The 1987-88 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 40th season in the NBA and 31st season in the city of Detroit. The team played at the Pontiac Silverdome in surburban Pontiac, Michigan. The Pistons finishing with a then franchise-best record of 54–28 (.659), 1st place in the NBA Central Division. the first division championship for the franchise since moving to Detroit in 1957. In the 1988 NBA Playoffs, they defeated the Washington Bullets 3–2 in the first round, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 4–1 in the semifinals, and then Larry Bird and the top-seeded Boston Celtics 4–2 in the Conference Finals. They would advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1956 when the team was based in Fort Wayne, only to lose to the defending and eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in a har