1989–90 Los Angeles Lakers season
| 1989–90 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
|---|---|
|
Division Champions | |
| Head coach | Pat Riley |
| Owner(s) | Jerry Buss |
| Arena | Great Western Forum |
| Results | |
| Record | 63–19 (.768) |
| Place |
Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western) |
| Playoff finish |
West Conference Semifinals (eliminated 1–4) |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
The 1989–90 NBA season was the Lakers' 42nd season in the NBA and 30th in the city of Los Angeles.[1] Despite finishing the regular season with a league-best 63–19 record, the Lakers were upset in the Western Conference Semifinals by the Phoenix Suns.[2] It was the first time in nine years that the Lakers did not reach the Western Conference Finals, ending a run that started in 1981—the longest series of consecutive NBA Conference Finals appearances since Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in 1969.
Magic Johnson won the league's MVP trophy—his third in four years—in a controversial voting over Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers. Johnson received fewer first-place votes (27 of the 92 cast) than Barkley (38), but totaled 636 points in the ballot compared to Barkley's 614.[3]
It's Pat Riley's final season as Lakers head coach as he would resign after the season. He would return to coach the New York Knicks for the 1991-92 season.
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Vlade Divac | C |  Serbia |
Regular season
Season standings
| Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 63 | 19 | .768 | – | 37–4 | 26–15 | 22–6 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 59 | 23 | .720 | 4 | 35–6 | 24–17 | 20–8 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 54 | 28 | .659 | 9 | 32–9 | 22–19 | 20–8 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 41 | 41 | .500 | 22 | 30–11 | 11–30 | 11–17 |
| Golden State Warriors | 37 | 45 | .451 | 26 | 27–14 | 10–31 | 11–17 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 30 | 52 | .366 | 33 | 20–21 | 10–31 | 7–21 |
| Sacramento Kings | 23 | 59 | .280 | 40 | 16–25 | 7–34 | 7–21 |
| # | Western Conference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Los Angeles Lakers | 63 | 19 | .768 | – |
| 2 | y- San Antonio Spurs | 56 | 26 | .683 | 7 |
| 3 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 59 | 23 | .720 | 4 |
| 4 | x-Utah Jazz | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 |
| 5 | x-Phoenix Suns | 54 | 28 | .659 | 9 |
| 6 | x-Dallas Mavericks | 47 | 35 | .573 | 16 |
| 7 | x-Denver Nuggets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 20 |
| 8 | x-Houston Rockets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 22 |
| 9 | Seattle SuperSonics | 41 | 41 | .500 | 22 |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 37 | 45 | .451 | 26 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Clippers | 30 | 52 | .366 | 33 |
| 12 | Sacramento Kings | 23 | 59 | .280 | 40 |
| 13 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 22 | 60 | .268 | 41 |
| 14 | Charlotte Hornets | 19 | 63 | .232 | 44 |
- z - clinched division title
- y - clinched division title
- x - clinched playoff spot
Playoffs
West First Round
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Houston Rockets: Lakers win series 3–1
- Game 1 @ Great Western Forum, Los Angeles (April 27): Los Angeles 101, Houston 89
- Game 2 @ Great Western Forum, Los Angeles (April 29): Los Angeles 104, Houston 100
- Game 3 @ The Summit, Houston (May 1): Houston 114, Los Angeles 108
- Game 4 @ The Summit, Houston (May 3): Los Angeles 109, Houston 88
Last Playoff Meeting: 1986 Western Conference Finals (Houston won 4–1)
West Conference Semifinals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Phoenix Suns: Suns win series 4–1
- Game 1 @ Great Western Forum, Los Angeles (May 8): Phoenix 104, Los Angeles 102
- Game 2 @ Great Western Forum, Los Angeles (May 10): Los Angeles 124, Phoenix 100
- Game 3 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (May 12): Phoenix 117, Los Angeles 103
- Game 4 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (May 13): Phoenix 114, Los Angeles 101
- Game 5 @ Great Western Forum, Los Angeles (May 15): Phoenix 106, Los Angeles 103
Last Playoff Meeting: 1989 Western Conference Finals (Los Angeles won 4–0)
Player statistics
| 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 | ||
Awards and records
- Magic Johnson, NBA Most Valuable Player Award
- Pat Riley, NBA Coach of the Year Award
- Magic Johnson, All-NBA First Team
- James Worthy, All-NBA Third Team
- Magic Johnson, NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
- Vlade Divac, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team
References
- ↑ 1989-90 Los Angeles Lakers
- ↑ "Suns Rally to Beat Lakers, Earning Trip to West Final". New York Times. May 16, 1990.
- ↑ "M.V.P. Controversy". New York Times. May 23, 1990.
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