Utah Jazz @ LA Lakers, 1988 Western Finals, Game Five finish

[@sydhamelin1265]

I love listening to Chick Hearn - that guy could make a yard sale sound exciting!

[@marcuscompton3772]

He loved his Lakers!

[@bobdavis3357]

LOLOL 😂, Chuck's legend

[@murillofamily3794]

@@bobdavis3357 who's chuck??.. Charles Barkley??lol

[@michaelgarcia741]

Still get nervous watching this in March 2019... Lakers for life!

[@tonylaughlin6663]

You are right!! Feels like just yesterday watching again. Thanks for posting.

[@freds.9407]

Why ? You should know who wins by now. Its only been 30 + years.

[@patrickmontoya5375]

@@tonylaughlin6663 i get it...remembering those times. Yeah, we know that they won. However, reliving the excitement of this game or any other for that matter. Let me put it another way, if youre watching a film or reading a book or listening to music or eating a great meal that you enjoy...it takes you back to the emotions you felt when you first heard it, experienced it, tasted it or watched it.

[@Kube_Dog]

Yeah, but that Stockton - Billie Dee Williams combo was something back in the day.

[@patrickmontoya5375]

@@Kube_Dog ...Billie Dee Williams? Haha...in the 80s it was Boston Celtic old timer, Tommy Heinson. That duo was ok, Tommy was funny and a decent color commentator, but he often sounded a lot like Fred Flintstone!

[@toddinthemiddle]

was as if i were watching it live, instead of 30 years ago... rip, chick. great memories!

[@anthonyr829]

Thank you for this! I totally forgot about this classic game. It was definitely nervous time for LA. The Jazz were a damn tough well coached team. They kind of blew it missing a lot of free throws. Damn I miss Chick Hearn! The greatest MC of all time!

[@patrickmontoya5375]

As Chick would say..."It's nervous time at The Great Western Forum..."

[@stevedavidson2591]

Jazz really played tough in this series. Lakers a true champion team that year though. Three 7 game series wins in a row. Amazing stuff

[@gdobie1west988]

Used to listen to the Laker games on the radio, Chick Hearn was the best. Those Laker teams sure were fun to watch.

[@outer967]

Coop doesn't get enough credit for that game winner. It was truly a team effort to repeat in '88. 3 game 7 wins!

[@mediachristiantv7472]

If I recall, that was Cooper’s only basket of the game…he’d had a horrific ankle sprain earlier in the season, two or three days after the annual Lakers -Celtics game on CBS at STAPLES Center…it was so bad that Cooper was writhing on the ground, holding on to Pat Riley’s leg, and Chick literally told his wife at the time, Wanda, to turn off the game so she didn’t see the replays. The redemptive part of this, aside from this shot, was that in all three of the Game 7 contests for LA, all at home, Michael Cooper made two 3 point shots…crucial shots…one of the toughest players I’ve ever met.

[@mja91352]

All victories, let alone championships, are team efforts.

[@overratedgm5713]

Scott bricks a bunch of wide open jumpers in the 4th quarter, but Coop is clutch as usual

[@the_Sage71]

Cooper is a Hall of Famer now.

[@roberta-ls9lr]

Thank you for posting. What a treat listening to the great Chick Hearn call the game. Still sends chills. Today's announcers in any sport cannot hold a candle to the real professionals.

[@injusticeanywherethreatens265]

'Real professionals' lol . Ah yes. I bet he had a masters degree or something in this! Hahahaha

[@krusekids]

Being born in 1986 - in Australia no less - I regret that I never lived to see a live Elvis concert, and I regret that I never saw the Showtime Lakers in person.

[@sidibouchrit]

Get over it ! Our world is now a frothy hyped world ,with diminishing intrinsic quality and value ! Go Lakers

[@svetcovladich9996]

Freakin great upload of a great finish to a game in a great playoff run for the Lakers as defending champions. Lakers met their match in the Jazz and throughout the playoffs. In squeaking out victories in multiple 7 game series, they showed that experience and oh so many weapons for teams to deal with made the difference and allowed them to repeat. Well deserved. And best of all, Chickie Baby calling the games and keeping us entertained and on the edge of our seats. Old Golden Throat was an MVP himself. Simply the best.

