will come: One of the most exciting playoff games in league history was seen by only 29 fans.

The March Madness of King Joe

The ABA playoffs were embroiled in controversy before a ball hit the court. 

Two teams with winning records, the Gallup Talons and the Florida Pit Bulls, were denied entry into the playoffs by the ABA league office and its quixotic leader, Joe Newman (See: "What the ABA Wants to Be When It Grows Up" (OpEd)).

The Talons agreed to “step aside” so that the Tijuana Dragons, with a 9-20 record, could enter the tournament.

The Florida Pit Bulls were suspended from the ABA, or quit, depending on whose story, the league or the team, you believe. The stated reason was because the league’s most high-profile player, head coach, and GM Tim Hardaway missed a couple of road games. 

The ABA's Boston Frenzy received a playoff berth with a 2-20 record.  The Ohio Aviators continued their season with just three wins under their belts.

Further dinging the ABA finals already damaged court cred was the decision to allow several teams to stock rosters with players from other franchises that did not make the playoffs.  The Montreal Matrix entered a playoff game with a roster fortified with members of the defunct Baltimore Pearls, and beat the hapless Ohio Aviators.

The Format

The ABA playoffs were set up as a single-elimination knockout tournament, similar to the NCAA or the NIT.

The wild card and first round playoff contests were regional.  After that, the eight teams that survived headed to Rochester, New York for the "Great Eight" championship tournament. 

All eight teams played in a quadruple-header on March 22nd. The four winners advanced to the semifinals and championship games the following weekend.

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