# 1986 NBA playoffs

The 1986 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985–86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time.
This was the second NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Rockets; they met in the 1981 NBA Finals with the same result. It was the third of four straight Eastern Conference championships for Boston, who won 67 games that year, and went 40–1 at home. The Rockets, meanwhile had won just their second conference title in franchise history.
Second-year player Michael Jordan put on a record-setting performance in Game 2 of the Bulls' first-round series against the Celtics, scoring 63 points in a 2-OT loss, which surpassed Elgin Baylor's 61-point performance from the 1962 NBA Finals and still stands as the NBA Playoff scoring record. Jordan averaged 44.7 points per game in the series, but was unable to prevent the Bulls from being swept by a more experienced, more talented Celtics team. The Bulls set a dubious mark by posting the second worst record for a playoff-qualifying team in history, going just 30–52 during the season. Game 2, where the record was set, was ranked by TV Guide as the 26th Most Memorable Moment in Television History, and is credited with boosting the NBA's popularity surge and eventual rise to near the top of the United States television sports market, trailing only football by the mid-90s.
The 1986 playoffs marked the third time in four years that the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but it would be their last appearance in the series until 2001. The Celtics avenged their 1983 sweep by sweeping the Bucks in four games.
As for the Philadelphia 76ers, this was the last time they would play in a Game 7 until 2001. After their first round loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons would advance past the first round in each of the next five seasons (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991), which include all appearances in the conference finals, three NBA Finals, and two championships.
After moving from Kansas City, where the franchise played its previous thirteen seasons, the Sacramento Kings made their first postseason appearance in their first season in its new city.

## 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* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Chicago | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Chicago | 0 | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E4 | Atlanta | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Atlanta | 3 | | | E4 | Atlanta | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Detroit | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Detroit | 1 | | | | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E2 | Milwaukee* | 0 | | | | |
| E3 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 0 | | | | |
| E6 | Washington | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Washington | 2 | | | E3 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Milwaukee* | 3 | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | New Jersey | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | New Jersey | 0 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W2 | Houston* | 2 |
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W2 | Houston* | 2 |
| W8 | San Antonio | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | San Antonio | 0 | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W4 | Dallas | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Dallas | 3 | | | W4 | Dallas | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Utah | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Utah | 1 | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 1 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | LA Lakers* | 1 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W2 | Houston* | 4 | | | | |
| W3 | Denver | 3 | | | | | | | | | W2 | Houston* | 4 | | | | |
| W6 | Portland | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Portland | 1 | | | W3 | Denver | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Houston* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Houston* | 3 | | | W2 | Houston* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Sacramento | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls

* April 17
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 104, Boston Celtics 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–27, 24–34, 25–33, 20–29 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 49 Rebs: Charles Oakley 10 Asts: Macy, Paxson 4 each | Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: McHale, Parish 10 each Asts: Larry Bird 8 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak
* April 20
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 131, Boston Celtics 135 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–25, 25–26, 33–37, 25–28, Overtime: 9–9, 6–10 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 63 Rebs: Charles Oakley 14 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: McHale, Walton 15 each Asts: Bird, Johnson 8 each |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton, Jack Nies
* Michael Jordan hits the game-tying free throws with no time left in regulation to force the first OT; Danny Ainge hits the game-tying lay-up with 12 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT.
* Michael Jordan's 63 points scored is an NBA playoff record, this was George Gervin's final NBA game.
* April 22
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 122, Chicago Bulls 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–23, 33–29, 33–19, 23–33 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 31 Rebs: Bill Walton 9 Asts: Larry Bird 8 | Pts: John Paxson 23 Rebs: Dave Corzine 15 Asts: Michael Jordan 9 |
| Boston wins series, 3–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,968 Referees: Lee Jones, Ed Rush
Boston won 5–1 in the regular-season series :
December 15, 1985
Recap
Chicago Bulls 104, Boston Celtics 109
Boston Garden, Boston
December 17, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 108, Chicago Bulls 116
Chicago Stadium, Chicago
January 30, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 101, Chicago Bulls 91
Chicago Stadium, Chicago
March 4, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 106, Chicago Bulls 94
Chicago Stadium, Chicago
March 5, 1986
Recap
Chicago Bulls 97, Boston Celtics 108
Boston Garden, Boston
March 21, 1986
Recap
Chicago Bulls 105, Boston Celtics 126
Boston Garden, Boston :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
Boston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1981
Boston Celtics 4, Chicago Bulls 0
1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (7) New Jersey Nets

