Arena The Spectrum | Record 58–24 (.707) | |
Playoff finish Conference Finals(Eliminated 1–4) | ||
The 1984–85 Philadelphia 76ers season was Charles Barkley's rookie season. Barkley joined a veteran team that included Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Maurice Cheeks, three players who took Philadelphia to the 1983 NBA championship. The Sixers finished with a regular season record of 58-24, five games behind the Celtics in the Atlantic Division.
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In the first round of the playoffs, they beat the Washington Bullets 3-1, and then in the Eastern semi-finals they swept the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers in the Eastern Conference Finals were defeated in five games by the Boston Celtics. In the game three loss, Julius Erving was booed by the home Sixer fans. After this series Erving was to play the guard position for the last two years of his career. This was also the final series for Coach Billy Cunningham, who quit and would be replaced by Matt Goukas.
This also was the last full season for Andrew Toney, who would be sidelined the next year with a foot injury and played in only 6 games, and never was able to return to his previous All-Star form.
The team's season roster is featured in the video game NBA 2K16.
NBA Draft
Charles Barkley left before his final year at Auburn and made himself eligible for the 1984 NBA draft. He was selected with the fifth pick in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers, two slots after the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan.
East First Round
(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Washington Bullets: 76ers win series 3-1
Last Playoff Meeting: 1980 Eastern Conference First Round (Philadelphia won 2-0)
East Conference Semifinals
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: 76ers win series 4-0
Last Playoff Meeting: 1983 Eastern Conference Finals (Philadelphia won 4-1)
East Conference Finals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: Celtics win series 4-1
Last Playoff Meeting: 1982 Eastern Conference Finals (Philadelphia won 4-3)