# 1981–82 New York Knicks season

The 1981-82 NBA season was the Knicks' 36th season in the NBA. The team finished second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a 33–49 record.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 2 | 40 | Greg Cook | PF | United States | LSU |
| 3 | 57 | Frank Brickowski | PF | United States | Penn State |
| 3 | 63 | Wayne McKoy | PF | United States | St. John's |
| 4 | 86 | Alex Bradley | SF | United States | Villanova |

## Regular season

After falling short in the 1981 NBA Playoffs, the Knicks' general manager Eddie Donovan attempted to add some veteran talent with the intention of making a more playoff-ready team. But Donovan's decisions showed he was out of touch with his team, and most importantly, his star player Michael Ray Richardson. First Ray Williams, Richardson's terrific backcourt teammate, was headed to free agency and therefore traded for veteran Maurice Lucas. Another one of Richardson's friends, Mike Glenn was also sent away, rather than being re-signed for a second-round draft pick.
The Knicks were still in a playoff hunt; despite not playing at a high level, they were 19–17 and were ready to make a run for the playoffs, when Donovan signed Paul Westphal; instead, the Knicks lost 16 of the last 21 games and were left out of the playoffs. It was here when Richardson asked what was wrong with the Knicks, he replied "The Ship Be Sinking". After the Season, Holtzman stepped down as Knicks head coach, and Richardson would be shipped off to the Golden State Warriors.

### Season standings

| Atlantic Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Boston Celtics | 63 | 19 | .768 | – | 35–6 | 28–13 | 20–4 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 5.0 | 32–9 | 26–15 | 16–8 |
| x-New Jersey Nets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 19.0 | 25–16 | 19–22 | 12–12 |
| x-Washington Bullets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 20.0 | 22–19 | 21–20 | 7–17 |
| New York Knicks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 30.0 | 19–22 | 14–27 | 5–19 |
| # | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Boston Celtics | 63 | 19 | .768 | – |
| 2 | y-Milwaukee Bucks | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 |
| 3 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 5 |
| 4 | x-New Jersey Nets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 19 |
| 5 | x-Washington Bullets | 43 | 39 | .524 | 20 |
| 6 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 21 |
| 7 | Detroit Pistons | 39 | 43 | .476 | 24 |
| 8 | Indiana Pacers | 35 | 47 | .427 | 28 |
| 9 | Chicago Bulls | 34 | 48 | .415 | 29 |
| 10 | New York Knicks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 30 |
| 11 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 15 | 67 | .183 | 48 |
    z - clinched division title
    y - clinched division title
    x - clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1981-82 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SDC | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | — | 1–5 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–4 |
| Boston | 5–1 | — | 4–2 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 |
| Chicago | 3–2 | 2–4 | — | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
| Cleveland | 2–4 | 0–5 | 1–5 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 0–6 | 0–6 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–5 |
| Dallas | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 |
| Detroit | 4–2 | 0–6 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 |
| Golden State | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 0–2 | — | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 4–1 | — | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 6–0 | 2–0 |
| Indiana | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 |
| Kansas City | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | — | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 |
| Los Angeles | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 2–0 |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 4–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
| New Jersey | 2–3 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | — | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| New York | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 | — | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–5 |
| Philadelphia | 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–1 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 |
| Phoenix | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 3–3 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Portland | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | — | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 0–2 |
| San Antonio | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–3 | — | 3–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
| San Diego | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–3 | — | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 5–1 | — | 5–0 | 1–1 |
| Utah | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 0–5 | — | 1–1 |
| Washington | 4–2 | 0–6 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — |

## Game log
### Regular season

1981–82 game log Total: 33–49 (Home: 19–22; Road: 14–27) :
October: 1–1 (home: 0–1; road: 1–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1
October 30
@ New Jersey
W 103–99
Brendan Byrne Arena
1–0
2 :
November: 5–7 (home: 3–3; road: 2–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
3
4
5
6
November 10
New Jersey
W 111–99
Madison Square Garden
3–3
7
8
November 14
Philadelphia
9
10
11
12
13
14 :
December: 9–7 (home: 4–4; road: 5–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
December 16
@ Philadelphia
23
24
25
December 22
Philadelphia
26
December 23
@ New Jersey
L 99–115
Brendan Byrne Arena
12–14
27
December 25
New Jersey
L 95–96
Madison Square Garden
12–15
28
29
30 :
January: 5–9 (home: 2–4; road: 3–5)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44 :
February: 6–9 (home: 4–3; road: 2–6)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
45
46
February 3
@ Los Angeles
W 98–94
The Forum
21–25
47
48
49
50
51
February 13
Philadelphia
52
February 14
@ Philadelphia
53
54
55
56
57
58
59 :
March: 5–8 (home: 5–4; road: 0–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
60
61
March 4
Los Angeles
W 129–119 (OT)
Madison Square Garden
28–33
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
March 28
@ New Jersey
L 106–113
Brendan Byrne Arena
30–41
72 :
April: 2–8 (home: 1–3; road: 1–5)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
73
74
April 4
@ Philadelphia
75
76
77
78
79
April 13
New Jersey
L 102–104
Madison Square Garden
33–36
80
81
82 :
1981–82 schedule :