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1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers season

1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers season
NBA champions
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coachPat Riley
General managerJerry West
OwnersJerry Buss
ArenaThe Forum
Results
Record62–20 (.756)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Pacific)
Conference: 1st (Western)
Playoff finishNBA champions
(Defeated Pistons 4–3)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
TelevisionPrime Ticket, KHJ
(Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz)
RadioAM 570 KLAC
(Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz)
< 1986–87 1988–89 >

The 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season for the Los Angeles Lakers as a franchise, their 40th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 28th season in Los Angeles, California.[1] The Lakers entered the regular season as the defending NBA champion, having defeated the Boston Celtics in six games in the 1987 NBA Finals; following their championship win, Lakers head coach Pat Riley promised the team would repeat as champions.[2]

The Lakers got off to a fast start by winning their first eight games of the regular season, then later on posting a 15-game winning streak between December and January, and holding a 35–8 record at the All-Star break.[3] The Lakers then posted a 10-game winning streak in February, and won the Pacific Division title with a league-best 62–20 record, which earned them the first seed in the Western Conference.[4]

Byron Scott led the Lakers in scoring averaging 21.7 points, 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while James Worthy averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, and Magic Johnson provided the team with 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 11.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team. In addition, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar contributed 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, while A.C. Green provided with 11.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Mychal Thompson averaged 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while defensive guard Michael Cooper contributed 8.7 points and 4.7 assists per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, Wes Matthews provided with 5.7 points and 2.7 assists per game, and Kurt Rambis averaged 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.[5]

Johnson, Worthy and Abdul-Jabbar were all selected for the 1988 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, Illinois, while Riley was selected to coach the Western Conference.[6][7][8] Johnson also finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics;[9][10] Scott finished tied in eighth place in Most Improved Player voting,[10] while Cooper finished tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,[10] and Riley finished in second place in Coach of the Year voting.[11][10]

Before the Lakers could make good on Riley's guarantee in the 1988 NBA playoffs, they swept the San Antonio Spurs in three straight games in the Western Conference First Round.[12] However, the following two rounds would not be as easy for the Lakers, as they trailed 2–1 to the 5th-seeded Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Semi-finals, but managed to defeat them in seven games,[13] and then defeated the Dallas Mavericks in another tough seven-game series in the Western Conference Finals.[14]

In the 1988 NBA Finals, the Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons in a hard-fought seven game series, winning their eleventh NBA championship; Worthy, who had a triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 108–105 Game 7 win, was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. The Lakers also became the NBA's first repeat champions since the Boston Celtics did it in the 1968–69 NBA season.[15][16][17] Following the season, Rambis signed as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets expansion team.[18][19][20]

By the time the Lakers had finished their season, they had played an NBA record of 106 games, including another record of 24 playoff games, winning 77 and losing 29; the team went 62–20 in the regular season and 15–9 in the playoffs, en route to their sixth NBA championship in Los Angeles, and their 11th overall in franchise history. HoopsHype would later rank this squad as the team with the 13th easiest route to the NBA Finals championship (in terms of team records of their opponents), primarily due to the record that the Spurs had this season.[21]

The 1988 NBA Finals was the last time the Showtime-era Lakers won an NBA championship; it was also the final time that the franchise won a championship at the Great Western Forum. The Lakers did not win another championship until 2000, when they were playing at the Staples Center (now known as the Crypto.com Arena).

The Lakers, and the Pistons scoring 100 points or more in Game 7 of the NBA Finals would not happen again until 2025, when the Oklahoma City Thunder did so.

Draft picks

[edit]
See also: 1987 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
3 69 Willie Glass Forward  United States St. John's
4 92 Ralph Tally Point Guard  United States Norfolk State
6 115 Kenny Travis  United States New Mexico State
6 138 Frank Ford Guard-Forward  United States Auburn University
7 161 Ron Vanderschaaf Center  Netherlands Central Washington University

Roster

[edit]
Los Angeles Lakers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
C 33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 225 lb (102 kg) UCLA
G/F 19 Tony Campbell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Ohio State
G/F 21 Michael Cooper 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 170 lb (77 kg) New Mexico
F/C 45 A.C. Green 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Oregon State
G 32 Magic Johnson 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Michigan State
G/F 3 Jeff Lamp 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Virginia
G 1 Wes Matthews 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Wisconsin
F 31 Kurt Rambis 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 213 lb (97 kg) Santa Clara
G 4 Byron Scott 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Arizona State
C 52 Mike Smrek 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Canisius
F 55 Billy Thompson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Louisville
F/C 43 Mychal Thompson 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 226 lb (103 kg) Minnesota
F 34 Ray Tolbert 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Indiana
G 20 Milt Wagner 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Louisville
F 00, 42 James Worthy 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) North Carolina
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

[edit]
A ticket for Game 1 of the 1988 NBA Finals at The Forum.
A ticket for Game 1 of the 1988 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks.

