2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Daytona 500, Gatorade Duels
The Gatorade Duels were held on February 14, 2008, which established the starting order for the 2008 Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the first race, with Darrell Waltrip waving the green flag, and the race was wreck free, while the second race was won by Denny Hamlin driving a Toyota, giving the Japanese manufacturer its first Sprint Cup Series victory. The win also marked the first win by a foreign make since 1954, when Al Keller won at Linden Airport, driving a Jaguar.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Daytona 500, Gatorade Duels
Bill Elliott driving the #21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing failed to race his way in during the first duel, this will be the first time the Wood Brothers team has not competed in NASCAR's signature event in 46 years. A wreck in the second race on lap 17 took out Jacques Villeneuve, Stanton Barrett, Dario Franchitti, and Jamie McMurray after Villeneuve got loose in turn 3.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Daytona 500, Daytona 500
The 50th annual running of the Daytona 500 was held on February 17, 2008, marking the 50th anniversary since the inaugural running in 1959. Ryan Newman won the race with teammate Kurt Busch finishing second, it marked team owner Roger Penske's first win on a restrictor-plate track. The win also ended Ryan Newman's 81 race winless drought in Sprint Cup Series racing. Jeff Burton led during the last restart with 3 laps left and immediately lost the lead. Tony Stewart led during the last lap but it was the Penske Racing teammates of Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch who denied Stewart the win as he tried for the 10th time to win the race.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Auto Club 500
The 2008 Auto Club 500 was run on February 24 and February 25 due to rain at the newly renamed Auto Club Speedway of Southern California (previously California Speedway) in Fontana, California. Qualifying was canceled for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series after periods of rain showers fell for most of the day on Friday. As a result, the race lineup was determined by the NASCAR rule book. The race began on late Sunday afternoon but was red flagged and eventually postponed until Monday morning. Veteran NASCAR driver Mark Martin made his 700th Sprint Cup Series start.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Auto Club 500
The first caution of the race was brought out when Denny Hamlin lost control in turn 3 after running over some water that had seeps up through cracks in the track surface. The next caution involved a large wreck when Casey Mears spun out in turn 2 after also running over water. The wreck collected Casey's teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr..


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Auto Club 500
Reed Sorenson and Sam Hornish Jr. were also involved. Hornish hit Sorenson's car causing his car's hood to come up and hit his windshield obscuring his vision leading him to rear end the back of Casey Mears' car causing Mears' car to tumble onto its side. The race was red flagged as track workers cleaned up and tried to repair the water problem by cutting into the track. Drivers who were involved in early wrecks notably Earnhardt Jr. and Mears complained that NASCAR should not have started the race with water still seeping onto the track.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Auto Club 500
Eventually a seventh caution for rain put the race on hold, at 11:00 PM PT (2:00 AM ET), NASCAR decided to postpone the remaining race laps until Monday morning at 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET) due to seeping water on the track. When the race resumed, it was Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson leading the race until Carl Edwards took the lead from Johnson to win his first race at Auto Club Speedway. The Nationwide Series race was run one hour after the conclusion of the Sprint Cup race.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Auto Club 500
Failed to make race as qualifying was canceled due to rain: Patrick Carpentier (#10), Mike Skinner (#27), Ken Schrader (#49), A. J. Allmendinger (#84), Burney Lamar (#08)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, UAW-Dodge 400
The UAW-Dodge 400 was run on March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch, a Las Vegas native, won the pole and led 56 laps in the race before slipping to 11th. Matt Kenseth also ran strong during the race leading 70 laps and was running third with five laps to go when he was spun by Jeff Gordon.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, UAW-Dodge 400
Gordon's car hit hard against the inside retaining wall head on at 180 miles per hour, and the wall did not have a SAFER barrier, this caused his car's radiator to fly out from the chassis into the path of oncoming traffic. Kenseth was able to recover from the spin without hitting anything. The wreck brought a red flag on lap 264 as track workers cleaned up, Jeff Gordon walked away sore from the wreck and made the point that SAFER barriers should be installed to the inside walls. Carl Edwards went on to win his second race in a row and the ninth of his career.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, UAW-Dodge 400
Following the race it was announced that the #99 car driven by Edwards had failed post-race inspection. On March 5, Edwards was docked 100 championship points with team owner Jack Roush also docked 100 owner points. Carl Edwards' crew chief Bob Osbourne was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races until April 30. As the 99 team qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the team did not receive 10 bonus points for the UAW-Dodge 400 victory used for determining the Chase seeding order.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, UAW-Dodge 400
Failed to qualify: A. J. Allmendinger (#84), Joe Nemechek (#78), John Andretti (#34), Johnny Sauter (#21; crashed on first lap)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Kobalt Tools 500
The Kobalt Tools 500 was held on March 9 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won the pole. Carl Edwards had the car to beat along with Kyle Busch, although Edwards' engine expired late in the race. Busch would go on to lead 173 laps and win the race.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Kobalt Tools 500
Failed to qualify: Ken Schrader (#49), Bill Elliott (#21), Johnny Benson (#27), John Andretti (#34), Burney Lamar (#08)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Food City 500
The Food City 500 was held on March 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Qualifying was canceled due to a day-long rain on March 14, and as a result, the field was set by NASCAR's rulebook, giving Jimmie Johnson the 2007 series champion, the pole position. Jeff Burton won the race after it was extended six laps due to the green-white-checkered finish rule when Denny Hamlin had fuel pump problems on the final restart.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Food City 500
Failed to make race as qualifying was canceled due to rain: Patrick Carpentier (#10), Jeff Green (#21), John Andretti (#34).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Food City 500
As a result of the standings after this race, two teams that were not in the Top-35 in owners points, the #83 Red Bull Toyota Camry of Brian Vickers and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger of Kurt Busch (owners points were given to the #77) will be locked into the Top 35 after the first five races.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Goody's Cool Orange 500
The Goody's Cool Orange 500 was held on March 30 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Jeff Gordon won the pole. Kyle Petty failed to make the race after Dario Franchitti tied with his qualifying time, due to the fact that Franchitti was 38th in owners points and Petty was 40th, marking the first time since 2004 that he failed to make a race. Denny Hamlin won this race, the third for Toyota in Sprint Cup history. The race was notable for having 20 caution periods, the second most ever during a NASCAR Sprint Cup race; only the 22 cautions imposed at the 2005 Coca-Cola 600 has more.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Goody's Cool Orange 500
Failed to qualify: Kyle Petty (#45), Tony Raines (#08), John Andretti (#34), Joe Nemechek (#78)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Samsung 500
The Samsung 500 was held on April 6 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole. The race was won by Carl Edwards who started 2nd and led 123 laps. The major story of the race weekend was Michael McDowell's near head-on crash during qualifying after he lost control heading into turn 1 on his second lap.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Samsung 500
McDowell's car slammed into the turn 1 SAFER barrier and spun upside down for several hundred yards before the car began a series of at least eight barrel rolls, coming to rest at the bottom of the race track near the infield. McDowell exited the car and was ok. Qualifying was delayed 1 hour and 12 minutes as NASCAR officials assessed and repaired damage to the SAFER barrier.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Samsung 500
NOTES: 1. Race extended five laps due to a green-white-checkered finish. 2 . During post race inspection Ryan Newman's #12 car was found to be one-eighth of an inch higher beyond the allotted half-inch tolerance. As a result, Newman and car owner Roger Penske were penalized 25 championship driver and 25 championship owner points, respectively. Crew chief Roy McCauley was fined $25,000 and placed on probation until December 31.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Samsung 500
Failed to qualify: Dario Franchitti (#40), Chad McCumbee (#45), Burney Lamar (#08)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Subway Fresh Fit 500
The Subway Fresh Fit 500 was held on April 12 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Ryan Newman won the pole. Coverage of the pre-race was interrupted when Fox switched over to cover the remaining Yankees-Red Sox baseball game. Jimmie Johnson won the race by not pitting for fuel during the last laps. The win marked Hendrick Motorsports' first win of the 2008 season.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499 was held April 27 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The race marked the one-quarter mark of the season. Joe Nemechek won the pole. David Stremme substituted for Dario Franchitti, who fractured his left ankle in a hard crash during the Nationwide Series Aaron's 312 race. Kyle Busch won the race after leading only 12 laps. The race featured only eight cautions. Most of those cautions were results of one or two car incidents. However, the last caution was a result of the "Big One" that occurred in the final moments of the race. Because the crash occurred after the white flag had been waved, the race was allowed to finish under caution.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Aaron's 499
Failed to qualify: Dave Blaney (#22), J. J. Yeley (#96), John Andretti (#34)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400
The Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400 was held on May 3 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Denny Hamlin won the pole and went on to lead 381 of the 400 laps. However, a leaking right-front tire caused him to fall back with 18 laps left. It then appeared that Dale Earnhardt Jr. whose last Sprint Cup win came at this race two years ago, would be able to win the race and end his winless streak. However Kyle Busch recovered from a restart failure and drove after Earnhardt Jr.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400
With 5 laps left, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. got side-by-side and Earnhardt Jr. crashed with 3 laps left. The caution flew and the fans were angry with Kyle Busch even though it was clear and obvious that Busch was not at fault; and that he and Earnhardt Jr. were just plain, cleanly racing and refusing to lose. Earnhardt Jr. himself said on the radio and in the post-race ceremonies that Busch was not at fault but nonetheless the fans jeered Busch for the rest of the race and in the days that followed.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400
Meanwhile, at the time of the contact RCR driver Clint Bowyer caught up with the two leaders and stole the lead from Kyle Busch. On the final restart Clint Bowyer drove off for his second NSCS victory while Kyle Busch fought Mark Martin for second place. It was Bowyer's last win in NASCAR while numbered as 07, and this win brought Chevrolet to winning the most NASCAR wins in history.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400
The other big story of the race was that Michael Waltrip was parked by NASCAR. With 46 laps left a caution flew when Casey Mears crashed. It was seen that Waltrip's hood was locked on Mears' rear and Waltrip was trying frantically to crash Mears. The hits caused Casey Mears to crash and bring out the yellow. Prior to the hits with Casey, Waltrip had hit the wall because of Casey's racing moves. NASCAR instantly parked Michael Waltrip causing Waltrip to face his first disqualification of his career.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400
NOTE: Race was extended by eight laps due to green-white-checker finish.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400
Failed to qualify: Ken Schrader (#40), Scott Wimmer (#33), Jon Wood (#21), John Andretti (#34)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Dodge Challenger 500
The Dodge Challenger 500 was run May 10 at the newly repaved Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Greg Biffle won the pole, breaking Ward Burton's long standing pole speed by 5.6 mph (9.0 km/h), mostly due to the repaved surface on the track. Kyle Busch was the winner of the race. this would be the last race under the "Dodge Challenger 500" name; next year the race will return to the original name of the Southern 500.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Sprint All-Star Race XXIV
Sprint All-Star Race XXIV and the Sprint Showdown were both held on May 17 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Charlotte, North Carolina suburb of Concord. This non-points race involved winners of the 2007 and 2008 season, along with past Sprint Cup champions and All-Star Race winners from the past decade (1998 through 2007) plus the top two finishing drivers of the Sprint Showdown and a driver voted in by fans from the Showdown whose car had to be raceable. On the line was $1,000,000 in prize money for the winner.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Sprint All-Star Race XXIV
Kasey Kahne finished fifth in the Showdown and was voted into the All-Star event and went onto capture the victory, becoming the third driver to qualify from the preliminary race and win the main event and the first chosen by the fan vote to do the same. The only cautions the race had was after all 4 segments ended which was 4 cautions.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Coca-Cola 600
NASCAR's longest race in terms of distance, the Coca-Cola 600 was run on May 25 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte. Kyle Busch won the pole. Tony Stewart led the race in the final laps after making a pit stop for fuel only, but with three laps remaining Stewart blew a tire giving the lead to Kasey Kahne who was running five seconds behind. Kahne and Greg Biffle finished first and second respectively for the second week in a row. Kahne became the first driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star Race in the same year since Jimmie Johnson in 2003, and the sixth overall.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Coca-Cola 600
Failed to qualify: Jeff Green (#34), Stanton Barrett (#50), Jon Wood (#21), Joe Nemechek (#78), Tony Raines (#08)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Best Buy 400
The Best Buy 400 was held on June 1 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. Greg Biffle won the pole. A wreck on lap 17 ruined the day for championship contenders Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, and Kasey Kahne. The wreck occurred when Elliott Sadler made slight contact with David Gilliland, Sadler's car spun out and blocked traffic down the narrow backstretch. Polesitter Greg Biffle dominated the early laps leading 164 of them. Although an alternator problem on lap 170 forced Biffle to relinquish his lead to teammate Carl Edwards.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Best Buy 400
Biffle switched batteries and kept going, although he was forced to leave the cooling fans off inside his car. In the final 153 laps there were no cautions allowing Kyle Busch to build a lead over 8 seconds to second place runner Carl Edwards. Busch took the lead from Edwards during green-flag pit stops that ended on lap 237. Only the top six cars managed to stay on the lead lap.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Pocono 500
The Pocono 500 was held on June 8 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Kasey Kahne won the pole, he went on to win the race. Starting with Pocono TNT started its six race broadcast schedule. Kyle Busch qualified tenth but in the second practice hit the wall and started from the back. He finished dead last after a crash with Jamie McMurray, but had a big enough cushion in the standings to remain in first place over Jeff Burton by 21 points.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, LifeLock 400
The LifeLock 400 was held on June 15 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Qualifying was cancelled because of rain after twelve drivers took times, and the field was set by the NASCAR rulebook. With a green-white-checkered finish extending the race, and fuel economy usage, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first points paying race in 76 attempts in the first win by a driver from North Carolina in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race since October 2006 at Talladega when Brian Vickers won; ironically, Vickers won for Earnhardt's new team, Hendrick Motorsports. It also marked the first time a Chevrolet has gone to victory lane in the last 14 Sprint Cup races there.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, LifeLock 400
Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: Jason Leffler (#70), Tony Raines (#34).NOTES: 1. Race extended three laps due to green-white-checkered finish.2. The #87 Denver Mattress car driven by Kenny Wallace as well as the #08 car without a driver were withdrawn earlier in the week.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Toyota/Save Mart 350
The first of two road course races on the schedule, the Toyota/Save Mart 350, was raced at Infineon Raceway at Sears Point in Sonoma, California on Sunday, June 22. Kasey Kahne won the pole, but Kyle Busch dominated the field again starting from the 30th position and winning. Marcos Ambrose made his NASCAR debut. He started in 7th but finished in 42nd


