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1984 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 17–June 12, 1984
Season1983–84
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsBoston Celtics (15th title)
Runner-upLos Angeles Lakers
Semifinalists
← 1983
1985 →

The 1984 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983–84 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP.

This was the first postseason allowing 16 teams to qualify, a format still in use. The first round format was also changed from best-of-3 to best-of 5.

It was the first NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Lakers since 1969; they met 7 times in the Finals from 1959 to 1969, with Boston coming out on top each year. Going into the 1984 playoffs, the Lakers had already won 2 titles in the 1980s and the Celtics 1, making the revival of the Celtics–Lakers rivalry arguably inevitable and certainly highly anticipated.

Two teams made their playoff debuts and won their first playoff series: the Utah Jazz (who joined the NBA for the 1974–75 season as the New Orleans Jazz) and Dallas Mavericks, a 1980 expansion team. The Jazz did not miss the playoffs again until 2004.

The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs for the first time since 1977, starting a string of nine consecutive appearances that included five straight Conference Finals appearances (1987–1991), three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (1988, 1989, and 1990) and two NBA Championships. They did not miss the playoffs again until 1993.

The New Jersey Nets won a playoff series for the first time in their NBA history, upsetting the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in 5. This was also the only time the road team won every game in a five-game playoff series. The Nets would not win a playoff series again until 2002.

This was the final postseason appearance for the Kansas City Kings, as the team moved to Sacramento, California two seasons later. Kemper Arena hosted its final NBA playoff game.

The Kingdome also hosted its final NBA playoff game, as the Seattle SuperSonics moved back full-time to the Seattle Center Coliseum two years later. However, the Kingdome continued to host Sonics regular season games on occasion until 1994.

The 1984 playoffs also involved two of the hottest games in NBA history. Game 5 of the First Round between the Knicks and Pistons was played at Joe Louis Arena, as the Pontiac Silverdome was unavailable, with temperatures reaching as high as 120°. Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers at Boston Garden reached temperatures as high as 100°, as the Garden lacked air-conditioning, coupled with the sweltering outdoors conditions in Boston.

This is the last postseason of using the 2-2-1-1-1 format of the NBA Finals until 2014; the 1985 NBA Finals was changed to the 2-3-2 format the next season.

Bracket

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Boston* 3
E8 Washington 1
E1 Boston* 4
E5 New York 3
E4 Detroit 2
E5 New York 3
E1 Boston* 4
Eastern Conference
E2 Milwaukee* 1
E3 Philadelphia 2
E6 New Jersey 3
E6 New Jersey 2
E2 Milwaukee* 4
E2 Milwaukee* 3
E7 Atlanta 2
E1 Boston* 4
W1 Los Angeles* 3
W1 Los Angeles* 3
W8 Kansas City 0
W1 Los Angeles* 4
W4 Dallas 1
W4 Dallas 3
W5 Seattle 2
W1 Los Angeles* 4
Western Conference
W6 Phoenix 2
W3 Portland 2
W6 Phoenix 3
W6 Phoenix 4
W2 Utah* 2
W2 Utah* 3
W7 Denver 2
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

First round

Eastern Conference first round

April 17
Washington Bullets 83, Boston Celtics 91
Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 12–19, 20–22, 24–23
Pts: Ricky Sobers 24
Rebs: Rick Mahorn 14
Asts: Jeff Ruland 10
Pts: Larry Bird 23
Rebs: Robert Parish 14
Asts: Larry Bird 12
Boston leads series, 1–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
April 19
Washington Bullets 85, Boston Celtics 88
Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 18–30, 21–20, 17–19
Pts: Greg Ballard 20
Rebs: Jeff Ruland 10
Asts: Jeff Ruland 8
Pts: Larry Bird 23
Rebs: Larry Bird 12
Asts: Larry Bird 6
Boston leads series, 2–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
April 21
Boston Celtics 108, Washington Bullets 111 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 22–24, 17–29, 32–21, Overtime: 10–13
Pts: Larry Bird 27
Rebs: Robert Parish 16
Asts: Bird, Johnson 6 each
Pts: Jeff Ruland 33
Rebs: Rick Mahorn 15
Asts: Ricky Sobers 11
Boston leads series, 2–1
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
Attendance: 8,359
Referees: Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton
  • Robert Parish hits the game-tying jumper with 21 seconds left to force OT.
April 24
Boston Celtics 99, Washington Bullets 96
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 31–17, 18–24, 29–31
Pts: Robert Parish 20
Rebs: Robert Parish 12
Asts: Larry Bird 7
Pts: Jeff Ruland 30
Rebs: Jeff Ruland 15
Asts: Jeff Ruland 8
Boston wins series, 3–1
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
Attendance: 13,853
Referees: John Vanak, Hue Hollins, Wally Rooney (alternate)