Season standings

[edit]
Pacific Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 62 20 .756 – 36–5 26–15 23–7
x-Portland Trail Blazers 53 29 .646 9 33–8 20–21 23–7
x-Seattle SuperSonics 44 38 .537 18 32–9 12–29 19–11
Phoenix Suns 28 54 .341 34 22–19 6–35 11–19
Golden State Warriors 20 62 .244 42 16–25 4–37 7–23
Los Angeles Clippers 17 65 .207 45 14–27 3–38 7–23
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Los Angeles Lakers 62 20 .756 –
2 y-Denver Nuggets 54 28 .659 8
3 x-Dallas Mavericks 53 29 .646 9
4 x-Portland Trail Blazers 53 29 .646 9
5 x-Utah Jazz 47 35 .573 15
6 x-Houston Rockets 46 36 .561 16
7 x-Seattle SuperSonics 44 38 .537 18
8 x-San Antonio Spurs 31 51 .378 31
9 Phoenix Suns 28 54 .341 34
10 Sacramento Kings 24 58 .293 38
11 Golden State Warriors 20 62 .244 42
12 Los Angeles Clippers 17 65 .207 45
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

[edit]
1987-88 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta – 2–4 2–3 5–1 2–0 1–1 2–4 2–0 1–1 4–2 2–0 0–2 3–3 5–0 3–3 6–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 3–3
Boston 4–2 – 3–3 2–3 2–0 0–2 3–3 2–0 1–1 5–0 2–0 0–2 3–3 5–1 5–1 4–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 5–1
Chicago 3–2 3–3 – 3–3 0–2 1–1 2–4 2–0 2–0 3–3 2–0 1–1 5–1 5–1 3–2 4–2 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–3
Cleveland 1–5 3–2 3–3 – 1–1 1–1 1–5 0–2 1–1 4–2 1–1 1–1 2–4 5–1 2–4 3–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 0–2 6–0
Dallas 0–2 0–2 2–0 1–1 – 3–3 1–1 4–1 4–2 2–0 5–0 1–4 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 5–0 3–2 5–1 5–1 3–2 3–3 1–1
Denver 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 3–3 – 1–1 4–1 4–2 1–1 5–0 3–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 3–2 2–3 4–2 5–1 4–1 2–4 2–0
Detroit 4–2 3–3 4–2 5–1 1–1 1–1 – 2–0 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 4–2 5–1 4–2 4–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–2
Golden State 0–2 0–2 0–2 2–0 1–4 1–4 0–2 – 0–5 0–2 3–3 0–6 0–2 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–4 1–5 2–3 3–2 1–5 1–4 0–2
Houston 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–4 2–4 1–1 5–0 – 2–0 3–2 1–4 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–1 4–1 4–2 2–4 3–2 3–3 2–0
Indiana 2–4 0–5 3–3 2–4 0–2 1–1 3–3 2–0 0–2 – 1–1 1–1 3–3 6–0 2–3 2–4 2–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–4
L.A. Clippers 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–5 0–5 1–1 3–3 2–3 1–1 – 1–5 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–4 0–6 3–2 0–5 1–5 1–4 0–2
L.A. Lakers 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 4–1 2–3 2–0 6–0 4–1 1–1 5–1 – 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 5–1 3–3 4–1 5–0 4–2 4–1 1–1
Milwaukee 3–3 3–3 1–5 4–2 0–2 1–1 2–4 2–0 0–2 3–3 2–0 2–0 – 3–2 3–3 2–4 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–1
New Jersey 0–5 1–5 1–5 1–5 1–1 0–2 1–5 0–2 1–1 0–6 2–0 0–2 2–3 – 3–3 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–6
New York 3–3 1–5 2–3 4–2 1–1 1–1 2–4 2–0 1–1 3–2 2–0 0–2 3–3 3–3 – 3–3 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–3
Philadelphia 0–6 2–4 2–4 2–3 1–1 0–2 1–4 1–1 1–1 4–2 1–1 0–2 4–2 4–2 3–3 – 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–3
Phoenix 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–5 2–3 0–2 4–2 1–4 0–2 4–2 1–5 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 – 0–6 3–2 2–3 2–4 2–3 0–2
Portland 2–0 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–3 3–2 1–1 5–1 1–4 2–0 6–0 3–3 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 6–0 – 4–1 5–0 3–3 1–4 2–0
Sacramento 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–5 2–4 0–2 3–2 2–4 0–2 2–3 1–4 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–3 1–4 – 3–3 1–4 1–5 0–2
San Antonio 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–5 1–5 1–1 2–3 4–2 0–2 5–0 0–5 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 0–5 3–3 – 3–2 3–3 0–2
Seattle 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–3 1–4 1–1 5–1 2–3 1–1 5–1 2–4 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 4–2 3–3 4–1 2–3 – 1–4 2–0
Utah 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 3–3 4–2 0–2 4–1 3–3 1–1 4–1 1–4 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 3–2 4–1 5–1 3–3 4–1 – 2–0
Washington 3–3 1–5 3–3 0–6 1–1 0–2 2–3 2–0 0–2 4–2 2–0 1–1 1–4 6–0 3–3 3–3 2–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 0–2 0–2 —