[@ckendall67]

- Western SEMIS to be exact....& it was the Jazz that damn near derailed the Lakers' bid for a repeat title, if the Lakers lost this they'd go back to the Salt Palace down 3-games-to-2 & likely would've been eliminated since the Jazz did take Game 6 at home. Lakers had to go through THREE 7-game marathons that spring....this series vs Utah, the Conf. Finals vs Dallas, & The Finals against the Pistons. MAN!

[@mercuryrising2424]

Riley overworked his players. That's why the Lakers faltered sometimes. They were overtired.

[@denniseverett1904]

I think the series against the Jazz was a lot scarier than the series against the Mavs. Yes that series also went 7 but the Mavs never came close to winning a game at the Forum. The Finals against the Pistons was simply a war. LA had to rely on their battle tested experience in each of these 7 game series but especially the Finals.

[@mja91352]

@@mercuryrising2424 Ignorant nonsense

[@mja91352]

@Jenesis Wright Well, that makes no sense!

[@patrickmontoya5375]

Damn...watching this brought back great memories! I was unable to watch the game live back then, but I was able to listen in to the master, Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz make the call. "Chiknstu" I always called them. The 1988 season...what more can you say? Every playoff series went the distance...Mavs, Jazz and ultimately the mighty Pistons for the finals... Our Lakers truly earned that re-peat!

[@smill1985]

"Chicknstu"--That's great! 😅

[@patrickmontoya5375]

@@smill1985...yeah baby. "ChicknStu" were the cure all for your B-ball ailments back then.

[@RichardSaurus]

When basketball and the play-by-play calling were great

[@redpillfreedom6692]

This Utah team with no bench to speak of pushed the Showtime Lakers to the brink.

[@ca194216]

gave us all we could handle that year. 3 seven game series. all in all...the 5th title in 8 years.

[@TL2354]

Gave us all we could handle? You play?

[@smill1985]

@@TL2354 LOL

[@j.p.2976]

I remember this series like yesterday. I remember Mark Eaton giving Kareem fits during the series while clogging up the middle. I think the Jazz in 1988 gave the Lakers more problems in the playoffs than the Mavs or the Pistons that year.

[@anthonygreen2962]

High school days... the Rockets broke my heart in 86 but this series scared me.

[@oneadvocate9517]

I think this Jazz team was better than the 97 and 98 Jazz teams that lost to the Bulls.

[@tonyt7372]

The glory years!

[@wobblertv8083]

Frank layden was a real character. ..He had a right laugh with Jack Nicholson during this series .

[@RagDraggo]

Before their playoff series with Utah started,, I had grossly UNDERestimated the Jazz. I had no idea that would be that tough for those playoffs. Even though it went a whole 7 games, the Lakers/Mavs (W Conf Finals) series was really no real sweat, but the Lakers-Jazz series certainly was,, and (most definitely) the Lakers-Pistons (NBA Finals) was sweat,, nail-biters,, and BIG time.

[@denniseverett1904]

The Lakers had just regained home court advantage in GM 4 up in SLC. But they couldn't shake the Jazz and were fortunate to win this game (they kind of mailed in game 6 on the road) and finally prevailed somewhat comfortably in GM 7. Although the Lakers would also need seven games to beat the Dallas Mavericks in the next round, I think this series against the Jazz had scared them a lot more.

[@mickeyroulette503]

The greatest point guard of all time vs magic johnson

[@injusticeanywherethreatens265]

....You mean Stephen Curry?! He was here!?

[@hmhm856]

@@injusticeanywherethreatens265 Steph was heading into that direction, but his career just became MIA ever since Durant joined the Warriors and then again post-Durant, even with the title the Warriors recently won in 2022

[@mercuryrising2424]

That Jazz team was better than the team that made it to the Finals in the late 90's.