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Toyota/Save Mart 350
Failed to qualify: J. J. Yeley (#96), Scott Riggs (#70), Dario Franchitti (#40), Brandon Ash (#02)NOTE: Race was extended by two laps due to green-white-checkered finish.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Lenox Industrial Tools 301
The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 was raced on Sunday, June 29 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. The big surprise was sprung in qualifying when following a rain delay of nearly two hours, Québécois Patrick Carpentier won the pole position over Bobby Labonte. Another big surprise was when Kurt Busch won the race, curtailed 17 laps shy of the scheduled distance as severe thunderstorms hit the area under the seventh and final caution.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Lenox Industrial Tools 301
NOTE: Race was cut short to 283 laps due to rain.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Coke Zero 400
The Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola was held on July 5 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Martin Truex Jr.'s car was seized by NASCAR, after the roof template would not fit during opening day technical inspection. Penalties of 150 owner and driver points penalties and a $100,000 fine along with his crew chief and his assistant (car chief) were both suspended for six races being announced on July 8. Paul Menard won the pole, the first of his Sprint Cup career. Tony Stewart became extremely ill on lap 73 and was replaced by former teammate J. J. Yeley. Kyle Busch won his sixth race of the season and the tenth of his career.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Coke Zero 400
NOTE: Race was extended two laps under a green-white-checkered finish.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Coke Zero 400
Failed to qualify: Scott Riggs (#66), J. J. Yeley (#96)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, LifeLock.com 400
The second half of the season began with the LifeLock.com 400, held under the lights for the first time on July 12 at Chicagoland Speedway in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Joilet. It also served as the conclusion of TNT's Summer Series schedule. Qualifying was cancelled due to rain, so the field was set by NASCAR's rulebook. Points leader Kyle Busch won his seventh race of the season.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, LifeLock.com 400
Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: Johnny Sauter (#08) and Tony Raines (#34).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Allstate 400 at The Brickyard
The Allstate 400 at The Brickyard, kicking off ESPN and ABC's portion of the schedule, was run on July 27 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Indianapolis suburb of Speedway, Indiana. Jimmie Johnson won the pole and then the race, which was slowed by nine out of eleven competition cautions because of extreme tire wear.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Allstate 400 at The Brickyard
Failed to qualify: Bill Elliott (#21), Johnny Sauter (#08), Tony Raines (#34), Stanton Barrett (#50)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500
The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 was held on August 3 of this year at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. For the second straight week, Jimmie Johnson won the pole, but this time, it was Carl Edwards getting the win.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Centurion Boats at The Glen
The Centurion Boats at The Glen, the second and final road course race of the season, was held on August 10 at Watkins Glen International in the New York village of said racetrack. Qualifying was canceled due to rain, and the field was set by the rulebook. Kyle Busch swept both road races with his eighth Cup win and sixteenth overall in all three major series, and clinched the top position in the Chase for the Cup.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Centurion Boats at The Glen
Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: Boris Said (#60) and Brian Simo (#34).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, 3M Performance 400
The 3M Performance 400 was held August 19 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Team Red Bull's first pole position was earned by Brian Vickers in qualifying. A veritable parade of Roush Fenway Racing was led by race winner Carl Edwards, as four of the top five were all from the RFR stable and all five made the top ten.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Sharpie 500
The Sharpie 500 was held August 23 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Carl Edwards, the defending race champion, would start on the pole and in the process, wrapped up a position in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He then would go on to win the race, but on-track fireworks ensued afterwards when runner up Kyle Busch, whom Edwards would pass with 30 laps to go on a bump and run, bumped Edwards on the cooldown lap. Edwards then turned Busch.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Sharpie 500
Failed to qualify: Jeff Green (#34), Johnny Sauter (#08), Patrick Carpentier (#10), Stanton Barrett (#50).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Pepsi 500
The Pepsi 500 was held on August 31 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. As part of the 2009 NASCAR realignment, this became the final race to be held here on Labor Day weekend. In 2009, this race becomes part of the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, taking over the spot occupied for the fall race at Talladega Superspeedway, and was to have concluded ESPN's portion of the television schedule. Jimmie Johnson took the pole position, and dominated the race to win.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Chevy Rock & Roll 400
The final "regular season" race, the Chevy Rock and Roll 400, was scheduled to have been held on Saturday, September 6 at Richmond International Raceway in Henrico County, Virginia. However, Tropical Storm Hanna forced a postponement to Sunday, September 7 in the afternoon and television was moved from ABC to ESPN due to prior commitments to carry an WNBA game and an IndyCar Series race from Chicago, Illinois.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Chevy Rock & Roll 400
This race set the field for the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup with the top 12 drivers becoming eligible, and having their points reset to 5,000 with a ten-point bonus for each win they earned in the first 26 races of the season. As Hanna canceled qualifying for the race, the field was set by rulebook.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2008 season races, Chevy Rock & Roll 400
Failed to make race as qualifying was canceled due to rain: Joey Logano (#02), Sterling Marlin (#09), Tony Raines (#34).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sylvania 300
The first race of the 2008 Chase, and the 27th race of the season, the Sylvania 300, was run September 14 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Qualifying was canceled due to rain, so for the second week in a row, NASCAR's rulebook set the field. While Kyle Busch suffered mechanical problems with a bad sway bar, Greg Biffle won his first race since last October. Joey Logano made his NASCAR debut, finishing 32nd


