1985–86_Boston_Celtics_season
1985–86 Boston Celtics season
NBA basketball team season (won NBA championship)
The 1985–86 Boston Celtics season was the 40th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They finished with the best record in the league at 67–15, including a 40–1 record at home (37–1 at the Boston Garden, 3–0 at the Hartford Civic Center). Those 40 home wins set an NBA record which would only be matched by the San Antonio Spurs in 2016. Widely regarded among the greatest teams in NBA history, their 67 total wins were one win shy of tying their franchise record of 68 wins set in 1972–73, and tied for fifth all-time
Quick Facts Boston Celtics season, Head coach ...
| 1985–86 Boston Celtics season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
NBA champions | |||
Conference champions | |||
Division champions | |||
| Head coach | K. C. Jones | ||
| Owners | Don Gaston Alan N. Cohen Paul Dupee | ||
| Arena | Boston Garden Hartford Civic Center | ||
| Results | |||
| Record | 67–15 (.817) | ||
| Place | Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 1st (Eastern) | ||
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Rockets 4–2) | ||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||
| Local media | |||
| Television | WLVI (Gil Santos, Bob Cousy) SportsChannel New England (Mike Gorman, Tom Heinsohn) | ||
| Radio | WRKO (Johnny Most, Glenn Ordway) | ||
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Larry Bird won his third consecutive MVP award and Bill Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. The team was anchored by the "Big Three" frontcourt of Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, which is frequently ranked among the best frontcourts in NBA history.
In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Chicago Bulls in three games in the First Round, then defeated the Atlanta Hawks in five games in the Semi-finals, before sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks in four games in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics faced off against the Houston Rockets in a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals, which the Celtics won in six games. The Celtics would go on to win their 16th championship and the last for 22 years, defeating the Houston Rockets in six games in the NBA Finals, and had won 82 combined regular season and playoff games, a record that stood until the Chicago Bulls racked up 87 combined wins en route to a title (the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors broke that record with 88 combined wins, although they infamously lost the finals).
The 1985 NBA draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. The lottery was put into place so teams could not intentionally lose games to receive the number one pick.
More information Round, Pick ...
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Sam Vincent | Guard |  United States |
Michigan State |
| 3 | 70 | Andre Battle | Guard | United States |
Loyola (IL) |
| 4 | 93 | Cliff Webber | Forward | United States |
Liberty Baptist |
| 5 | 116 | Albert Butts | Forward | United States |
La Salle |
| 6 | 139 | Ralph Lewis | Guard | United States |
La Salle |
| 7 | 162 | Chris Remly | United States |
Rutgers |
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The Celtics were coming from a 6-game NBA Finals series against their arch-rival the Los Angeles Lakers. They ended with a record 63-19 during the regular season, a league-best record, earning home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
November
They started their 1985–86 season campaign with a 109-113 OT loss to the New Jersey Nets, despite a near quadruple-double performance from Larry Bird who recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 steals for the Celtics.[1] The next day, Kevin McHale's 26 points and 15 rebounds led the Celtics towards a 105-100 road win over the Cavaliers.[2] Four days later, the Celtics defeated the visiting Bucks, 117–106, with Bird, McHale, Parish and Johnson, all scoring at least 20 points.[3] They ended the month of November with a 2–1 record.
- Under head coach K. C. Jones, the 1985–86 Boston Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 67–15. This team is generally considered to be the best of Larry Bird's career. In addition to longtime Celtics Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the franchise was joined on the front line by former NBA MVP Bill Walton. Despite a career plagued by a series of serious injuries to his knees, ankles and feet, Walton would win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. Walton had missed essentially the past two seasons and the Los Angeles Clippers put him on the trade bloc as his contract ran out. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Celtics were both interested, but the Lakers wanted Walton to be cleared by their team doctor before making any trade. The Celtics, on the other hand, were willing to trade former Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell for Walton-based solely on his word that he felt he was healthy enough to play. Walton appeared in a career high 80 games. The backcourt was led by the MVP of the 1979 NBA Finals, defensive stopper Dennis Johnson, and former Toronto Blue Jays baseball player, shooting guard Danny Ainge. Off the bench, the Celtics featured former All-Star Scott Wedman and recent acquisition (from the Indiana Pacers) Jerry Sichting.
Season standings
More information W, L ...
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Boston Celtics | 67 | 15 | .817 | – | 40–1 | 27–14 | 18–6 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 54 | 28 | .659 | 13 | 31–10 | 23–18 | 15–9 |
| x-Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 28 | 26–15 | 13–28 | 11–13 |
| x-New Jersey Nets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 28 | 26–15 | 13–28 | 11–13 |
| New York Knicks | 23 | 59 | .280 | 44 | 15–26 | 8–33 | 5–19 |
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More information #, Team ...