* April 18
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 107, Milwaukee Bucks 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–34, 29–24, 26–28, 23–33 |||
| Pts: Buck Williams 27 Rebs: Buck Williams 14 Asts: Birdsong, Cook 7 each | Pts: Craig Hodges 25 Rebs: Alton Lister 10 Asts: Paul Pressey 10 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins
* April 20
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 97, Milwaukee Bucks 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 23–23, 25–36, 26–26 |||
| Pts: Mike Gminski 28 Rebs: Mike Gminski 13 Asts: Darwin Cook 7 | Pts: Terry Cummings 28 Rebs: Terry Cummings 7 Asts: Paul Pressey 7 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Darrell Garretson, Dick Bavetta
* April 22
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 118, New Jersey Nets 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–36, 31–37, 36–22, 27–18 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 23 Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: Sidney Moncrief 5 | Pts: Otis Birdsong 28 Rebs: Buck Williams 10 Asts: Kelvin Ransey 4 |
| Milwaukee wins series, 3–0 |||
* Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 7,784 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton, Dick Bavetta
Milwaukee won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 2, 1985
Recap
New Jersey Nets 113, Milwaukee Bucks 136
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
November 9, 1985
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 123, New Jersey Nets 126
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
January 8, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 99, New Jersey Nets 106
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
February 15, 1986
Recap
New Jersey Nets 94, Milwaukee Bucks 112
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 5, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 119, New Jersey Nets 106
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
March 25, 1986
Recap
New Jersey Nets 105, Milwaukee Bucks 118
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.
Milwaukee leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1984
Milwaukee Bucks 4, New Jersey Nets 2
1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Washington Bullets

* April 18
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 95, Philadelphia 76ers 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 19–23, 24–25, 27–24 |||
| Pts: Jeff Malone 21 Rebs: Cliff Robinson 8 Asts: Gus Williams 7 | Pts: Charles Barkley 26 Rebs: Charles Barkley 22 Asts: Charles Barkley 9 |
| Washington leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 9,148 Referees: Jack Madden, Ed Middleton
* Dudley Bradley hits the game-winning 3 capping off a rally from 17 points down.
* April 20
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 97, Philadelphia 76ers 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 23–27, 30–26, 18–27 |||
| Pts: Jeff Malone 25 Rebs: Cliff Robinson 11 Asts: Gus Williams 12 | Pts: Charles Barkley 27 Rebs: Charles Barkley 20 Asts: Charles Barkley 6 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 9,057 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins
* April 22
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 91, Washington Bullets 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 18–26, 22–18, 25–15 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 22 Rebs: Charles Barkley 14 Asts: Julius Erving 6 | Pts: Gus Williams 28 Rebs: Bol, Roundfield 10 each Asts: Williams, Roundfield 4 each |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 17,137 Referees: Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis
* April 24
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 111, Washington Bullets 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–27, 27–33, 26–31, 27–25 |||
| Pts: Maurice Cheeks 30 Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Charles Barkley 7 | Pts: Cliff Robinson 31 Rebs: Manute Bol 12 Asts: Jeff Ruland 5 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 12,588 Referees: Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford
* April 27
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 109, Philadelphia 76ers 134 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–40, 30–30, 33–27, 24–37 |||
| Pts: Cliff Robinson 30 Rebs: Cliff Robinson 11 Asts: Gus Williams 6 | Pts: Terry Catledge 27 Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Charles Barkley 12 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 3–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 15,162 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Darrell Garretson
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 16, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 97, Washington Bullets 118
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
December 4, 1985
Recap
Washington Bullets 110, Philadelphia 76ers 115 (OT)
Spectrum, Philadelphia
February 21, 1986
Recap
Washington Bullets 87, Philadelphia 76ers 97
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 21, 1986
Recap
Washington Bullets 105, Philadelphia 76ers 112
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 24, 1986
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 93, Washington Bullets 100
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
April 13, 1986
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 97, Washington Bullets 98
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two of the first four meetings.
Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series :
1971
Philadelphia 76ers 3, Baltimore Bullets 4
1971 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1978
Philadelphia 76ers 2, Washington Bullets 4
1978 Eastern Conference Finals
1980
Philadelphia 76ers 2, Washington Bullets 0
1980 Eastern Conference First Round
1985
Philadelphia 76ers 3, Washington Bullets 1
1985 Eastern Conference First Round :

