1985 NBA Finals
Cedric Maxwell (No. 31) of the Boston Celtics vs. Magic Johnson (32) of the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals
TeamCoachWins
Los Angeles Lakers Pat Riley 4
Boston Celtics K. C. Jones 2
DatesMay 27–June 9
MVPKareem Abdul-Jabbar
(Los Angeles Lakers)
Hall of FamersCeltics:
Larry Bird (1998)
Dennis Johnson (2010)
Kevin McHale (1999)
Robert Parish (2003)
Lakers:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995)
Magic Johnson (2002)
Bob McAdoo (2000)
Jamaal Wilkes (2012)
James Worthy (2003)
Coaches:
K.C. Jones (1989, player)
Pat Riley (2008)
Officials:
Hugh Evans (2022)
Darell Garretson (2016)
Earl Strom (1995)
Eastern FinalsCeltics defeated 76ers, 4–1
Western FinalsLakers defeated Nuggets, 4–1

The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference playoff champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968–69 season. The Celtics had home court advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63–19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62–20 record. The Lakers looked to bounce back from the previous year's painful loss to the Celtics in the championship series, and were still seeking to beat Boston for the first time ever in NBA Finals history. Also for the first time since 1955, the Finals implemented a 2–3–2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. The final two games of the series would be played in Boston, if required. This change of format came after David Stern had a conversation with Celtics legend Red Auerbach in 1984, who disliked the frequent traveling between games.[1] The 2–3–2 format would be used until the 2013 NBA Finals, after which the 2–2–1–1–1 format returned in 2014.

With the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers achieved their first NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics in nine meetings, four to two games. The Lakers recovered after losing in a rout in game 1, dubbed as the "Memorial Day Massacre". The series was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be in use as the NBA Finals branding would replace it for 1986. The video documentary Return to Glory recaps the 1985 NBA playoffs action.

Background

Los Angeles Lakers

After losing to the Celtics in the previous year's finals, the Lakers entered the 1984–85 NBA season with a mission. Once again using the effective Showtime offense, they ran away with the Western Conference-leading 62 wins. The team as a whole underwent a slight evolution, as James Worthy supplanted Jamaal Wilkes as the starting small forward, while Byron Scott began to earn more minutes as the backup to both Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper.

In the playoffs, the Lakers eliminated the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets, going 11–2 in the three playoff rounds.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics repeated with the NBA's best record by winning 63 games. For the second straight season, Larry Bird won the MVP award, while Kevin McHale won Sixth Man Award for the second year running, despite making the transition from bench cog to starter late in the season with Cedric Maxwell nursing a knee injury. Danny Ainge also emerged as the team's starting shooting guard, after the Celtics traded Gerald Henderson to the Seattle SuperSonics in the offseason.

The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers, finishing with an 11–4 record heading into the finals. By that point, Boston's classic starting five under head coach K. C. Jones was solidified, featuring Bird, McHale and Robert Parish in the frontcourt, and Ainge and Dennis Johnson in the backcourt.

Road to the Finals

Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference champion)Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference champion)
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Los Angeles Lakers6220.756–
2 y-Denver Nuggets5230.63410
3 x-Houston Rockets4834.58514
4 x-Dallas Mavericks4438.53718
5 x-Portland Trail Blazers4240.51220
6 x-Utah Jazz4141.50021
7 x-San Antonio Spurs4141.50021
8 x-Phoenix Suns3646.43926
9 Seattle SuperSonics3151.37831
10 Los Angeles Clippers3151.37831
11 Kansas City Kings3151.37831
12 Golden State Warriors2260.26840
1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record		 Regular season
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics6319.768–
2 y-Milwaukee Bucks5923.7204
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers5824.7075
4 x-Detroit Pistons4636.56117
5 x-New Jersey Nets4240.51221
6 x-Washington Bullets4042.48823
7 x-Chicago Bulls3844.46325
8 x-Cleveland Cavaliers3646.43927
9 Atlanta Hawks3448.41529
10 New York Knicks2458.29339
11 Indiana Pacers2260.26841
1st seed in the East, best league record
Defeated the (8) Phoenix Suns, 3–0 First Round Defeated the (8) Cleveland Cavaliers, 3–1
Defeated the (5) Portland Trail Blazers, 4–1 Conference Semifinals Defeated the (4) Detroit Pistons, 4–2
Defeated the (2) Denver Nuggets, 4–1 Conference Finals Defeated the (3) Philadelphia 76ers, 4–1

