Schedule and 2007 Results
Regular Season Records: Detroit 53-29, Chicago 49-33
Game 1 on Saturday, 5 May: Chicago loses at Detroit, 95-pts-69
Game 2 on Monday, 7 May: Chicago loses at Detroit, 108-pts-87
Game 3 on Thursday, 10 May: Detroit wins at Chicago, 81-pts-74
Game 4 on Sunday, 13 May: Detroit loses at Chicago, 102-pts-87
Game 5 on Tuesday, 15 May: Chicago wins at Detroit, 108-pts-92
Game 6 on Thursday, 17 May: Detroit wins at Chicago, 95-pts-85

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: On the strength of a big third quarter, the Detroit Pistons visited and defeated the Chicago Bulls 95-pts-85 for a 4-games-2 victory in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1013. Detroit thus improves its best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 23-13 overall and 10-5 in the NBA Quarterfinals, while that for the Chicago Bulls falls to 23-16 overall and 10-10 in the NBA Quarterfinals. The win order in series 1013 for the victorious Detroit Pistons was WWWLLW: Series 1013 thus becomes the second NBA Quarterfinals series, the sixth best-of-7 NBA series (all rounds), and the 14th best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this WWWLLW win order. Since series 936, in which the Boston Red Sox surmounted a 3-games-nil deficit to defeat the New York Yankees 4-games-3 in the 2004 MLB Semifinals, 21 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series have had one team seize a 3-games-nil lead. Series 1013 is the 20th of those 21, and it is the first among those twenty to go as far as six games. (The 21st such series is series 1002 between the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres in the 2007 NHL Semifinals; Ottawa took a 3-games-nil lead, and the series stood at 3-games-1 when Detroit completed its series 1013 victory.)

After Game 5: The Chicago Bulls visited and defeated the Detroit Pistons 108-pts-92 to narrow the Detroit best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1013 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Detroit Pistons have a series record of 7-1 (with an active six-series winning streak) and a Game 6 record of 6-2 (with an active four-Game 6 winning streak). When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Chicago Bulls have a series record of 0-8 and a Game 6 record of 4-4 (with an active three-Game 6 losing streak). In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series, teams posting a win order of WWWLL (such as the Detroit Pistons) have a series record of 8-0 and a Game 6 record of 5-3. The three trailing teams to extend such a series to a Game 7 were the New York Knickerbockers in series 85 (with a Game 6 win over the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals), the Denver Nuggets in series 669 (winning Game 6 over the Utah Jazz in the 1994 NBA Quarterfinals), and the Portland Trailblazers in series 894 (winning Game 6 over the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 NBA Preliminary round). The 16-point margin of victory by Chicago over Detroit was the second-biggest in a Game 5 of a best-of-7 NBA playoff series by a team trailing LLLW - second only to the 21-point victory margin by the Philadelphia 76ers over the Indiana Pacers (107-pts-86) in series 813 Game 5 (in the 2000 NBA Quarterfinals; Indiana won the series in six games).

After Game 4: Staving off elimination from the 2007 NBA playoffs, the Chicago Bulls hosted and defeated the Detroit Pistons 102-pts-87 to reduce the Detroit best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1013 lead to 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Detroit Pistons have a series record of 8-0 and a Game 5 record of 8-0 as well. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Chicago Bulls have a series record of 0-3 and a Game 5 record of 0-3 as well. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through the 2007 NBA Preliminary round, teams leading 3-games-1 with Games 1-2 at home and Games 3-4 on the road (e.g., Detroit) have a 105-1 (.991) series record: The sole loss in this situation was sustained in series 691 by the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Quarterfinals.

After Game 3: Trailing by 16 points at halftime, the Detroit Pistons rallied to defeat the Bulls in Chicago 81-pts-74 to take a 3-games-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1013. In the previous 2043 NBA playoff games played within the best-of-7 format from 1947 through Wednesday 9 May 2007, teams trailing by 16 points at halftime had a 0-25 game record on the road, and a 0-31 game record overall. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-nil, the Detroit Pistons have a series record of 3-0 and a Game 4 record of 3-0. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-nil, the Chicago Bulls have a series record of 0-4 and a Game 4 record of 1-3. The 2007 Chicago Bulls thus become the 259th MLB/NBA/NHL team to attempt to surmount a 3-games-nil deficit; three have previously succeeded. The Detroit Pistons have through series 1013 Game 3 won seven consecutive playoff games to start the 2007 NBA playoff season. Since the NBA adopted the best-of-7 format for its Preliminary (Conference Quarterfinals) round in 2003, the team with the most consecutive wins to start a playoff season is the 2005 Miami Heat with eight. The 2007 Pistons could thus match the 2005 Heat with a series 1013 sweep.

After Game 2: The Detroit Pistons again hosted and defeated the Chicago Bulls, this time by a score of 108-pts-87. Detroit thus takes a 2-games-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1013. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Detroit Pistons have a perfect series record of 10-0 and a Game 3 record of 3-7. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Chicago Bulls have a series record of 1-10 and a Game 3 record of 7-4 with an active four-Game 3 winning streak. Detroit has now won Games 1-2 of series 1013 by a combined victory margin of 47 points. For an NBA team winning Games 1-2 of a best-of-7 playoff series, that 47-point total is the second-largest ever, next only to the 59-point combined victory margin from series 344 (in which the Philadelphia 76ers took a 2-games-nil lead over the New York Knickerbockers in the 1978 NBA Quarterfinals) and series 436 (in which the Los Angeles Lakers accomplished the feat over the Dallas Mavericks in the 1984 NBA Quarterfinals).

After Game 1: The Detroit Pistons hosted and defeated the Chicago Bulls 95-pts-69 to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1013. The 26-point win by Detroit was the largest best-of-7 NBA Game 1 margin of victory since series 980, in which the Pistons routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-pts-86 (for a 27-point victory margin) in Game 1 of their 2006 NBA Quarterfinals series. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Pistons have a series record of 19-3 (with an active ten-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 10-12. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Chicago Bulls have a series record of 5-13 and a Game 2 record of 7-11.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2006-07 regular season, Detroit finished four games ahead of Chicago. From 1905 through the 2007 NBA Preliminary round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by four regular-season games, they have posted a 16-6 (.727) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1013 is the 39th best-of-7 playoff series for Chicago, and the 36th for Detroit. In best-of-7 playoff series, Chicago has a 23-15 series record, a 10-9 Quarterfinals-round series record (with an active three-series winning streak), and a 20-18 Game 1 record, while Detroit has a 22-13 series record, a 9-5 Quarterfinals-round record (with an active four-series winning streak), and a 22-13 Game 1 record. Series 1013 is the sixth best-of-7 meeting between Chicago and Detroit: Of the previous five, Detroit has won three series (series 517 [in the 1988 NBA Quarterfinals], 545 [1989 NBA Semifinals], and 570 [1990 NBA Semifinals]), while Chicago has won two series (287 [in the 1974 NBA Quarterfinals], and 595 [1991 NBA Semifinals]).