Schedule and 2004 Results
Regular Season Records: Los Angeles 56-26, Detroit 54-28
Game 1 on Sunday, 06 Jun: Detroit wins at Los Angeles, 87-pts-75
Game 2 on Tuesday, 08 Jun: Detroit loses at Los Angeles, 99-pts-91 (OT)
Game 3 on Thursday, 10 Jun: Los Angeles loses at Detroit, 88-pts-68
Game 4 on Sunday, 13 Jun: Los Angeles loses at Detroit, 88-pts-80
Game 5 on Tuesday, 15 Jun: Los Angeles loses at Detroit, 100-pts-87

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: Improving their best-of-7 series and Game 5 records to 6-0 upon leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Detroit Pistons posted a 100-pts-87 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 935 Game 5 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Detroit thus wins series 935 by a 4-games-1 tally, and claims the 2004 NBA championship. With the win, the Detroit Pistons improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series records to 16-11 (all rounds) and 3-1 (Finals round). With the loss, the Los Angeles Lakers see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series records fall to 55-25 (all rounds) and 9-13 (Finals round). Series 935 posted a win order of WLWWW: Series 935 thus becomes the third NBA Finals series, the 22nd NBA series (all rounds), and the 61st MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow the WLWWW win order. Ironically, the last NBA Finals series to follow a WLWWW win order was series 572 - the 1990 NBA Finals (in which the Detroit Pistons won their previous NBA championship).

After Game 4: The Detroit Pistons hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 88-pts-80 in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 935 Game 4, thereby taking a 3-games-1 series 935 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Detroit Pistons have a 5-0 series record and a 5-0 Game 5 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 1-12 series record (with an active nine-series losing streak) and a 4-9 Game 5 record. The sole Laker series victory upon trailing 3-games-1 occurred in series 227, in which the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-games-3 in a 1970 NBA Quarterfinals series.

After Game 3: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 935 in Michigan for Games 3-5, the host Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 88-pts-68 to take a 2-games-1 series 935 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Detroit Pistons have a 10-1 series record with an active 10-series winning streak, a 1-0 Finals record, and a 5-6 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 6-15 series record, a 0-7 Finals record, and an 8-13 Game 4 record.

After Game 2: Tying the game with a three-point shot with 2.1 seconds left in regulation and winning the game in the first overtime, the Los Angeles Lakers took best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 935 Game 2 from the Detroit Pistons 99-pts-91 to even series 935 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Detroit Pistons have a 9-5 series record and a 7-7 Game 3 record, while the Los Angeles Lakers have a 20-10 series record and a 19-11 Game 3 record.

After Game 1: Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 935 Game 1 went to the visiting Detroit Pistons, as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 87-pts-75 to take a 1-game-nil series 935 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Pistons have a 12-3 series record and a 6-9 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 9-17 series record and a 11-15 Game 2 record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through the 2004 NBA Semifinals, when the road team wins Game 1 by a dozen points, its series record is 2-1. Ironically, the last road team to take Game 1 of a best-of-7 NBA playoff series by a 12-point victory margin was the Detroit Pistons in series 522 (the 1988 NBA Finals): Those Pistons lost in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers to account for the sole series loss.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2003-04 regular season, Los Angeles finished two games ahead of Detroit. From 1947 through the 2004 NBA Semifinals, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season games, they have posted a 14-9 (.609) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 935 is the 27th best-of-7 playoff series for Detroit, and the 80th for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Los Angeles Lakers thus tie the NHL Boston Bruins for the second-most best-of-7 playoff series appearances (behind only the NHL Montreal Canadiens). In best-of-7 playoff series, Detroit has a 15-11 series record, a 2-1 Finals-round series record, and a 15-11 Game 1 record, while Los Angeles has a 55-24 series record, a 9-12 Finals-round record, and a 53-26 Game 1 record. Series 935 is the fourth best-of-7 meeting between Los Angeles and Detroit: Los Angeles leads 2-1, having won series 149 (in the 1962 NBA Semifinals) and 522 (the 1988 NBA Finals) and lost 547 (the 1989 NBA Finals).