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sylvania 300
Failed to make race as qualifying was canceled due to rain: Tony Raines (#34) and Carl Long (#46). NOTE: The #02 car, which was to have been driven by Joey Logano was withdrawn as he was entered in the #96 ride.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Camping World RV 400
The Camping World RV 400, the second race in the 2008 Chase and the 28th race overall, was run September 21 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. Jeff Gordon won his third pole of the season, but it was Greg Biffle winning his second straight race.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Camping World RV 400
Failed to qualify: Chad Chaffin (#34), Johnny Sauter (#08), Stanton Barrett (#50).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman
The Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman, the third race in the Chase and the 29th overall this season, is scheduled for September 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Juan Pablo Montoya won his first NSCS pole for this race, however, he was disqualified and placed in the back of the field because of illegal shock absorbers that exceeded the maximum allowed by NASCAR, and Jimmie Johnson, who was second, was awarded the pole and went on to win the race.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, AMP Energy 500
The AMP Energy 500, the fourth race in the 2008 Chase and the 30th overall in the season, was held on October 5 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. Tony Stewart won the race, his first victory of the 2008 season, ending a winless streak of 43 races. Travis Kvapil pulled off a "Talladega Surprise" and won the pole position. In a race that saw a record 64 lead changes among 28 drivers, Regan Smith crossed the finish line in first place.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, AMP Energy 500
However, he was dropped to 18th place (the last position on the lead lap) for illegally passing eventual winner Stewart in the tri-oval by driving below the yellow line on the inside of the track, which is prohibited at restrictor plate tracks. This race will be moved to November 1, 2009 as part of the 2009 NASCAR Schedule Realignment and the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway will be run in this spot next season.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, AMP Energy 500
Failed to qualify: Patrick Carpentier (#10) Sam Hornish Jr. (#77). NOTES: 1. The #08 car, which was to have been driven by Boris Said, was withdrawn earlier in the week.2. Race extended two laps due to green-white-checker finish rule.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Bank of America 500
The Bank of America 500, the sole night race on the Chase schedule which marks its halfway point and the 31st overall race of the season, was held Saturday night, October 11 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Charlotte, North Carolina suburb of Concord. Qualifying was cancelled due to rain and the field was set by the rulebook for the eighth time this season. Jimmie Johnson was the polesitter, while Jeff Burton won the race and became a contender in the 2008 Chase once again.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Bank of America 500
Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: Brad Keselowski (#25), Bryan Clauson (#40), Derrike Cope (#75), Scott Speed (#82).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Tums QuikPak 500
The Tums QuikPak 500, race number six in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and the 32nd overall race of the season, was held on October 19 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Qualifying was cancelled due to rain, and the field was set by the rulebook for a record ninth time this season. Jimmie Johnson was the winner.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Tums QuikPak 500
NOTE: Race extended four laps due to green-white-checker finish rule.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Tums QuikPak 500
Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: Sterling Marlin (#09), Derrike Cope (#75).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Tums QuikPak 500
Following the race at NASCAR's Research and Development Center, an inspection found that Team Red Bull's #83 Toyota, driven by Brian Vickers, had sheet metal that was thinner than required. As a result, crew chief Kevin Hamlin and car chief Craig Smokstad were suspended indefinitely, Hamlin was fined $100,000 and the team lost 150 owner and driver points.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Pep Boys Auto 500
The Pep Boys Auto 500, the seventh race in the Chase and the 33rd overall event this season, was scheduled to be raced on Sunday, October 26 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. As part of the 2009 schedule realignment, the race will be run in 2009 on Labor Day weekend and be replaced in the Chase schedule by the Pepsi 500 in Fontana, California while the date for this race will be used to run the AMP Energy 500 in Talladega, Alabama. For the third consecutive race and 10th overall this season, qualifying was cancelled because of rain, which meant Jimmie Johnson would be on the pole as NASCAR's rulebook set the field once again. Carl Edwards won his 7th race of the season.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Pep Boys Auto 500
Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: Joey Logano (#02), Bryan Clauson (#40)NOTE: The #08 car, which was to have been driven by Johnny Sauter, was withdrawn earlier in the week.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Dickies 500
The Dickies 500, the third-to-last race in the Chase and the season (race eight in the Chase and race 34 in the overall season) was held on November 2 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Jeff Gordon won his fourth pole of the year and his first at the track. Carl Edwards won his second consecutive race at the track making it his eighth win of the season. Brad Keselowski made his NASCAR debut, finishing 19th


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Dickies 500
Failed to qualify: Johnny Sauter (#08), Max Papis (#13), Bryan Clauson (#40), Chad McCumbee (#45), Tony Raines (#70)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
The Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500, serving as the penultimate Chase (ninth) and season (35th) race, was held on Sunday, November 9, at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Jimmie Johnson increase his Championship lead by winning the race and leading the majority of it. The race was delayed for just over an hour due to a light rain shower at lap 44, and a 9 car pileup on lap 273.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
NOTE: Race extended one lap due to green-white-checker finish rule.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Ford 400
The 2008 season and Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship ended at Homestead, Florida's Homestead-Miami Speedway with the final race of the season, the Ford 400 on November 16, 2008. Carl Edwards won his ninth race of the season. Also, after 14 straight seasons with at least one victory from 1994 to 2007, Jeff Gordon failed to keep his winning streak alive in 2008. It would be first time that he didn't win a race since his rookie year in 1993. His 14-season winning streak of at least one race came to a total of 81 wins. His best finish in the 2008 season was 2nd place twice (Martinsville in March, and Texas in November).


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Ford 400
Failed to qualify: Max Papis (#13) Sam Hornish Jr. (#77), Ken Schrader (#96)


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by owner's points standings. * – Most laps led.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
† – Dario Franchitti had originally qualified for the race, but was replaced by David Stremme due to injuries sustained from a crash during the Nationwide Series race the day before.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Results and standings, Deductions
The following drivers (and teams) were penalized both drivers and owners points for violations:


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Results and standings, Deductions
Robby Gordon was originally docked 100 points following the Daytona 500 for use of an illegal nose on his car; however, on March 5, the points were given back to his drivers and owners points total, but the team was fined $150,000 instead of $100,000 for said infraction.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Manufacturers' Championship
Chevrolet won the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship with 11 wins and 219 points for the season, over second place Ford who also had 11 wins, but only 215 points. Toyota finished third with 207 points, and Dodge fourth with 151 points.


2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Rookie of the Year
The primary contenders for the Rookie title were Regan Smith and former Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. Smith became the first rookie driver to complete all races entered and nearly won the fall race at Talladega. Hornish meanwhile struggled to quickly adapt to stock cars but finished 7 points behind Smith. Canadian Patrick Carpentier missed the Daytona 500 but won the pole at New Hampshire. Road racer Michael McDowell ran 20 races for Michael Waltrip Racing. 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti managed to run the first 8 races before an injury during the Talladega Nationwide Series race, coupled with owner Chip Ganassi shutting down the No. 40 team, ended Franchitti's bid.


