 22,067 Referees: Greg Willard, Courtney Kirkland, Rodney Mott,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 22–27, 36–14, 26–23
		Pts: Jrue Holiday 26 Rebs: Lavoy Allen 9 Asts: Holiday, Turner, Williams 6 each		Pts: Joakim Noah 21 Rebs: Joakim Noah 8 Asts: Hamilton, Noah 5 each

May 4 8:00 pm	Recap	Chicago Bulls 74, Philadelphia 76ers 79				Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,381 Referees: Joe Crawford, Tony Brothers, Eric Lewis,	ESPN2
		Scoring by quarter: 20–19, 19–21, 21–11, 14–28
		Pts: Carlos Boozer 18 Rebs: Carlos Boozer 10 Asts: Richard Hamilton 7		Pts: Spencer Hawes 21 Rebs: Thaddeus Young 11 Asts: Jrue Holiday 6

May 6 1:00 pm	Recap	Chicago Bulls 82, Philadelphia 76ers 89				Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,412 Referees: Dan Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Marc Davis,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 15–24, 27–20, 21–20, 19–25
		Pts: Carlos Boozer 23 Rebs: Taj Gibson 12 Asts: Boozer, Watson 4 each		Pts: Spencer Hawes 22 Rebs: Andre Iguodala 12 Asts: Jrue Holiday 6

May 8 9:30 pm	Recap	Philadelphia 76ers 69, Chicago Bulls 77				United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 22,093 Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Leon Wood,	NBA TV
		Scoring by quarter: 16–17, 10–18, 22–22, 21–20
		Pts: Jrue Holiday 16 Rebs: Spencer Hawes 14 Asts: Jrue Holiday 4		Pts: Luol Deng 24 Rebs: Carlos Boozer 13 Asts: C. J. Watson 7

May 10 7:00 pm	Recap	Chicago Bulls 78, Philadelphia 76ers 79				Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,362 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ron Garretson, Sean Wright,	NBA TV
		Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 18–24, 23–15, 15–16
		Pts: Deng, Hamilton 19 each Rebs: Luol Deng 17 Asts: C. J. Watson 10		Pts: Andre Iguodala 20 Rebs: Spencer Hawes 10 Asts: Andre Iguodala 7
		Philadelphia wins series, 4–2

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 bounced off the back of the rim, giving the 76ers the series. 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:

February 1, 2012

Recap

Chicago Bulls 82, Philadelphia 76ers 98

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 4, 2012

Recap

Chicago Bulls 96, Philadelphia 76ers 91

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 17, 2012

Recap

Philadelphia 76ers 80, Chicago Bulls 89

United Center, Chicago, Illinois

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

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

April 28 3:30 pm	Recap	New York Knicks 67, Miami Heat 100				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,621 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy, Gary Zielinski,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 13–30, 16–27, 20–19
		Pts: J. R. Smith 17 Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 10 Asts: Carmelo Anthony 3		Pts: LeBron James 32 Rebs: Udonis Haslem 8 Asts: Mario Chalmers 9

April 30 7:00 pm	Recap	New York Knicks 94, Miami Heat 104				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,684 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bennie Adams, Bill Spooner,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 23–26, 22–25, 25–26
		Pts: Carmelo Anthony 30 Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 9 Asts: Baron Davis 6		Pts: Dwyane Wade 25 Rebs: Udonis Haslem 8 Asts: LeBron James 9

May 3 7:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 87, New York Knicks 70				Madison Square Garden, New York, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Eddie F. Rush,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 17–21, 22–16, 29–14
		Pts: LeBron James 32 Rebs: Chris Bosh 10 Asts: LeBron James 5		Pts: Carmelo Anthony 22 Rebs: Tyson Chandler 15 Asts: Baron Davis 3

May 6 3:30 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 87, New York Knicks 89				Madison Square Garden, New York, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Derrick Collins, Tom Washington,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 26–18, 17–26, 26–25
		Pts: LeBron James 27 Rebs: Chris Bosh 9 Asts: Dwyane Wade 6		Pts: Carmelo Anthony 41 Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 10 Asts: Anthony, Smith 4 each

May 9 7:00 pm	Recap	New York Knicks 94, Miami Heat 106				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,754 Referees: Greg Willard, James Capers, John Goble	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 20–27, 23–26, 27–25
		Pts: Carmelo Anthony 35 Rebs: Tyson Chandler 11 Asts: Mike Bibby 6		Pts: LeBron James 29 Rebs: LeBron James 8 Asts: LeBron James 7
		Miami wins series, 4–1

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.^[5] 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:

January 27, 2012

Recap

New York Knicks 89, Miami Heat 99

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

February 23, 2012

Recap

New York Knicks 88, Miami Heat 102

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

April 15, 2012

Recap

Miami Heat 93, New York Knicks 85

Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

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

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

April 28 7:00 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 81, Indiana Pacers 77				Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,165 Referees: Ken Mauer, David Jones, Leon Wood,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 30–22, 13–19, 17–14
		Pts: Nelson, Richardson 17 each Rebs: Glen Davis 13 Asts: Jameer Nelson 9		Pts: David West 19 Rebs: Roy Hibbert 13 Asts: Darren Collison 5

April 30 7:30 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 78, Indiana Pacers 93				Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,165 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Bill Kennedy, Gary Zielinski,	NBA TV
		Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 23–18, 13–30, 21–21
		Pts: Glen Davis 18 Rebs: Glen Davis 10 Asts: Nelson, Redick, Richardson 3 each		Pts: Granger, Hill, West 18 each Rebs: Roy Hibbert 13 Asts: David West 4

May 2 7:30 pm	Recap	Indiana Pacers 97, Orlando Magic 74				Amway Center, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 18,846 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bennie Adams, Bill Spooner,	NBA TV
		Scoring by quarter: 23–14, 21–24, 32–17, 21–19
		Pts: Danny Granger 26 Rebs: Roy Hibbert 10 Asts: Paul George 4		Pts: Glen Davis 22 Rebs: Quentin Richardson 10 Asts: Jameer Nelson 5