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

April 17
Atlanta Hawks 89, Milwaukee Bucks 105
Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 16–25, 21–30, 28–20
Pts: Dan Roundfield 21
Rebs: Dan Roundfield 10
Asts: Johnny Davis 7
Pts: Sidney Moncrief 19
Rebs: Paul Mokeski 9
Asts: Sidney Moncrief 6
Milwaukee leads series, 1–0
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 10,107
April 19
Atlanta Hawks 87, Milwaukee Bucks 101
Scoring by quarter: 14–24, 27–29, 26–24, 20–24
Pts: Dominique Wilkins 22
Rebs: Roundfield, Rollins 7 each
Asts: Eddie Johnson 8
Pts: Marques Johnson 27
Rebs: Alton Lister 10
Asts: Sidney Moncrief 7
Milwaukee leads series, 2–0
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052
April 21
Milwaukee Bucks 94, Atlanta Hawks 103
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 26–22, 19–31, 25–25
Pts: Marques Johnson 28
Rebs: M. Johnson, Lanier 10 each
Asts: three players 3 each
Pts: Dan Roundfield 25
Rebs: Roundfield, Brown 7 each
Asts: Eddie Johnson 7
Milwaukee leads series, 2–1
April 24
Milwaukee Bucks 97, Atlanta Hawks 100
Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 23–24, 30–23, 22–26
Pts: Junior Bridgeman 20
Rebs: Sidney Moncrief 13
Asts: Mike Dunleavy 6
Pts: Wilkins, Rivers 19 each
Rebs: Dan Roundfield 13
Asts: Johnny Davis 6
Series tied, 2–2
April 26
Atlanta Hawks 89, Milwaukee Bucks 118
Scoring by quarter: 18–22, 21–32, 23–31, 27–33
Pts: Doc Rivers 21
Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 13
Asts: Doc Rivers 6
Pts: Sidney Moncrief 20
Rebs: Bob Lanier 11
Asts: Sidney Moncrief 8
Milwaukee wins series, 3–2
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052

This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Bucks.[2]

April 18
New Jersey Nets 116, Philadelphia 76ers 101
Scoring by quarter: 39–29, 25–27, 22–19, 30–26
Pts: Buck Williams 25
Rebs: Buck Williams 16
Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 9
Pts: Andrew Toney 24
Rebs: Moses Malone 11
Asts: Julius Erving 8
New Jersey leads series, 1–0
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 12,511
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans
April 20
New Jersey Nets 116, Philadelphia 76ers 102
Scoring by quarter: 32–29, 35–21, 22–23, 27–29
Pts: Micheal Ray Richardson 32
Rebs: Buck Williams 9
Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 9
Pts: Moses Malone 25
Rebs: Moses Malone 12
Asts: Toney, Richardson 4 each
New Jersey leads series, 2–0
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 14,025
Referees: John Vanak, Hue Hollins
April 22
Philadelphia 76ers 108, New Jersey Nets 100
Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 26–24, 27–23, 30–24
Pts: Julius Erving 27
Rebs: Moses Malone 17
Asts: Erving, Cheeks 5 each
Pts: Buck Williams 21
Rebs: Buck Williams 17
Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 11
New Jersey leads series, 2–1
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 12,399
Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Lee Jones
April 24
Philadelphia 76ers 110, New Jersey Nets 102
Scoring by quarter: 34–22, 18–22, 28–25, 30–33
Pts: Malone, Erving 22 each
Rebs: Moses Malone 15
Asts: Julius Erving 8
Pts: Albert King 20
Rebs: Buck Williams 18
Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 8
Series tied, 2–2
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,149
Referees: Darell Garretson, Mike Mathis
April 26
New Jersey Nets 101, Philadelphia 76ers 98
Scoring by quarter: 31–25, 19–28, 26–23, 25–22
Pts: Richardson, Birdsong 24 each
Rebs: Buck Williams 16
Asts: Richardson, Birdsong 6 each
Pts: Andrew Toney 22
Rebs: Moses Malone 14
Asts: Maurice Cheeks 7
New Jersey wins series, 3–2
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 17,921
Referees: Jack Madden, Jess Kersey

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first meeting.

