Series summary • (OT) denotes a game that required
overtime. The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 format, where the first two and last two games are held at the venue of the team with
home court advantage. This was only used in the Finals.
Background The Lakers had a star-studded lineup that included offseason acquisitions
Karl Malone and
Gary Payton as well as mainstays
Kobe Bryant and
Shaquille O'Neal. Malone and Payton were perennial
All-Stars; Payton had led the
Seattle SuperSonics to the Finals in
1996, while Malone's
Utah Jazz reached the Finals in
1997 and
1998. However, both had been defeated by
Michael Jordan's
Chicago Bulls. By 2003, Malone and Payton were in the latter stages of their respective careers and were no longer playing on championship-contending teams. Both Malone and Payton took pay cuts to sign with the Lakers in an effort to win a championship.
Game One Sunday, June 6, 2004, 14:30 at the Staples Center. Detroit stunned Los Angeles with imposing defense. They held the Lakers to 39% shooting. Outside of O'Neal and Bryant, the rest of the Lakers only managed to score 16 points. The Pistons trailed the Lakers 41–40 at halftime, but a 10–4 surge in the third quarter gave them the lead and they never relinquished it. By the fourth quarter, their lead had increased to 13. Box Score
Game Two Tuesday, June 8, 2004, 15:04 at the Staples Center. The Lakers led by eight after the first half. However, Detroit scored 30 points in the third quarter to keep the game close. With 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant hit a three-point shot to tie the score at 89. The game went to overtime and the Lakers outscored the Pistons 10–2 to win their only game of the series.
Game Three Thursday, June 10, 2004, 14:31 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons beat the Lakers by 20 in their first NBA Finals appearance at The Palace of Auburn Hills since 1990 to take a 2–1 lead in the series. Karl Malone sprained his knee and was limited to 18 minutes. The 68 points scored by the Lakers set a franchise record for the fewest points scored in a playoff game. The previous night, a group of overzealous Pistons fans made it difficult for the Lakers to get their rest by harassing them until 4am at their hotel in nearby Birmingham. Fans were screaming outside the building until hotel management called the police.
Game Four Sunday, June 13, 2004, 14:49 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons defeated the Lakers, this time by eight, to take a 3–1 series advantage. Shaquille O'Neal scored 36 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, but the rest of the Lakers shot 17/57 from the field.
Game Five Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 14:32 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. In Game 5, the Pistons won their first championship since 1990 and Larry Brown won his first title as an NBA coach. The Pistons defense had overcome the high-scoring Lakers offense, winning the game by 13 and the series 4–1. In four of the five games, the Lakers were held to less than 90 points. After the series, Phil Jackson stepped down as coach (he would return for the 2005–06 season). Shaquille O'Neal was traded to Miami. Gary Payton and Rick Fox were traded to Boston. Karl Malone, who did not dress for Game 5, would have surgery on his knee and eventually retired the following February. ==Player stats==