# 1982 NBA playoffs

The 1982 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981–82 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time.
It was the second NBA Finals meeting in three years between the Lakers and Sixers, and ended with the same result—a 4–2 Lakers victory—as the previous confrontation. They met again in 1983, with Philadelphia getting revenge in a sweep. The Sixers beat the Celtics again in the Eastern Conference Finals, the second of their three series wins in a four-year stretch.
The Bullets' 2–0 sweep of the Nets was their last playoff series victory until 2005.
This was the third straight year the Bucks failed to advance to the third round with the #2 seed despite a first-round bye, although they did not have the better record in each of those matchups, and thus not having home-court advantage.

## Bracket

| First Round | First Round | First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals |
| | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | | | |
| E4 | New Jersey | 0 | E5 | Washington | 1 | | | | | | |
| E5 | Washington | 2 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Boston* | 3 | | | |
| | | | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | Philadelphia | 4 | | | |
| | | | E3 | Philadelphia | 4 | | | | | | |
| E3 | Philadelphia | 2 | E2 | Milwaukee* | 2 | | | | | | |
| E6 | Atlanta | 0 | | | | | | | E3 | Philadelphia | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | W1 | Los Angeles* | 4 |
| | | | W1 | Los Angeles* | 4 | | | | | | |
| W4 | Denver | 1 | W5 | Phoenix | 0 | | | | | | |
| W5 | Phoenix | 2 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Los Angeles* | 4 | | | |
| | | | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W2 | San Antonio* | 0 | | | |
| | | | W3 | Seattle | 1 | | | | | | |
| W3 | Seattle | 2 | W2 | San Antonio* | 4 | | | | | | |
| W6 | Houston | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks

* April 21
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 76, Philadelphia 76ers 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–28, 16–25, 22–26, 18–32 |||
| Pts: John Drew 18 Rebs: Dan Roundfield 11 Asts: Rory Sparrow 8 | Pts: Darryl Dawkins 27 Rebs: Darryl Dawkins 9 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 6 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 11,250 Referees: Jack Madden, Wally Rooney
* April 23
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 98, Atlanta Hawks 95 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–20, 19–19, 23–29, 27–22, Overtime: 8–5 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 28 Rebs: Dawkins, C. Jones 8 each Asts: Julius Erving 6 | Pts: Dan Roundfield 29 Rebs: Dan Roundfield 11 Asts: Eddie Johnson 4 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 2–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 8,703 Referees: John Vanak, Paul Mihalak
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
October 31, 1981
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 108, Atlanta Hawks 106
The Omni, Atlanta
November 6, 1981
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 106, Philadelphia 76ers 99
Spectrum, Philadelphia
December 1, 1981
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 107, Atlanta Hawks 98
The Omni, Atlanta
January 15, 1982
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 96, Philadelphia 76ers 90
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 5, 1982
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 80, Philadelphia 76ers 89
Spectrum, Philadelphia
April 9, 1982
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 88, Atlanta Hawks 103
The Omni, Atlanta :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first meeting.
Philadelphia leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1980
Atlanta Hawks 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1980 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (4) New Jersey Nets vs. (5) Washington Bullets

* April 20
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 96, New Jersey Nets 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 25–21, 22–18, 33–20 |||
| Pts: Jeff Ruland 18 Rebs: Jeff Ruland 20 Asts: Frank Johnson 11 | Pts: Buck Williams 23 Rebs: Buck Williams 13 Asts: Ray Williams 8 |
| Washington leads series, 1–0 |||
* Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 14,015 Referees: John Vanak, Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford
* April 23
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 92, Washington Bullets 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–22, 20–25, 18–24, 24–32 |||
| Pts: Ray Williams 23 Rebs: Len Elmore 9 Asts: Ray Williams 6 | Pts: Kevin Grevey 23 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 11 Asts: Frank Johnson 9 |
| Washington wins series, 2–0 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: Ed Rush, Jess Kersey
New Jersey won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
December 26, 1981
Recap
Washington Bullets 105, New Jersey Nets 90
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
January 5, 1982
Recap
New Jersey Nets 114, Washington Bullets 108
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
March 2, 1982
Recap
New Jersey Nets 130, Washington Bullets 124 (2OT)
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
March 26, 1982
Recap
New Jersey Nets 88, Washington Bullets 104
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
April 2, 1982
Recap
Washington Bullets 96, New Jersey Nets 98
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
April 14, 1982
Recap
Washington Bullets 94, New Jersey Nets 98
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Bullets.