May 5 2:00 pm	Recap	Indiana Pacers 101, Orlando Magic 99			OT	Amway Center, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 18,846 Referees: Mike Callahan, Ed Malloy, Violet Palmer,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 22–19, 24–25, 27–17, 16–28, OT: 12–10
		Pts: David West 26 Rebs: David West 12 Asts: Darren Collison 9		Pts: Jason Richardson 25 Rebs: Glen Davis 11 Asts: Jameer Nelson 11

May 8 7:00 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 87, Indiana Pacers 105				Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,165 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Marc Davis, David Guthrie,	NBA TV
		Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 28–22, 24–19, 16–36
		Pts: Jameer Nelson 27 Rebs: Glen Davis 8 Asts: Jameer Nelson 5		Pts: Danny Granger 25 Rebs: David West 8 Asts: Darren Collison 6
		Indiana wins series, 4–1

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:

January 24, 2012

Recap

Orlando Magic 102, Indiana Pacers 83

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

January 29, 2012

Recap

Indiana Pacers 106, Orlando Magic 85

Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

February 4, 2012

Recap

Orlando Magic 85, Indiana Pacers 81

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

March 11, 2012

Recap

Indiana Pacers 94, Orlando Magic 107

Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

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

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

April 29 7:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 74, Atlanta Hawks 83				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 19,292 Referees: Mike Callahan, Marc Davis, John Goble,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 18–31, 17–18, 18–16, 21–18
		Pts: Garnett, Rondo 20 each Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12 Asts: Rajon Rondo 11		Pts: Josh Smith 22 Rebs: Josh Smith 18 Asts: Joe Johnson 5

May 1 7:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 87, Atlanta Hawks 80				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 19,308 Referees: Scott Foster, Ed Malloy, Scott Wall,	NBA TV
		Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 17–20, 20–22, 26–14
		Pts: Paul Pierce 36 Rebs: Paul Pierce 14 Asts: Kevin Garnett 5		Pts: Joe Johnson 22 Rebs: Josh Smith 12 Asts: Johnson, Smith 5 each

May 4 7:30 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 84, Boston Celtics 90			OT	TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ron Garretson, Zach Zarba,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 19–17, 19–23, 20–20, 22–20, OT: 4–10
		Pts: Joe Johnson 29 Rebs: Marvin Williams 11 Asts: Jeff Teague 6		Pts: Paul Pierce 21 Rebs: Rajon Rondo 14 Asts: Rajon Rondo 12

May 6 7:00 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 79, Boston Celtics 101				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Joe Crawford, Tony Brothers, Pat Fraher,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 19–32, 22–32, 22–26, 16–11
		Pts: Josh Smith 15 Rebs: Josh Smith 13 Asts: Josh Smith 5		Pts: Paul Pierce 24 Rebs: Allen, Bass, Garnett 5 each Asts: Rajon Rondo 16

May 8 8:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 86, Atlanta Hawks 87				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 19,319 Referees: Dan Crawford, David Jones, Tom Washington,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 21–15, 19–25, 24–26, 22–21
		Pts: Garnett, Pierce 16 each Rebs: Bass, Garnett 7 each Asts: Rajon Rondo 12		Pts: Al Horford 19 Rebs: Josh Smith 16 Asts: Josh Smith 6

May 10 8:00 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 80, Boston Celtics 83				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Bill Kennedy, Eric Lewis,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 18–27, 22–20, 17–16
		Pts: Josh Smith 18 Rebs: Horford, Smith 9 each Asts: Jeff Teague 6		Pts: Kevin Garnett 28 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 14 Asts: Rajon Rondo 8
		Boston wins series, 4–2

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 advance. 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:

March 19, 2012

Recap

Boston Celtics 79, Atlanta Hawks 76

Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

April 11, 2012

Recap

Atlanta Hawks 86, Boston Celtics 88

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

April 20, 2012

Recap

Boston Celtics 92, Atlanta Hawks 97

Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

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

Conference Semifinals [edit]

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

May 13 3:30 pm	Recap	Indiana Pacers 86, Miami Heat 95				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,600 Referees: Scott Foster, Tom Washington, Sean Wright,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 25–22, 22–28, 16–25
		Pts: Hibbert, West 17 each Rebs: David West 12 Asts: Darren Collison 6		Pts: LeBron James 32 Rebs: LeBron James 15 Asts: LeBron James 5

May 15 7:00 pm	Recap	Indiana Pacers 78, Miami Heat 75				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,828 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bennie Adams, Ed Malloy,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 16–17, 28–14, 17–23
		Pts: David West 16 Rebs: George, Hibbert 11 each Asts: Danny Granger 3		Pts: LeBron James 28 Rebs: LeBron James 9 Asts: LeBron James 5

May 17 7:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 75, Indiana Pacers 94				Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,165 Referees: Dan Crawford, Tony Brothers,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 26–17, 17–26, 12–26, 20–25
		Pts: Mario Chalmers 25 Rebs: Ronny Turiaf 8 Asts: Mario Chalmers 5		Pts: George Hill 20 Rebs: Roy Hibbert 18 Asts: George Hill 5

May 20 3:30 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 101, Indiana Pacers 93				Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,165 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 28–29, 30–16, 25–23
		Pts: LeBron James 40 Rebs: LeBron James 18 Asts: LeBron James 9		Pts: Danny Granger 20 Rebs: Roy Hibbert 9 Asts: Paul George 5

May 22 8:00 pm	Recap	Indiana Pacers 83, Miami Heat 115				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,097 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Jason Phillips, Greg Willard,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 20–23, 17–27, 26–39
		Pts: Paul George 11 Rebs: Roy Hibbert 12 Asts: Paul George 3		Pts: LeBron James 30 Rebs: Mario Chalmers 11 Asts: LeBron James 8

