Pacific Division (NBA)
| Conference | Western Conference |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Inaugural season | 1970–71 season |
| Teams | |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Championships | |
| Most recent champion(s) | Phoenix Suns (7th title) |
| Most titles | Los Angeles Lakers (24 titles) |
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. All teams, except the Suns, are based in California.
The division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 to 17 teams with the addition of the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. The league realigned itself into two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, with two divisions each in each conference. The Pacific Division began with five inaugural members, the Lakers, the Blazers, the San Diego Rockets, the San Francisco Warriors and the Seattle SuperSonics.[1] The Lakers, the Rockets, the Warriors and the SuperSonics all joined from the Western Division.
The Lakers have won the most Pacific Division titles with 24. The Suns and the Warriors have the second most titles with seven. 18 NBA champions have come from the Pacific Division. The Lakers have won 12 championships, the Warriors won 4, and the Blazers and Sonics won one championship each. All of them, except the 1976–77 Blazers and the 2001–02 Lakers, were division champions. In the 1991–92 season, six teams from the division qualified for the playoffs. In the 1977–78 season, all teams in the division had winning percentages above 0.500 (50%). The most recent divisions champions are the Phoenix Suns.
2020–21 standings[]
| Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Phoenix Suns | 51 | 21 | .708 | 1.0 | 27–9 | 24–12 | 7–5 | 72 |
| x – Los Angeles Clippers | 47 | 25 | .653 | 5.0 | 26–10 | 21–15 | 9–3 | 72 |
| x – Los Angeles Lakers | 42 | 30 | .583 | 10.0 | 21–15 | 21–15 | 4–8 | 72 |
| Golden State Warriors | 39 | 33 | .542 | 13.0 | 25–11 | 14–22 | 5–7 | 72 |
| Sacramento Kings | 31 | 41 | .431 | 21.0 | 16–20 | 15–21 | 5–7 | 72 |
Notes
- y – Clinched division title
- x – Clinched playoff spot
- pb – Clinched play-in spot
- o – Eliminated from playoff contention
Teams[]
| Team | City | Joined | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | From | ||
| Golden State Warriors (1971–present) San Francisco Warriors (1962–1971) |
San Francisco, California Oakland, California |
1970 | Western Division |
| Los Angeles Clippers (1984–present) San Diego Clippers (1978–1984) |
Los Angeles, California San Diego, California |
1978 | Atlantic Division (as Buffalo Braves) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles, California | 1970 | Western Division |
| Phoenix Suns | Phoenix, Arizona | 1972 | Midwest Division |
| Sacramento Kings | Sacramento, California | 1988 | Midwest Division |
Former teams[]
| Team | City | Joined | Left | Current division | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | From | Year | To | |||
| Houston Rockets (1971–present) San Diego Rockets (1967-1971) |
Houston, Texas San Diego, California |
1970 | Western Division | 1972 | Central Division | Southwest Division |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Portland, Oregon | 1970 | —
|
2004 | Northwest Division | Northwest Division |
| Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008, now Oklahoma City Thunder) | Seattle, Washington | 1970 | Western Division | 2004 | Northwest Division | Northwest Division |
- Notes
denotes an expansion team.
Team timeline[]
| Denotes team currently in the division | |
| Denotes team that has left the division |
Division champions[]
| ^ | Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season |
| Season | Team | Record | Playoffs result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | Los Angeles Lakers | 48–34 (.585) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1971–72 | Los Angeles Lakers^ | 69–13 (.841) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1972–73 | Los Angeles Lakers | 60–22 (.732) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1973–74 | Los Angeles Lakers | 47–35 (.573) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1974–75 | Golden State Warriors | 48–34 (.585) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1975–76 | Golden State Warriors^ | 59–23 (.720) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1976–77 | Los Angeles Lakers^ | 53–29 (.646) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1977–78 | Portland Trail Blazers^ | 58–24 (.707) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1978–79 | Seattle SuperSonics | 52–30 (.634) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1979–80 | Los Angeles Lakers | 60–22 (.732) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1980–81 | Phoenix Suns | 57–25 (.695) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1981–82 | Los Angeles Lakers | 57–25 (.695) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1982–83 | Los Angeles Lakers | 58–24 (.707) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1983–84 | Los Angeles Lakers | 54–28 (.659) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1984–85 | Los Angeles Lakers | 62–20 (.756) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1985–86 | Los Angeles Lakers | 62–20 (.756) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1986–87 | Los Angeles Lakers^ | 65–17 (.793) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1987–88 | Los Angeles Lakers^ | 62–20 (.756) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1988–89 | Los Angeles Lakers | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1989–90 | Los Angeles Lakers^ | 63–19 (.768) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1990–91 | Portland Trail Blazers^ | 63–19 (.768) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1991–92 | Portland Trail Blazers | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1992–93 | Phoenix Suns^ | 62–20 (.756) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1993–94 | Seattle SuperSonics^ | 63–19 (.768) | Lost First Round |
| 1994–95 | Phoenix Suns | 59–23 (.720) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1995–96 | Seattle SuperSonics | 64–18 (.780) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1996–97 | Seattle SuperSonics | 57–25 (.695) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1997–98 | Seattle SuperSonics | 61–21 (.744) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1998–99[a] | Portland Trail Blazers | 35–15 (.700) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1999–00 | Los Angeles Lakers^ | 67–15 (.817) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2000–01 | Los Angeles Lakers | 56–26 (.683) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2001–02 | Sacramento Kings^ | 61–21 (.744) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 2002–03 | Sacramento Kings | 59–23 (.720) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2003–04 | Los Angeles Lakers | 56–26 (.683) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2004–05 | Phoenix Suns^ | 62–20 (.756) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 2005–06 | Phoenix Suns | 54–28 (.659) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 2006–07 | Phoenix Suns | 61–21 (.744) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2007–08 | Los Angeles Lakers | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2008–09 | Los Angeles Lakers | 65–17 (.793) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2009–10 | Los Angeles Lakers | 57–25 (.695) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2010–11 | Los Angeles Lakers | 57–25 (.695) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2011–12[b] | Los Angeles Lakers | 41–25 (.621) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2012–13 | Los Angeles Clippers | 56–26 (.683) | Lost First Round |
| 2013–14 | Los Angeles Clippers | 57–25 (.695) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2014–15 | Golden State Warriors^ | 67–15 (.817) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2015–16 | Golden State Warriors^ | 73–9 (.890) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2016–17 | Golden State Warriors^ | 67–15 (.817) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2017–18 | Golden State Warriors | 58–24 (.707) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2018–19 | Golden State Warriors | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2019–20 | Los Angeles Lakers | 52–19 (.732) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2020–21 | Phoenix Suns | 51–21 (.708) | Lost NBA Finals |
Titles by team[]
| ^ | Denotes team that has left the division |
| Team | Titles | Season(s) won |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 24 | 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2019–20 |
| Golden State Warriors | 7 | 1974–75, 1975–76, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 |
| Phoenix Suns | 7 | 1980–81, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2020–21 |
