May 28, 1989: Lakers Complete Sweep of Suns, Reach Third Straight NBA Finals
SLUG: lakers-sweep-suns-may-28-1989-western-finals
On May 28, 1989, the Los Angeles Lakers pushed their playoff winning streak to 11 games by edging the Phoenix Suns 122-117 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The victory wrapped up the Lakers’ third consecutive series sweep and secured their third straight trip to the NBA Finals.
Early Control, Late Challenge
Los Angeles built a five-point lead after one quarter and outscored Phoenix by six in the second to carry an 11-point cushion into halftime. The margin grew to 13 entering the fourth, but the Suns exploded for 43 points in the final period before falling just short.
Key Performances
Byron Scott paced the Lakers with 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting, knocking down all three of his three-point attempts and converting 6-of-7 from the line. Magic Johnson delivered 21 points and 20 assists, adding three steals and a block in 41 minutes. James Worthy chipped in 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists while hitting more than 52 percent of his shots.
Phoenix countered with a 41-point, 13-rebound effort from Tom Chambers. Kevin Johnson produced 22 points and 10 assists, and reserves Eddie Johnson (15), Dan Majerle (12) and Armen Gilliam (12) also reached double figures.
Looking Ahead
The win set up a rematch of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons. One year after defeating Detroit, an injury-depleted Lakers squad fell in four games.
Source: Lakers Nation