### Western Conference first round
#### (3) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (6) Houston Rockets

* April 21
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 87, Seattle SuperSonics 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 19–22, 16–29, 27–32 |||
| Pts: Moses Malone 20 Rebs: Moses Malone 15 Asts: Tom Henderson 7 | Pts: Gus Williams 27 Rebs: Jack Sikma 13 Asts: Gus Williams 12 |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,071 Referees: Earl Strom, Jess Kersey
* April 23
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 70, Houston Rockets 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–25, 17–17, 19–21, 17–28 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 18 Rebs: Jack Sikma 11 Asts: four players 3 each | Pts: Moses Malone 28 Rebs: Moses Malone 23 Asts: Allen Leavell 6 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,676 Referees: Jack Madden, Ed Middleton, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* April 25
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 83, Seattle SuperSonics 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–27, 10–19, 27–29, 26–29 |||
| Pts: Moses Malone 24 Rebs: Moses Malone 13 Asts: Mike Dunleavy 5 | Pts: Jack Sikma 30 Rebs: Jack Sikma 17 Asts: Gus Williams 12 |
| Seattle wins series, 2–1 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,071 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Wally Rooney
Seattle won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 27, 1981
Recap
Houston Rockets 110, Seattle SuperSonics 117
Kingdome, Seattle
December 8, 1981
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 107, Houston Rockets 96
The Summit, Houston
January 7, 1982
Recap
Houston Rockets 107, Seattle SuperSonics 116
Kingdome, Seattle
February 11, 1982
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 100, Houston Rockets 117
The Summit, Houston
March 26, 1982
Recap
Houston Rockets 99, Seattle SuperSonics 97
Kingdome, Seattle :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the SuperSonics.

#### (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Phoenix Suns

* April 20
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 113, Denver Nuggets 129 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–35, 29–27, 21–40, 33–27 |||
| Pts: Kyle Macy 22 Rebs: Truck Robinson 13 Asts: Truck Robinson 6 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 29 Rebs: Alex English 10 Asts: English, McKinney 5 each |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,298 Referees: Darell Garretson, Ed Middleton
* April 23
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 110, Phoenix Suns 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–40, 36–28, 28–27, 25–31 |||
| Pts: Dan Issel 26 Rebs: Alex English 6 Asts: English, Gondrezick 5 each | Pts: Dennis Johnson 29 Rebs: Alvan Adams 9 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,798 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Mike Mathis
* April 24
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 124, Denver Nuggets 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–31, 30–39, 36–25, 22–24 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 26 Rebs: Truck Robinson 9 Asts: Rich Kelley 7 | Pts: Dan Issel 26 Rebs: Issel, Dunn 10 each Asts: Alex English 7 |
| Phoenix wins series, 2–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,443 Referees: Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak
Phoenix won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 10, 1981
Recap
Phoenix Suns 109, Denver Nuggets 106
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
December 3, 1981
Recap
Denver Nuggets 109, Phoenix Suns 137
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
February 26, 1982
Recap
Denver Nuggets 122, Phoenix Suns 131
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
March 17, 1982
Recap
Denver Nuggets 135, Phoenix Suns 133 (OT)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
March 27, 1982
Recap
Phoenix Suns 134, Denver Nuggets 140 (2OT)
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Suns.

