1986 NBA playoffs
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 17–June 8, 1986 |
| Season | 1985–86 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Boston Celtics (16th title) |
| Runner-up | Houston Rockets |
| Semifinalists | |
The 1986 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the
NBA Finals MVP
for the second time.
This was the second NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Rockets; they met in the 1981 NBA Finals with the same result. It was the third of four straight Eastern Conference championships for Boston, who won 67 games that year, and went 40–1 at home. The Rockets, meanwhile had won just their second conference title in franchise history.
Second-year player
NBA Playoff scoring record. Jordan averaged 44.7 points per game in the series, but was unable to prevent the Bulls from being swept by a more experienced, more talented Celtics team. The Bulls set a dubious mark by posting the second worst record for a playoff-qualifying team in history, going just 30–52 during the season. Game 2, where the record was set, was ranked by TV Guide as the 26th Most Memorable Moment in Television History,[citation needed] and is credited with boosting the NBA's popularity surge and eventual rise to near the top of the United States television sports market,[citation needed] trailing only football by the mid-90s.[citation needed
]
The 1986 playoffs marked the third time in four years that the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but it would be their last appearance in the series until 2001. The Celtics avenged their 1983 sweep by sweeping the Bucks in four games.
As for the Philadelphia 76ers, this was the last time they would play in a Game 7 until 2001. After their first round loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons would advance past the first round in each of the next five seasons (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991), which include all appearances in the conference finals, three NBA Finals, and two championships.
After moving from Kansas City, where the franchise played its previous thirteen seasons, the Sacramento Kings made their first postseason appearance in their first season in its new city.
Bracket
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Atlanta | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Atlanta | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Detroit | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Milwaukee* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Philadelphia | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Washington | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Philadelphia | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Milwaukee* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Milwaukee* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | New Jersey | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | San Antonio | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Dallas | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Dallas | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Utah | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Denver | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Portland | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Denver | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Sacramento | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
First round
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
April 17
|
| Chicago Bulls 104, Boston Celtics 123 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–27, 24–34, 25–33, 20–29 | ||
| 4 each | Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: McHale, Parish 10 each Asts: Larry Bird 8 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 20
|
| Chicago Bulls 131, Boston Celtics 135 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–25, 25–26, 33–37, 25–28, Overtime: 9–9, 6–10 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: McHale, Walton 15 each Asts: Bird, Johnson 8 each | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton, Jack Nies |
- Michael Jordan hits the game-tying free throws with no time left in regulation to force the first OT; Danny Ainge hits the game-tying lay-up with 12 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT.
- Michael Jordan's 63 points scored is an NBA playoff record, this was George Gervin's final NBA game.
April 22
|
| Boston Celtics 122, Chicago Bulls 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–23, 33–29, 33–19, 23–33 | ||
| 8 | Pts: John Paxson 23 Rebs: Dave Corzine 15 Asts: Michael Jordan 9 | |
| Boston wins series, 3–0 | ||
| Boston won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
| Boston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (7) New Jersey Nets
April 18
|
New Jersey Nets 107, Milwaukee Bucks 119
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–34, 29–24, 26–28, 23–33 | ||
| 7 each | Pts: Craig Hodges 25 Rebs: Alton Lister 10 Asts: Paul Pressey 10 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 20
|
New Jersey Nets 97, Milwaukee Bucks 111
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 23–23, 25–36, 26–26 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Terry Cummings 28 Rebs: Terry Cummings 7 Asts: Paul Pressey 7 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 22
|
New Jersey Nets 113
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–36, 31–37, 36–22, 27–18 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Otis Birdsong 28 Rebs: Buck Williams 10 Asts: Kelvin Ransey 4 | |
| Milwaukee wins series, 3–0 | ||
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 7,784 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton, Dick Bavetta |
| Milwaukee won 4–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.
| Milwaukee leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Washington Bullets
April 18
|
Washington Bullets 95, Philadelphia 76ers 94
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 19–23, 24–25, 27–24 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Charles Barkley 26 Rebs: Charles Barkley 22 Asts: Charles Barkley 9 | |
| Washington leads series, 1–0 | ||
- Dudley Bradley hits the game-winning 3 capping off a rally from 17 points down.