Game log

[edit]

Regular season

[edit]
1987–88 game log
Total: 62–20 (Home: 36–5; Road: 26–15)
November: 9–2 (home: 7–1; road: 2–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1 November 6
7:30 p.m. PST 		Seattle W 113–109 Johnson (26) Green (12) Johnson (8) The Forum
17,505 		1–0
2 November 8
7:30 pm PST		 Houston W 101–92 Johnson & Scott (23) A.C. Green (18) Magic Johnson (12) The Forum
17,505 		2–0
3 November 10
5:30 pm PST		 @ San Antonio W 133–124 A.C. Green (32) A.C. Green (10) Magic Johnson (13) HemisFair Arena
13,751 		3–0
4 November 12
7:30 pm PST		 L.A. Clippers W 111–82 James Worthy (20) Abdul-Jabbar & M. Thompson (10) Magic Johnson (11) The Forum
15,569 		4–0
5 November 14
7:30 pm PST		 @ Golden State W 118–110 Byron Scott (27) Mychal Thompson (9) Magic Johnson (12) Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
15,025 		5–0
6 November 15
7:30 pm PST		 San Antonio W 147–130 Magic Johnson (25) A.C. Green (13) Johnson & Worthy (10) The Forum
17,505 		6–0
7 November 17
7:30 p.m. PST 		Portland W 142–115 Mychal ThompsonM Thompson (24) Green,
Rambis (10) 		Johnson (14) The Forum
16,347 		7–0
8 November 20
7:30 p.m. PST 		Dallas W 119–116 Scott (25) Green (11) Johnson (15) The Forum
17,505 		8–0
9 November 22
7:30 p.m. PST 		Milwaukee L 116–124 (OT) Johnson (26) Green (11) Johnson (11) The Forum
17,505 		8–1
10 November 24
7:30 p.m. PST 		@ Seattle L 85–103 Johnson (23) Green (10) Johnson (6) Seattle Center Coliseum
14,634 		8–2
11 November 27
7:30 p.m. PST 		Denver W 127–119 Green (28) Green (16) Johnson (16) The Forum
17,505 		9–2
December: 11–4 (home: 5–1; road: 6–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
12 December 1
7:30 pm PST		 @ Sacramento W 125–120 (OT) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (27) A.C. Green (15) Magic Johnson (10) ARCO Arena I
10,333 		10–2
13 December 2
7:30 pm PST		 Portland L 104–117 Michael Cooper (17) A.C. Green (13) Cooper & Johnson (9) The Forum
17,505 		10–3
14 December 4
5:00 p.m. PST 		@ Milwaukee L 83–85 Johnson (22) Johnson (10) Johnson (12) MECCA Arena
11,052 		10–4
15 December 5
4:30 p.m. PST 		@ Cleveland L 95–97 Abdul-Jabbar,
Johnson,
Scott (19) 		Green,
Johnson (9) 		Johnson (9) Richfield Coliseum
20,015 		10–5
16 December 8
4:30 pm PST		 @ New Jersey W 98–81 Byron Scott (21) Magic Johnson (13) Magic Johnson (14) Brendan Byrne Arena
18,008 		11–5
17 December 9
4:30 p.m. PST 		@ Washington L 112–120 (OT) Johnson (30) Cooper (12) Johnson (14) Capital Centre
18,643 		11–6
18 December 11
5:00 p.m. PST 		@ Boston W 115–114 Abdul-Jabbar (23) Abdul-Jabbar,
Johnson (8) 		Johnson (17) Boston Garden
14,890 		12–6
19 December 13
7:30 p.m. PST 		Cleveland W 90–89 Worthy (20) Green (11) Johnson (8) The Forum
17,505 		13–6
20 December 15
7:30 pm PST		 Phoenix W 122–97 Byron Scott (31) A.C. Green (14) Johnson & Scott (9) The Forum
