Schedule and 2005-06 Results
Regular Season Records: Phoenix 54-28, L.A. Lakers 45-37
Game 1 on Sunday, 23 April: L.A. Lakers lose at Phoenix, 107-pts-102
Game 2 on Wednesday, 26 April: L.A. Lakers win at Phoenix, 99-pts-93
Game 3 on Friday, 28 April: Phoenix loses at L.A. Lakers, 99-pts-92
Game 4 on Sunday, 30 April: Phoenix loses at L.A. Lakers, 99-pts-98 (OT)
Game 5 on Tuesday, 02 May: L.A. Lakers lose at Phoenix, 114-pts-97
Game 6 on Thursday, 04 May: Phoenix wins at L.A. Lakers, 126-pts-118 (OT)
Game 7 on Saturday, 06 May: L.A. Lakers lose at Phoenix, 121-pts-90

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Becoming only the eighth NBA team to complete a comeback from a 3-games-1 deficit, the Phoenix Suns hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 121-pts-90 to win best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 977, 4-games-3. The comeback from the 3-games-1 deficit is the first for the Suns, which, with the Philadelphia 76ers, had twice blown 3-games-1 leads for series losses. The 31-point margin of victory in series 977 Game 7 is the third-largest NBA playoff Game 7 victory margin ever, behind only series 69 (in which the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the St. Louis Bombers by 39 points in the 1948 NBA Semifinals) and series 227 (in which the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns by 35 points in the 1970 NBA Quarterfinals). The series 977 win improves the series record of the Phoenix Suns to 11-16; the series 977 loss drops that of the Los Angeles Lakers to 55-26. The win order for the victorious Phoenix Suns in series 977 was WLLLWWW: Series 977 thus becomes the first NBA Preliminary-round series, the third NBA series (all rounds), and the tenth MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order. Regarding win order AND site order, only two of the 972 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series completed as of 6 May 2006 followed the orders WLLLWWW @ HHVVHVH: series 227, and series 977 (with the Lakers defeating the Suns in series 227, and the Suns just now defeating the Lakers in series 977).

After Game 6: The Phoenix Suns defeated the Lakers in Los Angeles 126-pts-118 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 977 at 3-games-all. In Game 7s, the Phoenix Suns have a 2-5 record, while the Los Angeles Lakers have an 11-6 record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2005, home teams in Game 7s have a 75-17 (.815) record. In the history of best-of-7 MLB, NBA, and NHL playoff series, teams such as the Lakers that lose Games 1, 5, and 6 but win Games 2-4 with Games 1-2 and 5 on the road and Games 3-4 and 6 at home have a 5-1 series record. The sole loser? The Phoenix Suns in series 227, in which they were defeated by the Lakers in Los Angeles in their 1970 NBA Quarterfinals series. Thus, ironically, the 1970 Los Angeles Lakers set the most favorable precedent for the 2006 Phoenix Suns for completing a comeback from a 3-games-1 deficit, even though that precedent was set against the 1970 edition of the Phoenix Suns.

After Game 5: Back in Phoenix for best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 977 Game 5, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 114-pts-97 to reduce the Lakers' series 977 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 24-3 with a 19-series winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 1-7 with a seven-series losing streak. After the NBA games of 2 May 2006, four NBA teams (the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns) were trailing their respective best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2: When trailing a best-of-7 series 3-games-2, these four teams had a combined series record of 1-23 (.042), with Phoenix supplying the sole come-from-behind series victory in the 1976 NBA Semifinals against no less than the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in series 319.

After Game 4: The Los Angeles Lakers hosted and defeated the Phoenix Suns 99-pts-98 in overtime to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 977 lead of 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 27-0. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 0-7.

After Game 3: The Los Angeles Lakers hosted and defeated the Phoenix Suns 99-pts-92 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 977 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 31-4 with a 15-series winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 1-8 with an 8-series losing streak.

After Game 2: Rebounding from their Game 1 loss, the Los Angeles Lakers visited and defeated the Phoenix Suns 99-pts-93 to even best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 977 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 8-3, while the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 20-11.

After Game 1: The Phoenix Suns hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 107-pts-102 to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 977. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 7-4; when trailing 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 9-18.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2005-06 regular season, Phoenix finished nine games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers. Through the 2005 MLB Finals, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by nine regular-season games, they have posted a 12-1 (.923) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 977 is the 81st best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the 27th for Phoenix. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 55-25 series record, a 2-0 Prelim-round series record, and a 53-27 Game 1 record, while Phoenix has a 10-16 series record, a 1-1 Prelim-round record, and an 11-15 Game 1 record. Series 977 is the eighth NBA best-of-7 playoff meeting between Los Angeles and Phoenix; of the previous seven, the Lakers have won six.