April 17
New York Knicks 94, Detroit Pistons 93
Scoring by quarter: 17–31, 23–22, 24–23, 30–17
Pts: Bernard King 36
Rebs: Bill Cartwright 11
Asts: Darrell Walker 7
Pts: Kelly Tripucka 26
Rebs: Kent Benson 14
Asts: Isiah Thomas 9
New York leads series, 1–0
April 19
New York Knicks 105, Detroit Pistons 113
Scoring by quarter: 33–38, 30–30, 21–24, 21–21
Pts: Bernard King 46
Rebs: Truck Robinson 11
Asts: Ray Williams 9
Pts: Bill Laimbeer 31
Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 15
Asts: Isiah Thomas 13
Series tied, 1–1
April 22
Detroit Pistons 113, New York Knicks 120
Scoring by quarter: 16–26, 20–28, 36–32, 41–34
Pts: Kelly Tripucka 40
Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 10
Asts: Isiah Thomas 5
Pts: Bernard King 46
Rebs: Bernard King 10
Asts: Rory Sparrow 10
New York leads series, 2–1
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 16,354
Referees: Jess Kersey, Hue Hollins, Dick Bavetta (alternate)
April 25
Detroit Pistons 119, New York Knicks 112
Scoring by quarter: 35-34, 30–33, 24–21, 30–24
Pts: Isiah Thomas 22
Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 10
Asts: Isiah Thomas 16
Pts: Bernard King 41
Rebs: Truck Robinson 12
Asts: Rory Sparrow 10
Series tied, 2–2
April 27
New York Knicks 127, Detroit Pistons 123 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 31–36, 28–25, 26–18, 29–35Overtime: 13–9
Pts: Bernard King 44
Rebs: Bernard King 12
Asts: Ray Williams 12
Pts: Isiah Thomas 35
Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 17
Asts: Isiah Thomas 12
New York wins series, 3–2
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 21,208
Referees: Darell Garretson, Earl Strom, Ed Middleton (alternate)
  • Bernard King/Isiah Thomas Duel. King put up 44 points while having the flu and both middle fingers dislocated, while Thomas scored 16 points in the last 93 seconds of regulation to force OT.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Knicks.[4]

Western Conference first round

April 18
Kansas City Kings 105, Los Angeles Lakers 116
Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 18–27, 20–32, 41–27
Pts: Eddie Johnson 25
Rebs: LaSalle Thompson 7
Asts: Larry Drew 7
Pts: Magic Johnson 26
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: Magic Johnson 11
Los Angeles leads series, 1–0
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 13,918
April 20
Kansas City Kings 102, Los Angeles Lakers 109
Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 18–26, 32–25, 29–28
Pts: LaSalle Thompson 23
Rebs: LaSalle Thompson 14
Asts: Reggie Theus 6
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11
Asts: Magic Johnson 11
Los Angeles leads series, 2–0
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 14,986
April 22
Los Angeles Lakers 108, Kansas City Kings 102
Scoring by quarter: 35–24, 24–19, 25–29, 24–30
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23
Rebs: M. Johnson, Worthy 10 each
Asts: Magic Johnson 13
Pts: Theus, Woodson 22 each
Rebs: Larry Micheaux 10
Asts: Reggie Theus 7
Los Angeles wins series, 3–0

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first six meetings. All previous series took place while the Lakers franchise were in Minneapolis and the Royals/Kings franchise in Rochester.

April 17
Denver Nuggets 121, Utah Jazz 123
Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 28–28, 28–41, 38–25
Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 33
Rebs: Dan Issel 10
Asts: Rob Williams 8
Pts: Adrian Dantley 30
Rebs: Adrian Dantley 9
Asts: Rickey Green 12
Utah leads series, 1–0
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 10,255
Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Lee Jones
April 19
Denver Nuggets 132, Utah Jazz 116
Scoring by quarter: 38–29, 32–32, 32–26, 30–29
Pts: Dan Issel 33
Rebs: T. R. Dunn 10
Asts: Rob Williams 5
Pts: Adrian Dantley 27
Rebs: Dantley, Wilkins 6 each
Asts: Rickey Green 6
Series tied, 1–1
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 12,413
Referees: Jess Kersey, Tommy Nunez
April 22
Utah Jazz 117, Denver Nuggets 121
Scoring by quarter: 36–25, 28–35, 24–30, 29–31
Pts: Adrian Dantley 29
Rebs: Thurl Bailey 11
Asts: Rickey Green 12
Pts: Alex English 29
Rebs: T. R. Dunn 10
Asts: Alex English 6
Denver leads series, 2–1
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 14,681
Referees: Paul Mihalak, Joe Crawford, Tommy Nunez (alternate)
April 24
Utah Jazz 129, Denver Nuggets 124
Scoring by quarter: 35–34, 36–37, 26–29, 32–24
Pts: Adrian Dantley 39
Rebs: Adrian Dantley 8
Asts: Adrian Dantley 7
Pts: Dan Issel 32
Rebs: Alex English 10
Asts: Alex English 6
Series tied, 2–2
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 16,108
Referees: Hugh Evans, Bill Oakes, Bruce Alexander (alternate)
April 26
Denver Nuggets 111, Utah Jazz 127
Scoring by quarter: 27–41, 31–31, 29–31, 24–34
Pts: Dan Issel 25
Rebs: Alex English 11
Asts: Alex English 9
Pts: Adrian Dantley 30
Rebs: Adrian Dantley 12
Asts: Rickey Green 16
Utah wins series, 3–2
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 12,731
Referees: Earl Strom, Ed Middleton