17,371 		14–6
21 December 17
7:30 pm PST		 @ Golden State L 113–106 Magic Johnson (31) A.C. Green (12) Magic Johnson (17) Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
15,025 		15–6
22 December 19
7:30 pm PST		 @ L.A. Clippers W 108–97 Magic Johnson (28) A.C. Green (12) Cooper & Johnson (7) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
14,417 		16–6
23 December 20
7:30 p.m. PST 		Seattle W 103–94 M. Thompson (22) Green (9) Johnson (12) The Forum
17,505 		17–6
24 December 23
7:30 pm PST		 Sacramento W 117–103 Magic Johnson (26) Green & M. Thompson (9) Michael Cooper (9) The Forum
17,505 		18–6
25 December 26
1:00 p.m. PST 		@ Utah W 117–109 Scott (26) Abdul-Jabbar (9) Johnson (14) Salt Palace
12,212 		19–6
26 December 29
7:30 pm PST		 Philadelphia W 131–115 Byron Scott (37) Kurt Rambis (10) Magic Johnson (17) The Forum
17,505 		20–6
January: 13–2 (home: 7–0; road: 6–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
27 January 3
5:00 pm PST		 @ Portland W 98–81 Byron Scott (31) A.C. Green (10) Magic Johnson (9) Memorial Coliseum
12,666 		21–6
28 January 4
7:30 pm PST		 San Antonio W 133–115 James Worthy (23) Magic Johnson (8) Magic Johnson (13) The Forum
17,505 		22–6
29 January 6
7:30 p.m. PST 		Dallas W 103–89 Scott (28) Green (9) Johnson (15) The Forum
17,505 		23–6
30 January 8
5:00 p.m. PST 		@ Detroit W 106–104 Scott (35) Worthy (8) Johnson (9) Pontiac Silverdome
40,278 		24–6
31 January 9
4:30 pm PST		 @ Indiana W 101–98 Johnson & Worthy (21) A.C. Green (12) Magic Johnson (13) Market Square Arena
16,912 		25–6
32 January 12
7:30 pm PST		 Golden State W 117–113 Byron Scott (30) A.C. Green (11) Magic Johnson (14) The Forum
17,505 		26–6
33 January 13
7:30 pm PST		 @ L.A. Clippers L 109–110 (OT) Magic Johnson (27) Magic Johnson (11) Magic Johnson (13) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
14,906 		26–7
34 January 16
6:30 pm PST		 @ Phoenix W 107–96 James Worthy (25) A.C. Green (8) Magic Johnson (9) Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
14,471 		27–7
35 January 18
2:00 pm PST		 Houston W 121–110 Magic Johnson (39) A.C. Green (9) Magic Johnson (17) The Forum
17,505 		28–7
36 January 21
6:30 p.m. PST 		@ Denver L 113–115 Worthy (22) Green,
Johnson (10) 		Johnson (14) McNichols Sports Arena
17,022 		28–8
37 January 22
7:30 pm PST		 New York W 113–112 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (24) A.C. Green (9) Johnson & Scott (8) The Forum
17,505 		29–8
38 January 24
12:30 p.m. PST 		@ Seattle W 116–109 Johnson (34) Worthy (12) Worthy (7) Seattle Center Coliseum
14,739 		30–8
39 January 26
7:30 p.m. PST 		Utah W 111–100 Johnson (22) Worthy (10) Johnson (11) The Forum
17,505 		31–8
40 January 28
7:30 pm PST		 @ Sacramento W 115–94 James Worthy (26) A.C. Green (13) Magic Johnson (9) ARCO Arena I
10,333 		32–8