April 20
|
Washington Bullets 97, Philadelphia 76ers 102
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 23–27, 30–26, 18–27 | ||
| 12 | Pts: Charles Barkley 27 Rebs: Charles Barkley 20 Asts: Charles Barkley 6 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 22
|
Washington Bullets 86
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 18–26, 22–18, 25–15 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Gus Williams 28 Rebs: Bol, Roundfield 10 each Asts: Williams, Roundfield 4 each | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 | ||
April 24
|
Washington Bullets 116
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–27, 27–33, 26–31, 27–25 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Cliff Robinson 31 Rebs: Manute Bol 12 Asts: Jeff Ruland 5 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
April 27
|
Washington Bullets 109, Philadelphia 76ers 134
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–40, 30–30, 33–27, 24–37 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Terry Catledge 27 Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Charles Barkley 12 | |
| Philadelphia wins series, 3–2 | ||
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two of the first four meetings.
| Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Detroit Pistons
April 17
|
| Detroit Pistons 122, Atlanta Hawks 140 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–30, 27–41, 29–32, 32–37 | ||
| 16 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 28 Rebs: Rollins, Levingston 8 each Asts: Doc Rivers 16 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 | ||
Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,538 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta |
April 19
|
| Detroit Pistons 125, Atlanta Hawks 137 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–29, 32–39, 30–33, 29–36 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Randy Wittman 35 Rebs: Tree Rollins 14 Asts: Spud Webb 18 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–0 | ||
Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,964 Referees: Ed Rush, Walter Rooney, Jim Capers |
April 22
|
| Atlanta Hawks 97, Detroit Pistons 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–33, 23–25, 21–26, 29–22 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Kelly Tripucka 33 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 14 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–1 | ||
April 25
|
| Atlanta Hawks 114, Detroit Pistons 113 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 24–18, 24–26, 19–20, Overtime: 11–11, 11–10 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 30 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 | |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–1 | ||
| Atlanta won 4–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning two of the first three meetings while in St. Louis.
| Atlanta/ St. Louis leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference first round
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) San Antonio Spurs
April 17
|
| San Antonio Spurs 88, Los Angeles Lakers 135 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–33, 22–34, 31–30, 12–38 | ||
| 10 | Pts: Byron Scott 24 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 18 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
April 19
|
| San Antonio Spurs 94, Los Angeles Lakers 122 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 21–26, 18–33, 27–36 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Magic Johnson 30 Rebs: Abdul-Jabbar, Lucas 10 each Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
April 23
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 114, San Antonio Spurs 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 29–28, 28–15, 30–31 | ||
| 17 | Pts: Wes Matthews 30 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 11 Asts: Wes Matthews 8 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 | ||
San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 7,918 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
| Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Sacramento Kings
April 17
|
| Sacramento Kings 87, Houston Rockets 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 15–24, 25–26, 25–26 | ||
| 4 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 29 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 15 Asts: Rodney McCray 7 | |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,101 Referees: Hugh Evans, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
April 19
|
| Sacramento Kings 103, Houston Rockets 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 23–22, 26–30, 33–25 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Robert Reid 29 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 8 Asts: Reid, Sampson 6 each | |
| Houston leads series, 2–0 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey |
April 22
|
| Houston Rockets 113, Sacramento Kings 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 32–25, 32–22, 26–25 | ||
| 7 each | Pts: Eddie Johnson 33 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Reggie Theus 8 | |
| Houston wins series, 3–0 | ||
| Houston won 4–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.