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Boston Celtics | 67 | 15 | .817 | – |
| 2 | y-Milwaukee Bucks | 57 | 25 | .695 | 10 |
| 3 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 54 | 28 | .659 | 13 |
| 4 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 17 |
| 5 | x-Detroit Pistons | 46 | 36 | .561 | 21 |
| 6 | x-Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 28 |
| 7 | x-New Jersey Nets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 28 |
| 8 | x-Chicago Bulls | 30 | 52 | .366 | 37 |
| 9 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 29 | 53 | .354 | 38 |
| 10 | Indiana Pacers | 26 | 56 | .317 | 41 |
| 11 | New York Knicks | 23 | 59 | .280 | 44 |
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Record vs. opponents
More information Team, ATL ...
| 1985-86 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 0–6 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 |
| Boston | 6–0 | – | 5–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
| Chicago | 1–5 | 1–5 | – | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 |
| Cleveland | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 0–6 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 |
| Dallas | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 3–3 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 |
| Detroit | 2–4 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Golden State | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | – | 0–5 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 5–0 | – | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 |
| Indiana | 1–5 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 5–1 |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 0–2 | – | 2–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 0–2 |
| L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 2–0 |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 0–5 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 4–2 | 6–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| New Jersey | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | – | 5–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–4 |
| New York | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 1–5 | – | 0–6 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 |
| Philadelphia | 1–4 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 6–0 | – | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
| Phoenix | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | – | 2–4 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 |
| Portland | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | – | 3–2 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
| Sacramento | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | – | 5–1 | 5–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 |
| San Antonio | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 1–5 | – | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–0 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 0–5 | 3–2 | – | 2–3 | 1–1 |
| Utah | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | – | 1–1 |
| Washington | 4–1 | 1–5 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — |
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Game log
More information 1985–86 game log Total: 67–15 (Home: 40–1; Road: 27–14), Game ...
| 1985–86 game log Total: 67–15 (Home: 40–1; Road: 27–14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 2–1 (home: 1–0; road: 1–1)
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November: 13–1 (home: 8–0; road: 5–1)
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December: 8–5 (home: 4–1; road: 4–4)
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January: 12–1 (home: 7–0; road: 5–1)
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February: 11–3 (home: 5–0; road: 6–3)
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March: 15–2 (home: 11–0; road: 4–2)
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April: 6–2 (home: 4–0; road: 2–2)
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| 1985–86 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
More information Player, GP ...
| Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Bird | 82 | 805 | 557 | 166 | 51 | 2115 | 25.8 |
| Kevin McHale | 68 | 551 | 181 | 29 | 134 | 1448 | 21.3 |
| Robert Parish | 81 | 770 | 145 | 65 | 116 | 1305 | 16.1 |
| Dennis Johnson | 78 | 268 | 456 | 110 | 35 | 1213 | 15.6 |
| Danny Ainge | 80 | 235 | 405 | 94 | 7 | 855 | 10.7 |
| Scott Wedman | 79 | 192 | 82 | 38 | 22 | 634 | 8.0 |
| Bill Walton | 80 | 544 | 165 | 38 | 106 | 606 | 7.6 |
| Jerry Sichting | 82 | 104 | 188 | 50 | 0 | 537 | 6.5 |
| David Thirdkill | 49 | 70 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 163 | 3.3 |
| Sam Vincent | 57 | 48 | 69 | 17 | 4 | 184 | 3.2 |
| Sly Williams | 6 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 2.8 |
| Rick Carlisle | 77 | 77 | 104 | 19 | 4 | 199 | 2.6 |
| Greg Kite | 64 | 128 | 17 | 3 | 28 | 83 | 1.3 |
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More information 1986 playoff game log, Game ...
| 1986 playoff game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eastern Conference First Round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
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Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
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Eastern Conference Finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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NBA Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
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| 1986 schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Following the conclusion of the 1986 NBA Finals, a video documentary of the 1986 NBA season, known as Sweet Sixteen, was released.[4] David Perry was the narrator after Dick Stockton had narrated the last three NBA season documentaries.
More information Players, Coaches ...
| 1985–86 Boston Celtics roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Larry Bird, Associated Press Athlete of the Year
- Larry Bird, NBA Most Valuable Player Award
- Larry Bird, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
- Larry Bird, All-NBA First Team
- Kevin McHale, All-NBA Defensive First Team
- Dennis Johnson, All-NBA Defensive Second Team
- Bill Walton, NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award
- Larry Bird, NBA 3-Point Shootout champion
- Larry Bird, three-point field goal leader
- "Boston Celtics at New Jersey Nets Box Score, October 25, 1985". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- "Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers Box Score, October 26, 1985". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- "Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Box Score, October 30, 1985". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.