#### (4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Detroit Pistons

* April 17
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 122, Atlanta Hawks 140 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–30, 27–41, 29–32, 32–37 |||
| Pts: Bill Laimbeer 26 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 17 Asts: Isiah Thomas 16 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 28 Rebs: Rollins, Levingston 8 each Asts: Doc Rivers 16 |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,538 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta
* April 19
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 125, Atlanta Hawks 137 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–29, 32–39, 30–33, 29–36 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 36 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 | Pts: Randy Wittman 35 Rebs: Tree Rollins 14 Asts: Spud Webb 18 |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,964 Referees: Ed Rush, Walter Rooney, Jim Capers
* April 22
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 97, Detroit Pistons 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–33, 23–25, 21–26, 29–22 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 21 Rebs: Wilkins, Levingston 7 each Asts: Doc Rivers 8 | Pts: Kelly Tripucka 33 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 14 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 13,312 Referees: Jack Madden, Joe Crawford
* April 25
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 114, Detroit Pistons 113 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 24–18, 24–26, 19–20, Overtime: 11–11, 11–10 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 38 Rebs: Doc Rivers 13 Asts: Doc Rivers 9 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 30 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 15,288 Referees: Darell Garretson, Jess Kersey
Atlanta won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 15, 1985
Recap
Detroit Pistons 118, Atlanta Hawks 122
The Omni, Atlanta
January 3, 1986
Recap
Detroit Pistons 101, Atlanta Hawks 111
The Omni, Atlanta
January 9, 1986
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 110, Detroit Pistons 99
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
January 29, 1986
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 94, Detroit Pistons 107
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
January 31, 1986
Recap
Detroit Pistons 103, Atlanta Hawks 116
The Omni, Atlanta
February 28, 1986
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 103, Detroit Pistons 115
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning two of the first three meetings while in St. Louis.
Atlanta/ St. Louis leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1956
Fort Wayne Pistons 3, St. Louis Hawks 2
1956 Western Division Finals
1958
Detroit Pistons 1, St. Louis Hawks 4
1958 Western Division Finals
1963
Detroit Pistons 1, St. Louis Hawks 3
1963 Western Division Semifinals :

### Western Conference first round
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) San Antonio Spurs

* April 17
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 88, Los Angeles Lakers 135 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–33, 22–34, 31–30, 12–38 |||
| Pts: Mike Mitchell 24 Rebs: Mitchell, S. Johnson 4 each Asts: Wes Matthews 10 | Pts: Byron Scott 24 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 18 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Bill Oakes
* April 19
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 94, Los Angeles Lakers 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 21–26, 18–33, 27–36 |||
| Pts: Wes Matthews 30 Rebs: David Greenwood 7 Asts: Alvin Robertson 8 | Pts: Magic Johnson 30 Rebs: Abdul-Jabbar, Lucas 10 each Asts: Magic Johnson 13 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Lee Jones, Joe Crawford
* April 23
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 114, San Antonio Spurs 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 29–28, 28–15, 30–31 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 17 | Pts: Wes Matthews 30 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 11 Asts: Wes Matthews 8 |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 7,918 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Tommy Nunez Sr.
Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
October 26, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 121, San Antonio Spurs 116 (2OT)
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
November 24, 1985
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 102, Los Angeles Lakers 118
The Forum, Inglewood, California
December 26, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 91, San Antonio Spurs 109
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
March 21, 1986
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 117, San Antonio Spurs 109
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
March 24, 1986
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 102, Los Angeles Lakers 124
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
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 :
1982
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 0
1982 Western Conference Finals
1983
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 2
1983 Western Conference Finals :