May 24 8:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 105, Indiana Pacers 93				Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,165 Referees: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Ken Mauer,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 30–25, 28–16, 26–24
		Pts: Dwyane Wade 41 Rebs: Dwyane Wade 10 Asts: LeBron James 7		Pts: David West 24 Rebs: Paul George 10 Asts: George Hill 5
		Miami wins series, 4–2

Even though the Heat won the regular season series, 3–1, this playoff 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:

January 4, 2012

Recap

Indiana Pacers 83, Miami Heat 118

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

February 14, 2012

Recap

Miami Heat 105, Indiana Pacers 90

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

March 10, 2012

Recap

Indiana Pacers 91, Miami Heat 93

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

March 26, 2012

Recap

Miami Heat 90, Indiana Pacers 105

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

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

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

May 12 8:00 pm	Recap	Philadelphia 76ers 91, Boston Celtics 92				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Greg Willard, James Capers, David Jones,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 28–18, 19–24, 24–25, 20–25
		Pts: Andre Iguodala 19 Rebs: Evan Turner 10 Asts: Andre Iguodala 6		Pts: Kevin Garnett 29 Rebs: Rajon Rondo 12 Asts: Rajon Rondo 17

May 14 7:00 pm	Recap	Philadelphia 76ers 82, Boston Celtics 81				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Dan Crawford, Jason Phillips, Michael Smith,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 15–13, 21–11, 25–32
		Pts: Jrue Holiday 18 Rebs: Spencer Hawes 10 Asts: Andre Iguodala 7		Pts: Ray Allen 17 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12 Asts: Rajon Rondo 13

May 16 7:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 107, Philadelphia 76ers 91				Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,351 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 32–16, 29–17, 18–25
		Pts: Kevin Garnett 27 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 13 Asts: Rajon Rondo 14		Pts: Thaddeus Young 22 Rebs: Evan Turner 8 Asts: Jrue Holiday 9

May 18 8:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 83, Philadelphia 76ers 92				Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,411 Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 24–12, 22–19, 17–28, 20–33
		Pts: Paul Pierce 24 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11 Asts: Rajon Rondo 15		Pts: Iguodala, Turner 16 each Rebs: Lavoy Allen 10 Asts: Louis Williams 8

May 21 7:00 pm	Recap	Philadelphia 76ers 85, Boston Celtics 101				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 23–24, 16–28, 19–26
		Pts: Elton Brand 19 Rebs: Evan Turner 10 Asts: Jrue Holiday 7		Pts: Brandon Bass 27 Rebs: Bass, Garnett 6 each Asts: Rajon Rondo 14

May 23 8:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 75, Philadelphia 76ers 82				Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,403 Referees: Joe Crawford, James Capers, Ron Garretson,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 17–11, 20–27, 19–22
		Pts: Paul Pierce 24 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11 Asts: Rajon Rondo 6		Pts: Jrue Holiday 20 Rebs: Elton Brand 10 Asts: Holiday, Williams 6 each

May 26 8:00 pm	Recap	Philadelphia 76ers 75, Boston Celtics 85				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brothers, Mike Callahan,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 13–21, 19–14, 23–30
		Pts: Andre Iguodala 18 Rebs: Thaddeus Young 10 Asts: Jrue Holiday 9		Pts: Garnett, Rondo 18 each Rebs: Kevin Garnett 13 Asts: Rajon Rondo 10
		Boston wins series, 4–3

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 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:

March 7, 2012

Recap

Boston Celtics 71, Philadelphia 76ers 103

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 23, 2012

Recap

Boston Celtics 86, Philadelphia 76ers 99

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

April 8, 2012

Recap

Philadelphia 76ers 79, Boston Celtics 103

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

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

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

May 28 8:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 79, Miami Heat 93				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,912 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy, Jason Phillips,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 11–21, 35–25, 15–26, 18–21
		Pts: Kevin Garnett 23 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10 Asts: Rajon Rondo 7		Pts: LeBron James 32 Rebs: LeBron James 13 Asts: Dwyane Wade 7

May 30 8:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 111, Miami Heat 115			OT	American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,973 Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Tom Washington,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 24–18, 29–28, 22–35, 24–18, OT: 12–16
		Pts: Rajon Rondo 44 Rebs: Brandon Bass 10 Asts: Rajon Rondo 10		Pts: LeBron James 34 Rebs: Udonis Haslem 11 Asts: LeBron James 7

June 1 8:30 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 91, Boston Celtics 101				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Scott Foster, Mike Callahan, Rodney Mott	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 14–25, 21–30, 28–16
		Pts: LeBron James 34 Rebs: LeBron James 8 Asts: Mario Chalmers 6		Pts: Kevin Garnett 24 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11 Asts: Rajon Rondo 10

June 3 8:30 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 91, Boston Celtics 93			OT	TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 23–34, 24–27, 21–12, 21–16, OT: 2–4
		Pts: LeBron James 29 Rebs: Udonis Haslem 17 Asts: Dwyane Wade 6		Pts: Paul Pierce 23 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 14 Asts: Rajon Rondo 15

June 5 8:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 94, Miami Heat 90				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,021 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ron Garretson, Derrick Stafford,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 24–18, 25–18, 29–30
		Pts: Kevin Garnett 26 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11 Asts: Rajon Rondo 13		Pts: LeBron James 30 Rebs: Udonis Haslem 14 Asts: Chalmers, Wade 3 each

June 7 8:30 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 98, Boston Celtics 79				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Dan Crawford, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 26–16, 29–26, 19–19, 24–18
		Pts: LeBron James 45 Rebs: LeBron James 15 Asts: LeBron James 5		Pts: Rajon Rondo 21 Rebs: Brandon Bass 7 Asts: Rajon Rondo 10