2008 NBA All-Star Game
The 2008 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 17, 2008, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season. It was the 57th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana, home of the New Orleans Hornets. The Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 134–128. LeBron James was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, his second time winning the award.


2008 NBA All-Star Game
This was the first NBA All-Star Game that was hosted by New Orleans, and was the city's first major professional sporting event (outside of regular season games) since the area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The city was awarded in an announcement by commissioner David Stern on May 22, 2006. The other reported contenders for the 2008 contest was Air Canada Centre at Toronto, who withdrew the bid early in 2005.


2008 NBA All-Star Game
The East led early but blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter; ultimately, they pulled out the win due to the strength of Ray Allen and James. Allen scored 28 points in the game, 14 of them coming in the deciding quarter, and James finished with a near triple-double of 27 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.


2008 NBA All-Star Game
The inaugural NBA Development League Dream Factory Friday Night was modeled after the popular NBA All-Star Saturday Night. It included perennial NBA fan favorite events such as a Three-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk competition, while introducing H.O.R.S.E. and an interactive game of Hot-Shot with fans. Twelve D-League players, including an NBA-assigned player and five others with NBA experience, took to Center Court to showcase their skills throughout the evening's competitions.


2008 NBA All-Star Game
All of the 2008 All-Star participants joined over 2,500 members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service. The volunteers participated in a variety of service projects at ten different sites throughout New Orleans.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, The All-Star Game, Eastern Conference roster
The Boston Celtics, the team with the league's best record, came into New Orleans with three players. Kevin Garnett, top vote-getter in the league with 2,399,148 votes, was selected as a starter, while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen (replacing injured Washington Wizards forward Caron Butler) were selected as reserves by the coaches of the Eastern Conference Garnett did not play due to injury and Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh replaced him as starting power forward. Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace replaced Chris Bosh as the backup power forward. The Pistons, who at the time had the second-best record in the league, also had guards Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton participating.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, The All-Star Game, Eastern Conference roster
Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James and Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade started for the fourth straight year and fourth overall for the East with two million votes each. Center Dwight Howard was voted to be a starting All-Star for the first time in his career after averaging 22 points and 15 rebounds for the first half of the season. Shaquille O'Neal was not voted in as a center for the first time in 15 years. Jason Kidd was voted in as the starting point guard for the East amid speculation that he would be traded to the Western conference (Dallas Mavericks).


2008 NBA All-Star Game, The All-Star Game, Western Conference roster
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, 2007 All-Star MVP, was the top vote-getter in the West with nearly 2,000,500. However days before the game, he was examined by Lakers' doctors and revealed a torn ligament in his right pinky finger. Deciding to put off required surgery until after the season, the Lakers appealed to the league to replace Bryant but league policy stated Bryant must play after playing in the last game before the break.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, The All-Star Game, Western Conference roster
Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson was voted an All-Shooting Star for the second time since moving to Denver. Along with him, teammate Carmelo Anthony earned a starting nod at forward. Power forward Tim Duncan made his tenth straight appearance and center Yao Ming his sixth (Yao Ming was voted to All-Star Game 2007 but did not play). Three teams, Denver Nuggets,  Phoenix Suns, and New Orleans Hornets, had two representations at the All-Star Game with Iverson/Anthony, Nash/Stoudemire, and Paul/West.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, The All-Star Game, Rosters
Unable to participate due to injury. Chris Bosh was named to the starting lineup due to a Kevin Garnett injury Unable to participate due to injury. Ray Allen was named to the roster in place of Caron Butler. Unable to participate due to injury. Rasheed Wallace was named to the roster in place of Kevin Garnett. Kobe Bryant played three minutes due to ligament tear in pinky


2008 NBA All-Star Game, The All-Star Game, Coaches
The Eastern Conference team was coached by Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics. He clinched it nearly a month before the game on January 21, against the New York Knicks. The Celtics entered All-Star Weekend with a 41–9 record, the best record and win percentage in the league.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, The All-Star Game, Coaches
The Western Conference team was coached by Byron Scott of the New Orleans Hornets. Scott clinched the coaching spot on January 31, when the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in Boston. The Hornets entered All-Star Weekend with a 36–15 record, and the best winning percentage in the Conference at .706.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, T-Mobile Rookie Challenge
The Sophomores defeated the Rookies 136–109. During the first half of the game Daniel Gibson tied the record of Kyle Korver by hitting seven three-pointers (Korver's record was for the entire game). He later set the whole-game record in the second half with eleven total three-pointers, finishing the game shooting 11–20 from three-point range. Gibson was named MVP of the game, finishing with 33 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
Gerald Green returned to defend his crown won in last year's All-Star game. Young NBA stars Rudy Gay, Dwight Howard and Jamario Moon were also invited. What made the Slam Dunk contest unique in 2008 was the introduction of the fan vote. While judges (in this particular contest, Karl Malone, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Darryl Dawkins and Dominique Wilkins) still scored dunks on a scale from one to fifty and selected those who would move on to the next round, fans had the last word.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
NBA viewers for the first time could decide the winner of the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, under the tag line "They Dunk. You Decide." For five minutes after the final round, polls were open on NBA.com and through SMS TXT and the dunker with the most votes at the end of the time limit was the winner. Dwight Howard won the contest, grabbing 78% of fan votes.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout
Jason Kapono became the first back-to-back winner of the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout since Peja Stojaković won in 2002 and 2003. Kapono also tied the all-time record set in 1986 by Craig Hodges by scoring 25 points in the final round.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout
Kobe Bryant was looking to be the first player to win a Slam Dunk contest and a Three-Point Shootout title until he was replaced by Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki due to injury.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, PlayStation Skills Challenge
Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams won the Skills Challenge, with a first round time of 31.2 seconds and a record finish in 25.5 in his second run. For the first time since 2005, Dwyane Wade did not win the contest. He finished with a low 53.9 seconds, ending his streak at two. Jason Kidd, winner of the event in 2003, finished at 40 seconds. Chris Paul advanced to the finals with 29.9 seconds in the first go-around, but failed to match Williams in the end.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Haier Shooting Stars Competition
After an impressive run in the first round, Team San Antonio took care of business in the finals of the 2008 Haier Shooting Stars challenge against Team Chicago, as Duncan drained a half-court shot to give the Texas threesome a time of 35.8 seconds.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League All-Star Game
Twenty of the NBA Development League's top players were selected to the D-League All-Star Game rosters by a combination of fan balloting on the official D-League website and voting by the 14 head coaches of D-League teams. The selections were divided up into two teams, the Red Team and the Blue Team, by members of the NBA and NBA D-League's Basketball Operations staff. Players who have been selected by coaches and fans must be on an active roster of a D-League team. Los Angeles D-Fenders head coach Dan Panaggio and Idaho Stampede head coach Bryan Gates were selected as the coach for the Blue Team and the Red Team respectively. Both coaches earned the honor by securing the best records in the D-League through January 31.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League All-Star Game
Unable to participate due to a call-up to the Golden State Warriors. Named as replacement for C. J. Watson.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, H.O.R.S.E.
Two preliminary rounds of two games each were played with the winners of the first two rounds competing in a final round for the title of H.O.R.S.E. Champion. Each round was capped at five minutes, and utilized a 24-second shot clock. Contestants were outfitted with a wireless microphone in order for fans to hear the player call his shot.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, H.O.R.S.E.
Lance Allred faced Fort Wayne's Jeremy Richardson. Both players were tied at the time limit, but Allred managed to advance in sudden death when Richardson could not convert on his attempt. In the other first-round matchup, Utah Jazz assignee Morris Almond advanced over Sioux Fall's Kasib Powell, as he held an H-O advantage at the time limit. In the final, Allred earned the victory over Almond when he sank a bank shot from just outside the elbow, leaving Almond facing an H-O deficit as time expired.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, Hot-Shot
Hot-Shot contestants took to the floor to compete in a race against the clock to score the most points with the help of a D-League fan. Each team had one minute to tally the highest score from four designated shooting spots on the court, including a one-point layup, a two-point foul shot, a three-pointer from behind the arc, and a five-point half-court shot, with the fan only eligible to shoot from the lay-up position. Two teams competed simultaneously, one on each end of the court, during the first round with the winners advancing to a final round of head-to-head competition where the stakes were high – the fan from the winning squad had an opportunity to be a judge in the Slam Dunk Contest.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, Hot-Shot
In the first round, Bakersfield's Andre Barrett came out on top with a total of 24 while Dakota's Carlos Powell checked in second with 23 points. Billy Thomas (20 points) and Randy Livingston (5 points) were eliminated after the first round.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, Hot-Shot
In the second and final round, Powell and his teammate Will, a New Orleans resident, won the title with a total of 24, edging Barrett and company's total of 21.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, Three-Point Shootout
Each contestant had 60 seconds to sink up to 21 three-pointers from seven shooting stations assembled around the three-point line. Each station had two orange balls (worth one point each) and one "money" ball (worth two points) which may  only be attempted after both orange balls have been shot. Fans enjoyed one preliminary round and a championship round featuring the contestants with the top two scores from the first round.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, Three-Point Shootout
Adam Harrington dominated the contest, posting the highest score of all four competitors in the first round, and then edging Kaniel Dickens in the final round to earn the victory. Dickens advanced to the final via a 30-second shootout with Josh Gross after two players tied for the second best total in the opening round.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest, which consisted of two rounds of two dunks each, began with each dunker submitting his top two dunks and selecting a fan from the crowd who chose the first dunk to be performed in the first round of competition. A composite total of the scores from the first round of dunks of competition was tallied for each dunker and the dunkers with the two highest scores competed in a championship round consisting of two dunk attempts. Contestants were allowed one replacement dunk per attempt.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, D-League All-Star, D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, Slam Dunk Contest
The Idaho Stampede pair of Brent Petway and Mike Taylor emerged from the first round and headed to the finals. Petway emerged as the victor after he completed a spectacular through-the-legs dunk that brought down the house at Jam Session and earned a perfect 50 score. Taylor attempted to counter with a show-stopping dunk of his own, but failed to convert on his two allotted attempts. Fort Wayne's Eric Smith and Iowa's Doug Thomas also performed some impressive dunks, but did not record high enough scores from the judges to advance to the final round.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, Broadcast, Television, NBA on TNT
The Turner Broadcasting Network televised the game for the fifth straight year in the United States. The game was called by NBA on TNT commentators Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Doug Collins. TNT also televised the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, PlayStation Skills Challenge, Footlocker Three-Point Shootout and the Haier Shooting Stars Competition.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, Broadcast, Television, ESPN
ESPN televised the McDonald's All-Star Celebrity Game on February 15. The event was simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile and ESPN Radio. Although the All-Star game was not broadcast on ESPN, the game was on ESPN Radio.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, Broadcast, Television, NBA TV
Beginning the week of the All-Star game, February 11, NBA TV aired tributes to moments in All-Star game history, including a top-10 list, highlights and greatest moments. NBA TV aired the Basketball Hall of Fame Finalist Friday, February 15. The network also provided the behind-the-scenes practices of the East and West rosters, the NBA D-League All-Star game, and pregame and postgame coverage of the All-Star Game.


