April 20, 1987: Philadelphia holds a parade for the 76ers' Julius Erving.
Erving, who later addressed an assembled crowd at JFK Plaza, will be retiring from professional basketball after 16 seasons. An estimated 30,000 people lined the parade route to see Dr. J.
📺 WPVI-TV
April 20, 1975: Lots going on in this clip of Sam Lacey scoring for Kansas City-Omaha in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semis in Chicago.
—Very visible hockey boards/glass
—Jerry Sloan and Rick Adelman in uniform
—Shot clock on the floor
—Jerry West calling the game for CBS
April 20, 1980: This behind-the-back pass from Boston’s Cedric Maxwell to Chris Ford during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Maxwell finished with 17 PTS/15 REB/4 AST and Larry Bird had 31 PTS/12 REB in the Celtics' 96-90 win over the 76ers that tied the series at 1-1.
April 20, 1986: Philadelphia's Charles Barkley dunks on Dan Roundfield during Game 2 of a first round playoff series against the Washington Bullets.
Barkley finished with 27 PTS/20 REB/6 AST and Maurice Cheeks scored 19 PTS in the 76ers' 102-97 win that tied the series at 1-1.
April 20, 1980: Seattle's Lonnie Shelton drives and dunks on Milwaukee's Bob Lanier during Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Shelton had 15 PTS/15 REB and Gus Williams scored 33 PTS (13-20 FG) in the Sonics' 98-94 win. Marques Johnson had 22 PTS for the Bucks.
📺 CBS
April 20, 2005: The Lakers' Kobe Bryant extends and slams home the lob pass from Chucky Atkins.
Bryant finished with 37 PTS and Atkins had 23 PTS/7 AST but Los Angeles lost at Portland, 106-103. Travis Outlaw scored 20 PTS and Sebastian Telfair had 17 PTS/11 AST for the Blazers.
April 20, 1975: Washington's Elvin Hayes finishes with 46 PTS (19-26 FG)/12 REB/5 AST/3 BLK/3 STL in a 97-93 win over Buffalo in Game 5 of the ECSF.
Wes Unseld added 14 PTS/12 REB for the Bullets, who took a 3-2 series lead. Bob McAdoo had 35 PTS/13 REB to lead the Braves.
April 20, 1980: Milwaukee's Sidney Moncrief's with a first-quarter putback dunk at Seattle in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
SuperSonics 98, Bucks 94.
April 20, 2005: A Jason Richardson 360 slam as the Warriors finish the season with a 106-89 win over the Jazz.
Richardson scored 18 PTS, Baron Davis had 23 PTS/9 AST, and Mike Dunleavy added 18 PTS/8 REB for Golden State. Matt Harpring led Utah with 22 PTS/10 REB.
April 20, 1984: The Nets beat the 76ers, 116-102, to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five Eastern Conference first round playoff series.
Michael Ray Richardson had 32 PTS/9 AST/7 REB and Darryl Dawkins scored 22 PTS for New Jersey. Philadelphia's Moses Malone had 25 PTS/12 REB.
April 20, 1977: CBS' Mendy Rudolph interviews actors Peter Falk and Walter Matthau during halftime in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
April 20, 1995: Chicago's Michael Jordan slams home the lob pass from Jud Buechler.
Jordan had 17 PTS/8 REB/7 AST and Scottie Pippen had 20 PTS/9 AST in the Bulls' 120-105 win over the Pistons. Terry Mills scored 26 PTS (12-16 FG) and Grant Hill had 20 PTS/15 REB for Detroit.
April 20, 1980: Boston rookie Larry Bird with a hustle play during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Tiny Archibald also dove on the floor and Darryl Dawkins fell over the top of him. Boston gained possession on a Philadelphia shot clock violation.
Celtics 96, 76ers 90.
April 20, 1993: One of my favorite in-game dunks of all-time: The Steve Smith double dunk.
April 20, 2003: Tracy McGrady of the Magic drives and dunks on the Pistons' Mehmet Okur during Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first round playoff series.
McGrady scored 43 PTS (15-28 FG) in Orlando's 99-94 win. Richard Hamilton had 28 PTS for Detroit.
April 20, 1975: The CBS intro for Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals featuring Tiny Archibald & Scott Wedman of Kansas City-Omaha and Chicago's Chet Walker & Jerry Sloan.
