The 2004 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season.

The 2004 playoffs was the first appearance for the Memphis Grizzlies in their nine-year history which began in Vancouver.

The New Orleans Hornets made their final postseason appearance as a member of the East.

They would not make the playoffs again until 2008, as a member of the West (the result of a realignment with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004–05 NBA season).

The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz missed the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and 1983, respectively.

However, Derek Fisher would hit the game winning shot as time expired to give the Lakers a 74–73 victory in San Antonio.

With their conference semifinals victory over the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since their NBA Finals run in 2000, after which they significantly changed the makeup of their team (yet still made the playoffs every year).

In a shocking upset, the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games to win the NBA Championship.

The Indiana Pacers clinched the best record in the NBA and had earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.

[11] In the final seconds of Game 5, Tim Duncan hits a fadeaway shot over Shaquille O'Neal to give the Spurs the lead, but with 0.4 seconds left, Derek Fisher off the inbounds pass hits a miracle buzzer beater to give the Lakers the victory.