Chapter 1 1988-1989_6

The Heat, led by Riley and Drexler, secured a 37-45 record, which, for a brand-new team, is quite a respectable outcome.

To some extent, Drexler proved himself, believing his choice was not wrong.

The biggest winner of the regular season was the Detroit Pistons, who, after the season started, traded from the Mavericks for Mark Aguirre and acquired Rick Mahorn from the Bullets using James Donaldson, completing the full body of the "Bad Boys."

The well-equipped Pistons clinched their best team record in history with a 65-17 in the regular season, proving invincible as they swept through their competition.

In the playoffs, the Pistons swept their old rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the first round, and swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they defeated Jordan's Chicago Bulls 4:2—this was the most fierce resistance they encountered in the East.