Bob Love had 30 PTS/12 REB in a 104-77 Bulls win. Archibald & Wedman each had 13 PTS for the Kings.
April 19, 1984: Bill Laimbeer's poster slam puts the finishing touches on the Pistons' 113-105 Game 2 win over the Knicks that evened their first round series.
Laimbeer had 31 PTS/15 REB and Isiah Thomas had 11 PTS/13 AST/3 BLK for Detroit. New York's Bernard King scored 46 PTS.
April 19, 1981: Bob Lanier of Milwaukee and Philadelphia's Steve Mix throw hands during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
76ers 99, Bucks 98.
📺 The NBA on CBS
April 19, 2003: Stephon Marbury's buzzer beater wins Game 1 for the Suns at San Antonio.
Marbury scored 26 PTS and Amar'e Stoudemire & Shawn Marion each added 24 for Phoenix in a 95-94 overtime victory on the NBA Playoffs' opening night. The Spurs' Stephen Jackson scored 23 PTS.
April 19, 1990: The Pistons & 76ers fight in Auburn Hills.
Charles Barkley (who also had an altercation with a fan) and Bill Laimbeer were each fined $20,000 and suspended one game. Detroit's Scott Hastings was fined $10,000 and suspended for a game. Each team was fined $50,000.
April 18, 1997: This Nick Van Exel assist to Elden Campbell.
Van Exel finished with 15 PTS/10 AST and Campbell scored 21 PTS in the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
April 18, 1980: Philadelphia’s Darryl Dawkins blocks Cedric Maxwell during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston.
Dawkins had 23 PTS/10 REB and Julius Erving scored 29 PTS in the 76ers’ 96-93 win. Larry Bird had 27 PTS/4 STL and Maxwell scored 21 PTS for the Celtics.
April 18, 1976: With 17 seconds left in overtime of a series-deciding playoff game in Philadelphia, a fan is ejected for shaking the basket during a free throw attempt by Buffalo’s Bob McAdoo.
McAdoo (34 PTS/22 REB) made the free throw and the Braves defeated the 76ers, 124-123.
April 18, 1994: The Clippers’ Dominique Wilkins becomes the 14th NBA/ABA player to score 24,000 career points (not on this play, but later in the game).
Nique had 37 PTS/10 REB but the Warriors defeated Los Angeles in overtime, 134-131. Chris Mullin led Golden State with 32 PTS.
April 18, 1986: Three Charles Barkley slam dunks from Game 1 of Philadelphia's first round playoff matchup with Washington.
Barkley finished with 26 PTS (11-19 FG)/22 REB/9 AST/4 STL, but the 76ers lost to the Bullets, 95-94.
April 17, 1984: Larry Bird had 23 PTS/12 AST/7 REB/3 BLK in the Celtics' 91-83 win over the Bullets in Game 1 of their first round playoff series.
Kevin McHale scored 15 PTS and Robert Parish added 12 PTS/14 REB for Boston. Jeff Ruland had 17 PTS/13 REB/10 AST for Washington.
April 17, 1981: Dennis Johnson scores 17 PTS and Walter Davis scores 16 PTS in the Suns' 81-76 win over the Kings, tying their Western Conference Semifinal series at 3-3 and forcing a Game 7.
Truck Robinson had 15 PTS/10 REB for Phoenix. Scott Wedman led Kansas City with 19 PTS.
April 17, 2005: Detroit's Tayshaun Prince spins and slams against Cleveland.
Prince finished with 15 PTS, Richard Hamilton had 19 PTS/6 AST and Ben Wallace had 11 PTS/15 REB/4 BLK in the Pistons' 90-87 win. LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 37 PTS/11 REB/6 AST.
📺 NBA Action
April 17, 1986: The Hawks take a 1-0 series lead on the Pistons in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Dominique Wilkins scored 28 PTS and Doc Rivers had 17 PTS/16 AST in Atlanta’s 140-122 win. Bill Laimbeer had team-highs of 26 PTS/17 REB for Detroit.
📺 CNN
April 17, 1976: The Cleveland Cavaliers ("a team of no real superstars") walk through the tunnel and take the floor at Richfield Coliseum before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Cavs would defeat the Washington Bullets in Game 3, 88-76.
📺 The NBA on CBS