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Washington Bullets

* April 25
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 91, Boston Celtics 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 25–21, 15–24, 24–35 |||
| Pts: Spencer Haywood 17 Rebs: Greg Ballard 9 Asts: Frank Johnson 6 | Pts: M. L. Carr 21 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Tiny Archibald 7 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,320
* April 28
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 103, Boston Celtics 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–20, 22–31, 33–23, 26–28 |||
| Pts: Johnson, Haywood 26 each Rebs: Jeff Ruland 10 Asts: Frank Johnson 8 | Pts: Larry Bird 26 Rebs: Bird, Parish 10 each Asts: Tiny Archibald 6 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,320
* Frank Johnson hits the game-winning 3 pointer with 3 seconds left.
* May 1
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 92, Washington Bullets 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–18, 20–20, 23–22, 21–23 |||
| Pts: Robert Parish 25 Rebs: Parish, Archibald 13 each Asts: Tiny Archibald 5 | Pts: Spencer Haywood 19 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 14 Asts: Frank Johnson 8 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 15,035
* May 2
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 103, Washington Bullets 99 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 20–23, 25–24, 22–18, Overtime: 12–8 |||
| Pts: Robert Parish 28 Rebs: Robert Parish 15 Asts: Tiny Archibald 4 | Pts: Spencer Haywood 28 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 10 Asts: Frank Johnson 7 |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 16,295
* May 5
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 126, Boston Celtics 131 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 30–25, 21–34, 33–20, Overtime: 13–13, 7–12 |||
| Pts: Jeff Ruland 33 Rebs: Jeff Ruland 13 Asts: Frank Johnson 10 | Pts: Robert Parish 33 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Tiny Archibald 11 |
| Boston wins series, 4–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,320 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Mike Mathis, Bill Saar
* Jeff Ruland hits the game-tying free throws with 24 seconds left to force OT.
Boston won 6–0 in the regular-season series :
October 30, 1981
Recap
Washington Bullets 100, Boston Celtics 124
Boston Garden, Boston
November 10, 1981
Recap
Boston Celtics 90, Washington Bullets 84
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
November 27, 1981
Recap
Washington Bullets 100, Boston Celtics 113
Boston Garden, Boston
December 18, 1981
Recap
Boston Celtics 99, Washington Bullets 98
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
March 16, 1982
Recap
Boston Celtics 98, Washington Bullets 97 (OT)
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
March 31, 1982
Recap
Washington Bullets 109, Boston Celtics 119
Boston Garden, Boston :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bullets winning the first meeting.
Washington leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1975
Boston Celtics 2, Washington Bullets 4
1975 Eastern Conference Finals :

#### (2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

* April 25
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 122, Philadelphia 76ers 125 :
| Scoring by quarter: 38–35, 28–32, 32–30, 24–28 |||
| Pts: Mickey Johnson 28 Rebs: Marques Johnson 7 Asts: Brian Winters 5 | Pts: Julius Erving 34 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 16 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 10 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 10,086 Referees: Ed Rush, Hugh Evans
* April 28
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 108, Philadelphia 76ers 120 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 22–26, 26–30, 38–33 |||
| Pts: Brian Winters 21 Rebs: Bob Lanier 11 Asts: Winters, May 5 each | Pts: Andrew Toney 31 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 9 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 8 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 14,716 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jess Kersey
* May 1
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 91, Milwaukee Bucks 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–29, 21–19, 24–19, 30–25 |||
| Pts: Maurice Cheeks 19 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 6 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 8 | Pts: Mickey Johnson 21 Rebs: Marques Johnson 11 Asts: Marques Johnson 7 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Darell Garretson, Mike Mathis
* Sidney Moncrief hits the game-winning buzzer beater.
* May 2
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Milwaukee Bucks 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 27–20, 19–22, 25–22 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 21 Rebs: Julius Erving 11 Asts: Julius Erving 9 | Pts: Marques Johnson 23 Rebs: Moncrief, Mickey Johnson 7 each Asts: Mickey Johnson 7 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–1 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Wally Rooney, Paul Mihalak
* May 5
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 110, Philadelphia 76ers 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 23–26, 28–28, 31–19 |||
| Pts: Bob Lanier 27 Rebs: Alton Lister 11 Asts: Brian Winters 7 | Pts: Julius Erving 28 Rebs: Julius Erving 10 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 9 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 16,668 Referees: Jack Madden, Ed Middleton
* May 7
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 102, Milwaukee Bucks 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 27–14, 26–25, 26–24 |||
| Pts: Maurice Cheeks 26 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 12 Asts: Julius Erving 7 | Pts: Bob Lanier 19 Rebs: Bob Lanier 10 Asts: Brian Winters 6 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–2 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Earl Strom, John Vanak
Milwaukee won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 18, 1981
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 100, Philadelphia 76ers 102
Spectrum, Philadelphia
December 13, 1981
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 108, Milwaukee Bucks 127
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
January 13, 1982
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 111, Philadelphia 76ers 107
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 16, 1982
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 91, Milwaukee Bucks 106
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 30, 1982
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 114, Milwaukee Bucks 116 (OT)
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
April 18, 1982
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 86, Philadelphia 76ers 110
Spectrum, Philadelphia :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series :
1970
Milwaukee Bucks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1970 Eastern Division Semifinals
1981
Milwaukee Bucks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Phoenix Suns