[@bobbyjohnson9409]

YES! I was scanning the comment section to see if anyone felt like I do

[@lilcourtny08]

Absolutely not, this team would have been destroyed worse by the bulls

[@anthonygreen2962]

It's was the semi-finals, not the Western Conference Final. That Jazz team scared me more than Portland back then. I thought they were going to be the next great team of the future. Didn't know that it would be another 9 seasons until they made the Finals. What the hell happened to them??

[@injusticeanywherethreatens265]

Malone doesnt perform well against playoff level defenses

[@AbdulhameedAlNafjan]

Los Angeles Lakers is the NBA Team of the 1980s 1980 champion 1982 champion 1984 runner up 1985 champion 1987 champion 1988 champion 1989 runner up 5 champions 2 2nd places In 10 years

[@mja91352]

Thank you, Captain Obvious!

[@MrAce-lm8es]

3 reasons why I love the 80s Lakers Teams: MAGIC JOHNSON 💜💛💜💛 KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR 💜💛💜💛 THE LAKER GIRLS 💜💛💜💛😍😋

[@btventura9570]

Cooper's jersey should be on the wall.

[@svetcovladich9996]

You are right. Is Scott's up there? It should be as well.

[@btventura9570]

@@svetcovladich9996 Byron is not up there, and was tough, but Coop won 5 titles.

[@ralphfurley123]

It was a great run from ‘87 - ‘89!!! Three straight NBA Finals with 2 consecutive championships from ‘87 to ‘88! Could have been a 3-peat, but the Pistons were too tough and the Lakers lost Magic & Scott in the series due to injuries!!! The best Lakers team ever was in ‘87!!! ☮️🖖🏽

[@nicholaszeman4045]

I always say that team is better than the 95-96 Bulls. Too much offense. 86-87 Lakers the G.O.A.T.

[@mja91352]

you mean the 87 lakers team was better than the 1972 team that won 72 games and a championship? Or the 1982 team that won 9 straight playoff games and a championship> Of the Mikan teams that won 3 straight championships? Don;t think so, Ralphie!

[@mja91352]

@@nicholaszeman4045 Not even the greatest Laker teams of all time. 1972, 1982, the Mikan teams.

[@Jesuisartiste]

Stockton v. Magic and The Lakers

[@magichendrix]

I remember this game like it was yesterday. The Jazz scared me more than the Pistons. What a moment.

[@magichendrix]

trha2222 Really??? Ummmm I don't think so. We're still waiting for Utah's first championship 27 years later. The Lakers have won 5 additional championships since then. Do the math. Thanks.

[@magichendrix]

If the Jazz were better they would have won the series. Get over it dude. It is what it is.

[@magichendrix]

Yeah okay.

[@chrisgarbiso]

The Jazz were scarier than Detroit, they peaked at the right time and were playing the best ball in the league. The Lakers were a better more experienced team, and that team will win a 7 game series. Back to back!

[@analyticalinsight]

Chris tyndall correct..Jazz were hottest team in the NBA.....To those that think the best team always won in David Stern NBA...Nope better do some research on a man named Tim Donaghy...Dick Bavetta & Steve Javie were also crooked

[@marcelou.morales2675]

This is the WC Semifinals, not the WC finals. The Lakers met the Mavericks for the 1988 West Finals.

[@the_Sage71]

Cooper is a Hall of Famer

[@MrDdub31]

Dis was the west semis not the west finals

[@mikejeffers2173]

NICE ,,, that's still new school basketball because I have seen old timers

[@vincentwinkleblech3614]

Big Game James, Came to Play !

[@dt3269]

Im nervous watching a game from over 30 years ago.

[@edkiely2712]

Ppl foget just how clutch Coop was! He was as mentally tough as any player on the team!

[@ryankenealy4837]

How do you think a Mavericks vs Jazz WCF would’ve ended up in 1988? And do you think either were capable of beating Detroit.

[@butchsanders9537]

i was chewing my fingernails watching this game

[@lavellcox8711]

Great game

[@quairan2099]

Lol weird seeing Sloan as an assistant.

[@williamdunphy352]

Commentators: Chick Hearn & Stu Lantz

[@TL2354]

Wasn't the West Finals, do some homework

[@yelyto__4476]

💕 💕 💕

[@drew2fast489]

Coooooooooooo!