2008 NBA All-Star Game, Broadcast, Television, International
The NBA vastly increased the global appeal of the All-Star Game, allowing 123 broadcasters to air the games in 215 countries in more than 40 languages. NBA TV covered All-Star weekend to another record 80 countries. Most foreign major sports networks aired the All-Star game live.


2008 NBA Development League draft
The 2008 NBA Development League Draft was the seventh NBA Development League draft. It was held on November 7, 2008 at 7:00pm Eastern Time. The Tulsa 66ers selected the 6'9" forward Chris Richard with the first overall pick.


2008 NBA Development League expansion draft
The 2008 NBA Development League expansion draft was the third expansion draft of the National Basketball Association Development League (NBADL). The draft was held on September 24, 2008, so that the newly founded Reno Bighorns and Erie BayHawks could acquire players for the upcoming 2008–09 season.


2008 NBA Development League expansion draft
A random drawing determined who was awarded the first pick, which went to the Reno Bighorns. The teams switched their draft order each succeeding round. The available players to draft came from a list of 55 unprotected players who had competed in the NBADL in 2007–08.


2008 NBA Development League expansion draft
The first overall draft pick in the expansion draft was Damone Brown, a 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) guard who had played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce the season before. Brown had played collegiately at Syracuse and then spent three years playing professional basketball before his 2008 NBADL Expansion Draft selection. He was also one of three players to have also been chosen in an NBA Draft (2001); the others include Randy Livingston (1996) and Dahntay Jones (2003). Two players, Livingston and Brian Chase, had previously been selected as NBA Development League All-Stars. Chase was a 2007 All-Star, while Livingston earned the honor in 2008. The only non-American player chosen was Mustafa Al-Sayyad, who was born in Khartoum, Sudan and played college basketball at Fresno State.


2008 NBA Europe Live Tour
The 2008 NBA Europe Live Tour was a basketball exhibition tour featuring teams from the NBA, as a part of the NBA Global Games. The hosting countries were England, France, Germany and Spain. The NBA teams traveled to Europe to play preseason games against each other from October 9 to October 17.


2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a best-of-seven series. This was Boston's first title since 1986 during the Larry Bird era and 17th overall. This series was held from June 5 through June 17, 2008.


2008 NBA Finals
2008 marked the first time since 2000 (and last prior to 2016) that the top seeds from both conferences met in the Finals and the first time since 2003 that any top seeded team played in the NBA finals. The Lakers appeared in the Finals for the first time since 2004 and a record 29th time overall. The Celtics appeared in the Finals for the first time since 1987 and second-best 20th time overall.


2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 Boston Celtics championship team was famously led by the organization's "Big 3" in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, and was the first season the triumvirate played together. Prior to acquiring Allen from the Seattle SuperSonics and Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster 7-to-1 player trade, Boston had won just 24 of its 82 games in the 2006–07 NBA regular season. The formation of the All-Star trifecta in the summer of 2007 positioned the new-look Celtics as a popular favorite to win the 2008 NBA Finals.


2008 NBA Finals
Going into the series, the Celtics had won the most championships of all-time with 16, and the Lakers were second with 14. The two most successful teams in NBA history looked to renew a longstanding rivalry 21 years after their last Finals meeting in 1987. They narrowly missed meeting each other in 2002, when the Lakers advanced to the Finals and went on to win, but the Celtics, who led 2–1 in the Conference Finals, eventually fell to the favored New Jersey Nets 4–2. This was the 11th time the teams met in the championship round; the Celtics won eight of their previous ten Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1984—the Lakers won in 1985 and 1987.


2008 NBA Finals
The Celtics' 66–16 record gave them home court advantage over Los Angeles (57–25). This was the first time since 1997, when the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz for the championship, and the only time in the 2000s decade that an Eastern Conference team had the home court advantage. This was also the first NBA Finals series since 1998 to not feature Tim Duncan (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) or Shaquille O'Neal (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006).


2008 NBA Finals
Rodd Houston narrated the Boston Celtics' championship season documentary on NBA Entertainment. The made-for-TV version of this documentary is narrated by Kevin Harlan.


2008 NBA Finals, Background
The Celtics were making their first NBA Finals appearance since a six-game loss to the Lakers in 1987. Over the next 20 years the Celtics would suffer through several lean years, not making the playoffs in nine of those years.


2008 NBA Finals, Background
Following the dissolution of the team's original "Big Three" through the retirements of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale and the departure of Robert Parish, the Celtics suffered through several tragedies such as: the passing of Reggie Lewis in 1993; a franchise-worst 15-win 1996–97 season; the ill-fated hiring of head coach Rick Pitino; and the deaths of franchise patriarch Red Auerbach and former player Dennis Johnson, which culminated in a 24-win 2006–07 season, highlighted by a franchise-worst 18 straight losses.


2008 NBA Finals, Background
The 2007 off-season saw Celtics GM Danny Ainge acquire Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join franchise star Paul Pierce. This new formation was widely regarded as the most talent the Boston Celtics team possessed since the duo of Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce graced the floor of the TD Garden in the early 2000s. The newly formed 'Big Three,' joined by second year point guard and future all star Rajon Rondo, led the Celtics to a dramatic 42-game turnaround, finishing with 66 wins.


2008 NBA Finals, Background
In the playoffs the Celtics were pushed to the brink by the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and despite not winning on the road, they managed to prevail in a pair of Game 7s on their home court. The Celtics would finally break their road woes in a six-game win against the perennial Eastern Conference powerhouse Detroit Pistons, earning their first finals berth since 1987.


2008 NBA Finals, Background
After losing to the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals despite a talent-laden roster, Phil Jackson abruptly retired. Soon after the Lakers decided to rebuild by trading away Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant. The 2004–05 season saw the Lakers miss the playoffs for only the fifth time in team history. Even though he had written a book called The Last Season, going as far as calling Kobe Bryant "uncoachable", Jackson returned to the Lakers for the 2005–06 season. Jackson and Bryant would patch their differences, but after a pair of first-round exits, Bryant demanded, but later retracted, a trade in the off-season.


2008 NBA Finals, Background
The Lakers' 2007–08 season saw the team win 57 games, along the way adding Spanish forward Pau Gasol in mid-season while Andrew Bynum was recovering from a mid-season knee injury. The Lakers eliminated the Denver Nuggets 4–0, then the Utah Jazz 4–2 and then dethroned the erstwhile defending champion San Antonio Spurs 4–1 in the conference finals, making their 29th NBA Finals appearance.


2008 NBA Finals, Background, Regular season series
The Boston Celtics won both games in the regular season series:


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 1
Paul Pierce scored 15 points in the third quarter to give Boston the lead for good, and Kevin Garnett paced the Celtic attack with 24 points and 13 rebounds including a powerful two-handed putback dunk late in the game. Kobe Bryant had 24 points.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 1
Pierce apparently injured his knee by falling awkwardly on Kendrick Perkins' leg, and was taken off the court in a wheelchair. Despite what Pierce's reaction suggested was a highly debilitating injury, he returned to action minutes later to raucous cheering from the crowd. Pierce admitted during coverage of the 2019 NBA Finals that he just had to use the bathroom. He soon hit two three-pointers on consecutive offensive possessions that gave Boston the lead for good and finished with 22 points. It was later dubbed by some as the "Wheelchair Game".