This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Jazz.[6]

April 18
Phoenix Suns 113, Portland Trail Blazers 106
Scoring by quarter: 31–28, 27–30, 29–26, 26–22
Pts: James Edwards 23
Rebs: Larry Nance 9
Asts: Walter Davis 13
Pts: Kenny Carr 24
Rebs: Calvin Natt 9
Asts: Thompson, Valentine 6 each
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
April 20
Phoenix Suns 116, Portland Trail Blazers 122
Scoring by quarter: 37–34, 21–30, 25–39, 33–19
Pts: Walter Davis 25
Rebs: Lucas, Davis 5 each
Asts: Alvan Adams 5
Pts: Jim Paxson 27
Rebs: Mychal Thompson 13
Asts: Darnell Valentine 8
Series tied, 1–1
April 22
Portland Trail Blazers 103, Phoenix Suns 106
Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 32–26, 26–20, 23–33
Pts: Darnell Valentine 29
Rebs: Thompson, Carr 8 each
Asts: Darnell Valentine 10
Pts: Walter Davis 27
Rebs: Nance, Lucas 10 each
Asts: Walter Davis 10
Phoenix leads series, 2–1
April 24
Portland Trail Blazers 113, Phoenix Suns 110
Scoring by quarter: 32–26, 24–26, 29–32, 28–26
Pts: Calvin Natt 30
Rebs: Calvin Natt 8
Asts: Darnell Valentine 13
Pts: Walter Davis 29
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 10
Asts: Davis, Macy 7 each
Series tied, 2–2
April 26
Phoenix Suns 117, Portland Trail Blazers 105
Scoring by quarter: 35–25, 23–33, 25–17, 34–30
Pts: Walter Davis 29
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 12
Asts: Walter Davis 10
Pts: Jim Paxson 24
Rebs: Natt, Drexler 10 each
Asts: Darnell Valentine 5
Phoenix wins series, 3–2

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first meeting.

April 17
Seattle SuperSonics 86, Dallas Mavericks 88
Scoring by quarter: 33–23, 18–20, 21–26, 14–19
Pts: Gus Williams 37
Rebs: Danny Vranes 8
Asts: Gus Williams 8
Pts: Mark Aguirre 20
Rebs: Mark Aguirre 11
Asts: Brad Davis 10
Dallas leads series, 1–0
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 17,007
April 19
Seattle SuperSonics 95, Dallas Mavericks 92
Scoring by quarter: 27–21, 29–26, 20–22, 19–23
Pts: Tom Chambers 30
Rebs: Jack Sikma 10
Asts: Gus Williams 11
Pts: Rolando Blackman 28
Rebs: Mark Aguirre 17
Asts: Rolando Blackman 7
Series tied, 1–1
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 17,007
April 21
Dallas Mavericks 94, Seattle SuperSonics 104
Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 32–28, 16–31, 21–21
Pts: Rolando Blackman 27
Rebs: Jay Vincent 10
Asts: Rolando Blackman 5
Pts: Jack Sikma 23
Rebs: Jack Sikma 17
Asts: Gus Williams 15
Seattle leads series, 2–1
April 24
Dallas Mavericks 107, Seattle SuperSonics 96
Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 22–23, 30–22, 28–31
Pts: Mark Aguirre 29
Rebs: Aguirre, Vincent 11 each
Asts: Brad Davis 8
Pts: Jack Sikma 27
Rebs: Jack Sikma 14
Asts: Gus Williams 9
Series tied, 2–2
Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 11,893
April 26
Seattle SuperSonics 104, Dallas Mavericks 105 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 27–23, 22–23, 24–23, Overtime: 9–10
Pts: Gus Williams 27
Rebs: Danny Vranes 11
Asts: Gus Williams 14
Pts: Rolando Blackman 29
Rebs: Jay Vincent 10
Asts: Rolando Blackman 8
Dallas wins series, 3–2