41 January 29
7:30 p.m. PST 		Atlanta W 117–107 Worthy (29) Green (8) Johnson (13) The Forum
17,505 		33–8
February: 12–1 (home: 7–1; road: 5–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
42 February 2
7:30 p.m. PST 		Chicago W 110–101 Worthy (25) Abdul-Jabbar (8) Johnson (11) The Forum
17,505 		34–8
43 February 4 @ L.A. Clippers W 117–86 Byron Scott (21) Abdul-Jabbar & Johnson (10) Magic Johnson (11) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
15,371 		35–8
All-Star Break
44 February 9
7:30 pm PST		 Indiana L 108–110 James Worthy (30) Green & Worthy (8) Magic Johnson (11) The Forum
17,505 		35–9
45 February 11
6:30 p.m. PST 		@ Denver W 120–108 Johnson (26) Green (14) Cooper (9) McNichols Sports Arena
17,022 		36–9
46 February 12
5:30 pm PST		 @ San Antonio W 133–132 Scott & Worthy (23) Magic Johnson (9) Magic Johnson (13) HemisFair Arena
15,770 		37–9
47 February 14
12:30 p.m. PST 		Boston W 115–106 Scott (38) M. Thompson (11) Johnson (14) The Forum
17,505 		38–9
48 February 16
7:30 pm PST		 L.A. Clippers W 119–100 Byron Scott (30) Mychal Thompson (9) Magic Johnson (12) The Forum
17,505 		39–9
49 February 18
5:30 pm PST		 @ Houston W 111–96 Byron Scott (27) A.C. Green (10) Magic Johnson (13) The Summit
16,611 		40–9
50 February 19
5:00 p.m. PST 		@ Atlanta W 126–119 (OT) Worthy (38) Green (11) Johnson (19) The Omni
16,451 		41–9
51 February 21
12:30 p.m. PST 		Detroit W 117–110 Worthy (24) Scott,
M. Thompson (8) 		Johnson (13) The Forum
17,505 		42–9
52 February 23
7:30 p.m. PST 		Washington W 111–100 Worthy (23) M. Thompson (9) Johnson (12) The Forum
17,505 		43–9
53 February 26
7:30 p.m. PST 		Utah W 112–105 Johnson (27) M. Thompson (10) Johnson (17) The Forum
17,505 		44–9
54 February 28
7:30 pm PST		 Phoenix W 111–97 Byron Scott (30) Mychal Thompson (7) Magic Johnson (15) The Forum
17,505 		45–9
March: 8–7 (home: 4–2; road: 4–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
55 March 1
7:30 p.m. PST 		@ Seattle L 100–114 Scott (21) Green (16) Johnson (13) Seattle Center Coliseum
14,850 		45–10
56 March 4
7:30 pm PST		 Golden State W 120–107 Byron Scott (30) A.C. Green (11) Magic Johnson (10) The Forum
17,505 		46–10
57 March 6
11:00 a.m. PST 		@ Dallas W 108–97 Scott (28) Green (12) Johnson (16) Reunion Arena
17,007 		47–10
58 March 7
4:30 pm PST		 @ Philadelphia W 110–104 Magic Johnson (24) Magic Johnson (11) Magic Johnson (17) The Spectrum
18,168 		48–10
59 March 9
5:00 pm PST		 @ New York W 104–99 Magic Johnson (26) Magic Johnson (14) Magic Johnson (9) Madison Square Garden
19,591 		49–10
60 March 10
5:30 p.m. PST 		@ Chicago L 107–128 James Worthy (21) Green,
M. Thompson (12) 		Milt Wagner (6) Chicago Stadium
18,676 		49–11
61 March 12
8:00 p.m. PST 		Dallas L 101–110 Scott (35) M. Thompson (11) Scott (10) The Forum
17,505 		49–12
62 March 14
