Dennis Rodman continued to be a defensive force winning the Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season while finishing 2nd in rebounding with 12.5 boards per game. However, the Pistons would lose their grip on the Central Division as they settled for 2nd place with a solid 50-32 record, as Isiah Thomas played just 48 games due to injuries. In the playoffs the battle weary Pistons were pushed to the limit right away as they need 5 games to beat the Atlanta Hawks. In the 2nd round the Pistons rallied to beat the Boston Celtics in 6 games winning the final 3 games after falling behind 2 games to 1. Back in the Eastern Finals the Pistons were matched up against the Chicago Bulls for the 3rd year in a row as they continued to seek their 3rd straight NBA Championship. However, the Pistons ran out of gas as they were swept by the Chicago Bulls in 4 straight.