#### (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Sacramento Kings

* April 17
* Boxscore
Sacramento Kings 87, Houston Rockets 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 15–24, 25–26, 25–26 |||
| Pts: Reggie Theus 18 Rebs: LaSalle Thompson 17 Asts: Reggie Theus 4 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 29 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 15 Asts: Rodney McCray 7 |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,101 Referees: Hugh Evans, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* April 19
* Boxscore
Sacramento Kings 103, Houston Rockets 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 23–22, 26–30, 33–25 |||
| Pts: Reggie Theus 19 Rebs: LaSalle Thompson 10 Asts: Reggie Theus 7 | Pts: Robert Reid 29 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 8 Asts: Reid, Sampson 6 each |
| Houston leads series, 2–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey
* April 22
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 113, Sacramento Kings 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 32–25, 32–22, 26–25 |||
| Pts: Lloyd, Sampson 25 each Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 13 Asts: Lloyd, McCray 7 each | Pts: Eddie Johnson 33 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Reggie Theus 8 |
| Houston wins series, 3–0 |||
* ARCO Arena I, Sacramento, California Attendance: 10,333 Referees: Darell Garretson, Paul Mihalak
Houston won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
October 31, 1985
Recap
Houston Rockets 116, Sacramento Kings 122
ARCO Arena I, Sacramento, California
November 30, 1985
Recap
Sacramento Kings 114, Houston Rockets 131
The Summit, Houston
January 23, 1986
Recap
Sacramento Kings 107, Houston Rockets 124
The Summit, Houston
January 30, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 111, Sacramento Kings 109
ARCO Arena I, Sacramento, California
February 18, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 105, Sacramento Kings 115
ARCO Arena I, Sacramento, California
March 6, 1986
Recap
Sacramento Kings 105, Houston Rockets 116
The Summit, Houston :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.
Houston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1981
Houston Rockets 4, Kansas City Kings 1
1981 Western Conference Finals :

#### (3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

* April 18
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 126, Denver Nuggets 133 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 34–38, 33–36, 31–31 |||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 28 Rebs: Kenny Carr 9 Asts: Steve Colter 6 | Pts: Calvin Natt 40 Rebs: Danny Schayes 11 Asts: English, Lever 9 each |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 13,209 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey
* April 20
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 108, Denver Nuggets 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–25, 18–21, 26–30, 28–30 |||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 36 Rebs: Kenny Carr 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 8 | Pts: Alex English 24 Rebs: Blair Rasmussen 9 Asts: Alex English 10 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 11,724 Referees: Joe Crawford, Paul Mihalak
* April 22
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 115, Portland Trail Blazers 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 26–22, 32–21, 34–33 |||
| Pts: Blair Rasmussen 15 Rebs: Calvin Natt 11 Asts: Fat Lever 5 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 24 Rebs: Kenny Carr 15 Asts: Clyde Drexler 7 |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Oakes
* April 24
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 116, Portland Trail Blazers 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–33, 28–30, 37–30, 27–19 |||
| Pts: Fat Lever 30 Rebs: T. R. Dunn 11 Asts: Alex English 8 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 18 Rebs: Kenny Carr 18 Asts: Steve Colter 8 |
| Denver wins series, 3–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Jack Madden, Hue Hollins
Denver won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
December 19, 1985
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 118, Denver Nuggets 123
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
December 22, 1985
Recap
Denver Nuggets 114, Portland Trail Blazers 121
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
February 4, 1986
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 118, Denver Nuggets 119
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
February 24, 1986
Recap
Denver Nuggets 119, Portland Trail Blazers 113
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
April 1, 1986
Recap
Denver Nuggets 110, Portland Trail Blazers 127
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first meeting.
Portland leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1977
Denver Nuggets 2, Portland Trail Blazers 4
1977 Western Conference Semifinals :

#### (4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Utah Jazz

* April 18
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 93, Dallas Mavericks 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 30–34, 24–25, 14–16 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 23 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: Rickey Green 12 | Pts: Rolando Blackman 25 Rebs: Sam Perkins 15 Asts: Derek Harper 7 |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Hugh Evans, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* April 20
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 106, Dallas Mavericks 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 29–32, 28–27, 21–23 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 31 Rebs: Mark Eaton 11 Asts: Rickey Green 8 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 27 Rebs: Sam Perkins 10 Asts: Aguirre, Harper 5 each |
| Dallas leads series, 2–0 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Ed Rush, Lee Jones
* April 23
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 98, Utah Jazz 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 24–22, 31–25, 20–24 |||
| Pts: James Donaldson 17 Rebs: James Donaldson 20 Asts: Derek Harper 6 | Pts: Rickey Green 32 Rebs: Thurl Bailey 14 Asts: Rickey Green 8 |
| Dallas leads series, 2–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 11,635 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins
* April 25
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 117, Utah Jazz 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 31–25, 29–26, 33–33 |||
| Pts: Sam Perkins 29 Rebs: Sam Perkins 12 Asts: Mark Aguirre 8 | Pts: Thurl Bailey 24 Rebs: Mark Eaton 12 Asts: Rickey Green 10 |
| Dallas wins series, 3–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,683 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jack Madden
Dallas won 5–1 in the regular-season series :
November 13, 1985
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 115, Utah Jazz 100
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
January 4, 1986
Recap
Utah Jazz 106, Dallas Mavericks 119
Reunion Arena, Dallas
January 17, 1986
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 112, Utah Jazz 139
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
February 2, 1986
Recap
Utah Jazz 97, Dallas Mavericks 100
Reunion Arena, Dallas
March 15, 1986
Recap
Utah Jazz 98, Dallas Mavericks 108
Reunion Arena, Dallas
March 20, 1986
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 114, Utah Jazz 107
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Jazz.