This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the SuperSonics.[8]

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference semifinals

April 29
New York Knicks 92, Boston Celtics 110
Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 22–33, 24–28, 24–18
Pts: Bernard King 26
Rebs: Truck Robinson 9
Asts: Rory Sparrow 6
Pts: Kevin McHale 25
Rebs: Robert Parish 12
Asts: Larry Bird 12
Boston leads series, 1–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
May 2
New York Knicks 102, Boston Celtics 116
Scoring by quarter: 27–34, 30–32, 21–25, 24–25
Pts: Bill Cartwright 25
Rebs: Bill Cartwright 11
Asts: Rory Sparrow 5
Pts: Larry Bird 37
Rebs: Bird, Parish 11 each
Asts: Dennis Johnson 7
Boston leads series, 2–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
May 4
Boston Celtics 92, New York Knicks 100
Scoring by quarter: 25–33, 27–17, 18–27, 22–23
Pts: Larry Bird 24
Rebs: Larry Bird 11
Asts: Dennis Johnson 4
Pts: Bill Cartwright 25
Rebs: King, Robinson 9 each
Asts: Rory Sparrow 10
Boston leads series, 2–1
May 6
Boston Celtics 113, New York Knicks 118
Scoring by quarter: 25–36, 30–30, 28–21, 30–31
Pts: Larry Bird 29
Rebs: Larry Bird 11
Asts: Dennis Johnson 7
Pts: Bernard King 43
Rebs: Truck Robinson 9
Asts: Ray Williams 9
Series tied, 2–2
May 9
New York Knicks 99, Boston Celtics 121
Scoring by quarter: 20–32, 25–34, 31–22, 23–33
Pts: Bernard King 30
Rebs: Bill Cartwright 10
Asts: Ray Williams 10
Pts: Larry Bird 26
Rebs: Robert Parish 10
Asts: Larry Bird 10
Boston leads series, 3–2
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
May 11
Boston Celtics 104, New York Knicks 106
Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 23–29, 24–23, 29–24
Pts: Larry Bird 35
Rebs: Larry Bird 11
Asts: Gerald Henderson 8
Pts: Bernard King 44
Rebs: Bill Cartwright 14
Asts: Rory Sparrow 11
Series tied, 3–3
May 13
New York Knicks 104, Boston Celtics 121
Scoring by quarter: 26–36, 26–31, 23–29, 29–25
Pts: Bernard King 24
Rebs: Truck Robinson 9
Asts: Ray Williams 7
Pts: Larry Bird 39
Rebs: Larry Bird 12
Asts: Larry Bird 10
Boston wins series, 4–3
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890

This was the 11th playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning five series apiece.

April 29
New Jersey Nets 106, Milwaukee Bucks 100
Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 23–22, 33–23, 29–27
Pts: Darryl Dawkins 32
Rebs: Buck Williams 17
Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 8
Pts: Marques Johnson 23
Rebs: Bob Lanier 10
Asts: Marques Johnson 8
New Jersey leads series, 1–0
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052
May 1
New Jersey Nets 94, Milwaukee Bucks 98
Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 16–20, 27–24, 29–31
Pts: Buck Williams 21
Rebs: Buck Williams 18
Asts: Williams, Richardson 5 each
Pts: Sidney Moncrief 28
Rebs: Sidney Moncrief 8
Asts: Johnson, Pressey 5 each
Series tied, 1–1
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052
May 3
Milwaukee Bucks 100, New Jersey Nets 93
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 25–20, 21–23, 28–29
Pts: Sidney Moncrief 27
Rebs: Alton Lister 12
Asts: Moncrief, Johnson 4 each
Pts: Darryl Dawkins 31
Rebs: Buck Williams 14
Asts: Richardson, Cook 6 each
Milwaukee leads series, 2–1
May 5
Milwaukee Bucks 99, New Jersey Nets 106
Scoring by quarter: 30–25, 34–29, 16–17, 19–35
Pts: Sidney Moncrief 26
Rebs: Sidney Moncrief 9
Asts: Bob Lanier 7
Pts: Micheal Ray Richardson 24
Rebs: Buck Williams 10
Asts: Otis Birdsong 7
Series tied, 2–2
May 8
New Jersey Nets 82, Milwaukee Bucks 94
Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 20–30, 21–18, 21–22
Pts: Darryl Dawkins 20
Rebs: Williams, Dawkins 8 each
Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 6
Pts: Marques Johnson 22
Rebs: Lister, Lanier 10 each
Asts: Paul Pressey 7
Milwaukee leads series, 3–2
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052
May 10
Milwaukee Bucks 98, New Jersey Nets 97
Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 20–22, 30–21, 25–30
Pts: Marques Johnson 25
Rebs: Marques Johnson 13
Asts: Sidney Moncrief 7
Pts: Darryl Dawkins 29
Rebs: Buck Williams 12
Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 9
Milwaukee wins series, 4–2