| Houston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers
April 18
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 126, Denver Nuggets 133 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 34–38, 33–36, 31–31 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Calvin Natt 40 Rebs: Danny Schayes 11 Asts: English, Lever 9 each | |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 20
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 108, Denver Nuggets 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–25, 18–21, 26–30, 28–30 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Alex English 24 Rebs: Blair Rasmussen 9 Asts: Alex English 10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 22
|
| Denver Nuggets 115, Portland Trail Blazers 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 26–22, 32–21, 34–33 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 24 Rebs: Kenny Carr 15 Asts: Clyde Drexler 7 | |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 | ||
April 24
|
| Denver Nuggets 116, Portland Trail Blazers 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–33, 28–30, 37–30, 27–19 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 18 Rebs: Kenny Carr 18 Asts: Steve Colter 8 | |
| Denver wins series, 3–1 | ||
| Denver won 3–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first meeting.
| Portland leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Utah Jazz
April 18
|
| Utah Jazz 93, Dallas Mavericks 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 30–34, 24–25, 14–16 | ||
| 12 | Pts: Rolando Blackman 25 Rebs: Sam Perkins 15 Asts: Derek Harper 7 | |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 20
|
| Utah Jazz 106, Dallas Mavericks 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 29–32, 28–27, 21–23 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 27 Rebs: Sam Perkins 10 Asts: Aguirre, Harper 5 each | |
| Dallas leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 23
|
| Dallas Mavericks 98, Utah Jazz 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 24–22, 31–25, 20–24 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Rickey Green 32 Rebs: Thurl Bailey 14 Asts: Rickey Green 8 | |
| Dallas leads series, 2–1 | ||
April 25
|
| Dallas Mavericks 117, Utah Jazz 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 31–25, 29–26, 33–33 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Thurl Bailey 24 Rebs: Mark Eaton 12 Asts: Rickey Green 10 | |
| Dallas wins series, 3–1 | ||
| Dallas won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Jazz.[8]
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
April 27
|
| Atlanta Hawks 91, Boston Celtics 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 23–22, 17–34, 28–17 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Kevin McHale 24 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 29
|
| Atlanta Hawks 108, Boston Celtics 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–36, 20–29, 31–29, 26–25 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: Kevin McHale 9 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 2
|
| Boston Celtics 111, Atlanta Hawks 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–31, 30–29, 24–27, 23–20 | ||
| 12 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 38 Rebs: Kevin Willis 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 14 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–0 | ||
Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,357 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Crawford, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
May 4
|
| Boston Celtics 94, Atlanta Hawks 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 27–21, 23–29, 20–27 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 37 Rebs: Tree Rollins 16 Asts: Spud Webb 12 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 | ||
Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,357 Referees: Darrell Garretson, Paul Mihalak |
May 6
|
| Atlanta Hawks 99, Boston Celtics 132 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–32, 28–34, 6–36, 38–30 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 | |
| Boston wins series, 4–1 | ||
- Hawks only scored 1 field goal in the third quarter.
| Boston won 6–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning six of the first seven meetings.
| Boston leads 6–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
April 29
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 118, Milwaukee Bucks 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 24–33, 35–28, 30–19 | ||
| 7 each | Pts: Terry Cummings 23 Rebs: Terry Cummings 7 Asts: Paul Pressey 13 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 1
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 107, Milwaukee Bucks 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 32–31, 21–30, 31–28 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Terry Cummings 30 Rebs: Terry Cummings 15 Asts: Paul Pressey 7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
May 3
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 103, Philadelphia 76ers 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–18, 20–35, 26–26, 30–28 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Charles Barkley 29 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 10 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 5
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 109, Philadelphia 76ers 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 33–33, 24–20, 25–24 | ||
| : three players 4 each | Pts: Charles Barkley 37 Rebs: Charles Barkley 14 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 10 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
May 7
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 108, Milwaukee Bucks 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 28–27, 30–26, 24–27 | ||
| 5 each | Pts: Pressey, Cummings 23 each Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 16 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 3–2 | ||
May 9
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 108, Philadelphia 76ers 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–35, 26–27, 21–32, 33–32 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Jones, Barkley 23 each Rebs: Charles Barkley 21 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 13 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
May 11
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 112, Milwaukee Bucks 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–30, 26–33, 28–27, 26–23 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Terry Cummings 27 Rebs: Terry Cummings 8 Asts: Paul Pressey 15 | |
| Milwaukee wins series, 4–3 | ||
- NBAgame.