June 9 8:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 88, Miami Heat 101				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,114 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Scott Foster	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 26–23, 20–27, 15–28
		Pts: Rajon Rondo 22 Rebs: Rajon Rondo 10 Asts: Rajon Rondo 14		Pts: LeBron James 31 Rebs: LeBron James 12 Asts: Mario Chalmers 7
		Miami wins series 4–3

This series marked the third straight year that the Heat and Celtics faced each other in the playoffs. 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 straight year in the playoffs. The LeBron-led Cavs also faced the Celtics in 2010 only to be defeated 4–2, which led to James' arrival on the 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, with the Celtics starting very strong. Midway through the second quarter, a Rondo jumper extended their lead to 15. However, the Heat cut it to 7 at halftime. Miami had another big 3rd quarter. With the Celtics up 71–66 with 4:24 left in the third, a block by Wade on Allen ignited a 15–4 run by the Heat to end the quarter, as they took a 6-point lead heading into the fourth. The fourth quarter was close. With Miami leading 99–96 with 34 seconds left, Allen made a 3 to tie it. It eventually sent the game to OT, with James missing two chances to win the game. Miami eventually won 115–111 to take a 2–0 series lead. Rondo led the Celtics with a career-high 44 points, along with 8 rebounds and 10 assists. There was controversy in regards to the officiating as the Heat shot 18 more free throws, the Celtics committed 33 fouls to the Heat's 18, as well as a play in overtime in a tie game where Rondo was hit in the head by Wade and no foul was called, leading to a fast break dunk for Udonis Haslem. In Game 3, the Celtics got strong performances from Rondo, Garnett, and Pierce. LeBron was also hot in the first quarter, scoring 16 points and making 7 of his first 9 shots. However, despite this performance, the second and third quarters were decisive, with the Celtics outscoring the Heat a combined 55–35 in the two quarters as they had an 85–63 lead heading into the fourth. Miami made a comeback, hitting 3's and dunks to cut the lead to 8. However, Boston held on for a 101–91 victory to make it 2–1. Game 4 was the same story, with the Celtics hitting several 3's and putting on a lead as big as 18. Miami tried another comeback in the third and fourth quarters. Unlike Game 3, they took the lead. Boston answered back, holding a 3-point lead in the final minute before James hit a 3 to tie it with 36 seconds left. This led to the second overtime game of the series. It was a low-scoring affair in OT, with both teams only making one field goal. With 4:22 left, Pierce fouled out, giving Miami a big chance. However, James fouled out with 1:51 left. The Celtics still held a 2-point lead in the dying seconds, but Wade missed a potential game-winning 3 at the buzzer, giving the Celtics a 93–91 win to tie the series going back to Miami. Celtics proceeded to lead the series, 3–2, with a 94–90 win in Game 5. In the game, Bosh returned for the first time since he got injured in Game 1 of the Heat-Pacers series but was not much of a help on the offensive end. He came off the bench in the game and scored 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 14 minutes played. With the Celtics leading by 1 with less than a minute to go, Pierce knocked down a crucial three-pointer that gave the Celtics the lead for good. The Heat prevented a celebration from happening in Game 6 with a 98–79 blowout win at Boston to send the series back to Miami for a seventh and deciding game. James had one of his best playoff games, scoring 45 points and getting 15 rebounds, 30 of his 45 came in the first half alone. In Game 7, the Celtics started strong. In the second quarter, Garnett picked up his third foul, giving the Heat a chance to try and take a lead. However, Bass led a run that pushed the Celtics' lead to 11. The Celtics would still have a 7-point lead at halftime. The third quarter was decisive once again, letting the Heat tie the game going to the fourth quarter, which was even more decisive. With the Celtics leading by 1 with 8 minutes left, James had a dunk that gave the Heat the lead. It was soon followed by Bosh's third three-pointer of the night (a career-high three 3 pointers) that gave the Heat the lead for good. The Celtics never recovered as the Heat booked a return trip to the Finals with a 101–88 Game 7 win in Miami.

Regular-season series

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

December 27, 2011

Recap

Boston Celtics 107, Miami Heat 115

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

April 1, 2012

Recap

Miami Heat 72, Boston Celtics 91

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

April 10, 2012

Recap

Boston Celtics 115, Miami Heat 107

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

April 24, 2012

Recap

Miami Heat 66, Boston Celtics 78

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

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

Western Conference [edit]

First Round [edit]

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

April 29 1:00 pm	Recap	Utah Jazz 91, San Antonio Spurs 106				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Dick Bavetta, Rodney Mott,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 25–26, 23–31, 21–21
		Pts: Paul Millsap 20 Rebs: Jefferson, Millsap 9 each Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5		Pts: Tony Parker 28 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Tony Parker 8

May 2 7:00 pm	Recap	Utah Jazz 83, San Antonio Spurs 114				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Tony Brown, Bill Kennedy,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 11–25, 25–34, 30–27
		Pts: Howard, Jefferson 10 each Rebs: Enes Kanter 10 Asts: Gordon Hayward 4		Pts: Tony Parker 18 Rebs: Tim Duncan 13 Asts: Tony Parker 9

May 5 10:00 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 102, Utah Jazz 90				EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Leon Wood,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 22–22, 23–18, 27–22
		Pts: Tony Parker 27 Rebs: Tiago Splitter 8 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 10		Pts: Harris, Jefferson 21 each Rebs: Favors, Jefferson, Millsap 11 each Asts: Harris, Hayward 5 each

May 7 8:00 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 87, Utah Jazz 81				EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Scott Foster, John Goble, Jason Phillips,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 22–19, 28–23, 18–16, 19–23
		Pts: Manu Ginóbili 17 Rebs: Stephen Jackson 6 Asts: Tony Parker 3		Pts: Al Jefferson 26 Rebs: Paul Millsap 19 Asts: Devin Harris 7
		San Antonio wins series, 4–0

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 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 by 12 to take a 3–0 lead in the series. The odds were stacked against the Jazz as no team in NBA history have managed to win a series after trailing 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^[6] In Game 4, it seemed like the Spurs would complete the sweep when they had a 21-point lead. However, the Jazz eventually cut the lead to just 4 with 49.4 seconds left 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:

December 31, 2011

Recap

Utah Jazz 89, San Antonio Spurs 104

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

February 20, 2012

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 106, Utah Jazz 102

EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

April 8, 2012

Recap

Utah Jazz 104, San Antonio Spurs 114

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

April 9, 2012

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 84, Utah Jazz 91

EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

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

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

April 28 9:30 pm	Recap	Dallas Mavericks 98, Oklahoma City Thunder 99				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Joe Crawford, Tony Brothers, David Guthrie,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 25–26, 22–21, 25–30
		Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 25 Rebs: Shawn Marion 8 Asts: Kidd, Terry 5 each		Pts: Russell Westbrook 28 Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 8 Asts: Russell Westbrook 5

April 30 9:30 pm	Recap	Dallas Mavericks 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 102				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Zach Zarba,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 26–25, 27–22, 22–23
		Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 31 Rebs: Shawn Marion 8 Asts: Jason Kidd 7		Pts: Russell Westbrook 29 Rebs: Kevin Durant 10 Asts: James Harden 5

May 3 9:30 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 95, Dallas Mavericks 79				American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 20,640 Referees: Greg Willard, Marc Davis, David Jones,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 32–26, 18–15, 25–16, 20–22
		Pts: Kevin Durant 31 Rebs: Serge Ibaka 11 Asts: Kevin Durant 6		Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 17 Rebs: Shawn Marion 10 Asts: Jason Terry 6

May 5 7:30 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Dallas Mavericks 97				American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 20,533 Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Spooner, Sean Wright,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–24, 21–23, 21–34, 35–16
		Pts: James Harden 29 Rebs: Kevin Durant 11 Asts: Russell Westbrook 6		Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 34 Rebs: Vince Carter 8 Asts: Jason Kidd 8
		Oklahoma City wins series, 4–0

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:

December 29, 2011

Recap

Dallas Mavericks 102, Oklahoma City Thunder 104

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

January 2, 2012

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 87, Dallas Mavericks 100

American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

February 1, 2012

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 95, Dallas Mavericks 86

American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

March 5, 2012

Recap

Dallas Mavericks 91, Oklahoma City Thunder 95

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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

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

April 29 3:30 pm	Recap	Denver Nuggets 88, Los Angeles Lakers 103				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Scott Foster, Derrick Collins, Ron Garretson,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 14–27, 26–23, 24–27, 24–26
		Pts: Danilo Gallinari 19 Rebs: Faried, Miller 8 each Asts: Andre Miller 7		Pts: Kobe Bryant 31 Rebs: Andrew Bynum 13 Asts: Pau Gasol 8

May 1 10:30 pm	Recap	Denver Nuggets 100, Los Angeles Lakers 104				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Pat Fraher, Tom Washington,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 25–32, 23–23, 26–26, 26–23
		Pts: Ty Lawson 25 Rebs: Kenneth Faried 10 Asts: Andre Miller 8		Pts: Kobe Bryant 38 Rebs: Hill, Gasol 10 each Asts: Pau Gasol 5

May 4 10:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 84, Denver Nuggets 99				Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,155 Referees: Dan Crawford, Jason Phillips, Michael Smith,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 14–30, 25–25, 26–17, 19–27
		Pts: Kobe Bryant 22 Rebs: Andrew Bynum 12 Asts: Bryant, Sessions 6 each		Pts: Ty Lawson 25 Rebs: Faried, McGee 15 each Asts: Ty Lawson 7

May 6 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 92, Denver Nuggets 88				Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,155 Referees: Greg Willard, David Jones, Bill Kennedy,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 19–23, 25–20, 22–17
		Pts: Kobe Bryant 22 Rebs: Jordan Hill 11 Asts: Bryant, Gasol 6 each		Pts: Danilo Gallinari 20 Rebs: Faried, Miller 7 each Asts: Ty Lawson 6

May 8 10:30 pm	Recap	Denver Nuggets 102, Los Angeles Lakers 99				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Joe Crawford, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 23–20, 27–22, 26–34
		Pts: Andre Miller 24 Rebs: JaVale McGee 14 Asts: Lawson, Miller 8 each		Pts: Kobe Bryant 43 Rebs: Andrew Bynum 11 Asts: Ramon Sessions 6

May 10 10:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 96, Denver Nuggets 113				Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,770 Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 25–24, 23–36, 28–23
		Pts: Kobe Bryant 31 Rebs: Andrew Bynum 16 Asts: Kobe Bryant 4		Pts: Ty Lawson 32 Rebs: Kenneth Faried 11 Asts: Afflalo, Gallinari 7 each

May 12 10:30 pm	Recap	Denver Nuggets 87, Los Angeles Lakers 96				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Mike Callahan, Bill Spooner,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 18–23, 26–21, 19–27
		Pts: Lawson, Harrington 24 each Rebs: JaVale McGee 14 Asts: Andre Miller 8		Pts: Pau Gasol 23 Rebs: Andrew Bynum 18 Asts: Kobe Bryant 8
		L.A. Lakers wins series, 4–3

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.^[7] 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."^[8] 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 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.^[9]

Regular-season series

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

December 31, 2011

Recap

Denver Nuggets 89, Los Angeles Lakers 92

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

January 1, 2012

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 90, Denver Nuggets 99

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

February 3, 2012

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 93, Denver Nuggets 89

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

April 13, 2012

Recap

Denver Nuggets 97, Los Angeles Lakers 103

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

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

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

April 29 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Clippers 99, Memphis Grizzlies 98				FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee Attendance: 18,119 Referees: Greg Willard, Eric Lewis, Tom Washington,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 16–34, 23–24, 25–27, 35–13
		Pts: Nick Young 19 Rebs: Reggie Evans 13 Asts: Chris Paul 11		Pts: Rudy Gay 19 Rebs: Marreese Speights 9 Asts: Mike Conley 8