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 1
The Lakers, who had had home court advantage throughout the first three rounds and had not trailed a series in that same time, now had to do without both luxuries for the first time.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
The Lakers jumped out to an early 15–8 first quarter lead, but the Celtics answered with a 10–0 run at the start of the second quarter and ended the first half with a 54–42 lead.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
The Celtics held a 24-point lead with less than eight minutes to go in the 4th quarter before the Lakers cut the lead to two points with 38.4 seconds to go with a 31–9 run. Paul Pierce and James Posey then closed out the game with two free throws each. The Lakers had a chance to cut into Boston's four-point lead with 14 seconds left, but the ball failed to get into the hands of Kobe Bryant, resulting in a shot by Saša Vujačić that was blocked by Pierce. Bryant finished the game with 30 points and 8 assists.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
Leon Powe, a second year bench player, scored 21 points on 6–7 shooting from the field and 9–13 from the line in 15 minutes of play, including back-to-back dunks in the last minute of the 3rd quarter. Over the course of the game, Leon Powe shot 13 free throws while the Lakers shot 10.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
Despite injuries suffered by Pierce (sprained knee) and Kendrick Perkins (high ankle sprain), both players started in Game 2 and appeared to be mostly unhampered by the injuries, especially Pierce who finished with 28 points.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
Boston finished the game 27-for-38 from the line, while the Lakers were 10-for-10. Some analysts viewed this as favorable treatment toward the Celtics, while others noted that a difference in playing styles may have led to the discrepancy, and that the actual foul discrepancy was only 28–21 in favor of Boston.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 3
The Lakers won game 3 on a strong shooting night from regular season MVP Kobe Bryant, who scored a series-high 36 points, leading the Lakers to their first win of the series and adding to their undefeated streak at home in the 2008 post-season. Saša Vujačić scored 20 points in 28 minutes, Paul Pierce had a poor shooting game, making only two of his 14 field goal attempts. Kevin Garnett also had trouble shooting, finishing with only 12 points. Ray Allen was the only member of Boston's Big Three that scored over 13 points, with 25.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 4
The Lakers jumped out to a 35–14 lead after the first quarter, which was the largest first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history. The Lakers held their ground for most of the third quarter, leading by as many as 24 points. However, the Celtics went on a 21–3 run to end the third quarter, closing the deficit to only two points (73–71). With 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Celtics took their first lead in the game when Celtics' reserve Eddie House made an 18-foot (5.5 m) jumper. With House's shot, the Celtics were in the lead for good. The Celtics' victory in Game 4 was the largest comeback in the NBA Finals since 1971.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 4
The Celtics bench outscored the Lakers bench 35–15, 29 of those points coming from House and James Posey. Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in support of Allen (19) and Pierce (20).


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
As in Game 4, the Lakers jumped out to an early lead, leading 43–24 with 11 minutes to play in the second quarter. And as in Game 4, the Celtics came back, taking a 62–60 lead behind the strong play of Paul Pierce.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
The Lakers finally regained their composure, outscoring Boston 24–18 in the 3rd quarter. In previous games, the Lakers were outscored by Boston in the 3rd quarter (22–31 in Game 1, 19–29 in Game 2, 17–25 in Game 3, and 15–31 in Game 4) by a total of 43 points (73–116).


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
The Lakers built a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter, but the Celtics again came back with a 16–2 run to tie the game at 90. With less than one minute left in the game, the Celtics had the ball with the Lakers leading 97–95. Pierce beat Bryant off the drive, but Bryant knocked the ball out of Pierce's hands from behind. Lamar Odom picked up the loose ball and passed downcourt to Bryant for a breakaway dunk, giving the Lakers a 99–95 lead. The Lakers went on to win 103–98, sending the series back to Boston.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
Kobe Bryant had 25 points, to go with five steals. Pau Gasol contributed 19 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, Odom 20 points and 11 rebounds. For Boston, Pierce had a memorable 38 point effort, but outside of Allen (16 points) and Garnett (13 points and 14 rebounds) did not receive enough support from his teammates to clinch the championship at Staples.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
As for the odds stacked against the Lakers to come back from a 3–1 deficit, Jackson said, "We're young enough and dumb enough to do this."


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
Entering Game 6, the Celtics set a record of most playoff games played in one season, with 26, breaking the previous record of 25 set by both the 1994 New York Knicks, whom Celtics Coach Doc Rivers played for, and the 2005 Detroit Pistons, both of whom lost in their respective finals in seven games (Knicks in 1994, Pistons in 2005). However, for the 1994 Knicks, the first round was a best-of-five. Since the NBA Finals used the 2-3-2 format from 1985 until 2013, no team has ever won the last two games on the road.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
After a rocky first quarter, the Celtics dominated the rest of the game. Maintaining a lead of more than 25 points, the Celtics' Big Three performed phenomenally, while the whole team smothered the Lakers' offense with their tight defense. Boston dominated in numerous statistical categories, including rebounds (48–29, with a 14–2 disparity in offensive boards), turnovers (7–19), steals (18–4), assists (33–16) and blocks (4–0). Five Celtics finished in double figures.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
Ray Allen hit seven three-pointers to tie what was then the Finals record (which he subsequently broke during the 2010 NBA Finals against the Lakers during game two), Rajon Rondo had an all-around spectacular performance (21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals), the Celtics only turned the ball over seven times and set a Finals record with 18 steals, and every Boston player who saw action scored.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
The 39-point margin of victory was the largest ever in an NBA championship-clinching game, breaking the old record of 33, also set by the Celtics over the Lakers in Game Five of the 1965 NBA Finals, 129–96. This lead was close to the Finals point-spread record set in Game 3 in 1998 where a Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls team beat the Utah Jazz by 42 points, 96–54. The Celtics also improved their overall record against the Lakers to 9–2 in Finals meetings, beating them in the Finals for the first time since 1984.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
This was the Celtics' 17th championship, their first since 1986, extending their record for most NBA championships won by a single team. All this capped off the Celtics' best regular season (66–16) since their previous championship season in which they went 67–15. It was also a sense of relief, as the Celtics set an NBA record for most playoff games ever needed to win a championship, with 26, surpassing the previous record of 24 by the Lakers in 1988.


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
The Celtics' win was also seen as an addition to the recent success of Boston-area sports teams, following the wins by the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX (2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons) and the Red Sox's World Series wins in 2004 (death of the Curse of the Bambino) and 2007. Later, the Bruins would win the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, the Red Sox would win two more World Series titles in 2013, and in 2018, and the Patriots would win three more Super Bowls XLIX, LI, and LIII (2014, 2016, and 2018 seasons).


2008 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
The Celtics won this series by winning Games 1, 2, 4, and 6; coincidentally, the last time the two teams met in 1987, the Lakers won that series in identical fashion. It was also the same identical fashion when the Celtics won the NBA Finals in 1986 before this championship.


2008 NBA Finals, Broadcasting
Produced by ESPN, the Finals were aired on ABC in the United States for the sixth consecutive year. This was also Michele Tafoya's final Finals appearance before resigning before the 2008–09 season. As an NBA Finals sideline reporter, Tafoya was later succeeded by Doris Burke, Rachel Nichols, and Malika Andrews.


2008 NBA Finals, Broadcasting, International broadcasts
Aside from ABC (U.S.) and TSN (Canada), other broadcasters across the world covered the Finals:


2008 NBA Finals, Aftermath
In the 2008–09 season the Celtics raced to a 27–2 start, the best through 29 games in NBA history, until that fateful finals rematch against the Lakers on Christmas Day ended a franchise-high 19-game winning streak. Then days after the All-Star Game Kevin Garnett injured his right knee, and was lost for the season. The Celtics won 62 games, but the absence of Garnett affected the team as they were eliminated in seven games by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.


2008 NBA Finals, Aftermath
The Lakers rebounded to win 65 games in the aforementioned season, then proceeded to win the NBA title in five games over the Magic. Even though another mid-season injury to Andrew Bynum threatened their title drive, he did come back late in the season. The Lakers became the first team since the 1988–89 Pistons to win the NBA Finals after losing it in the previous year.


2008 NBA Finals, Aftermath
Both teams would eventually meet again in 2010 where the Lakers defeated the Celtics in seven games.


2008 NBA Finals, Aftermath
The Celtics' 17th championship raised the total of major professional sports championships in Boston to 32, and it continued a string of championships for the city this decade. The NFL's New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and nearly won a fourth on Super Bowl XLII, only to have a perfect season denied by the New York Giants four months earlier. Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox won their second World Series title of the decade eight months earlier, adding their total to seven. With the NHL's Boston Bruins winning the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, the city of Boston became the first city to win championships in all four major sports in a seven-year span. The city's total title tally now stands at 38.


