“We had them on the ropes” – Adrian Dantley talks about the wasted opportunity the Pistons had against the Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals

One of the memorable rivalries the NBA has seen was between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons . The two teams squared off in the 1988 NBA Finals, a highly physical matchup that reached Game 7.

The notable stars back then were Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Byron Scott, and James Worthy for the Purple and Gold. On the other end, Isiah Thomas , Joe Dumars, Adrian Dantley, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman represented the Pistons.

At the time, the Pistons were on the brink of winning the Larry O’Brien trophy after taking a 3-2 series lead. But the problem was they had to get that pivotal fourth win at the Forum.

Dantley fades at a pivotal stage

Dantley , who had been a key player in games 1, 4, and 5, putting up 34, 27, and 25 points, respectively, was sorely missed in Games 6 and 7. He averaged only 15 points in those two games, shooting only 37.7% from the field.

With the 6-time All-Star struggling, it would be up to Thomas and Dumars to carry Detroit for the rest of the way.

“We had them on the ropes, but we couldn’t get them down,” Dantley, a missing piece in the two games, said per Johnson’s recollection in his book , “The Life of Earvin “Magic” Johnson” authored by Roland Lazenby.

Zeke’s Herculean effort

In Game 6, Thomas had a classic performance that would hopefully defy the tall odds of winning at The Forum.

Trailing in the third quarter, Zeke racked up 16 points to keep the Pistons within striking distance. Unfortunately, Thomas’s run would suffer a blow after he rolled his ankle after landing on Michael Cooper’s foot.

Being the tough player he was, that was not enough to prevent Thomas from returning to the game and setting an NBA record.

“Despite a severely sprained ankle, he returned 35 seconds later and continued the assault,” Johnson added.

By the end of the third quarter of Game 6, the Baby-Faced Assassin hit 11 of 13 shots from the floor for 25 points, setting an NBA Finals record for points in a quarter.

Unfortunately, that effort wasn’t enough for the Motor City squad to pull off the win and the title. To tie the series, LA would win Game 6, 103-102.

In a highly physical encounter, the Lakers would win Game 7, 108-105. Despite having a bad ankle, Thomas willed himself to play, but that courageous effort proved futile.