May 2 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Clippers 98, Memphis Grizzlies 105				FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee Attendance: 18,119 Referees: Ken Mauer, Ron Garretson, Sean Wright,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 21–28, 22–24, 29–30
		Pts: Chris Paul 29 Rebs: Blake Griffin 9 Asts: Chris Paul 6		Pts: Rudy Gay 21 Rebs: Zach Randolph 8 Asts: Mike Conley 6

May 5 4:30 pm	Recap	Memphis Grizzlies 86, Los Angeles Clippers 87				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 19,060 Referees: Derrick Stafford, John Goble, Rodney Mott,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 24–27, 25–14, 15–23
		Pts: Rudy Gay 24 Rebs: Marc Gasol 10 Asts: Mike Conley 8		Pts: Chris Paul 24 Rebs: Reggie Evans 11 Asts: Chris Paul 11

May 7 10:30 pm	Recap	Memphis Grizzlies 97, Los Angeles Clippers 101			OT	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 19,167 Referees: Mike Callahan, James Capers, Scott Wall,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 19–19, 19–18, 23–18, OT: 10–14
		Pts: Mike Conley 25 Rebs: Zach Randolph 9 Asts: Mike Conley 8		Pts: Blake Griffin 30 Rebs: Chris Paul 9 Asts: Griffin, Paul 7 each

May 9 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Clippers 80, Memphis Grizzlies 92				FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee Attendance: 18,119 Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Spooner, Gary Zielinski,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 20–21, 23–20, 15–15
		Pts: Mo Williams 20 Rebs: Blake Griffin 11 Asts: Chris Paul 4		Pts: Marc Gasol 23 Rebs: Zach Randolph 10 Asts: Mike Conley 6

May 11 9:00 pm	Recap	Memphis Grizzlies 90, Los Angeles Clippers 88				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 19,060 Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Jason Phillips,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 25–16, 17–22, 24–28, 24–22
		Pts: Marc Gasol 23 Rebs: Zach Randolph 15 Asts: Mike Conley 9		Pts: Blake Griffin 15 Rebs: Reggie Evans 10 Asts: Chris Paul 7

May 13 1:00 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Clippers 82, Memphis Grizzlies 72				FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee Attendance: 18,119 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Monty McCutchen,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 16–13, 23–25, 16–18, 27–16
		Pts: Chris Paul 19 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 10 Asts: Chris Paul 4		Pts: Gasol, Gay 19 each Rebs: Zach Randolph 12 Asts: Mike Conley 5
		L.A. Clippers wins series, 4–3

The Clippers rallied to win Game 1 in one of the largest comebacks in playoff history. Trailing by as many as 27, and down 95–71 with 9:13 left, 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.^[10] 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 3 missed at the buzzer to give the Clippers an 87–86 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 the lead again. However, the Grizzlies made sure there would be no collapse, using a 7–1 run in the final 1:44 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:

January 26, 2012

Recap

Memphis Grizzlies 91, Los Angeles Clippers 98

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

March 24, 2012

Recap

Memphis Grizzlies 85, Los Angeles Clippers 101

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

April 9, 2012

Recap

Los Angeles Clippers 85, Memphis Grizzlies 94

FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

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

Conference Semifinals [edit]

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 [edit]

May 15 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Clippers 92, San Antonio Spurs 108				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Scott Foster, Derrick Collins, Ron Garretson,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 20–28, 23–30, 20–21
		Pts: Eric Bledsoe 23 Rebs: Griffin, Jordan 9 each Asts: Chris Paul 10		Pts: Tim Duncan 26 Rebs: Boris Diaw 12 Asts: Tony Parker 11

May 17 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Clippers 88, San Antonio Spurs 105				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Leon Wood,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 21–17, 25–32, 21–27
		Pts: Blake Griffin 20 Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 7 Asts: Chris Paul 5		Pts: Tony Parker 22 Rebs: Parker, Duncan 5 each Asts: Parker, Ginóbili 5 each

May 19 3:30 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 96, Los Angeles Clippers 86				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 19,060 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington,	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 11–33, 32–20, 26–8, 27–25
		Pts: Tony Parker 23 Rebs: Tim Duncan 13 Asts: Tony Parker 10		Pts: Blake Griffin 28 Rebs: Blake Griffin 16 Asts: Chris Paul 11

May 20 10:30 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 102, Los Angeles Clippers 99				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 19,060 Referees: Joe Crawford, James Capers, Bill Spooner,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 25–26, 23–28, 28–24
		Pts: Tim Duncan 21 Rebs: Tim Duncan 9 Asts: Tony Parker 5		Pts: Chris Paul 23 Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 8 Asts: Chris Paul 11
		San Antonio wins series, 4–0

The Spurs won their last 14 games coming into this series. They were also well prepared because they were able to sweep their previous opponent, 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:

December 28, 2011

Recap

Los Angeles Clippers 90, San Antonio Spurs 115

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

February 18, 2012

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 103, Los Angeles Clippers 100

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

March 9, 2012

Recap

Los Angeles Clippers 120, San Antonio Spurs 108

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

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

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

May 14 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 90, Oklahoma City Thunder 119				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Greg Willard, Tony Brothers, David Guthrie,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 21–29, 24–39, 22–21
		Pts: Bryant, Bynum 20 each Rebs: Andrew Bynum 14 Asts: Steve Blake 4		Pts: Russell Westbrook 27 Rebs: Kevin Durant 8 Asts: Russell Westbrook 9

May 16 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 75, Oklahoma City Thunder 77				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Rodney Mott, Jason Phillips,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 23–27, 18–12, 12–17
		Pts: Bryant, Bynum 20 each Rebs: Pau Gasol 11 Asts: Kobe Bryant 4		Pts: Kevin Durant 22 Rebs: Kevin Durant 7 Asts: Kevin Durant 5