* April 27
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 96, Los Angeles Lakers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–32, 33–26, 24–30, 19–27 |||
| Pts: D. Johnson, Adams 20 each Rebs: Truck Robinson 14 Asts: three players 4 each | Pts: Jamaal Wilkes 28 Rebs: Bob McAdoo 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 13,623 Referees: Wally Rooney, Mike Mathis
* April 28
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 98, Los Angeles Lakers 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–28, 30–28, 29–35, 23–26 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 27 Rebs: Larry Nance 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 6 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24 Rebs: Magic Johnson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 15,558 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins
* April 30
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 114, Phoenix Suns 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–36, 23–20, 29–21, 26–29 |||
| Pts: Jamaal Wilkes 26 Rebs: Magic Johnson 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 | Pts: Alvan Adams 23 Rebs: Alvan Adams 12 Asts: three players 5 each |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–0 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 14,660 Referees: Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford
* May 2
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 112, Phoenix Suns 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–24, 21–30, 30–30, 25–23 |||
| Pts: Jamaal Wilkes 24 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | Pts: Dennis Johnson 31 Rebs: Macy, Nance 6 each Asts: Alvan Adams 8 |
| Los Angeles wins series, 4–0 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 11,932 Referees: Ed Rush, Ed Middleton
Los Angeles won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 6, 1981
Recap
Phoenix Suns 101, Los Angeles Lakers 99
The Forum, Inglewood, California
November 14, 1981
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 98, Phoenix Suns 97
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
December 25, 1981
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 104, Phoenix Suns 101
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
January 28, 1982
Recap
Phoenix Suns 87, Los Angeles Lakers 97
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 2, 1982
Recap
Phoenix Suns 109, Los Angeles Lakers 99
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 18, 1982
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 120, Phoenix Suns 115
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings.
Los Angeles leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1970
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 3
1970 Western Division Semifinals
1980
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 1
1980 Western Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Seattle SuperSonics

* April 27
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 95, Seattle SuperSonics 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–22, 21–23, 34–16, 17–32 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 31 Rebs: Mike Mitchell 11 Asts: Johnny Moore 8 | Pts: Jack Sikma 26 Rebs: Jack Sikma 12 Asts: Hanzlik, Brown 4 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,457 Referees: Ed Rush, Hue Hollins
* April 28
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 99, Seattle SuperSonics 114 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–28, 20–30, 27–27, 20–29 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 24 Rebs: G. Johnson, Corzine 8 each Asts: Johnny Moore 14 | Pts: Gus Williams 34 Rebs: Lonnie Shelton 11 Asts: Gus Williams 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 19,403 Referees: Bill Saar, Hugh Evans
* April 30
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 97, San Antonio Spurs 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–24, 30–18, 12–28, 26–29 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 25 Rebs: Jack Sikma 15 Asts: Gus Williams 11 | Pts: George Gervin 36 Rebs: Mike Mitchell 12 Asts: Johnny Moore 12 |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 14,019 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, John Vanak
* May 2
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 113, San Antonio Spurs 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–37, 30–23, 26–23, 23–32 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 33 Rebs: James Donaldson 16 Asts: Gus Williams 7 | Pts: Mike Mitchell 22 Rebs: Olberding, Banks 9 each Asts: Mike Bratz 10 |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–1 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,002 Referees: Jack Madden, Joe Crawford
* May 5
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 109, Seattle SuperSonics 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–34, 28–21, 25–21, 26–27 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 26 Rebs: Dave Corzine 11 Asts: Moore, Bratz 9 each | Pts: Gus Williams 36 Rebs: Jack Sikma 11 Asts: Gus Williams 9 |
| San Antonio wins series, 4–1 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 23,180 Referees: Darell Garretson, Jess Kersey
San Antonio won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
November 13, 1981
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 119, Seattle SuperSonics 112
Kingdome, Seattle
November 18, 1981
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 93, San Antonio Spurs 101
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
December 9, 1981
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 99, San Antonio Spurs 110
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
February 14, 1982
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 94, San Antonio Spurs 114
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
April 2, 1982
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 86, Seattle SuperSonics 111
Kingdome, Seattle :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Spurs and the SuperSonics.

