The Detroit Pistons defeated the Portland Trail Blazers four games to one in the best-of-seven NBA Finals series to conclude the 1989-90 season. It was the second consecutive championship for the Pistons, who became the third franchise to win back-to-back titles, joining the Lakers and Celtics.

The Trail Blazers were making their second finals appearance, their first since winning the championship in 1977.

Isiah Thomas won the NBA Finals MVP award, joining teammate Joe Dumars as the only Pistons to win the award. (They later would be joined by Chauncey Billups.)

The Pistons had home-court advantage for the finals. The two teams split their meetings during the regular season, with each team winning on its home court.

Team	Trail Blazers	Pistons
Regular Season	59-23, 2nd in Pacific Division	59-23, 1st in Central Division
First Round	Def. (6) Dallas Mavericks, 3-0	Def. (8) Indiana Pacers, 3-0
Conference Semifinals	Def. (2) San Antonio Spurs, 4-3	Def. (5) New York Knicks, 4-1
Conference Finals	Def. (5) Phoenix Suns, 4-2	Def. (3) Chicago Bulls, 4-3

Trailing for most of the game, the Pistons outscored the Blazers 25-9 in the final seven minutes to take a 6-point victory in Game 1. With Detroit down by 3 with five minutes left, Isiah Thomas scored the Pistons' next 10 points, giving them a 5-point cushion they would not relinquish.

Thomas finished with 33 points, 16 of which came in the fourth quarter (including 14 in the final five minutes of the game). Clyde Drexler scored 21 points to lead five Blazers starters in double figures.

The Pistons again needed a fourth-quarter rally to overcome a deficit, outscoring the Blazers by 6 points in the final 12 minutes. Detroit held a 3-point lead with 49 seconds left, but the Blazers made three of four free throws down the stretch while holding the Pistons scoreless to force overtime. In the extra session, the Pistons led by four with 1:30 left, but the Blazers scored the next 6 points to a take a 2-point lead. Bill Laimbeer made a 3-pointer to put the Pistons back ahead, but on the other end Clyde Drexler made a pair of free throws to seal the victory for the Blazers.

Drexler finished with 33 points, while Terry Porter had 21, including a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line. That set a record for the most free throws attempted without a miss in an NBA Finals game. On the other side, Laimbeer matched the single-game finals record by making six 3-pointers. Laimbeer and James Edwards each scored 26 points to lead the Pistons, while Isiah Thomas chipped in 23 before fouling out.

With Dennis Rodman unavailable because of a sprained ankle, the Pistons went to a three-guard lineup for long stretches in Game 3, using it effectively to outrun the Blazers and earn their first win in Portland since the 1974-75 season. Detroit took control of the game in the second quarter when Vinnie Johnson lived up to his "Microwave" nickname, heating up for 15 of the team's 27 points.

Joe Dumars led the Pistons with 33 points, but Detroit had a balanced attack, with seven players scoring at least 10 points. Johnson and Isiah Thomas, the Pistons' other primary guards in their three-guard attack, each scored 21 points. Jerome Kersey had a team-high 27 points for Portland, while Clyde Drexler flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists.

The Pistons outscored the Blazers by 15 points in the second quarter, taking a 5-point lead into halftime. Detroit opened up a 16-point lead in the third quarter, but the Blazers stormed back to take a 1-point lead with 5:20 left in the game. The two teams traded the lead multiple times during the final minutes, and Detroit was clinging to a 1-point lead with just a few seconds left. After two Terry Porter free throws, Gerald Henderson got loose on the inbounds play and made a layup to give Detroit a 3-point lead with 1.8 seconds left. Danny Young appeared to make a game-tying 35-footer to force overtime, but the officials correctly ruled that the shot came after the buzzer.

Despite sitting much of the second quarter with foul trouble, Isiah Thomas led the Pistons with 32 points. At one point in the third quarter, he scored 16 consecutive points for the Pistons. Joe Dumars added 26 points for the Pistons, including all of them in a 9-0 Detroit run that came just after Thomas picked up his third foul. Clyde Drexler led the Blazers with 34 points and again came close to a triple-double (eight rebounds, 10 assists). Jerome Kersey added 33 points for Portland, which had three players in double figures.

Much like in Game 3, the Pistons rode the hot hand of Vinnie Johnson, overcoming a 7-point fourth-quarter deficit to win their second consecutive championship. Trailing 76-69, the Pistons went on an 8-0 run, with all 8 points scored by Johnson. Shortly thereafter, the Blazers responded with an 11-2 run of their own, taking a 90-83 lead. Johnson then scored then next 5 points of the game, and Isiah Thomas made a 17-foot jumper to tie the game. On the final possession, Johnson made a jumper with 0.7 seconds left to give Detroit the victory.

Isiah Thomas led the Pistons with 29 points while Johnson scored 15 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Bill Laimbeer had 6 points but dominated the backboard, grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds. All five Blazers starters scored in double figures, led by Terry Porter and Kevin Duckworth, who each had 21 points.

When the NBA compilied its list of the 60 Greatest Playoff Moments to coincide with the league's 60th anniversary, Johnson's game-winner ranked No. 42 on the list.