Schedule and 2004 Results
Regular Season Records: Indiana 61-21, Detroit 54-28
Game 1 on Saturday, 22 May: Detroit loses at Indiana, 78-pts-74
Game 2 on Monday, 24 May: Detroit wins at Indiana, 72-pts-67
Game 3 on Wednesday, 26 May: Indiana loses at Detroit, 85-pts-78
Game 4 on Friday, 28 May: Indiana wins at Detroit, 83-pts-68
Game 5 on Sunday, 30 May: Detroit wins at Indiana, 83-pts-65
Game 6 on Tuesday, 01 Jun: Indiana loses at Detroit, 69-pts-65

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Detroit Pistons hosted and defeated the Indiana Pacers 69-pts-65 in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 933 Game 6. The Pistons thus gain a 4-games-2 series 933 victory and advance to series 935 - the 2004 NBA Finals. With the series victory, Detroit improves its series records to 15-11 (all rounds) and 4-5 (Semifinals), while those of Indiana fall to 8-7 (all rounds) and 1-5 (Semifinals). The Indiana Pacers lose their first best-of-7 NBA playoff series in nine tries upon having won Game 1 of the series. The win order for the victorious team in series 933 was LWWLWW: Series 933 thus becomes the second NBA Semifinals series, the fifth NBA series (all rounds), and the 23rd MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order.

After Game 5: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 933 Game 5 in Indiana, the visiting Detroit Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers 83-pts-65 to take a 3-games-2 series 933 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Detroit Pistons have a 5-1 series record (with an active four-series winning streak) and a 4-2 Game 6 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Indiana Pacers have a 0-5 series record and a 2-3 Game 6 record (with an active three-Game 6 losing streak). The 18-point Game 5 victory by Detroit in Indiana is the fourth-largest margin of victory in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series by a team taking a 3-games-2 series lead in a Game 5 on the road: In series 255 (the 1972 NBA Quarterfinals), the New York Knickerbockers posted a 24-point Game 5 win over the Bullets in Baltimore to take a 3-games-2 series lead (en route to a 4-games-2 series 255 win); in series 693 (the 1995 NBA Semifinals), the Houston Rockets posted a 21-point Game 5 win over the Spurs in San Antonio to take a 3-games-2 series lead (en route to a 4-games-2 series 693 win); in series 895 (the 2003 NBA Preliminaries), the Los Angeles Lakers posted a 30-point Game 5 win over the Timberwolves in Minnesota to take a 3-games-2 series lead (en route to a 4-games-2 series 895 win). Thus far in series 933, the series-leading team has posted a win order of LWWLW at a site order of VVHHV. Twice previously in NBA best-of-7 playoff history has a win/site order of LWWLW @ VVHHV been seen through five games: In series 150 (the 1962 NBA Finals), the Los Angeles Lakers did so against the Boston Celtics, but lost Games 6-7 and series 150; in series 377 (a 1980 NBA Quarterfinals series), the Milwaukee Bucks did so against the Seattle Supersonics, but lost Games 6-7 and series 377.

After Game 4: Tying best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 933 at 2-games-all, the Indiana Pacers visited and defeated the Detroit Pistons 83-pts-68 to win series 933 Game 4. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Indiana Pacers have a 2-4 series record (with an active two-series winning streak) and a 3-3 Game 5 record, while the Detroit Pistons have a 6-6 series record (with an active five-series winning streak) and a 6-6 Game 5 record. Perfection will be lost in one form or another by the Indiana Pacers in series 933: In their NBA playoff series history, their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record was 8-0 when winning Game 1 and 0-6 when trailing 2-games-1; in series 933, the Pacers have both won Game 1 and trailed 2-games-1. Thus, one of those perfect records will be broken by series 933 - Indiana hopes for the latter to be broken; Detroit, the former.

After Game 3: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 933 Game 3 in Michigan, the Detroit Pistons hosted and topped the Indiana Pacers 85-pts-78 to take a 2-games-1 series 933 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Detroit Pistons have a 9-1 series record (with an active nine-series winning streak) and a 5-5 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Indiana Pacers have a 0-6 series record and a 4-2 Game 4 record (with an active two-Game 4 losing streak). In best-of-7 NBA playoff series history from 1947 through the 2004 NBA Quarterfinals, when a team loses Game 1 and wins Game 2 (both on the road) and wins Game 3 at home (all by single-digit margins of defeat/victory), its series record is 1-2.

After Game 2: The Detroit Pistons visited and defeated the Indiana Pacers 72-pts-67 in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 933 Game 2, thereby tying series 933 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Detroit Pistons have an 8-5 series record (all rounds) and a 6-7 Game 3 record, while the Indiana Pacers have a 2-2 series record (all rounds) and a 2-2 Game 3 record. Impact of close games: In the history of NBA best-of-7 playoff series from 1947 through the 2004 NBA Quarterfinals, when the home team wins Game 1 by five points or less and loses Game 2 by five points or less (as Indiana has in series 933), its series record is 2-4.

After Game 1: The Indiana Pacers hosted and defeated the Detroit Pistons 78-pts-74 to win best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 933 Game 1. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Indiana Pacers have an 8-0 series record and a 6-2 Game 2 record with an active 6-Game 2 winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Pistons have a 2-8 series record and a 4-6 Game 2 record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2003-04 regular season, Indiana finished seven games ahead of Detroit. From 1947 through the 2004 NBA Quarterfinals, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by seven regular-season games, they have posted a 14-2 (.875) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents - with an active 13-series winning streak. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 933 is the 26th best-of-7 playoff series for Detroit, and the 15th for Indiana. In best-of-7 playoff series, Detroit has a 14-11 series record, a 3-5 Semifinals-round series record, and a 15-10 Game 1 record, while Indiana has an 8-6 series record, a 1-4 Semifinals-round record, and an 8-6 Game 1 record. Series 933 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Detroit and Indiana.