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

* May 9
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 81, Boston Celtics 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 21–32, 11–31, 25–28 |||
| Pts: Andrew Toney 15 Rebs: four players 7 each Asts: Andrew Toney 4 | Pts: Bird, Parish 24 each Rebs: Larry Bird 15 Asts: Larry Bird 10 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,320 Referees: Ed Rush, Hugh Evans
* Mother's Day Massacre
* May 12
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 121, Boston Celtics 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–29, 31–27, 26–34, 33–23 |||
| Pts: Andrew Toney 30 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 11 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 14 | Pts: Tiny Archibald 24 Rebs: Larry Bird 14 Asts: Tiny Archibald 13 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,320 Referees: Earl Strom, Paul Mihalak
* May 15
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 97, Philadelphia 76ers 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 19–25, 23–31, 27–19 |||
| Pts: Cedric Maxwell 18 Rebs: Larry Bird 13 Asts: Larry Bird 11 | Pts: Julius Erving 19 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 12 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 10 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,364 Referees: Jack Madden, Wally Rooney
* May 16
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 94, Philadelphia 76ers 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–32, 28–23, 25–30, 21–34 |||
| Pts: Robert Parish 18 Rebs: Larry Bird 9 Asts: Gerald Henderson 7 | Pts: Andrew Toney 39 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 11 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 11 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,364 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak
* May 19
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 85, Boston Celtics 114 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 15–24, 27–28, 21–29 |||
| Pts: Andrew Toney 18 Rebs: Darryl Dawkins 10 Asts: Lionel Hollins 7 | Pts: Robert Parish 26 Rebs: Larry Bird 20 Asts: Larry Bird 8 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,320 Referees: Darell Garretson, Ed Rush
* May 21
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 88, Philadelphia 76ers 75 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 22–22, 19–16, 27–11 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 17 Rebs: Larry Bird 17 Asts: Danny Ainge 7 | Pts: Julius Erving 24 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 17 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 7 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,364 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jack Madden
* May 23
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 120, Boston Celtics 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 22–21, 31–22, 37–35 |||
| Pts: Andrew Toney 34 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 10 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 11 | Pts: Robert Parish 23 Rebs: Robert Parish 14 Asts: Larry Bird 9 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–3 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,320 Referees: Darell Garretson, Jack Madden
* The Celtics were not able to overcome a 3–1 series deficit like they had in last season's Eastern Conference finals, losing Game 7 at home. The Sixers became the 2nd team to ever beat the Celtics in a Game 7 in the Garden (after the New York Knicks did in 1973) and the 3rd NBA road team to win Game 7 after leading series 3–1. The Boston Garden crowd in Game 7 chanted "Beat LA! Beat LA!" to the victorious Sixers.
Boston won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
December 4, 1981
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 103, Boston Celtics 111
Boston Garden, Boston
December 19, 1981
Recap
Boston Celtics 118, Philadelphia 76ers 123 (OT)
Spectrum, Philadelphia
January 8, 1982
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 90, Boston Celtics 96
Boston Garden, Boston
March 21, 1982
Recap
Boston Celtics 123, Philadelphia 76ers 111
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 28, 1982
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 116, Boston Celtics 98
Boston Garden, Boston
April 11, 1982
Recap
Boston Celtics 110, Philadelphia 76ers 109 (OT)
Spectrum, Philadelphia :
This was the 17th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning nine of the first 16 meetings.
Boston leads 9–7 in all-time playoff series :
1953
Boston Celtics 2, Syracuse Nationals 0
1953 Eastern Division Semifinals
1954
Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2
1954 Eastern Division Round Robin semifinals
1954
Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2
1954 Eastern Division Finals
1955
Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 3
1955 Eastern Division Finals
1956
Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 2
1956 Eastern Division Semifinals
1957
Boston Celtics 3, Syracuse Nationals 0
1957 Eastern Division Finals
1959
Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 3
1959 Eastern Division Finals
1961
Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 1
1961 Eastern Division Finals
1965
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1965 Eastern Division Finals
1966
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1966 Eastern Division Finals
1967
Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1967 Eastern Division Finals
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1968 Eastern Division Finals
1969
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1969 Eastern Division Semifinals
1977
Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1977 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1980
Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1980 Eastern Conference Finals
1981
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1981 Eastern Conference Finals :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs

* May 9
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 117, Los Angeles Lakers 128 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–32, 22–31, 38–35, 26–30 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 34 Rebs: Dave Corzine 11 Asts: Johnny Moore 12 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Rebs: Magic Johnson 16 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 15,700 Referees: Paul Mihalak, Wally Rooney, Hue Hollins
* May 11
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 101, Los Angeles Lakers 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 26–23, 34–29, 22–32 |||
| Pts: Mike Mitchell 34 Rebs: Dave Corzine 13 Asts: Johnny Moore 11 | Pts: Nixon, Wilkes 22 each Rebs: Kurt Rambis 15 Asts: Nixon, M. Johnson 9 each |
| Los Angeles leads series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* May 14
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 118, San Antonio Spurs 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 32–24, 26–31, 37–29 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 Rebs: M. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar 10 each Asts: Nixon, M. Johnson 10 each | Pts: George Gervin 39 Rebs: George Gervin 15 Asts: Johnny Moore 12 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,800
* May 15
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 128, San Antonio Spurs 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–27, 30–37, 30–31, 32–28 |||
| Pts: Norm Nixon 30 Rebs: M. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar 9 each Asts: Norm Nixon 10 | Pts: George Gervin 38 Rebs: Mike Mitchell 10 Asts: Johnny Moore 10 |
| Los Angeles wins series, 4–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,800 Referees: Earl Strom, Hugh Evans, John Vanak
San Antonio won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 10, 1981
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 102, San Antonio Spurs 128
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
November 20, 1981
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 116, Los Angeles Lakers 136
The Forum, Inglewood, California
November 25, 1981
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 117, San Antonio Spurs 96
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
February 12, 1982
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 100, Los Angeles Lakers 94
The Forum, Inglewood, California
March 26, 1982
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 105, San Antonio Spurs 110
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Spurs.

## NBA Finals: (E3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (W1) Los Angeles Lakers

* May 27
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 124, Philadelphia 76ers 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–32, 20–29, 41–28, 33–28 |||
| Pts: Nixon, Wilkes 24 each Rebs: Magic Johnson 14 Asts: Norm Nixon 10 | Pts: Julius Erving 27 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 11 Asts: Cheeks, Toney 9 each |
| Los Angeles leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,364 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Hugh Evans
* May 30
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 94, Philadelphia 76ers 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–34, 21–23, 29–31, 18–22 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23 Rebs: Magic Johnson 11 Asts: Norm Nixon 10 | Pts: Julius Erving 24 Rebs: Julius Erving 14 Asts: Andrew Toney 11 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,364 Referees: Darell Garretson, Earl Strom
* June 1
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 108, Los Angeles Lakers 129 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–32, 28–28, 22–31, 38–38 |||
| Pts: Andrew Toney 36 Rebs: Darryl Dawkins 13 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 9 | Pts: Norm Nixon 29 Rebs: Magic Johnson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 8 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ed Rush, Wally Rooney
* June 3
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 101, Los Angeles Lakers 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–29, 24–28, 30–30, 29–24 |||
| Pts: Andrew Toney 28 Rebs: Bobby Jones 9 Asts: Andrew Toney 11 | Pts: Johnson, Wilkes 24 each Rebs: Abdul-Jabbar, Rambis 11 each Asts: Norm Nixon 14 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak
* June 6
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 102, Philadelphia 76ers 135 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 34–34, 27–37, 21–44 |||
| Pts: Bob McAdoo 23 Rebs: Magic Johnson 10 Asts: Norm Nixon 13 | Pts: Andrew Toney 31 Rebs: Julius Erving 12 Asts: Toney, Cheeks 8 each |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,364 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Rush
* June 8
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 104, Los Angeles Lakers 114 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 31–36, 22–20, 25–28 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 30 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 9 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 9 | Pts: Jamaal Wilkes 27 Rebs: Magic Johnson 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 |
| Los Angeles wins series, 4–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Jack Madden
Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series :
February 26, 1982
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 114, Los Angeles Lakers 116 (2OT)
The Forum, Inglewood, California
March 7, 1982
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 113, Philadelphia 76ers 119
Spectrum, Philadelphia :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings.
Los Angeles leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series :
1950
Minneapolis Lakers 4, Syracuse Nationals 2
1950 NBA Finals
1954
Minneapolis Lakers 4, Syracuse Nationals 3
1954 NBA Finals
1980
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2
1980 NBA Finals :