Schedule and 2002 Results
Regular Season Records: Sacramento 61-21, Dallas 57-25
Game 1 on Saturday, 4 May: Dal. loses at Sac., 108-pts-91
Game 2 on Monday, 6 May: Dal. wins at Sac., 110-pts-102
Game 3 on Thursday, 9 May: Sac. wins at Dal., 125-pts-119
Game 4 on Saturday, 11 May: Sac. wins at Dal., 115-pts-113 (OT)
Game 5 on Monday, 13 May: Dal. loses at Sac., 114-pts-101

SERIES NOTES: Post Game 5 assessment: Sacramento hosts and defeats Dallas 114-pts-101 to win their series 4-games-1. Sacramento's best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 5 record improves to 1-0 (1-0 at home), while Dallas' best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 5 record falls to 1-4 (1-4 on the road). With the series victory, Sacramento now has a 1-1 series record (in both the NBA best-of-7 Quarterfinals and overall), while the best-of-7 series record of Dallas falls to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the NHL Quarterfinals (i.e., Conference Semifinals). Sacramento wins the series through win order WLWWW. They become the 13th in NBA Quarterfinals, the 19th in the NBA overall, and the 57th in the NBA, NHL, and MLB overall to win a series WLWWW. The first MLB, NBA, or NHL WLWWW series was the first best-of-7 series in these leagues: The New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Athletics WLWWW in the 1905 World Series. Post Game 4 assessment: Sacramento defeats Dallas in overtime 115-pts-113 to take a 3-games-1 series lead. The Kings trailed the home Mavericks by seven points after three quarters: In best-of-7 format NBA playoff games from 1947 through 2001, when the road team trailed by 7 points after three quarters, its game record was 7-50 (.123). Sacramento's best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 4 record is now 1-1 (1-0 on the road), while that for Dallas is now 3-2 (all five games in Dallas). Sacramento leads a best-of-7 series 3-games-1 for the first time; when trailing a best-of-7 series 3-games-1, Dallas has an 0-2 series record. Precedents for a Dallas comeback were set in best-of-7 series 691 (the Houston Rockets went 1-3 @ VVHH vs. Phoenix but won their 1995 Qtrs-round series in seven games) and in series 739 (the Miami Heat went LWLL vs. the New York Knickerbockers but won their 1997 Qtrs-round series in seven games as well). Post Game 3 assessment: Sacramento wins Game 3 125-pts-119 to take a 2-games-1 series lead. The win improves Sacramento's best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 3 record to 1-1 (1-0 on the road), while that of Dallas falls to 2-3 (2-3 at home). Sacramento is leading a best-of-7 series 2-games-1 for the first time. When trailing a best-of-7 series 2-games-1, Dallas has a 1-3 series record. This game was the highest-scoring (244pts) non-OT best-of-7 NBA playoff game since Game 2 of series 618, a 1992 Qtrs-round 245pt game in which Portland hosted and defeated Phoenix 126-pts-119. Post Game 2 assessment: With the 110-pts-102 win in Sacramento, Dallas improves its best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 2 record to 2-3 (all on the road), while Sacramento falls to 0-2 (0-1 at home). When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 series, Dallas has a 1-0 series record (the win was in series 519, a 1988 Qtrs-round series vs. Denver), while Sacramento has an 0-0 series record. Post Game 1 assessment: The Kings win their first best-of-7 playoff game since relocating to Sacramento, with their 108-pts-91 victory over Dallas. Sacramento thus improves its best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 1 record to 1-1 (1-0 at home), while that for Dallas falls to 0-5 (0-5 on the road; the overall 0-5 record is an NBA/NHL worst in this category of best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 1 performance). NBA teams winning Game 1 of a best-of-7 series by 17 points have posted a 6-0 series record and a 5-1 Game 2 record. Sacramento is leading a best-of-7 series 1-game-nil for the first time. When Dallas trails a best-of-7 series 1-game-nil, its season record is 1-4. Pre-series assessment: In the 2001-02 regular season, Sacramento finished 4 regular-season games ahead of Dallas. From 1947 through 2001, when NBA best-of-7 opponents were separated by 4 regular-season games, the team with the better regular-season record has gone on to post a 14-5 (.737) best-of-7 series record in that series against that opponent.