| Milwaukee won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first five meetings.
| Philadelphia leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks
April 27
|
| Dallas Mavericks 116, Los Angeles Lakers 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–30, 31–36, 32–29, 36–35 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
April 30
|
| Dallas Mavericks 113, Los Angeles Lakers 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 33–29, 24–28, 26–33 | ||
| 16 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
May 2
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 108, Dallas Mavericks 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 32–24, 28–31, 25–29 | ||
| 14 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 27 Rebs: James Donaldson 14 Asts: Mark Aguirre 8 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
- Derek Harper redeemed himself from his 1984 mistake by hitting the game-winning 3 with 3 seconds left.
May 4
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 118, Dallas Mavericks 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–45, 25–22, 29–31, 31–22 | ||
| 14 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 39 Rebs: James Donaldson 11 Asts: Derek Harper 11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
May 6
|
| Dallas Mavericks 113, Los Angeles Lakers 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 26–25, 28–30, 34–32 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 34 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 | ||
May 8
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 120, Dallas Mavericks 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–28, 36–23, 19–30, 32–26 | ||
| 17 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: James Donaldson 18 Asts: Rolando Blackman 8 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 | ||
| Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
| Los Angeles leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (3) Denver Nuggets
April 26
|
| Denver Nuggets 119, Houston Rockets 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–32, 29–23, 30–39, 28–32 | ||
| 9 each | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 38 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Asts: Robert Reid 9 | |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,448 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton |
April 29
|
| Denver Nuggets 101, Houston Rockets 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 21–27, 28–35, 30–31 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Ralph Sampson 27 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Asts: Rodney McCray 10 | |
| Houston leads series, 2–0 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jess Kersey |
May 2
|
| Houston Rockets 115, Denver Nuggets 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 29–33, 29–34, 28–19 | ||
| 8 each | Pts: Alex English 33 Rebs: Danny Schayes 8 Asts: Alex English 5 | |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 4
|
| Houston Rockets 111, Denver Nuggets 114 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–27, 19–24, 29–23, 24–30, Overtime: 7–10 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Alex English 28 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 9 Asts: Turner, Hanzlik 5 each | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
May 6
|
| Denver Nuggets 103, Houston Rockets 131 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 20–40, 38–32, 19–27 | ||
| 4 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 36 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 19 Asts: Robert Reid 12 | |
| Houston leads series, 3–2 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Darell Garretson, Lee Jones |
May 8
|
| Houston Rockets 126, Denver Nuggets 122 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–33, 25–24, 31–24, 31–27, Overtime: 8–8, 10–6 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Alex English 42 Rebs: Danny Schayes 14 Asts: Fat Lever 7 | |
| Houston wins series, 4–2 | ||
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Rockets.[12]
Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Milwaukee Bucks
May 13
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 96, Boston Celtics 128 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 12–29, 26–31, 30–33, 28–35 | ||
| : three players 3 each | Pts: Larry Bird 26 Rebs: Danny Ainge 10 Asts: Jerry Sichting 8 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 15
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 111, Boston Celtics 122 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–36, 26–27, 25–26, 31–33 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Larry Bird 26 Rebs: Robert Parish 9 Asts: Larry Bird 9 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 17
|
| Boston Celtics 111, Milwaukee Bucks 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–35, 21–25, 29–27, 29–20 | ||
| 13 | Pts: Terry Cummings 27 Rebs: Terry Cummings 18 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–0 | ||
May 18
|
| Boston Celtics 111, Milwaukee Bucks 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 37–30, 17–24, 32–16 | ||
| 5 each | Pts: Sidney Moncrief 27 Rebs: Alton Lister 12 Asts: Sidney Moncrief 8 | |
| Boston wins series, 4–0 | ||
| Boston won 5–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning two of the first three meetings.
