1985 NBA Playoffs

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The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984-85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time (he had won the award under his birth name, Lew Alcindor, as a Buck in 1971).

The Lakers had been unsuccessful in their previous eight attempts to defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals, losing 7 times from 1959–1969 and 1984. The Lakers, moreover, won the title in Boston, something no other NBA team has ever accomplished.

The Cavaliers made the playoffs for the first time since 1978.

It was also the first time that all three teams from Texas made the playoffs in the same year.

The Denver Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1978 and would not advance again until 2009. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, advanced to the conference finals for the fifth time in six years, but would not reach that level again until 2001.

Bracket

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
1 L.A. Lakers 3
8 Phoenix 0
1 L.A. Lakers 4
5 Portland 1
4 Dallas 1
5 Portland 3
1 L.A. Lakers 4
Western Conference
2 Denver 1
3 Houston 2
6 Utah 3
6 Utah 1
2 Denver 4
2 Denver 3
7 San Antonio 2
W1 L.A. Lakers 4
E1 Boston 2
1 Boston 3
8 Cleveland 1
1 Boston 4
4 Detroit 2
4 Detroit 3
5 New Jersey 0
1 Boston 4
Eastern Conference
3 Philadelphia 1
3 Philadelphia 3
6 Washington 1
3 Philadelphia 4
2 Milwaukee 0
2 Milwaukee 3
7 Chicago 1

Western Conference

Champion: Los Angeles Lakers

1st Round

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Phoenix Suns: Lakers win series 3-0

Last Playoff Meeting: 1984 Western Conference Finals (Los Angeles won 4-2)

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs: Nuggets win series 3-2

Last Playoff Meeting: 1983 Western Conference Semifinals (San Antonio won 4-1)

(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Utah Jazz: Jazz win series 3-2

  • Game 1 @ The Summit, Houston (April 19): Utah 115, Houston 101
  • Game 2 @ The Summit, Houston (April 21): Houston 122, Utah 96
  • Game 3 @ Salt Palace, Salt Lake City (April 24): Utah 112, Houston 104
  • Game 4 @ Salt Palace, Salt Lake City (April 26): Houston 96, Utah 94
  • Game 5 @ The Summit, Houston (April 28): Utah 104, Houston 97

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Jazz and Rockets.

(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers: Trail Blazers win series 3-1

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Mavericks and Trail Blazers.

Conference Semifinals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers: Lakers win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 27): Los Angeles 125, Portland 101
  • Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 30): Los Angeles 134, Portland 118
  • Game 3 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (May 3): Los Angeles 130, Portland 126
  • Game 4 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (May 5): Portland 115, Los Angeles 107
  • Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 7): Los Angeles 139, Portland 120

Last Playoff Meeting: 1983 Western Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles won 4-1)

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Utah Jazz: Nuggets win series 4-1

Last Playoff Meeting: 1984 Western Conference First Round (Utah won 3-2)

Conference Finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets: Lakers win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 11): Los Angeles 139, Denver 122
  • Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 14): Denver 136 , Los Angeles 114
  • Game 3 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (May 17): Los Angeles 136, Denver 118
  • Game 4 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (May 19): Los Angeles 120, Denver 116
  • Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 22): Los Angeles 153, Denver 109

Last Playoff Meeting: 1979 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 2-1)

Eastern Conference

Champion: Boston Celtics

1st Round

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Cleveland Cavaliers: Celtics win series 3-1

  • Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 18): Boston 126, Cleveland 123
  • Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 20): Boston 108, Cleveland 106
  • Game 3 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (April 23): Cleveland 105, Boston 98
  • Game 4 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (April 25): Boston 117, Cleveland 115

Last Playoff Meeting: 1976 Eastern Conference Finals (Boston won 4-2)

(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (7) Chicago Bulls: Bucks win series 3-1

  • Game 1 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 19): Milwaukee 109, Chicago 101
  • Game 2 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 21): Milwaukee 122, Chicago 115
  • Game 3 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (April 24): Chicago 109, Milwaukee 107 (Michael Jordan hits his first playoff game-winner with 22 seconds left)
  • Game 4 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (April 26): Milwaukee 105, Chicago 97

Last Playoff Meeting: 1974 Western Conference Finals (Milwaukee won 4-0)

(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Washington Bullets: 76ers win series 3-1

  • Game 1 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (April 17): Philadelphia 104, Washington 97
  • Game 2 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (April 21): Philadelphia 113, Washington 94
  • Game 3 @ Capital Centre, Landover (April 24): Washington 118, Philadelphia 100
  • Game 4 @ Capital Centre, Landover (April 26): Philadelphia 106, Washington 98

Last Playoff Meeting: 1980 Eastern Conference First Round (Philadelphia won 2-0)

(4) Detroit Pistons vs. (5) New Jersey Nets: Pistons win series 3-0

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Pistons and Nets.

Conference Semifinals

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Detroit Pistons: Celtics win series 4-2

Last Playoff Meeting: 1968 Eastern Division Semifinals (Boston won 4-2)

(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: 76ers win series 4-0

  • Game 1 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 28): Philadelphia 127, Milwaukee 105
  • Game 2 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 30): Philadelphia 112, Milwaukee 108
  • Game 3 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 3): Philadelphia 109, Milwaukee 104
  • Game 4 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 5): Philadelphia 121, Milwaukee 112

Last Playoff Meeting: 1983 Eastern Conference Finals (Philadelphia won 4-1)

Conference Finals

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: Celtics win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 12): Boston 108, Philadelphia 93
  • Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 14): Boston 106, Philadelphia 98
  • Game 3 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 18): Boston 105, Philadelphia 94
  • Game 4 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 19): Philadelphia 115, Boston 104
  • Game 5 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 22): Boston 102, Philadelphia 100

Last Playoff Meeting: 1982 Eastern Conference Finals (Philadelphia won 4-3)

NBA Finals

Main article: 1985 NBA Finals

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers win series 4-2

  • Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 27): Boston 148, Los Angeles 114 (Memorial Day Massacre)
  • Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 30): Los Angeles 109, Boston 102
  • Game 3 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (June 2): Los Angeles 136, Boston 111
  • Game 4 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (June 5): Boston 107, Los Angeles 105 (Dennis Johnson hits the game-winner at the buzzer)
  • Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (June 7): Los Angeles 120, Boston 111
  • Game 6 @ Boston Garden, Boston (June 9): Los Angeles 111, Boston 100 (The Lakers become the first road team to win the NBA title in Boston Garden)

Last Playoff Meeting: 1984 NBA Finals (Boston won 4-3)

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