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks

* April 27
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 91, Boston Celtics 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 23–22, 17–34, 28–17 |||
| Pts: Kevin Willis 18 Rebs: Kevin Willis 8 Asts: Spud Webb 5 | Pts: Kevin McHale 24 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Hugh Evans, Mike Mathis
* April 29
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 108, Boston Celtics 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–36, 20–29, 31–29, 26–25 |||
| Pts: Kevin Willis 23 Rebs: Willis, Rollins 10 each Asts: Doc Rivers 7 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: Kevin McHale 9 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Oakes
* May 2
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 111, Atlanta Hawks 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–31, 30–29, 24–27, 23–20 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 28 Rebs: Robert Parish 14 Asts: Larry Bird 12 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 38 Rebs: Kevin Willis 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 14 |
| Boston leads series, 3–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,357 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Crawford, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* May 4
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 94, Atlanta Hawks 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 27–21, 23–29, 20–27 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 26 Rebs: Kevin McHale 12 Asts: Larry Bird 5 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 37 Rebs: Tree Rollins 16 Asts: Spud Webb 12 |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,357 Referees: Darrell Garretson, Paul Mihalak
* May 6
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 99, Boston Celtics 132 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–32, 28–34, 6–36, 38–30 |||
| Pts: Spud Webb 15 Rebs: Tree Rollins 8 Asts: Spud Webb 8 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 |
| Boston wins series, 4–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jack Madden, Ed Middleton
* Hawks only scored 1 field goal in the third quarter.
Boston won 6–0 in the regular-season series :
November 1, 1985
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 105, Boston Celtics 109
Boston Garden, Boston
November 30, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 102, Atlanta Hawks 97
The Omni, Atlanta
December 10, 1985
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 110, Boston Celtics 114
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
January 10, 1986
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 108, Boston Celtics 115
Boston Garden, Boston
January 18, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 125, Atlanta Hawks 122 (OT)
The Omni, Atlanta
March 14, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 121, Atlanta Hawks 114
The Omni, Atlanta :
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning six of the first seven meetings.
Boston leads 6–1 in all-time playoff series :
1957
Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 3
1957 NBA Finals
1958
Boston Celtics 2, St. Louis Hawks 4
1958 NBA Finals
1960
Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 3
1960 NBA Finals
1961
Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 1
1961 NBA Finals
1972
Atlanta Hawks 2, Boston Celtics 4
1972 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1973
Atlanta Hawks 2, Boston Celtics 4
1973 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1983
Atlanta Hawks 1, Boston Celtics 2
1983 Eastern Conference First Round :