May 18 10:30 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 96, Los Angeles Lakers 99				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Joe Crawford, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba,	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 15–23, 32–27, 23–19, 26–30
		Pts: Kevin Durant 31 Rebs: Serge Ibaka 11 Asts: Thabo Sefolosha 4		Pts: Kobe Bryant 36 Rebs: Bynum, Gasol 11 each Asts: Bryant, Gasol 6 each

May 19 10:30 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Los Angeles Lakers 100				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Ken Mauer,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 22–27, 25–24, 32–20
		Pts: Russell Westbrook 37 Rebs: Kevin Durant 13 Asts: Russell Westbrook 5		Pts: Kobe Bryant 38 Rebs: Andrew Bynum 9 Asts: Bryant, Sessions 5 each

May 21 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 90, Oklahoma City Thunder 106				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Scott Foster, John Goble, Tom Washington,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 30–28, 26–29, 13–23
		Pts: Kobe Bryant 42 Rebs: Pau Gasol 16 Asts: Metta World Peace 5		Pts: Russell Westbrook 28 Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 11 Asts: Durant, Harden, Westbrook 4 each
		Oklahoma City wins series, 4–1

Much like the Spurs-Clippers series, the series featured a team that swept their first round opponents and another team that were coming off a tough seven-game series. As such, the Thunder had the advantage in Game 1. The result was a convincing 29-point blowout by the Thunder to the Lakers. The Thunder quickly took control through the first three quarters and stretched their lead to as high as 35. Game 2 was much closer, with the Lakers shocking the Thunder by leading by 7 with 2 minutes to go that would seemingly tie the series at 1. However, the Lakers would fail to keep the lead, with the Thunder eventually going on a 9–0 run to take a 2–0 series lead. In Game 3, the Lakers collaborated on both ends to prevent the Thunder from taking a 3–0 lead putting them back into the series. Game 4 saw the Lakers start strong, taking a 10-point lead at halftime. They were able to have a 13-point lead in the fourth. However, Thunder outscored the Lakers 25–9 the rest of the way to take a 3–1 series lead, putting the Lakers into the brink of elimination. With the score tied at 98, Russell Westbrook committed a crucial turnover when he slipped and lost the ball. However, Pau Gasol's pass was taken by Durant, setting up Durant's 3-pointer that gave the Thunder the lead for good. The Lakers still had one last chance to tie but Kobe Bryant's three missed, with Harden hitting two free-throws to effectively seal the deal. In Game 5, Lakers were able to keep the game close throughout the first three quarters before the Thunder closed the series on a flurry, starting with two threes by Kevin Durant. The Lakers were not able to respond as they watched the Thunder take the series, 4–1, to send the Lakers back home for the second straight season in the Conference Semifinals.

Regular-season series

Oklahoma City won 2–1 in the regular-season series:

February 23, 2012

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 85, Oklahoma City Thunder 100

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

March 29, 2012

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 102, Los Angeles Lakers 93

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

April 22, 2012

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 106, Los Angeles Lakers 114

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

Last Playoffs meeting: 2010 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles Lakers won 4–2).

Conference Finals: (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder [edit]

May 27 8:30 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 98, San Antonio Spurs 101				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Joe Crawford, Marc Davis, Greg Willard,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 29–22, 24–16, 27–39
		Pts: Kevin Durant 27 Rebs: Kevin Durant 10 Asts: Russell Westbrook 5		Pts: Manu Ginóbili 26 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Tony Parker 6

May 29 9:00 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 111, San Antonio Spurs 120				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brothers, Ron Garretson,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 22–27, 32–37, 35–28
		Pts: Kevin Durant 31 Rebs: Serge Ibaka 10 Asts: Russell Westbrook 8		Pts: Tony Parker 34 Rebs: Tim Duncan 12 Asts: Tony Parker 8

May 31 9:00 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 82, Oklahoma City Thunder 102				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Dan Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Bill Spooner	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 17–32, 19–24, 22–24
		Pts: Parker, Jackson 16 each Rebs: Ginóbili, Leonard, Blair 6 each Asts: Gary Neal 5		Pts: Kevin Durant 22 Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 8 Asts: Russell Westbrook 9

June 2 8:30 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 103, Oklahoma City Thunder 109				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Ed Malloy,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 17–29, 28–20, 32–34
		Pts: Tim Duncan 21 Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 9 Asts: Parker, Ginóbili 4 each		Pts: Kevin Durant 36 Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 9 Asts: Kevin Durant 8

June 4 9:00 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 108, San Antonio Spurs 103				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Scott Foster, Mike Callahan, Tom Washington,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 26–23, 29–28, 27–31
		Pts: Kevin Durant 27 Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 10 Asts: Russell Westbrook 12		Pts: Manu Ginóbili 34 Rebs: Tim Duncan 12 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7

June 6 9:00 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 107				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Rodney Mott,	TNT
		Scoring by quarter: 34–20, 29–28, 18–32, 18–27
		Pts: Tony Parker 29 Rebs: Tim Duncan 14 Asts: Tony Parker 12		Pts: Kevin Durant 34 Rebs: Kevin Durant 14 Asts: Durant, Westbrook 5 each
		Oklahoma City wins series 4–2