This was the first playoff meeting between the Bucks and the Nets.[10]

Western Conference semifinals

April 28
Dallas Mavericks 91, Los Angeles Lakers 134
Scoring by quarter: 21–36, 17–32, 28–31, 25–35
Pts: Mark Aguirre 16
Rebs: Kurt Nimphius 10
Asts: Davis, Turner 4 each
Pts: Mike McGee 25
Rebs: Kurt Rambis 8
Asts: Magic Johnson 11
Los Angeles leads series, 1–0
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 13,512
May 1
Dallas Mavericks 101, Los Angeles Lakers 117
Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 26–25, 22–35, 29–27
Pts: Rolando Blackman 27
Rebs: Dale Ellis 8
Asts: Mark Aguirre 5
Pts: Magic Johnson 27
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10
Asts: Magic Johnson 11
Los Angeles leads series, 2–0
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 15,298
May 4
Los Angeles Lakers 115, Dallas Mavericks 125
Scoring by quarter: 30–35, 23–33, 36–32, 26–25
Pts: Magic Johnson 24
Rebs: Bob McAdoo 8
Asts: Magic Johnson 14
Pts: Rolando Blackman 31
Rebs: Pat Cummings 14
Asts: Davis, Harper 6 each
Los Angeles leads series, 2–1
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 17,007
May 6
Los Angeles Lakers 122, Dallas Mavericks 115 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 34–30, 27–23, 29–26, 18–29Overtime: 14–7
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 33
Rebs: Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar 11 each
Asts: Magic Johnson 16
Pts: Mark Aguirre 34
Rebs: Aguirre, Vincent 7 each
Asts: Blackman, Aguirre 6 each
Los Angeles leads series, 3–1
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 17,007
Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton, Hue Hollins (alternate)
  • Pat Cummings hits the game-tying layup with 31 seconds left before Derek Harper made a mistake by dribbling out the clock thinking Dallas was ahead by one, when the score was actually tied.
May 8
Dallas Mavericks 99, Los Angeles Lakers 115
Scoring by quarter: 19–33, 25–29, 25–39, 30–14
Pts: Rolando Blackman 25
Rebs: Dale Ellis 10
Asts: Brad Davis 6
Pts: Mike McGee 27
Rebs: three players 6 each
Asts: Magic Johnson 15
Los Angeles wins series, 4–1
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 16,644

This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Lakers.[11]

April 29
Phoenix Suns 95, Utah Jazz 105
Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 30–30, 21–27, 23–19
Pts: Walter Davis 21
Rebs: James Edwards 8
Asts: Walter Davis 7
Pts: Adrian Dantley 36
Rebs: Thurl Bailey 13
Asts: Rickey Green 16
Utah leads series, 1–0
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 12,403
Referees: Paul Mihalak, Wally Rooney
May 2
Phoenix Suns 102, Utah Jazz 97
Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 35–26, 20–17, 22–24
Pts: Walter Davis 28
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 15
Asts: Kyle Macy 7
Pts: Adrian Dantley 26
Rebs: Mark Eaton 9
Asts: Rickey Green 6
Series tied, 1–1
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 12,689
Referees: Jess Kersey, Tommy Nunez
May 4
Utah Jazz 94, Phoenix Suns 106
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 25–30, 18–33, 30–17
Pts: Adrian Dantley 31
Rebs: Mark Eaton 11
Asts: Rickey Green 4
Pts: Walter Davis 30
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 14
Asts: Kyle Macy 7
Phoenix leads series, 2–1
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 14,660
Referees: Jack Madden, Jake O'Donnell
May 6
Utah Jazz 110, Phoenix Suns 111 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 29–33, 22–22, 25–22, 27–26, Overtime: 7–8
Pts: Adrian Dantley 37
Rebs: Mark Eaton 12
Asts: Darrell Griffith 8
Pts: Walter Davis 32
Rebs: Alvan Adams 15
Asts: Maurice Lucas 6
Phoenix leads series, 3–1
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 14,660
Referees: Hugh Evans, Mike Mathis, Joe Crawford (alternate)
  • Walter Davis hits the game-tying 3 pointer with 3 seconds left to force OT.
May 8
Phoenix Suns 106, Utah Jazz 118
Scoring by quarter: 21–35, 29–35, 30–22, 26–26
Pts: Maurice Lucas 19
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 12
Asts: Macy, Westphal 6 each
Pts: Adrian Dantley 46
Rebs: Mark Eaton 11
Asts: Rickey Green 14
Phoenix leads series, 3–2
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 12,560
Referees: Earl Strom, John Vanak
May 10
Utah Jazz 82, Phoenix Suns 102
Scoring by quarter: 16–27, 25–27, 24–26, 17–22
Pts: Adrian Dantley 23
Rebs: Mark Eaton 10
Asts: Rickey Green 6
Pts: Walter Davis 21
Rebs: Larry Nance 9
Asts: Macy, Davis 6 each
Phoenix wins series, 4–2
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 14,660
Referees: Jess Kersey, Paul Mihalak