| Boston leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference finals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Houston Rockets
May 10
|
| Houston Rockets 107, Los Angeles Lakers 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–34, 26–30, 24–30, 25–25 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31 Rebs: Johnson, Lucas 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson 18 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
May 13
|
| Houston Rockets 112, Los Angeles Lakers 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 36–28, 33–24, 25–25 | ||
| 11 | Pts: Magic Johnson 24 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
May 16
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 109, Houston Rockets 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–37, 21–23, 32–30, 18–27 | ||
| 20 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 40 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 12 Asts: Robert Reid 12 | |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Jack Madden, Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis |
May 18
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 95, Houston Rockets 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 24–18, 26–30, 16–25 | ||
| 11 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 35 Rebs: Jim Petersen 13 Asts: Rodney McCray 6 | |
| Houston leads series, 3–1 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Darell Garretson, Mike Mathis, Lee Jones |
May 21
|
| Houston Rockets 114, Los Angeles Lakers 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–35, 31–26, 31–26, 29–25 | ||
| 11 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | |
| Houston wins series, 4–1 | ||
- Ralph Sampson hits the famous off-balanced series winner at the buzzer; Hakeem Olajuwon was ejected in the fourth quarter for fighting Lakers forward Mitch Kupchak.
| Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.
| Houston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W2) Houston Rockets
May 26
|
| Houston Rockets 100, Boston Celtics 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–34, 31–27, 17–30, 24–21 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Robert Parish 23 Rebs: Dennis Johnson 11 Asts: Larry Bird 13 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 29
|
| Houston Rockets 95, Boston Celtics 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 20–29, 19–34, 26–23 | ||
| 5 each | Pts: Larry Bird 31 Rebs: Larry Bird 8 Asts: Larry Bird 7 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
June 1
|
| Boston Celtics 104, Houston Rockets 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–33, 30–29, 25–18, 20–26 | ||
| 11 | Pts: Ralph Sampson 24 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 22 Asts: Robert Reid 9 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jake O'Donnell |
June 3
|
| Boston Celtics 106, Houston Rockets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–30, 33–34, 23–21, 20–18 | ||
| 10 | Pts: Ralph Sampson 25 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Asts: Ralph Sampson 9 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Darell Garretson, Earl Strom |
June 5
|
| Boston Celtics 96, Houston Rockets 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 19–32, 18–28, 31–25 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 32 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Asts: Robert Reid 17 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–2 | ||
Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Hugh Evans, Jack Madden |
June 8
|
| Houston Rockets 97, Boston Celtics 114 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 15–26, 23–27, 36–32 | ||
| 5 each | Pts: Larry Bird 29 Rebs: Larry Bird 11 Asts: Larry Bird 12 | |
| Boston wins series, 4–2 | ||
| Boston won 2–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.
| Boston leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Statistical leaders
| Category | Game High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
Points
|
Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 63 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 43.7 | 3 |
| Rebounds | Ralph Sampson Charles Barkley |
Houston Rockets Philadelphia 76ers |
22 | Charles Barkley | Philadelphia 76ers | 15.8 | 12 |
| Assists | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 20 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 15.1 | 14 |
| Steals | Craig Hodges | Milwaukee Bucks | 8 | Artis Gilmore Michael Jordan Alvin Robertson |
San Antonio Spurs Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs |
2.3 | 3 |
| Blocks | Manute Bol | Washington Bullets | 9 | Manute Bol | Washington Bullets | 5.8 | 5 |
See also
- NBA records
References
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Chicago Bulls (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Philadelphia 76ers versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Houston Rockets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Houston Rockets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2015.