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

* April 29
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 118, Milwaukee Bucks 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 24–33, 35–28, 30–19 |||
| Pts: Charles Barkley 31 Rebs: Charles Barkley 20 Asts: Cheeks, Threatt 7 each | Pts: Terry Cummings 23 Rebs: Terry Cummings 7 Asts: Paul Pressey 13 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Ed Rush, Lee Jones
* May 1
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 107, Milwaukee Bucks 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 32–31, 21–30, 31–28 |||
| Pts: Charles Barkley 26 Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 8 | Pts: Terry Cummings 30 Rebs: Terry Cummings 15 Asts: Paul Pressey 7 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Jack Madden, Hue Hollins
* May 3
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 103, Philadelphia 76ers 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–18, 20–35, 26–26, 30–28 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 27 Rebs: Cummings, Lister 9 each Asts: Paul Pressey 9 | Pts: Charles Barkley 29 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 10 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 14,611 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey
* May 5
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 109, Philadelphia 76ers 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 33–33, 24–20, 25–24 |||
| Pts: Cummings, Pierce 19 each Rebs: Terry Cummings 13 Asts: three players 4 each | Pts: Charles Barkley 37 Rebs: Charles Barkley 14 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 10 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 17,941 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Crawford
* May 7
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 108, Milwaukee Bucks 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 28–27, 30–26, 24–27 |||
| Pts: Charles Barkley 29 Rebs: Clemon Johnson 9 Asts: Barkley, Erving 5 each | Pts: Pressey, Cummings 23 each Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 16 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 3–2 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Paul Mihalak, Hugh Evans
* May 9
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 108, Philadelphia 76ers 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–35, 26–27, 21–32, 33–32 |||
| Pts: Craig Hodges 22 Rebs: Alton Lister 10 Asts: Terry Cummings 5 | Pts: Jones, Barkley 23 each Rebs: Charles Barkley 21 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 13 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 15,287 Referees: Ed Rush, Darell Garretson
* May 11
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 112, Milwaukee Bucks 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–30, 26–33, 28–27, 26–23 |||
| Pts: Sedale Threatt 28 Rebs: Charles Barkley 12 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 6 | Pts: Terry Cummings 27 Rebs: Terry Cummings 8 Asts: Paul Pressey 15 |
| Milwaukee wins series, 4–3 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jack Madden
* Charles Barkley's goaltending on Craig Hodges with 29 seconds left; Bob McAdoo's and Bobby Jones' final NBA game.
Milwaukee won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
October 29, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 117, Milwaukee Bucks 119
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
November 10, 1985
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 97, Philadelphia 76ers 105
Spectrum, Philadelphia
February 17, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 111, Philadelphia 76ers 106
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 7, 1986
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 95, Milwaukee Bucks 125
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 28, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 116, Philadelphia 76ers 94
Spectrum, Philadelphia :
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first five meetings.
Philadelphia leads 4–1 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
1982
Milwaukee Bucks 2, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1982 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1983
Milwaukee Bucks 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1983 Eastern Conference Finals
1985
Milwaukee Bucks 0, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1985 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks

* April 27
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 116, Los Angeles Lakers 120 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–30, 31–36, 32–29, 36–35 |||
| Pts: Jay Vincent 18 Rebs: James Donaldson 10 Asts: Derek Harper 9 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ed Rush, Ed Middleton
* April 30
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 113, Los Angeles Lakers 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 33–29, 24–28, 26–33 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: Mark Aguirre 12 Asts: Derek Harper 16 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Hugh Evans, Paul Mihalak
* May 2
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 108, Dallas Mavericks 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 32–24, 28–31, 25–29 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 27 Rebs: James Donaldson 14 Asts: Mark Aguirre 8 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Jack Madden, Hue Hollins
* Derek Harper redeemed himself from his 1984 mistake by hitting the game-winning 3 with 3 seconds left.
* May 4
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 118, Dallas Mavericks 120 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–45, 25–22, 29–31, 31–22 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 33 Rebs: Magic Johnson 15 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 39 Rebs: James Donaldson 11 Asts: Derek Harper 11 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Lee Jones
* May 6
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 113, Los Angeles Lakers 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 26–25, 28–30, 34–32 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 27 Rebs: James Donaldson 8 Asts: Derek Harper 9 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 34 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis
* May 8
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 120, Dallas Mavericks 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–28, 36–23, 19–30, 32–26 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 17 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: James Donaldson 18 Asts: Rolando Blackman 8 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Ed Rush, Joe Crawford
Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
October 29, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 133, Dallas Mavericks 115
Reunion Arena, Dallas
December 8, 1985
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 119, Los Angeles Lakers 125
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 4, 1986
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 102, Los Angeles Lakers 110
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 26, 1986
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 119, Dallas Mavericks 116
Reunion Arena, Dallas
April 13, 1986
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 127, Los Angeles Lakers 104
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
Los Angeles leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1984
Dallas Mavericks 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1984 Western Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Houston Rockets vs. (3) Denver Nuggets