This was the first playoff meeting between the Suns and the Jazz.[12]

Conference finals

Eastern Conference finals

May 15
Milwaukee Bucks 96, Boston Celtics 119
Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 25–32, 27–30, 27–35
Pts: Marques Johnson 18
Rebs: Bob Lanier 11
Asts: Marques Johnson 4
Pts: Larry Bird 24
Rebs: Kevin McHale 7
Asts: Gerald Henderson 7
Boston leads series, 1–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
May 17
Milwaukee Bucks 110, Boston Celtics 125
Scoring by quarter: 21–32, 27–35, 31–25, 31–33
Pts: Marques Johnson 29
Rebs: Sidney Moncrief 7
Asts: three players 4 each
Pts: Larry Bird 32
Rebs: Larry Bird 13
Asts: Larry Bird 7
Boston leads series, 2–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
May 19
Boston Celtics 109, Milwaukee Bucks 100
Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 23–34, 32–22, 27–15
Pts: Larry Bird 28
Rebs: Robert Parish 16
Asts: Larry Bird 6
Pts: Sidney Moncrief 22
Rebs: Paul Mokeski 12
Asts: Sidney Moncrief 6
Boston leads series, 3–0
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052
May 21
Boston Celtics 113, Milwaukee Bucks 122
Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 17–31, 31–29, 36–32
Pts: Larry Bird 32
Rebs: Larry Bird 10
Asts: Larry Bird 8
Pts: Paul Pressey 22
Rebs: Mokeski, Lister 9 each
Asts: Bob Lanier 8
Boston leads series, 3–1
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052
May 23
Milwaukee Bucks 108, Boston Celtics 115
Scoring by quarter: 35–34, 17–28, 27–30, 29–23
Pts: Marques Johnson 24
Rebs: Moncrief, Lister 8 each
Asts: Paul Pressey 4
Pts: Larry Bird 21
Rebs: Larry Bird 13
Asts: Bird, Maxwell 4 each
Boston wins series, 4–1
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

Western Conference finals

May 12
Phoenix Suns 94, Los Angeles Lakers 110
Scoring by quarter: 32–29, 20–28, 16–21, 26–32
Pts: Walter Davis 24
Rebs: Larry Nance 15
Asts: Kyle Macy 10
Pts: Bob McAdoo 20
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10
Asts: Michael Cooper 10
Los Angeles leads series, 1–0
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 12,825
May 15
Phoenix Suns 102, Los Angeles Lakers 118
Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 18–30, 30–31, 26–31
Pts: Larry Nance 29
Rebs: Larry Nance 9
Asts: Walter Davis 8
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 21
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10
Asts: Magic Johnson 24
Los Angeles leads series, 2–0
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 16,578
  • Magic Johnson's 24 assists sets an NBA playoff record for assists in a game.
May 18
Los Angeles Lakers 127, Phoenix Suns 135 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 31–42, 33–20, 27–29, 28–28, Overtime: 8–16
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31
Rebs: three players 8 each
Asts: Magic Johnson 13
Pts: Walter Davis 34
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 17
Asts: Kyle Macy 6
Los Angeles leads series, 2–1
May 20
Los Angeles Lakers 126, Phoenix Suns 115
Scoring by quarter: 37–36, 32–22, 30–29, 27–28
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: Magic Johnson 15
Pts: Larry Nance 27
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 10
Asts: Walter Davis 7
Los Angeles leads series, 3–1
May 23
Phoenix Suns 126, Los Angeles Lakers 121
Scoring by quarter: 33–31, 38–30, 29–26, 26–34
Pts: Walter Davis 27
Rebs: Larry Nance 13
Asts: Kyle Macy 12
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28
Rebs: Bob McAdoo 8
Asts: Magic Johnson 13
Los Angeles leads series, 3–2
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 16,848
Referees: Paul Mihalak, Earl Strom
May 25
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Phoenix Suns 97
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 22–30, 29–23, 22–19
Pts: James Worthy 22
Rebs: Magic Johnson 11
Asts: Magic Johnson 13
Pts: Walter Davis 26
Rebs: Maurice Lucas 13
Asts: Kyle Macy 8
Los Angeles wins series, 4–2