7:30 pm PST		 New Jersey W 115–105 Byron Scott (21) Kurt Rambis (6) Wes Matthews (11) The Forum
17,505 		50–12
63 March 15
7:30 pm PST		 @ Portland L 95–112 James Worthy (21) A.C. Green (11) Michael Cooper (5) Memorial Coliseum
12,666 		50–13
64 March 19
6:30 pm PST		 @ Phoenix L 97–102 Mychal Thompson (21) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (12) Matthews & Scott (7) Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
14,471 		50–14
65 March 20
7:30 pm PST		 @ Golden State W 130–127 Byron Scott (29) Mychal Thompson (10) Wes Matthews (13) Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
15,025 		51–14
66 March 22
7:30 pm PST		 Houston W 117–95 Byron Scott (21) A.C. Green (10) Magic Johnson (12) The Forum
17,505 		52–14
67 March 25
7:30 p.m. PST 		Denver L 119–120 Worthy (24) Green (13) Scott (10) The Forum
17,505 		52–15
68 March 26
7:30 pm PST		 @ Sacramento L 92–114 Byron Scott (26) James Worthy (9) Wes Matthews (5) ARCO Arena I
10,333 		52–16
69 March 29
7:30 p.m. PST 		Utah W 122–111 Worthy (31) Rambis (12) Matthews (13) The Forum
17,505 		53–16
April: 9–4 (home: 6–0; road: 3–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
70 April 2
6:30 p.m. PST 		@ Utah L 92–106 Scott (23) M. Thomspn (10) Matthews (7) Salt Palace
12,444 		53–17
71 April 3
7:30 pm PDT		 Sacramento W 108–104 James Worthy (24) Mychal Thompson (7) Wes Matthews (10) The Forum
17,505 		54–17
72 April 5
7:30 p.m. PDT 		Seattle W 94–90 Worthy (28) Worthy (8) Worthy (4) The Forum
17,505 		55–17
73 April 8
7:30 pm PDT		 L.A. Clippers W 126–107 Campbell & Scott (20) Kurt Rambis (15) Magic Johnson (9) The Forum
17,505 		56–17
74 April 9
7:30 pm PDT		 @ Portland L 109–119 James Worthy (22) Kurt Rambis (6) Magic Johnson (12) Memorial Coliseum
12,666 		56–18
75 April 12
7:30 pm PDT		 Portland W 109–103 Scott & Worthy (25) Mychal Thompson (13) Magic Johnson (13) The Forum
17,505 		57–18
76 April 13
6:30 p.m. PDT 		@ Denver L 106–120 Campbell (16) Johnson (11) Johnson (10) McNichols Sports Arena
17,022 		57–19
77 April 15
7:30 pm PDT		 Phoenix W 117–114 Magic Johnson (31) Mychal Thompson (9) Magic Johnson (15) The Forum
17,505 		58–19
78 April 17
10:00 am PDT		 @ Houston L 119–127 Scott & M. Thompson (22) Magic Johnson (10) Magic Johnson (12) The Summit
16,611 		58–20
79 April 19
5:30 pm PDT		 @ San Antonio W 133–126 James Worthy (28) A.C. Green (10) Magic Johnson (9) HemisFair Arena
12,456 		59–20
80 April 20
5:30 p.m. PDT 		@ Dallas W 114–107 Scott (31) M. Thompson (11) Johnson (23) Reunion Arena
17,007 		60–20
81 April 22
7:30 pm PDT		 @ Phoenix W 117–112 Mychal Thompson (24) A.C. Green (11) Magic Johnson (17) Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
14,077 		61–20
82 April 24
12:30 pm PDT		 Golden State W 136–100 Tony Campbell (28) Kurt Rambis (11) Wes Matthews (10) The Forum
17,505 		62–20
1987–88 schedule