2008 NBA draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including international players from non-North American professional leagues. According to the NBA, 44 players, 39 collegiate players and five international players, filed as early-entry candidates for the 2008 NBA Draft. These numbers do not include players who are automatically eligible for the draft.


2008 NBA draft
The Chicago Bulls, who had a 1.7 percent probability of obtaining the first selection, won the NBA Draft Lottery on May 22. The Bulls' winning of the lottery was the second-largest upset in NBA Draft Lottery history behind the Orlando Magic, who won it in 1993 with just a 1.5% chance. The Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves obtained the second and third picks respectively.


2008 NBA draft
For the first time in draft history the first three draft picks were all freshmen. The Chicago Bulls used the first overall pick to draft Chicago native Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis, who later went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, making him the first player to be drafted first overall and to win Rookie of the Year since LeBron James in 2003.


2008 NBA draft
The Miami Heat used the second pick to draft Michael Beasley from Kansas State University, and the Minnesota Timberwolves used the third pick to draft O.J. Mayo from The University of Southern California. The Seattle Supersonics used their 4th overall pick to draft Russell Westbrook, who would go on to win the 2017 NBA MVP award and is widely considered the best player in this draft.


2008 NBA draft
With five players taken in the draft, the University of Kansas tied University of Connecticut (2006) and University of Florida (2007) for the record with the most players selected in the first two rounds of an NBA draft until the University of Kentucky (2012) broke the record with six players drafted. Another record was set when twelve freshmen were drafted, ten of whom were drafted in the first round. Of the players drafted, 29 are forwards, 19 are guards, and 12 are centers.


2008 NBA draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was the final time that the Seattle SuperSonics made an NBA Draft appearance, as well as the final time that the Sonics appeared in official media publications. In early July, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder made their first NBA Draft appearance in 2009. This draft also marked the first time that an NBA D-League player was drafted.


2008 NBA draft, Draft selections
^ a: The franchise relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2008. ^ b: Anthony Randolph was born in West Germany to American parents and was raised in the United States. He became a naturalized citizen of Slovenia in 2017 and he has represented Slovenia internationally. ^ c: Roy Hibbert was born in the United States to a Jamaican father and a Trinidadian mother. He had represented the United States internationally at youth level in 2007. Since 2010, he has represented Jamaica internationally. ^ d: Kosta Koufos was born and raised in the United States to Greek parents.


2008 NBA draft, Draft selections
He has represented Greece internationally. ^ e: Serge Ibaka, who was born in Congo, became a naturalized citizen of Spain in 2011. He has represented Spain internationally since 2011. ^ f: Donté Greene was born in West Germany to American parents. He has represented the United States internationally at youth level. ^ g: James Gist was born in Turkey to American parents.


2008 NBA draft, Notable undrafted players
These players were not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft but have played in the NBA.


2008 NBA draft, Draft Lottery
The first 14 picks in the draft belonged to teams that had missed the playoffs; the order was determined through a lottery. The lottery determined the three teams that would obtain the first three picks on the draft. The remaining first-round picks and the second-round picks were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win-loss record in the previous season. As it is commonplace in the event of identical win-loss records, the NBA performed a random drawing to break the ties on April 18, 2008.


2008 NBA draft, Draft Lottery
The lottery was held on May 20, 2008, in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Chicago Bulls, who had the ninth-worst record, won the lottery with just a 1.7% chance to win. The Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves, with the worst and third-worst records, respectively, won the second and third picks.


2008 NBA draft, Draft Lottery
Below were the chances for each team to get specific picks in the 2008 draft lottery, rounded to three decimal places:


2008 NBA draft, Trades involving draft picks, Draft-day trades
The following trades involving drafted players were made on the day of the draft.


2008 NBA draft, Trades involving draft picks, Pre-draft trades
Prior to the day of the draft, the following trades were made and resulted in exchanges of draft picks between the teams.


2008 NBA playoffs
The 2008 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Paul Pierce was named NBA Finals MVP.


2008 NBA playoffs
The playoffs were noted for the Atlanta Hawks' return after 9 years, taking the #1 seed and eventual champion Celtics to 7 games before bowing out. Also notable was the debut of the Chris Paul-led Hornets in the playoffs after Hurricane Katrina and their 7-game series against defending champions San Antonio Spurs, and the Lakers and Celtics' revitalization of their franchises, most especially after key trades during the preseason and regular season.


2008 NBA playoffs
The Celtics ended up playing 26 playoff games (2 games short of a full length postseason of 28), breaking the 25 game record of the 1994 Knicks and 2005 Pistons by 1 game for the most playoff games in a single season played by 1 NBA team. The Knicks, however, only played a Best-of-5 First Round, and so had 2 fewer games to accomplish that feat. Also, the top seeds from each Conference met in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. The 2008 Finals was also the first since 1998 to feature neither Shaquille O'Neal nor Tim Duncan.


2008 NBA playoffs
The Golden State Warriors won 48 games, more than 5 of the 8 playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. However, all eight qualifiers in the Western Conference finished with at least 50 wins, thus leaving the Warriors out of the postseason.


2008 NBA playoffs, Playoff qualifying, Eastern Conference
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:


2008 NBA playoffs, Playoff qualifying, Western Conference
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:


2008 NBA playoffs, Bracket
This was the outlook for the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Teams in italics had home court advantage. Teams in bold advanced to the next round. Numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's original seeding in their respective conferences. Numbers to the right of each team indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions possess an asterisk (*).


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning eight of the first nine meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
Games 1 and 2 were Celtic routs, keyed by great team defense (Atlanta averaged 79 points in the first 2 games) and balanced Celtic scoring (six players were in double figures in Game 1, five in Game 2). The most buzz was generated by Mike Bibby stating that Celtic fans were bandwagoners after Game 1, prompting boos every time he touched the ball in Game 2.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
In Game 3, Atlanta showed its athleticism with an array of dunks from Josh Smith (26 points) and a strong interior performance by the rookie Al Horford (17 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists), who also jawed with Paul Pierce near the end of the game.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
There would be more jawing in Game 4 between Zaza Pachulia and Kevin Garnett, but the outcome was a surprise: thanks to fourth quarter heroics by Joe Johnson and Smith, who combined to score 32 of Atlanta's 34 4th quarter points, the upstart Hawks rallied from a 10-point third quarter deficit in Game 4 to tie the series going back to Boston. Boston dominated Game 5, but in Game 6, six Hawks players finished in double figures to force a winner-take-all Game 7.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks were no match for the Celtics in Game 7, as the Celtics held them to 26 points in the 1st half. 3 minutes into the 2nd half, the series' tensions finally boiled over when Marvin Williams was ejected for committing a hard foul on Rajon Rondo. Then after that, Kevin Garnett was noted for trucking Zaza Pachulia while going for a screen.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning two of the first three meetings. The first meeting took place while the Nationals/76ers franchise were in Syracuse and the Pistons franchise were in Fort Wayne.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
Misses down the stretch by Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace kept the Pistons from beating the Sixers at their home floor as Andre Iguodala grabbed clutch defensive rebounds to seize home court advantage. The Pistons responded with a blowout in Game 2. Game 3 was close at halftime, but Samuel Dalembert and Andre Miller helped to break it open with strong overall performances.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
Detroit was behind by 10 in Game 4 at halftime and in danger of falling behind 3–1 going back home, but three second-half 3s by Rasheed Wallace and strong showings by Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups keyed an 18-point 3rd quarter turnaround which evened the series. Detroit dominated Game 5 behind Billups's 14 points and 5 first quarter assists, jumping out to a 14-point lead and never looking back. Richard Hamilton keyed a similar start in Game 6, scoring 13 points, as the Pistons took an 18-point first quarter lead and eventually rolled into the second round.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
This was the first playoff meeting between the Magic and the Raptors.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
Scoring 25 points and grabbing 22 rebounds, Dwight Howard gave the Magic their first playoffs win since 2003 as they practically led the entire game. Howard put up 29 and 20 in Game 2, as Hedo Türkoğlu scored the final four go-ahead points to give the Magic a 2–0 lead. The Raptors would respond with a strong Game 3 victory keyed by great point guard play from T. J. Ford and José Calderón.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
But Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis and Keith Bogans keyed strong three point shooting in Game 4 and overcame Chris Bosh's 39 points and 15 rebounds to bring the Magic out of Toronto with a 3–1 lead. Howard finished off the series in Game 5 as impressively as he started–21 points, 21 rebounds, 3 blocks giving the Magic their first playoff series victory since 1996.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Washington Wizards
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning three of the first four meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Washington Wizards
LeBron James, labeled as "overrated" by Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson, scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half to help the Cavs draw first blood in their third first round meeting in as many years. The Cavs and Wizards traded blowouts in Games 2 and 3, but Cleveland took a 3–1 lead in the Verizon Center off of Delonte West's last second 3. Washington stayed alive by winning Game 5 when Caron Butler converted a running shot with only seconds left, capping off his 32-point performance. However, James led the Cavs to a dominating Game 6 victory in Washington with a triple-double (27 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists); he also received crucial outside shooting from Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson, who combined for 48 points.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Washington Wizards
This series was marked by several physical plays on James, with Brendan Haywood, Stevenson, and Darius Songaila picking up technical and flagrant fouls for hard contact on him.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
In Pau Gasol's playoff debut with the Lakers, he scored 36 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks as the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Game 1. Kobe Bryant gave the fans a vintage performance in Game 2 by scoring 49 points and adding 10 assists in a blowout at Staples Center. The Nuggets were routed at home in Game 3, with Carmelo Anthony stating the team quit in the second half. Game 4 was closer, but Bryant led the Lakers with 14 points in the last 5½ minutes to sweep the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. It was the first time the Lakers advanced to the second round since the 2004 season. The Lakers led at the end of every quarter throughout the whole series, only the seventh time that had happened in NBA history.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (2) New Orleans Hornets vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (2) New Orleans Hornets vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks
In his playoff debut, Chris Paul scored 35 points, dished out 10 assists, and stole the ball 4 times to lead the Hornets to a comeback home win against the Mavericks. He would replicate that type of performance in Game 2 with 32 points and 17 assists. Dallas would come out with a dominant Game 3 performance at home after inserting Jason Terry into the starting lineup, but New Orleans would win the final 2 games of the series, keyed by David West in Game 4 and Paul's triple-double in Game 5.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Phoenix Suns
This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning five of the first eight meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Phoenix Suns
Michael Finley made a game-tying three in regulation, Tim Duncan scored 40 points, including a rare three-point field goal to force a second overtime, and Manu Ginóbili clinched victory with a drive to the basket to break the 115-all deadlock with 1.8 seconds left to win a classic Game 1. Tony Parker would then pace the Spurs to their next two victories in the series, scoring 32 and 41 in Games 2 and 3 respectively. At the brink of elimination, Phoenix responded with a strong Game 4. But costly missed free throws by Shaquille O'Neal and key turnovers by Steve Nash helped San Antonio to prevail in Game 5, led again by Parker's 31 points.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Phoenix Suns
Also notable was Gregg Popovich's use of the Hack-a-Shaq throughout the series to disrupt the Suns offense when Shaquille O'Neal was on the floor. O'Neal would shoot 64 free throws in the five games, making 32 of them.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Houston Rockets
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning four of the first six meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Houston Rockets
The Jazz had a balanced game from Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams to steal the home court advantage away from the Rockets. A similar performance in Game 2 put Utah in a commanding 2–0 lead going back to Salt Lake City. Rafer Alston's return to the Houston lineup after injury, along with Tracy McGrady's 27 points and Carl Landry's key block of Deron Williams helped Houston steal Game 3 on the road.