[@geert574]

Jabbar thinking he's had enough of this lol

[@TheYeti308]

Frank Layden sighting .

[@judahsong]

Semi-finals

[@stevencoffman34]

Chick is so missed

[@fjccommish]

You aren't going to beat the Lakers with a guy named Iveroni on your team. It sounds like a boxed dinner.

[@spitshinetommy3721]

He was on the Sixers team that beat the Lakers in 1983, but I get your point: dude was trash.

[@atribecalledlen3567]

@@spitshinetommy3721 “no baloney”

[@mja91352]

Yet that's what happened in 1983 ...

[@giancappelli7155]

Semi finals, the finals was Dallas

[@marcweeks9178]

Good thing Kareem fouled out when he did. He was a waste of space at the beginning of this video. The only thing wrong with his skyhook is that it took sooooooo long for him to set up.

[@spitshinetommy3721]

Kareem was very much over-the-hill in 1988.

[@mja91352]

Quite of a shame the skyhook was god SIXTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE TIME!

[@forrestmalcom8351]

Lakers knocking jazz out of the playoffs is the reason Karl Malone talked shit about Magic coming out of retirement from the AIDS virus.

[@dralger]

John Stockton (number 12) was black in 1988? Cool!

[@smill1985]

@Stephen RunsHisMouth I think that person was joking, lol.

[@richardralmaraz6501]

Chic was the best!

[@mja91352]

His name was spelled "Chick."

[@johndo6175]

this was the LAST GREAT NBA season. After this the slow demise started to the pathetic state that the NBA is in now

[@rayjames2149]

How can the Lakers beat the bulls when they struggle with Utah

[@RichardSaurus]

Miss Chick

[@fideltorres6380]

Those pesky, annoying Jazz never got past Showtime Lakers to reach the Finals.

[@againstallodds7500]

What a stupid last play from utah!

[@randall44lee]

That last possession where the Jazz didn't even get a shot off shows why Stockton never won a championship. He's dribbling the ball for an eternity then passes it with one second left. Not good basketball.....

[@analyticalinsight]

keith lee Stockton also had 2 steals 2 setups for Utah in the last 90 seconds...He had 24 assists in this game

[@LLetter82]

Stockton had 23 points, 24 assists and 5 steals in this game. The last two inbound plays were probably the two worst designed plays I have ever seen. The last play allowed the Lakers to double Stockton, and have 1 Laker player guard two Jazz players who were both standing in the same area. If anything, the fact that the Jazz had a starting line-up that included Marc Ivanroni and Bob Hansen explains a lot about the Jazz's struggles, especially when Magic and Kareem could rely on Byron Scott, James Worthy, Michael Cooper, A.C. Green, Mychal Thompson, ect.

[@mortenpotzdidler4677]

Playing with second-rate rosters in his prime is why Stockton has no championships. Who do you think played with more talent? Magic or Stockton? Do you think it's close? Magic played in a desecrated west in the early 80s, where the Lakers got to play teams that sometimes won only 30-something games. If they played a team that won 50, that was a major event. 80s West was today's East. And all the while, Magic also got to play on stacked squads every year of his prime. Meanwhile, Utah was a two man (three, with Eaton's defense) squad for most of Stockton's 20s. From an offensive standpoint, the series against GSW in 89 sums up Utah's roster: Malone scored 30 a night, Stockton scores 28 a night with 15 assists, and Utah still gets demolished because there was basically no third option.

[@outer967]

If you are trying to say that Stockton was better than Magic, very laughable. Magic as a rookie went into Philly and won the chip without Kareem. Magic was the greatest basketball player ever. Stockton could not even shine his shoes.

[@outer967]

Stockton had Karl Malone, Dantley, Bailey, Eaton, and a host of solid players through out his career. Magic won without MVP Kareem in rookie season. Won with old Kareem and took the Lakers to the finals in 1991 without Kareem, what was Stockton's excuse in 1991? I am sure you will find one. lol

[@guledahmed9415]

Toni kuk Chicago bulls he's hall fame but Coop he's not Come on