Playoffs

[edit]
1988 playoff game log
Total: 15–9 (Home: 12–2; Road: 3–7)
First Round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 29
7:30 pm PDT		 San Antonio W 122–110 James Worthy (22) Mychal Thompson (14) Magic Johnson (18) The Forum
17,505 		1–0
2 May 1
7:30 pm PDT		 San Antonio W 130–112 Mychal Thompson (29) Mychal Thompson (16) Magic Johnson (15) The Forum
17,505 		2–0
3 May 3
5:30 pm PDT		 @ San Antonio W 109–107 Magic Johnson (25) James Worthy (11) Magic Johnson (11) HemisFair Arena
11,542 		3–0
Western Conference Semifinals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 May 8
12:30 p.m. PDT 		Utah W 110–91 Worthy (23) Abdul-Jabbar (10) Johnson (9) The Forum
17,505 		1–0
2 May 10
8:00 p.m. PDT 		Utah L 97–101 Scott (26) M. Thompson (12) Johnson (10) The Forum
17,505 		1–1
3 May 13
8:00 p.m. PDT 		@ Utah L 89–96 Scott (29) M. Thompson (12) Johnson (6) Salt Palace
12,444 		1–2
4 May 15
12:30 p.m. PDT 		@ Utah W 113–100 Worthy (29) Abdul-Jabbar (11) Johnson (9) Salt Palace
12,444 		2–2
5 May 17
7:30 p.m. PDT 		Utah W 111–109 Worthy (27) M. Thompson (11) Johnson (13) The Forum
17,505 		3–2
6 May 19
7:30 p.m. PDT 		@ Utah L 80–108 Scott (16) M. Thompson (9) Johnson (9) Salt Palace
12,444 		3–3
7 May 21
12:30 p.m. PDT 		Utah W 109–98 Scott (29) Johnson (9) Johnson (16) The Forum
17,505 		4–3
Western Conference Finals: 4–3 (home: 4–0; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 May 23
7:30 p.m. PDT 		Dallas W 113–98 Worthy (28) Green,
Johnson,
M Thompson (6) 		Johnson (12) The Forum
17,505 		1–0
2 May 25
7:30 p.m. PDT 		Dallas W 123–101 Scott (30) Abdul-Jabbar (7) Johnson (19) The Forum
17,505 		2–0
3 May 27
5:00 p.m. PDT 		@ Dallas L 94–106 Worthy (19) Johnson (8) Johnson (10) Reunion Arena
17,007 		2–1
4 May 29
12:30 p.m. PDT 		@ Dallas L 104–118 Johnson (28) Green (12) Johnson (12) Reunion Arena
17,007 		2–2
5 May 31
8:30 p.m. PDT 		Dallas W 119–102 Worthy (28) Green (10) Johnson (20) The Forum
17,505 		3–2
6 June 2
6:00 p.m. PDT 		@ Dallas L 103–105 Scott,
Worthy (27) 		Worthy (11) Johnson (12) Reunion Arena
17,007 		3–3
7 June 4
12:30 p.m. PDT 		Dallas W 117–102 Worthy (28) Johnson (9) Johnson (11) The Forum
17,505 		4–3
NBA Finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 June 7
6:00 p.m. PDT 		Detroit L 93–105 Johnson (28) Green (12) Johnson (10) The Forum
17,505 		0–1
2 June 9
6:00 p.m. PDT 		Detroit W 108–96 Worthy (26) Green (13) Johnson (11) The Forum
17,505 		1–1
3 June 12
12:30 pm PDT 		@ Detroit W 99–86 Worthy (24) Worthy (9) Johnson (14) Pontiac Silverdome
39,188 		2–1
4 June 14
6:00 p.m. PDT 		@ Detroit L 86–111 Johnson (23) Green (10) Johnson (6) Pontiac Silverdome
34,297 		2–2
5 June 16
6:00 p.m. PDT 		@ Detroit L 94–104 Abdul-Jabbar (26) Abdul-Jabbar,
Green,
Johnson (6) 		Johnson (17) Pontiac Silverdome
41,372 		2–3
6 June 19
12:30 p.m. PDT 		Detroit W 103–102 Worthy (28) Green (10) Johnson (19) The Forum
17,505 		3–3
7 June 21
6:00 p.m. PDT 		Detroit W 108–105 Worthy (36) Worthy (16) Johnson (14) The Forum
17,505 		4–3
1988 schedule

