The 1987–88 season saw the Pistons finishing with a franchise-best record of 54–28. They would advance to the NBA Finals, only to lose to a Los Angeles Lakers squad that featured Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy in seven games.

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average

(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Washington Bullets: Pistons win series 3–2

Last Playoff Meeting: 1987 Eastern Conference First Round (Detroit won 3–0)

(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Chicago Bulls: Pistons win series 4–1

Last Playoff Meeting: 1974 Western Conference Semifinals (Chicago won 4–3)

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Detroit Pistons: Pistons win series 4–2

Last Playoff Meeting: 1987 Eastern Conference Finals (Boston won 4–3)

The Pistons had just dispatched the Celtics in six games, while the Lakers were coming off back-to-back seven-game wins over the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers were tired, and it showed. Adrian Dantley scored 34 points, hitting 14 of 16 shots from the field. The Pistons took control of the game with six seconds left in the first half when Bill Laimbeer hit a 3-point shot to put the Pistons up 54–40. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar then fired an inbound pass intended for Byron Scott, but it was intercepted by Isiah Thomas who let fly with another three-pointer which went in at the halftime buzzer. The Pistons had a 57–40 halftime lead and never looked back, stealing Game 1 with a 105–93 win.

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