2008 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Williams responded with a strong performance in a Game 4 victory, plus got some help from Mehmet Okur with his offensive rebound off of his two missed free throws. The Rockets controlled Game 5 to stay alive, but despite getting 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists from McGrady in Game 6 and 15 pts from Luis Scola, the rest of the team shot 10/39 from the field and could not overcome losing Alston to an ankle injury as the Jazz blew the game open with a 27–11 3rd quarter.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning two of the first three meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Although the Celtics had a quick turnaround from their unexpected seven-game series with Atlanta, they managed to hold off the Cavs by winning the first two games in Boston. Kevin Garnett scored 28 points and 8 rebounds and made the go-ahead shot in Game 1. LeBron James would only shoot 8 for 42 from the field in the first 2 games.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland would come back to win the next two games, Game 3, a blowout where five Cavs scored in double figures, and Game 4 where James would punctuate the victory with a dunk over Garnett. James's shooting improved in the return to the Garden in Game 5, but received minimal help from his teammates as Rajon Rondo, Garnett, and Paul Pierce all scored over 20 points to push Boston over the top. Game 6 was an ugly affair, with both teams shooting under 40 percent, but a 32–12–6 performance by James was enough. Boston, the best road team in the regular season, fell to 0–6 on the road.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Game 7 would end in a duel between Pierce (41 points) and James (45 points) that some compared to the Bird–Wilkins duel in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals. But timely offensive rebounding (10 in all), 18 second chance points, and a few key shots from Celtics veteran P.J. Brown helped push Boston into the Eastern Conference Finals.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Orlando Magic
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning two of the first three meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Orlando Magic
The Pistons opened up with a rout in Game 1, as Detroit's big men keyed in on Dwight Howard and forced him to playoff lows 12 points and 8 rebounds, with five Pistons scoring in double figures. After being quiet in Game 1, the Magic's 3-point shooting picked up (11/26, with Jameer Nelson making 5-of-8), but could not overcome 19 turnovers and fell down in the series 2–0. There was a controversial call at the end of the third quarter, where Chauncey Billups made a 3 near the end of the 3rd quarter when the clock froze and approximately 0.5 seconds remained, but TNT clocks later revealed that Billups could not have gotten the ball off in time.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Orlando Magic
The Magic would take a 24–6 lead at home in Game 3 and use a 38–17 4th quarter to blow out Detroit; they were paced by 33 points by Rashard Lewis. Billups would injure his right hamstring early in the game and miss the remainder of the series, but they would not need him for Game 4 as Richard Hamilton scored 32 points and the Pistons came from 15 back in the 3rd quarter. Tayshaun Prince made the go-ahead basket with 8.9 seconds left and Hedo Türkoğlu missed a layup as time ran out.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Orlando Magic
Billups's starting replacement, Rodney Stuckey, struggled in Game 4, but came back with a strong Game 5. The Magic would outshoot the Pistons 48 to 36 percent, would make 36 percent of their 3s compared to 21 percent for Detroit, and outrebound them 46 to 38, but turned the ball over 21 times while Detroit had only 3. Rip Hamilton again led Detroit with 31 points, and Prince made the crucial defensive play by blocking Türkoğlu's layup in the waning seconds. Detroit advanced to their sixth straight Eastern Conference Finals, the longest Conference Finals streak since the Los Angeles Lakers went to eight straight in the 80s. As of 2021 this was most recent postseason series win by the Pistons.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Utah Jazz
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning two of the first three meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Utah Jazz
The Lakers took Game 1 in Staples Center, winning by 11 against the Jazz. After being presented with the season's NBA MVP award in Game 2, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to victory with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. However, as the series shifted back to Utah, the Jazz responded, winning Games 3 and 4 behind the performances of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, who bounced back after two poor games in Los Angeles. The Lakers came back with authority as they took Game 5 with Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom scoring 20 plus points each.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Utah Jazz
The Jazz looked to force a Game 7, but the Lakers did not trail and closed out the series in Game 6 with a 108–105 win at Utah, where the Jazz were 37–4 during the regular season. Bryant led the team with 34 points as the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, which they had not reached since 2004. This was the first playoff meeting between the two teams since the 1998 Western Conference Finals.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (2) New Orleans Hornets vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs
This was the first playoff meeting between the Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (2) New Orleans Hornets vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs
The Hornets, who earned the home-court advantage via winning the Southwest division, were able to gain a quick 2–0 lead over the veteran Spurs. But when the series shifted to San Antonio, the Spurs regained their edge, returning the favor in Games 3 and 4. Game 5 back in New Orleans shocked many as the Hornets played off the home crowd to a 22-point rout. The home teams were clearly dominating in this series as Game 6 was more of the same in San Antonio.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (2) New Orleans Hornets vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs
However, that all changed when a much anticipated Game 7 saw the Spurs build a 15-point lead after 3 quarters, which proved to be enough (even after the Hornets cut the deficit to 3 with 1:35 left) to send them to another Western Conference Finals. The Spurs were the 4th team to win game 7 on the road after the home team won the first six.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Detroit Pistons
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first seven meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Detroit Pistons
Detroit walked into the NBA Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth straight season. Boston held off the Pistons in Game 1 88–79, but let Detroit rally a strong performance in Game 2 to win it 103–97 (marking Boston's first home court loss in the post-season). However, they let the Celtics win their first road playoff game 94–80 in Game 3. Game 4 saw the Pistons win 94–75, however they lost Game 5 106–102 despite a scoring run late in the game.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Detroit Pistons
In Game 6, the Pistons strolled into the fourth quarter leading 70–60, but a lack of focus, a poor game from Rasheed Wallace, and a rally-destroying turnover by Tayshaun Prince ultimately led to their demise, as the Pistons would end their season losing 89–81. With that, the Celtics moved on to the NBA Finals, and they would face the Los Angeles Lakers for the 11th time.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Finals, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs
This was the 11th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first ten meetings.


2008 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Finals, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs
The series pitted the two best teams in the Western Conference over the last 10 years. Having home court advantage, the Lakers started out as a favorite and did not disappoint their home crowd as they overcame a 20-point deficit in Game 1 and won behind Kobe Bryant's 27 points, 25 of which were scored in the second half. Game 2 was a cruise for the Lakers as they made a 9–0 run before halftime, led all game and built the lead to 30.