Regular season series

Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team:

Series summary

GameDateRoad teamResultHome team
Game 1May 27Los Angeles Lakers114–148 (0–1)Boston Celtics
Game 2May 30Los Angeles Lakers109–102 (1–1)Boston Celtics
Game 3June 2Boston Celtics111–136 (1–2)Los Angeles Lakers
Game 4June 5Boston Celtics107–105 (2–2)Los Angeles Lakers
Game 5June 7Boston Celtics111–120 (2–3)Los Angeles Lakers
Game 6June 9Los Angeles Lakers111–100 (4–2)Boston Celtics

Game 1

May 27
3:30 p.m. EDT
Los Angeles Lakers 114, Boston Celtics 148
Scoring by quarter: 24–38, 25–41, 30–29, 35–40
Pts: James Worthy 20
Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9
Asts: Magic Johnson 12		 Pts: McHale, Wedman 26 each
Rebs: Kevin McHale 9
Asts: Dennis Johnson 10
Boston leads the series, 1–0
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
Referees:
  • No. 10 Darell Garretson
  • No. 20 Jess Kersey

The Celtics defeated the Lakers 148–114. It was dubbed the "Memorial Day Massacre" and a profound embarrassment for the Lakers team. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had only 12 points and 3 rebounds, while Magic Johnson pulled down only one rebound. Danny Ainge of the Celtics started hot, scoring 15 points in the first quarter. Scott Wedman made all 11 shots he took from the field. Afterwards, Abdul-Jabbar apologized to his teammates for his terrible performance.

The 34-point differential set a new record for a Finals game between the Celtics and Lakers in their rivalry. This record would stand until the 2008 NBA Finals, when the Celtics defeated the Lakers, 131–92.

Game 2

May 30
9 p.m. EDT
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Boston Celtics 102
Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 33–20, 23–29, 22–27
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 17
Asts: Magic Johnson 13		 Pts: Larry Bird 30
Rebs: Larry Bird 12
Asts: Dennis Johnson 8
Series tied, 1–1
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
Referees:
  • No. 11 Jake O'Donnell
  • No. 9 John Vanak

The Lakers recovered from the Game 1 loss behind Abdul-Jabbar's 30 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 8 assists. Lakers swingman Michael Cooper finished with 22 points on an 8 for 9 shooting performance, including several clutch outside jumpers down the stretch. The series was evened at 1–1.

Game 3

June 2
12:30 p.m. PDT
Boston Celtics 111, Los Angeles Lakers 136
Scoring by quarter: 29–25, 30–40, 26–35, 26–36
Pts: Kevin McHale 31
Rebs: Kevin McHale 10
Asts: Danny Ainge 10		 Pts: James Worthy 29
Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 14
Asts: Magic Johnson 16
Los Angeles leads the series, 2–1
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505
Referees:
  • No. 25 Hugh Evans
  • No. 12 Earl Strom

The Celtics held a 48–38 lead in the second quarter before the Lakers rallied and led, 65–59, at halftime. The Lakers pulled away in the second half and won the game 136–111. Abdul-Jabbar scored his 4,456th career point and became the league's all-time leading playoff scorer, which had previously been held by Lakers guard Jerry West. Larry Bird's shooting slump from game 2 continued. He shot a combined 17 of 42 from the field in games two and three. James Worthy led the Lakers with 29 points.