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings.

NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W1) Los Angeles Lakers

May 27
Los Angeles Lakers 115, Boston Celtics 109
Scoring by quarter: 34–22, 31–30, 27–36, 23–21
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 8
Asts: Magic Johnson 10
Pts: Kevin McHale 25
Rebs: Larry Bird 14
Asts: Larry Bird 5
Los Angeles leads series, 1–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
Referees: Hugh Evans, John Vanak
May 31
Los Angeles Lakers 121, Boston Celtics 124 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 26–36, 33–25, 28–29, 26–23, Overtime: 8–11
Pts: James Worthy 29
Rebs: Magic Johnson 10
Asts: Magic Johnson 10
Pts: Larry Bird 27
Rebs: Larry Bird 13
Asts: Ainge, Henderson 5 each
Series tied, 1–1
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
Referees: Jack Madden, Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak (alternate)
June 3
Boston Celtics 104, Los Angeles Lakers 137
Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 20–28, 33–47, 25–33
Pts: Larry Bird 30
Rebs: Robert Parish 12
Asts: Cedric Maxwell 5
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24
Rebs: Magic Johnson 11
Asts: Magic Johnson 21
Los Angeles leads series, 2–1
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505
Referees: Paul Mihalak, Earl Strom
  • Magic Johnson 21 assists sets an NBA Finals record for assists in a game.
June 6
Boston Celtics 129, Los Angeles Lakers 125 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 32–33, 26–35, 30–22, 25–23, Overtime: 16–12
Pts: Larry Bird 29
Rebs: Larry Bird 21
Asts: Dennis Johnson 14
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32
Rebs: Magic Johnson 11
Asts: Magic Johnson 17
Series tied, 2–2
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505
Referees: Darell Garretson, Jess Kersey, Earl Strom (alternate)
  • Kevin McHale clotheslined Kurt Rambis; Larry Bird hits the game-tying free throws with 16 seconds left in regulation to force OT, then hits the clutch jumper over Magic Johnson with 16 seconds left in OT after Magic misses two clutch free throws that would give the Lakers the lead with 34 seconds left in OT; M. L. Carr steals James Worthy's inbound pass and dunks it with 6 seconds left in OT.
June 8
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Boston Celtics 121
Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 27–29, 24–33, 26–33
Pts: James Worthy 22
Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9
Asts: Magic Johnson 13
Pts: Larry Bird 34
Rebs: Larry Bird 17
Asts: Gerald Henderson 9
Boston leads series, 3–2
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
Referees: Hugh Evans, Earl Strom, John Vanak (alternate)
  • The Heat Game.
June 10
Boston Celtics 108, Los Angeles Lakers 119
Scoring by quarter: 33–29, 32–30, 22–24, 21–36
Pts: Larry Bird 28
Rebs: Larry Bird 14
Asts: Larry Bird 8
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10
Asts: Magic Johnson 10
Series tied, 3–3
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505
Referees: Jack Madden, Jake O'Donnell
June 12
Los Angeles Lakers 102, Boston Celtics 111
Scoring by quarter: 30–30, 22–28, 26–33, 24–20
Pts: James Worthy 21
Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9
Asts: Magic Johnson 15
Pts: Cedric Maxwell 24
Rebs: Robert Parish 16
Asts: Cedric Maxwell 8
Boston wins series, 4–3
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
Referees: Darell Garretson, Earl Strom, Jake O'Donnell (alternate)

This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first seven meetings.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  2. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  4. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  5. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  6. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  7. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Phoenix Suns versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  8. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  10. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  11. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  12. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Phoenix Suns versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  13. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  14. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Phoenix Suns (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  15. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.