2014 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 vs Indiana Pacers

Overview

The 2014 NBA Playoffs were the final postseason in which the NBA Playoffs and Finals logos were applied as decals on the courts of qualifying teams; starting in 2020, digital logos replaced them. These playoffs were also the first overseen by Commissioner Adam Silver. In the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs extended the longest active playoff streak in the league to 17 consecutive appearances. For the first time since 2009, all three Texas teams qualified. The Dallas Mavericks returned after a one-season absence, and the Portland Trail Blazers made their first playoff appearance since 2011. The Denver Nuggets missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003, and the Los Angeles Lakers missed for the first time since 2005.

First Round

The first round of the 2014 playoffs is widely regarded as one of the greatest in NBA history. Road teams won at least one game on each of the first 11 days, a streak that ended on April 30 when the Raptors, Spurs, and Rockets all won at home. The 24 road wins set a first-round record. Eight first-round games went into overtime, including four straight between the Grizzlies and Thunder (Games 2–5), another NBA record.

For the second consecutive year, both number 5 seeds eliminated number 4 seeds: the Wizards beat the Bulls 4–1, and the Trail Blazers beat the Rockets 4–2. Game 6 of the Rockets–Trail Blazers series ended on Damian Lillard's series-winning three-pointer over Chandler Parsons. The Hawks–Pacers series forced a Game 7, extending the streak of postseasons with at least one Game 7 to 15. Five first-round series went to Game 7, tying the record set in 1994.

On May 3, three Game 7s were played on the same day for the first and only time in NBA history. Game 7 of the Raptors–Nets series was the first Game 7 played outside the United States; the Nets won on Paul Pierce's block of Kyle Lowry.