Game 4

June 5
6 p.m. PDT
Boston Celtics 107, Los Angeles Lakers 105
Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 31–26, 23–26, 25–21
Pts: Kevin McHale 28
Rebs: Kevin McHale 12
Asts: Dennis Johnson 12		 Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 21
Rebs: Magic Johnson 11
Asts: Magic Johnson 12
Series tied, 2–2
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505
Referees:
  • No. 4 Ed T. Rush
  • No. 9 John Vanak

The Celtics tied the series in the fourth game with a 107–105 win with a buzzer-beating jumper by Dennis Johnson, who scored 27 points. Kevin McHale led all players with 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds for the Celtics.

Game 5

June 7
6 p.m. PDT
Boston Celtics 111, Los Angeles Lakers 120
Scoring by quarter: 31–35, 20–29, 30–31, 30–25
Pts: Robert Parish 26
Rebs: Kevin McHale 10
Asts: Dennis Johnson 17		 Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 36
Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9
Asts: Magic Johnson 17
Los Angeles leads the series, 3–2
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505
Referees:
  • No. 10 Darell Garretson
  • No. 11 Jake O'Donnell

In this game, the Lakers stomped out the Celtics by jumping out to a 64–51 lead and stretched it to 89–72 before the Celtics cut the deficit to 4 points, late in the 4th quarter. The Celtics would cut the lead to 4 points several times, but the Lakers answered each time. Magic Johnson made three shots, Kareem added four more shots, and Cooper hit 2 outside jumpers, and the Lakers came away with a 120–111 victory to take a 3–2 series lead.

Game 6

June 9
1 p.m. EDT
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Boston Celtics 100
Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 27–29, 27–18, 29–27
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 29
Rebs: Johnson, Rambis 10 each
Asts: Magic Johnson 14		 Pts: Kevin McHale 32
Rebs: Kevin McHale 16
Asts: Danny Ainge 11
Los Angeles wins the series, 4–2
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890
Referees:
  • No. 25 Hugh Evans
  • No. 12 Earl Strom

In the series clincher, the game was tied at halftime. The Lakers would hold the Celtics to just 18 third quarter points to pull away. Abdul-Jabbar scored 29 points and James Worthy scored 28 of his own, as Los Angeles became the first team to clinch a title at the Boston Garden. Magic Johnson dished out a game-high 14 assists. Celtics' forward Kevin McHale scored 32 points and grabbed 16 rebounds—both game-highs—before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Larry Bird's dismal shooting continued as he hit just 12 of 29 shots.

The 38-year-old Abdul-Jabbar was named MVP of the series, his second Finals MVP award and first since 1971 (back when he was known as Lew Alcindor), averaging 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 blocks in six games. Worthy averaged 23.7 points for the Lakers, while Magic Johnson scored 18.3 points per game to go along with 14.0 assists and 6.8 rebounds. Los Angeles shot 51.2% as a team for the series.

McHale led Boston in scoring (26.0) and rebounding (10.7) while shooting 59.8% from the floor. Bird averaged 23.8 points and 8.8 rebounds on just 44.9% shooting. Celtics' guard Dennis Johnson led both teams in minutes played (247). Boston shot 47.6% from the floor while out-rebounding Los Angeles 259–256.

It was the first time (and only time until 2022) in NBA Finals history where the other team clinched the championship against the Celtics in Boston. It was also only the Celtics' second Finals series defeat, having previously lost to the St. Louis Hawks in 1958.