* April 26
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 119, Houston Rockets 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–32, 29–23, 30–39, 28–32 |||
| Pts: Alex English 34 Rebs: Schayes, Natt 7 each Asts: English, Lever 9 each | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 38 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Asts: Robert Reid 9 |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,448 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton
* April 29
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 101, Houston Rockets 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 21–27, 28–35, 30–31 |||
| Pts: Blair Rasmussen 18 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 9 Asts: Mike Evans 7 | Pts: Ralph Sampson 27 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Asts: Rodney McCray 10 |
| Houston leads series, 2–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jess Kersey
* May 2
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 115, Denver Nuggets 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 29–33, 29–34, 28–19 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 31 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: McCray, Lloyd 8 each | Pts: Alex English 33 Rebs: Danny Schayes 8 Asts: Alex English 5 |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Hugh Evans, Paul Mihalak
* May 4
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 111, Denver Nuggets 114 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–27, 19–24, 29–23, 24–30, Overtime: 7–10 |||
| Pts: Ralph Sampson 28 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 13 Asts: Robert Reid 7 | Pts: Alex English 28 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 9 Asts: Turner, Hanzlik 5 each |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 14,152 Referees: Hue Hollins, Ed Rush
* May 6
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 103, Houston Rockets 131 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 20–40, 38–32, 19–27 |||
| Pts: Alex English 27 Rebs: Blair Rasmussen 12 Asts: Fat Lever 4 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 36 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 19 Asts: Robert Reid 12 |
| Houston leads series, 3–2 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Darell Garretson, Lee Jones
* May 8
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 126, Denver Nuggets 122 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–33, 25–24, 31–24, 31–27, Overtime: 8–8, 10–6 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 28 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 18 Asts: Rodney McCray 7 | Pts: Alex English 42 Rebs: Danny Schayes 14 Asts: Fat Lever 7 |
| Houston wins series, 4–2 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jack Madden
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 12, 1985
Recap
Denver Nuggets 119, Houston Rockets 127
The Summit, Houston
November 19, 1985
Recap
Houston Rockets 113, Denver Nuggets 127
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver
December 30, 1985
Recap
Houston Rockets 122, Denver Nuggets 125
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver
February 3, 1986
Recap
Denver Nuggets 102, Houston Rockets 104
The Summit, Houston
February 27, 1986
Recap
Denver Nuggets 111, Houston Rockets 117
The Summit, Houston
March 4, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 115, Denver Nuggets 128
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Rockets.

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Milwaukee Bucks

* May 13
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 96, Boston Celtics 128 :
| Scoring by quarter: 12–29, 26–31, 30–33, 28–35 |||
| Pts: Kenny Fields 18 Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: three players 3 each | Pts: Larry Bird 26 Rebs: Danny Ainge 10 Asts: Jerry Sichting 8 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey
* May 15
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 111, Boston Celtics 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–36, 26–27, 25–26, 31–33 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 23 Rebs: Alton Lister 7 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 | Pts: Larry Bird 26 Rebs: Robert Parish 9 Asts: Larry Bird 9 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Darell Garretson, Lee Jones
* May 17
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 111, Milwaukee Bucks 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–35, 21–25, 29–27, 29–20 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 29 Rebs: Larry Bird 16 Asts: Larry Bird 13 | Pts: Terry Cummings 27 Rebs: Terry Cummings 18 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 |
| Boston leads series, 3–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton
* May 18
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 111, Milwaukee Bucks 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 37–30, 17–24, 32–16 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: Kevin McHale 11 Asts: Ainge, Bird 5 each | Pts: Sidney Moncrief 27 Rebs: Alton Lister 12 Asts: Sidney Moncrief 8 |
| Boston wins series, 4–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Ed Rush, Joe Crawford
Boston won 5–0 in the regular-season series :
October 30, 1985
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 106, Boston Celtics 117
Boston Garden, Boston
December 3, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 112, Milwaukee Bucks 109
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
February 4, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 112, Milwaukee Bucks 93
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 26, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 115, Boston Celtics 121
Boston Garden, Boston
April 8, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 126, Milwaukee Bucks 114
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning two of the first three meetings.
Boston leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1974
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 3
1974 NBA Finals
1983
Boston Celtics 0, Milwaukee Bucks 4
1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1984
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 1
1984 Eastern Conference Finals :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Houston Rockets