Player statistics

[edit]
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season

[edit]
Los Angeles Lakers statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 80 80 28.9 .532 .000 .762 6.0 1.7 0.6 1.2 14.6
Tony Campbell 13 1 18.6 .564 .333 .718 2.1 1.1 0.8 0.2 11.0
Michael Cooper 61 8 19.4 .392 .320 .858 3.7 4.7 1.1 0.4 8.7
A.C. Green 82 64 32.1 .503 .000 .773 8.7 1.1 1.1 0.5 11.4
Magic Johnson 72 70 36.6 .492 .196 .853 6.2 11.9 1.6 0.2 19.6
Jeff Lamp 3 0 2.3 .000 .000 1.000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7
Wes Matthews 51 8 13.8 .460 .233 .831 1.3 2.7 0.5 0.1 5.7
Kurt Rambis 70 20 12.1 .548 .000 .785 3.8 0.8 0.6 0.2 4.0
Byron Scott 81 81 37.6 .527 .346 .858 4.1 4.1 1.9 0.3 21.7
Mike Smrek 48 2 8.8 .427 .000 .667 1.8 0.2 0.1 0.9 2.8
Billy Thompson 9 0 4.2 .231 .000 .800 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 1.6
Mychal Thompson 80 0 25.1 .512 .000 .634 6.1 0.8 0.5 1.0 11.6
Ray Tolbert 14 0 5.9 .571 .000 .769 0.7 1.5 0.2 0.2 3.0
Milt Wagner 40 4 9.5 .422 .200 .897 0.7 1.5 0.2 0.1 3.8
James Worthy 75 72 35.4 .531 .125 .796 5.0 3.9 1.0 0.7 19.7

Playoffs

[edit]
Los Angeles Lakers statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24 24 29.9 .464 .000 .789 5.5 1.5 0.6 1.5 14.1
Tony Campbell 15 0 6.3 .429 .000 .688 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.0 3.1
Michael Cooper 24 0 24.5 .412 .403 .741 2.4 2.7 0.8 0.3 6.4
A.C. Green 24 18 30.3 .544 .000 .753 7.3 0.8 0.1 0.5 10.1
Magic Johnson 24 24 40.2 .514 .500 .852 5.4 12.6 1.4 0.1 19.9
Wes Matthews 10 0 2.7 .400 .000 .800 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.0 1.2
Kurt Rambis 19 6 9.8 .618 .000 .692 2.7 0.4 0.2 0.1 2.7
Byron Scott 24 24 37.4 .499 .436 .865 4.2 2.5 1.4 0.2 19.6
Mike Smrek 8 0 4.3 .200 .000 .333 0.8 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.4
Mychal Thompson 24 0 25.6 .513 .000 .581 7.1 0.5 0.7 0.8 9.7
Milt Wagner 5 0 2.8 .400 .000 1.000 0.4 0.6 0.0 0.2 1.2
James Worthy 24 24 37.3 .523 .111 .758 5.8 4.4 1.3 0.8 21.1

Player Statistics Citation:[5]

Awards and records

[edit]

Awards

[edit]

All-Star

[edit]

Transactions

[edit]

Trades

[edit]

Free Agents

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ 1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers
  2. ^ "Halfway Through A 2-Year Quest For Greatness". The New York Times. November 1, 1987.
  3. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 4, 1988". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  4. ^ "1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  6. ^ Barnard, Bill (February 7, 1988). "Today's NBA All-Star Game Will Be Homecoming of Sorts for 3 Players". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  7. ^ "1988 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  8. ^ "1988 NBA All-Star Game: East 138, West 133". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  9. ^ "Jordan Named M.V.P." The New York Times. May 26, 1988. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d "1987–88 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  11. ^ "Moe Named NBA Coach of Year". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 16, 1988. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  12. ^ "1988 NBA Western Conference First Round: Spurs vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  13. ^ "1988 NBA Western Conference Semifinals: Jazz vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  14. ^ "1988 NBA Western Conference Finals: Mavericks vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  15. ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 22, 1988). "N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Lakers Hold Off Pesky Pistons to Regain Their Title". The New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  16. ^ "Lakers Repeat as Champions in Tight Game". Los Angeles Times. June 22, 1988. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  17. ^ "1988 NBA Finals: Pistons vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  18. ^ Edes, Gordon (July 26, 1988). "Rambis May Go to Charlotte: Laker Forward Expected to Complete Multi-Year Deal Today". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  19. ^ Edes, Gordon (July 28, 1988). "Rambis to Sign Four-Year Contract with Charlotte". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  20. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (November 8, 1988). "Rambis Happy with Hornets". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  21. ^ Urbina, Frank (June 17, 2024). "Ranking the easiest paths to an NBA title ever". HoopsHype. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
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