This series would mark only the second time in the last seven years that the top two seeds from the Western Conference faced each other in the Conference Finals. Game 1 would be close, with the Thunder taking a 9-point lead going to the fourth, looking poised to give the Spurs their first loss of the postseason. However, the Spurs took control on both ends in the fourth quarter to stay perfect in the playoffs. In Game 2, the Spurs started strong, at one point in the third quarter taking a 22-point lead. The Thunder would try to climb back in the fourth quarter, eventually cutting the lead to 6 in the fourth quarter. However, the Spurs would answer every run, en route to a 120–111 win over the Thunder and a 2–0 series lead. Manu Ginobili sealed the deal by hitting a three-pointer that extended the Spurs' lead to 10 with about a minute and a half to go. With the win, the Spurs extended their 2012 playoff record to 10–0. This win also marked the Spurs' 20th consecutive win, tied for the 3rd longest winning streak in NBA history. It is also the longest winning streak that was carried from the regular season and into the playoffs. In Game 3, the Spurs were no match for the Thunder. Behind their thunder blue home crowd, the Thunder blew out the Spurs, 102–82, to give them their first 2012 postseason loss. Game 4 was much closer. In the fourth quarter, Kevin Durant scored half of his 36 points as the Thunder tied the series with a 109–103 win over the Spurs. In Game 5, the Thunder started strong, at one point in the second quarter taking a 13-point lead. The Spurs would still come back in the second half. Fueled by two threes from Ginobili, the Spurs took the lead back. However, the Thunder eventually outscored the Spurs 25–12 for the rest of the quarter to take a 9-point lead heading to the fourth quarter. After a Harden 4-point play that gave the Thunder another 13-point lead, things began to unravel as the Spurs staged an 11–0 run through the next 4 minutes to bring them back into the game. Then, with the Thunder holding on for a 103–101 lead with 28 seconds left, Harden came up big by hitting a crucial three-pointer to give the Thunder a 5-point lead. The Spurs would not give up. Following a Ginobili layup shot that cut the lead to 3, a fullcourt press by the Spurs forced a Thunder turnover, giving them a chance to tie the game. However, Ginobili missed a three-pointer that sealed a 3–2 lead for the Thunder. In Game 6, the Spurs dominated early, outscoring the Thunder by 14 in the first quarter and holding a 15-point lead at halftime. Their largest lead of the game was 18. However the Thunder rallied in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Spurs 32–18. With a few clutch shots by Derek Fisher and James Harden, the Thunder booked a trip to the Finals with a 107–99 comeback win over the Spurs. With this, the Thunder will move on to the NBA Finals, their first time since moving the franchise from Seattle.

Regular-season series

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

January 8, 2012

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 96, Oklahoma City Thunder 108

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

February 4, 2012

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 96, San Antonio Spurs 107

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

March 16, 2012

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 114, Oklahoma City Thunder 105

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Last Playoffs meeting: 2005 Western Conference Semifinals (San Antonio won 4–2 over Seattle, the predecessor to Oklahoma City)

NBA Finals: (W2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (E2) Miami Heat [edit]

June 12 9:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 94, Oklahoma City Thunder 105				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 25–25, 19–27, 21–31
		Pts: LeBron James 30 Rebs: Udonis Haslem 11 Asts: Dwyane Wade 8		Pts: Kevin Durant 36 Rebs: Nick Collison 10 Asts: Russell Westbrook 11

June 14 9:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 100, Oklahoma City Thunder 96				Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Dan Crawford, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 28–28, 23–24, 22–29
		Pts: LeBron James 32 Rebs: Chris Bosh 15 Asts: Wade, James 5 each		Pts: Kevin Durant 32 Rebs: Perkins, Westbrook 8 each Asts: Russell Westbrook 7

June 17 8:00 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 85, Miami Heat 91				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,003 Referees: Joe Crawford, James Capers, Ken Mauer	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 26–21, 21–22, 18–22
		Pts: Kevin Durant 25 Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 12 Asts: James Harden 6		Pts: LeBron James 29 Rebs: LeBron James 14 Asts: Dwyane Wade 7

June 19 9:00 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 98, Miami Heat 104				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,003 Referees: Scott Foster, Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 33–19, 16–27, 25–33, 23–25
		Pts: Russell Westbrook 43 Rebs: James Harden 10 Asts: Russell Westbrook 5		Pts: LeBron James 26 Rebs: James, Bosh 9 each Asts: LeBron James 12

June 21 9:00 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 106, Miami Heat 121				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,003 Referees: Dan Crawford, Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford	ABC
		Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 23–28, 22–36, 35–26
		Pts: Kevin Durant 32 Rebs: Kevin Durant 11 Asts: Russell Westbrook 6		Pts: LeBron James 26 Rebs: LeBron James 11 Asts: LeBron James 13
		Miami wins NBA Finals series, 4–1

Regular-season series

Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series:

March 25, 2012

Recap

Miami Heat 87, Oklahoma City Thunder 103

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

April 4, 2012

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 93, Miami Heat 98

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

Last Playoffs meeting: This is the first meeting between the Heat and Thunder, or its predecessor, the Sonics.

Statistic leaders [edit]

Category	High			Average
	Player	Team	Total	Player	Team	Avg.	Games played
Points	LeBron James	Miami Heat	45	LeBron James	Miami Heat	30.3	23
Rebounds	Paul Millsap	Utah Jazz	19	Josh Smith	Atlanta Hawks	13.6	5
Assists	Rajon Rondo	Boston Celtics	17	Rajon Rondo	Boston Celtics	11.9	19
Steals	Jason Kidd	Dallas Mavericks	7	Jason Kidd	Dallas Mavericks	3.0	4
Blocks	Andrew Bynum	Los Angeles Lakers	10*	JaVale McGee	Denver Nuggets	3.1	7

* Tied NBA Playoffs Record

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2012 NBA Playoffs

• 2012 NBA Playoffs at ESPN

v t e NBA Playoffs Conference Finals Finals 60 Greatest Playoff Moments Game sevens Streaks Droughts WNBA Playoffs 1940s 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013

v t e 2011–12 NBA season by team Draft Lockout All-Star Game Playoffs Finals Transactions D-League Eastern Atlantic Boston New Jersey New York Philadelphia Toronto Central Chicago Cleveland Detroit Indiana Milwaukee Southeast Atlanta Charlotte Miami Orlando Washington Western Northwest Denver Minnesota Oklahoma City Portland Utah Pacific Golden State L.A. Clippers L.A. Lakers Phoenix Sacramento Southwest Dallas Houston Memphis New Orleans San Antonio