| Seattle SuperSonics^ (now Oklahoma City Thunder) | 5 | 1978–79, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98 |
| Portland Trail Blazers^ | 4 | 1977–78, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1998–99 |
| Sacramento Kings | 2 | 2001–02, 2002–03 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 2 | 2012–13, 2013–14 |
Season results[]
| ^ | Denotes team that won the NBA championships |
| + | Denotes team that won the Conference Finals, but lost the NBA Finals |
| * | Denotes team that qualified for the NBA Playoffs |
| × | Denotes team that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season restart |
| Season | Team (record) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | |
| |||||||
| 1970–71 | Los Angeles* (48–34) | San Francisco* (41–41) | San Diego (40–42) | Seattle (38–44) | Portland (29–53) | ||
| |||||||
| 1971–72 | Los Angeles^ (69–13) | Golden State* (51–31) | Seattle (47–35) | Houston (34–48) | Portland (18–64) | ||
| |||||||
| 1972–73 | Los Angeles+ (60–22) | Golden State* (47–35) | Phoenix (38–44) | Seattle (26–56) | Portland (21–61) | ||
| 1973–74 | Los Angeles* (47–35) | Golden State (44–38) | Seattle (36–46) | Phoenix (30–52) | Portland (27–55) | ||
| 1974–75 | Golden State^ (48–34) | Seattle* (43–39) | Portland (38–44) | Phoenix (32–50) | Los Angeles (30–52) | ||
| 1975–76 | Golden State* (59–23) | Seattle* (43–39) | Phoenix+ (42–40) | Los Angeles (40–42) | Portland (37–45) | ||
| 1976–77 | Los Angeles* (53–29) | Portland^ (49–33) | Golden State* (46–36) | Seattle (40–42) | Phoenix (34–48) | ||
| 1977–78 | Portland* (58–24) | Phoenix* (49–33) | Seattle+ (47–35) | Los Angeles* (45–37) | Golden State (43–39) | ||
| |||||||
| 1978–79 | Seattle^ (52–30) | Phoenix* (50–32) | Los Angeles* (47–35) | Portland* (45–37) | San Diego (43–39) | Golden State (38–44) | |
| 1979–80 | Los Angeles^ (60–22) | Seattle* (56–26) | Phoenix* (55–27) | Portland* (38–44) | San Diego (35–47) | Golden State (24–58) | |
| 1980–81 | Phoenix* (57–25) | Los Angeles* (54–28) | Portland* (45–37) | Golden State (39–43) | San Diego (36–46) | Seattle (34–48) | |
| 1981–82 | Los Angeles^ (57–25) | Seattle* (52–30) | Phoenix* (46–36) | Golden State (45–37) | Portland (42–40) | San Diego (17–65) | |
| 1982–83 | Los Angeles+ (58–24) | Phoenix* (53–29) | Seattle* (48–34) | Portland* (46–36) | Golden State (30–52) | San Diego (25–57) | |
| 1983–84 | Los Angeles+ (54–28) | Portland* (48–34) | Seattle* (42–40) | Phoenix* (41–41) | Golden State (37–45) | San Diego (30–52) | |
| |||||||
| 1984–85 | L.A. Lakers^ (62–20) | Portland* (42–40) | Phoenix* (36–46) | Seattle (31–51) | L.A. Clippers (31–51) | Golden State (22–60) | |
| 1985–86 | L.A. Lakers* (62–20) | Portland* (40–42) | Phoenix (32–50) | L.A. Clippers (32–50) | Seattle (31–51) | Golden State (30–52) | |
| 1986–87 | L.A. Lakers^ (65–17) | Portland* (49–33) | Golden State* (42–40) | Seattle* (39–43) | Phoenix (36–46) | L.A. Clippers (12–70) | |
| 1987–88 | L.A. Lakers^ (62–20) | Portland* (53–29) | Seattle* (44–38) | Phoenix (28–54) | Golden State (20–62) | L.A. Clippers (17–65) | |
| |||||||
| 1988–89 | L.A. Lakers+ (57–25) | Phoenix* (55–27) | Seattle* (47–35) | Golden State* (43–39) | Portland* (39–43) | Sacramento (27–55) | L.A. Clippers (21–61) |
| 1989–90 | L.A. Lakers* (63–19) | Portland+ (59–23) | Phoenix* (54–28) | Seattle (41–41) | Golden State (37–45) | L.A. Clippers (30–52) | Sacramento (23–59) |
| 1990–91 | Portland* (63–19) | L.A. Lakers+ (58–24) | Phoenix* (55–27) | Golden State* (44–38) | Seattle* (41–41) | L.A. Clippers (31–51) | Sacramento (25–57) |
| 1991–92 | Portland+ (57–25) | Golden State* (55–27) | Phoenix* (53–29) | Seattle* (47–35) | L.A. Clippers* (45–37) | L.A. Lakers* (43–39) | Sacramento (29–53) |
| 1992–93 | Phoenix+ (62–20) | Seattle* (55–27) | Portland* (51–31) | L.A. Clippers* (41–41) | L.A. Lakers* (39–43) | Golden State (34–48) | Sacramento (25–57) |
| 1993–94 | Seattle* (63–19) | Phoenix* (56–26) | Golden State* (50–32) | Portland* (47–35) | L.A. Lakers (33–49) | Sacramento (28–54) | L.A. Clippers (27–55) |
| 1994–95 | Phoenix* (59–23) | Seattle* (57–25) | L.A. Lakers* (48–34) | Portland* (44–38) | Sacramento (39–43) | Golden State (26–56) | L.A. Clippers (17–65) |
| 1995–96 | Seattle+ (64–18) | L.A. Lakers* (53–29) | Portland* (44–38) | Phoenix* (41–41) | Sacramento* (39–43) | Golden State (36–46) | L.A. Clippers (29–53) |
| 1996–97 | Seattle* (57–25) | L.A. Lakers* (56–26) | Portland* (49–33) | Phoenix* (40–42) | L.A. Clippers* (36–46) | Sacramento (34–48) | Golden State (30–52) |
