In 1981, the Pistons drafted Isiah Thomas from Indiana University. They also obtained Bill Laimbeer in 1982. In 1984 they lost a 5-game series to the New York Knicks, 3 games to 2. In 1985 Detroit won the first-round series and faced the Boston Celtics which started a rivalry. Boston won in 6 games. Prior to the 1986 season they obtained John Salley and Dennis Rodman, which gave them a very physical and aggressive style. These new key players gave the team its nickname the "Bad Boys". In 1986, they got to the Eastern Conference Finals, against the Celtics. The Pistons won game 6 in Detroit, but would lose game 7 in Boston. In 1988 the Pistons would beat the Celitics finally in the Eastern Conference Finals and advance to the NBA Finals. They faced the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Magic Johnson. In game 6 Isiah Thomas scored 25 points in the 3rd quarter on a bad ankle. The Pistons lost in game 7 108-105.
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Isiah Thomas hurt with sprained ankle in game 6 against the Lakers.
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1989 NBA Championship celebration.
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In 1989, the Pistons moved to Auburn Hills. They did absolutely great that season and made it to the NBA finals. They were able to rematch the Lakers and win with a 4 game sweep to gain the NBA Championship. They won another NBA Championship in 1990 against the Portland Trailblazers where Vinnie Johnson aka, "the microwave", hit e buzzer beater to win the game and Isiah Thomas won the MVP Finals MVP.
In the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals the Pistons were swept by the Chicago Bulls lead by the goat Michael Jordan, 4 to 0. This game was known for the Pistons walking off the court without shaking hands. |
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