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar6635.5.604.000.7699.05.21.01.525.7
Michael Cooper6025.5.588.286.9052.03.71.20.310.2
Magic Johnson6639.2.494.500.8716.814.02.20.018.3
Mitch Kupchak6014.5.550.000.6433.30.70.20.25.2
Ronnie Lester203.0.000.0001.0000.00.50.00.01.0
Bob McAdoo6019.5.379.000.7143.00.80.00.58.2
Mike McGee406.5.500.600.6671.00.50.00.04.8
Chuck Nevitt102.0.000.000.5000.00.01.01.01.0
Kurt Rambis6622.0.500.000.5388.50.81.30.57.5
Byron Scott6634.7.395.286.5563.72.22.50.211.2
Larry Spriggs406.8.600.000.5001.81.50.30.33.5
James Worthy6639.0.564.000.7004.53.20.50.523.7
Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Danny Ainge6633.8.414.400.7503.07.02.00.011.0
Larry Bird6640.2.449.333.8508.85.01.80.723.8
Quinn Buckner407.8.545.000.0001.52.00.30.03.0
M. L. Carr302.7.3751.000.0000.30.00.00.02.3
Carlos Clark203.5.500.0001.0000.51.50.50.02.0
Dennis Johnson6641.2.382.000.8574.39.51.70.716.0
Greg Kite508.8.444.000.5002.00.60.20.01.8
Cedric Maxwell5010.8.500.000.7001.00.20.40.02.6
Kevin McHale6640.0.598.000.72710.71.30.31.826.0
Robert Parish6637.2.481.000.7719.02.01.01.817.2
Scott Wedman6017.5.611.636.5563.31.70.80.09.3
Ray Williams409.3.500.000.0000.32.80.30.03.5

Television coverage

The Finals were telecast by CBS in the United States, with its coverage anchored by Brent Musburger. Dick Stockton did play-by-play with Tom Heinsohn as color analyst, working their second Finals together. Pat O'Brien worked sideline duties for both teams.

Celebration

The Lakers were invited to a reception at the White House with President Ronald Reagan, where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presented the President with a jersey. The following Tuesday would be declared "Laker Day" by Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley with a parade beginning at 9th in Broadway.

Team rosters

Los Angeles Lakers

1984–85 Los Angeles Lakers roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
C 33 Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1947–04–16 UCLA
SG 21 Cooper, Michael 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1956–04–15 New Mexico
PG 32 Johnson, Magic 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1959–08–14 Michigan State
C 1 Jones, Earl 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1961–01–13 UDC
PF 25 Kupchak, Mitch 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1954–05–24 North Carolina
PG 12 Lester, Ronnie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1959–01–01 Iowa
C 11 McAdoo, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1951–09–25 North Carolina
SF 40 McGee, Mike 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1959–07–29 Michigan
C 43 Nevitt, Chuck 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1959–06–13 NC State
PF 31 Rambis, Kurt 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 213 lb (97 kg) 1958–02–25 Santa Clara
SG 4 Scott, Byron 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1961–03–28 Arizona State
PF 35 Spriggs, Larry 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1959–09–08 Howard
SF 52 Wilkes, Jamaal 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1953–05–02 UCLA
SF 42 Worthy, James 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1961–02–27 North Carolina
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Boston Celtics

1984–85 Boston Celtics roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G/F 44 Ainge, Danny 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1959–03–17 BYU
F 33 Bird, Larry (C) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1956–12–07 Indiana State
G 28 Buckner, Quinn 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1954–08–20 Indiana
G 34 Carlisle, Rick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1959–10–27 Virginia
G/F 30 Carr, M.L. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1951–01–09 Guilford
G 40 Clark, Carlos 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1960–08–10 Mississippi
G 3 Johnson, Dennis 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1954–09–18 Pepperdine
C 50 Kite, Greg 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1961–08–05 BYU
F 31 Maxwell, Cedric 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1955–11–21 Charlotte
F/C 32 McHale, Kevin 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1957–12–19 Minnesota
C 00 Parish, Robert 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1953–08–30 Centenary
G/F 8 Wedman, Scott 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1952–07–29 Colorado
G 20 Williams, Ray 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1954–10–14 Minnesota
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Aftermath

After appearing in and winning both the 1981 and 1984 NBA Finals, this finals championship marked the first loss for the Larry Bird-led Celtics. Boston would appear in two more NBA Finals before the decade was over winning it all the next year (against Houston), only to lose in a rematch to the Lakers in 1987. It would take another 22 years before the Celtics would make another NBA Finals appearance again (which by that time the "Big 3" of Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish had long since retired) which they won against the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Stern says Auerbach helped come up with 2-3-2 Finals format". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 8, 2008. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
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