The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984–85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time (he had won the award under his birth name, Lew Alcindor, as a Buck in 1971).
The Lakers had been unsuccessful in their previous eight attempts to defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals, losing 7 times from 1959–1969 and 1984. The Lakers, moreover, won the title in Boston, something no other NBA team has ever accomplished.
The Cavaliers made the playoffs for the first time since 1978.
It was also the first time that all three teams from Texas made the playoffs in the same year.
The Denver Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1978 and would not advance that far again until 2009. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, advanced to the conference finals for the fifth time in six years, but would not reach that level again until 2001.
Champion: Los Angeles Lakers
1st Round
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Phoenix Suns: Lakers win series 3-0
Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 18): Los Angeles 142, Phoenix 114
Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 20): Los Angeles 147, Phoenix 130
Game 3 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (April 23): Los Angeles 119, Phoenix 103
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings.
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs: Nuggets win series 3-2
Game 1 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (April 18): Denver 141, San Antonio 111
Game 2 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (April 20): San Antonio 113, Denver 111
Game 3 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (April 23): Denver 115, San Antonio 112
Game 4 @ HemisFair Arena, San Antonio (April 26): San Antonio 116, Denver 111
Game 5 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (April 28): Denver 126, San Antonio 99
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.
(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Utah Jazz: Jazz win series 3-2
Game 1 @ The Summit, Houston (April 19): Utah 115, Houston 101
Game 2 @ The Summit, Houston (April 21): Houston 122, Utah 96
Game 3 @ Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City (April 24): Utah 112, Houston 104
Game 4 @ Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City (April 26): Houston 96, Utah 94
Game 5 @ The Summit, Houston (April 28): Utah 104, Houston 97
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Jazz.
(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers: Trail Blazers win series 3-1
Game 1 @ Reunion Arena, Dallas (April 18): Dallas 139, Portland 131 (2OT)
Game 2 @ Reunion Arena, Dallas (April 20): Portland 124, Dallas 121 (OT)
Game 3 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (April 23): Portland 122, Dallas 109
Game 4 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (April 25): Portland 115, Dallas 113
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers.
Conference Semifinals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers: Lakers win series 4-1
Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 27): Los Angeles 125, Portland 101
Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 30): Los Angeles 134, Portland 118
Game 3 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (May 3): Los Angeles 130, Portland 126
Game 4 @ Memorial Coliseum, Portland (May 5): Portland 115, Los Angeles 107
Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 7): Los Angeles 139, Portland 120
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Utah Jazz: Nuggets win series 4-1
Game 1 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (April 30): Denver 130, Utah 113
Game 2 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (May 2): Denver 131, Utah 123 (OT)
Game 3 @ Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City (May 4): Utah 131,Denver 123
Game 4 @ Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City (May 5): Denver 125, Utah 118
Game 5 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (May 7): Denver 116, Utah 104
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
Conference Finals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets: Lakers win series 4-1
Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 11): Los Angeles 139, Denver 122
Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 14): Denver 136, Los Angeles 114
Game 3 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (May 17): Los Angeles 136, Denver 118
Game 4 @ McNichols Sports Arena, Denver (May 19): Los Angeles 120, Denver 116
Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 22): Los Angeles 153, Denver 109
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
Champion: Boston Celtics
1st Round
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Cleveland Cavaliers: Celtics win series 3-1
Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 18): Boston 126, Cleveland 123
Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 20): Boston 108, Cleveland 106
Game 3 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (April 23): Cleveland 105, Boston 98
Game 4 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (April 25): Boston 117, Cleveland 115 (Dennis Johnson blocks a World B. Free 3 with 2 seconds left)
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (7) Chicago Bulls: Bucks win series 3-1
Game 1 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 19): Milwaukee 109, Chicago 101
Game 2 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 21): Milwaukee 122, Chicago 115
Game 3 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (April 24): Chicago 109, Milwaukee 107 (Michael Jordan hits his first playoff game-winner with 22 seconds left)
Game 4 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (April 26): Milwaukee 105, Chicago 97
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.
(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Washington Bullets: 76ers win series 3-1
Game 1 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (April 17): Philadelphia 104, Washington 97
Game 2 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (April 21): Philadelphia 113, Washington 94
Game 3 @ Capital Centre, Landover (April 24): Washington 118, Philadelphia 100
Game 4 @ Capital Centre, Landover (April 26): Philadelphia 106, Washington 98
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bullets winning two of the first three meetings.
(4) Detroit Pistons vs. (5) New Jersey Nets: Pistons win series 3-0
Game 1 @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit (April 18): Detroit 125, New Jersey 105
Game 2 @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit (April 21): Detroit 121, New Jersey 111
Game 3 @ Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford (April 24): Detroit 116, New Jersey 115
This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Nets.
Conference Semifinals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Detroit Pistons: Celtics win series 4-2
Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 28): Boston 133, Detroit 99
Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 30): Boston 121, Detroit 114
Game 3 @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit (May 2): Detroit 125, Boston 117
Game 4 @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit (May 5): Detroit 102, Boston 99
Game 5 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 8): Boston 130, Detroit 123
Game 6 @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit (May 10): Boston 123, Detroit 113
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: 76ers win series 4-0
Game 1 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 28): Philadelphia 127, Milwaukee 105
Game 2 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee (April 30): Philadelphia 112, Milwaukee 108
Game 3 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 3): Philadelphia 109, Milwaukee 104
Game 4 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 5): Philadelphia 121, Milwaukee 112
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning three of the first four meetings.
Conference Finals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: Celtics win series 4-1
Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 12): Boston 108, Philadelphia 93
Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 14): Boston 106, Philadelphia 98
Game 3 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 18): Boston 105, Philadelphia 94
Game 4 @ The Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 19): Philadelphia 115, Boston 104
Game 5 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 22): Boston 102, Philadelphia 100 (Larry Bird makes the game-saving steal to advance to the Finals for the Celtics)
This was the 18th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning nine of the first 17 meetings.
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers win series 4-2
Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 27): Boston 148, Los Angeles 114 ("Memorial Day Massacre")
Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 30): Los Angeles 109, Boston 102
Game 3 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (June 2): Los Angeles 136, Boston 111 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks Jerry West's all-time playoff scoring record)
Game 4 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (June 5): Boston 107, Los Angeles 105 (Dennis Johnson hits the game-winner at the buzzer)
Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (June 7): Los Angeles 120, Boston 111
Game 6 @ Boston Garden, Boston (June 9): Los Angeles 111, Boston 100 (The Lakers become the first road team to win the NBA title in Boston Garden)
This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first eight meetings.
