This Day in NBA Sports History: Jun 4, 1976-2020

The best of this day in NBA sports history June 4. The newest competitive format for the NBA, Randy Smith dies, an Epic comeback by the Lakers, the first NBA regular-season game in Mexico, a six-year franchise in the finals, record three-pointers in the finals, and triple-overtime in the finals. What happened on this day in NBA history? Here’s the lowdown on all of the moments in NBA History that have shaped our beloved game of basketball. 

NBA Debuts New Competitive Format

The NBA Board of Governors today approved a competitive format to restart the 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play and a tentative start date of Thursday, July 30.

The 22 returning teams were the 16 teams (eight per conference) in playoff positions and the six teams that were six games or fewer behind the eighth seed in their respective conferences. Those two groups comprise teams with the NBA’s 22 best records.

Randy Smith Dies

In 2009, Randy Smith died at the age of 60; he played in a then-record 906 NBA games between 1972 and 82.

Lakers Complete Epic Comeback

With 10:28 left in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers, trailing by 15 points, staged an epic comeback against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers outscored the Blazers 29-11 down the stretch, sealing the victory with an alley-oop from Kobe Bryant to Shaquille O’Neal with 40 seconds left.

The win sends the Lakers to their first Finals since the 1990-91 season.

First NBA Regular-Season Game Played in Mexico

On December 6, 1997, the NBA announced the first time the NBA hosted a regular-season game in Mexico. The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets would play a regular-season game in Mexico City.

Mexico joining Japan as the only two countries outside the United States and Canada to host an NBA regular-season game would mark a trend for the NBA to expand and expand its market. Following this, in the following seasons, in which many basketball fans around the world yearned to one day enjoy an NBA game in their home country, the countries that have so far hosted regular-season games are Japan, Mexico, London and Paris.

Six-Year-Old Franchise Reaches Finals

In just the franchise’s sixth year, the Orlando Magic advanced to their first NBA Finals, with a 105-81 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Orlando Magic were led in scoring by Shaquille O’Neal, who scored 25 points, and Dennis Scott set NBA playoff records in a seven-game series for most three-pointers attempted (65) and most three-pointers made (28).

Record Number of Three-Pointers in Finals

The Lakers’ field goal percentage remains the second-highest in Finals history, shooting 61.5%. Michael Cooper set a Finals record by hitting six three-pointers in a 141-122 win over Boston in Game 2 of their championship series, which the Lakers ultimately won in six games.
Magic Johnson fell one shy of his own NBA Finals record with 20 assists, and the Lakers’ 44 assists tied the team record for a single NBA Finals game, set by another Lakers team on May 6, 1970.

Triple Overtime Thriller in NBA Finals

The Celtics defeated Phoenix 128-126 in triple overtime in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Boston’s Jo Jo White scored 33 points in what was then the longest Finals game in history. Phoenix forward Gar Heard, who set a Finals record by playing 61 minutes, sank a buzzer-beater to force overtime. Phoenix and Chicago went to triple overtime in Game 3 of the 1993 Finals, a game the Suns won 129-121. Kevin Johnson, also of Phoenix, broke Heard’s previous Finals record for minutes played with 62.

Final Thoughts: This Day In NBA Sports History

If you missed the last article entitled This Day In NBA Sports History, read about it here on June 3.