* May 10
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 107, Los Angeles Lakers 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–34, 26–30, 24–30, 25–25 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 28 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Asts: Robert Reid 8 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31 Rebs: Johnson, Lucas 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson 18 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Hue Hollins, Hugh Evans
* May 13
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 112, Los Angeles Lakers 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 36–28, 33–24, 25–25 |||
| Pts: Sampson, Lloyd 24 each Rebs: Ralph Sampson 16 Asts: Rodney McCray 11 | Pts: Magic Johnson 24 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak
* May 16
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Houston Rockets 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 38–37, 21–23, 32–30, 18–27 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 33 Rebs: Johnson, Lucas 8 each Asts: Magic Johnson 20 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 40 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 12 Asts: Robert Reid 12 |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Jack Madden, Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis
* May 18
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 95, Houston Rockets 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 24–18, 26–30, 16–25 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 26 Rebs: Magic Johnson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 35 Rebs: Jim Petersen 13 Asts: Rodney McCray 6 |
| Houston leads series, 3–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Darell Garretson, Mike Mathis, Lee Jones
* May 21
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 114, Los Angeles Lakers 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–35, 31–26, 31–26, 29–25 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 7 Asts: Rodney McCray 11 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 |
| Houston wins series, 4–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Earl Strom, Jess Kersey
* Ralph Sampson hits the famous off-balanced series winner at the buzzer; Hakeem Olajuwon was ejected in the fourth quarter for fighting Lakers forward Mitch Kupchak.
Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
December 6, 1985
Recap
Houston Rockets 112, Los Angeles Lakers 120
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 6, 1986
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 117, Houston Rockets 95
The Summit, Houston
March 16, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 111, Los Angeles Lakers 116
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 6, 1986
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Houston Rockets 109
The Summit, Houston
April 10, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 113, Los Angeles Lakers 117
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.
Houston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1981
Houston Rockets 2, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1981 Western Conference First Round :

## NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W2) Houston Rockets

* May 26
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 100, Boston Celtics 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–34, 31–27, 17–30, 24–21 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 33 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 12 Asts: Robert Reid 8 | Pts: Robert Parish 23 Rebs: Dennis Johnson 11 Asts: Larry Bird 13 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Jack Madden
* May 29
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 95, Boston Celtics 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 20–29, 19–34, 26–23 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 21 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 10 Asts: McCray, Reid 5 each | Pts: Larry Bird 31 Rebs: Larry Bird 8 Asts: Larry Bird 7 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jess Kersey, Hugh Evans
* June 1
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 104, Houston Rockets 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–33, 30–29, 25–18, 20–26 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 28 Rebs: Larry Bird 15 Asts: Larry Bird 11 | Pts: Ralph Sampson 24 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 22 Asts: Robert Reid 9 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jake O'Donnell
* June 3
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 106, Houston Rockets 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–30, 33–34, 23–21, 20–18 |||
| Pts: Robert Parish 22 Rebs: Robert Parish 15 Asts: Larry Bird 10 | Pts: Ralph Sampson 25 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Asts: Ralph Sampson 9 |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Darell Garretson, Earl Strom
* June 5
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 96, Houston Rockets 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 19–32, 18–28, 31–25 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 33 Rebs: Kevin McHale 8 Asts: Danny Ainge 5 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 32 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Asts: Robert Reid 17 |
| Boston leads series, 3–2 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Hugh Evans, Jack Madden
* June 8
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 97, Boston Celtics 114 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 15–26, 23–27, 36–32 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 21 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 10 Asts: McCray, Reid 5 each | Pts: Larry Bird 29 Rebs: Larry Bird 11 Asts: Larry Bird 12 |
| Boston wins series, 4–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Darrell Garretson
Boston won 2–0 in the regular-season series :
March 11, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 116, Houston Rockets 104
The Summit, Houston
March 24, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 107, Boston Celtics 114
Boston Garden, Boston :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.
Boston leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series :
1975
Boston Celtics 4, Houston Rockets 1
1975 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1980
Boston Celtics 4, Houston Rockets 0
1980 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1981
Boston Celtics 4, Houston Rockets 2
1981 NBA Finals :

## Statistical leaders

| Category | Game High | Game High | Game High | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Category | Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP |
| Points | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 63 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 43.7 | 3 |
| Rebounds | Ralph Sampson Charles Barkley | Houston Rockets Philadelphia 76ers | 22 | Charles Barkley | Philadelphia 76ers | 15.8 | 12 |
| Assists | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 20 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 15.1 | 14 |
| Steals | Craig Hodges | Milwaukee Bucks | 8 | Artis Gilmore Michael Jordan Alvin Robertson | San Antonio Spurs Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs | 2.3 | 3 |
| Blocks | Manute Bol | Washington Bullets | 9 | Manute Bol | Washington Bullets | 5.8 | 5 |