1986 NBA Playoffs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won their 16th (and as of 2007, most recent) NBA championship. Larry Bird was awarded his second NBA Finals MVP trophy. The Rockets made the NBA Finals when Ralph Sampson made an off balance jumper at the buzzer against the Lakers at the Great Western Forum in G5 of the Western Finals.

This was the second NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Rockets; the teams also met in the 1981 series, with the same result. It was the third of four consecutive Eastern Conference championships for the Celtics, who won an impressive 67 games that year, and lost just one game in the regular season at home out of 41 played. The Rockets, meanwhile had won just their second conference title in franchise history.

Second-year player Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls put on an ageless performance in game two of the Bulls' first-round series against the Celtics, scoring 63 points in an overtime loss, which still stands as the All-Time NBA Playoffs Record. Jordan averaged 43.7 points per game in the series, but was unable to prevent the Bulls from being swept by a more experienced, more talented Celtics team considered by many among the greatest of all-time. 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.

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.

[edit] Bracket

  First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
                                     
1  L.A. Lakers 3  
8  San Antonio 0  
  1  L.A. Lakers 4  
 
  4  Dallas 2  
4  Dallas 3
5  Utah 1  
  1  L.A. Lakers 1  
Western Conference
  2  Houston 4  
3  Denver 3  
6  Portland 1  
  3  Denver 2
 
  2  Houston 4  
2  Houston 3
7  Sacramento 0  
  W2  Houston 2
  E1  Boston 4
1  Boston 3  
8  Chicago 0  
  1  Boston 4
 
  4  Atlanta 1  
4  Atlanta 3
5  Detroit 1  
  1  Boston 4
Eastern Conference
  2  Milwaukee 0  
3  Philadelphia 3  
6  Washington 2  
  3  Philadelphia 3
 
  2  Milwaukee 4  
2  Milwaukee 3
7  New Jersey 0  

[edit] External links

Languages