| 1997–98 | Seattle* (61–21) | L.A. Lakers* (61–21) | Phoenix* (56–26) | Portland* (46–36) | Sacramento (27–55) | Golden State (19–63) | L.A. Clippers (17–65) |
| 1998–99[a] | Portland* (35–15) | L.A. Lakers* (31–19) | Phoenix* (27–23) | Sacramento* (37–13) | Seattle (25–25) | Golden State (21–29) | L.A. Clippers (9–41) |
| 1999–00 | L.A. Lakers^ (67–15) | Portland* (59–23) | Phoenix* (53–29) | Seattle* (45–37) | Sacramento* (44–38) | Golden State (19–63) | L.A. Clippers (15–67) |
| 2000–01 | L.A. Lakers^ (56–26) | Sacramento* (55–27) | Phoenix* (51–31) | Portland* (50–32) | Seattle (44–38) | L.A. Clippers (31–51) | Golden State (17–65) |
| 2001–02 | Sacramento* (61–21) | L.A. Lakers^ (58–24) | Portland* (49–33) | Seattle* (45–37) | L.A. Clippers (39–43) | Phoenix (36–46) | Golden State (21–61) |
| 2002–03 | Sacramento* (59–23) | L.A. Lakers* (50–32) | Portland* (50–32) | Phoenix* (44–38) | Seattle (40–42) | Golden State (38–44) | L.A. Clippers (27–55) |
| 2003–04 | L.A. Lakers+ (56–26) | Sacramento* (55–27) | Portland (41–41) | Golden State (37–45) | Seattle (37–45) | Phoenix (29–53) | L.A. Clippers (28–54) |
| |||||||
| 2004–05 | Phoenix* (62–20) | Sacramento* (50–32) | L.A. Clippers (37–45) | L.A. Lakers (34–48) | Golden State (34–48) | ||
| 2005–06 | Phoenix* (54–28) | L.A. Clippers* (47–35) | L.A. Lakers* (45–37) | Sacramento* (44–38) | Golden State (34–48) | ||
| 2006–07 | Phoenix* (61–21) | L.A. Lakers* (42–40) | Golden State* (42–40) | L.A. Clippers (40–42) | Sacramento (33–49) | ||
| 2007–08 | L.A. Lakers+ (57–25) | Phoenix* (55–27) | Golden State (48–34) | Sacramento (38–44) | L.A. Clippers (23–59) | ||
| 2008–09 | L.A. Lakers^ (65–17) | Phoenix (46–36) | Golden State (29–53) | L.A. Clippers (19–63) | Sacramento (17–65) | ||
| 2009–10 | L.A. Lakers^ (57–25) | Phoenix* (54–28) | L.A. Clippers (29–53) | Golden State (26–56) | Sacramento (25–57) | ||
| 2010–11 | L.A. Lakers* (57–25) | Phoenix (40–42) | Golden State (36–46) | L.A. Clippers (32–50) | Sacramento (24–58) | ||
| 2011–12[b] | L.A. Lakers* (41–25) | L.A. Clippers* (40–26) | Phoenix (33–33) | Golden State (23–43) | Sacramento (22–44) | ||
| 2012–13 | L.A. Clippers* (56–26) | Golden State* (47–35) | L.A. Lakers* (45–37) | Sacramento (28–54) | Phoenix (25–57) | ||
| 2013–14 | L.A. Clippers* (57–25) | Golden State* (51–31) | Phoenix (48–34) | Sacramento (28–54) | L.A. Lakers (27–57) | ||
| 2014–15 | Golden State^ (67–15) | L.A. Clippers* (56–26) | Phoenix (39–43) | Sacramento (29–53) | L.A. Lakers (21–61) | ||
| 2015–16 | Golden State+ (73–9) | L.A. Clippers* (53–29) | Sacramento (33–49) | Phoenix (23–59) | L.A. Lakers (17–65) | ||
| 2016–17 | Golden State^ (67–15) | L.A. Clippers* (51–31) | Sacramento (32–50) | L.A. Lakers (26–56) | Phoenix (24–58) | ||
| 2017–18 | Golden State^ (58–24) | L.A. Clippers (42–40) | L.A. Lakers (35–47) | Sacramento (27–55) | Phoenix (21–61) | ||
| 2018–19 | Golden State+ (57–25) | L.A. Clippers* (48–34) | Sacramento (39–43) | L.A. Lakers (37–45) | Phoenix (19–63) | ||
| 2019–20 | L.A. Lakers^ (52–19) | L.A. Clippers* (49–23) | Phoenix (34–39) | Sacramento (31–41) | Golden State× (15–50) | ||
| 2020–21 | Phoenix+ (51–21) | L.A. Clippers* (47–25) | L.A. Lakers* (42–30) | Golden State (39–33) | Sacramento (31–41) | ||
Rivalries[]
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers[]
Notes[]
- a 1 2 Because of a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, and all 29 teams played a shortened 50-game regular season schedule.[2]
- b 1 2 Because of a lockout, the season did not start until December 25, 2011, and all 30 teams played a shortened 66-game regular season schedule.[3]
References[]
- General
- "NBA & ABA League Index". Basketball-Reference.com.
- Specific
- ^ "1970–71 Season Overview: Kareem Rules the League". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Donovan, John (February 4, 1999). "Let the semi-season begin: Expect injuries, intensity and a new champion in '99". CNN Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ Jenkins, Lee (December 5, 2011). "'tis The Season". CNN Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
External links[]
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Categories:
- Western Conference (NBA)
- National Basketball Association divisions
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Diego Clippers
- San Diego Rockets
- San Francisco Warriors
- Seattle SuperSonics
- Sports in the Western United States
- 1970 establishments in the United States