The 1984–85 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 39th season of the franchise, 37th in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 25th in Los Angeles. The Lakers entered the season as runner-ups of the 1984 NBA Finals, where they lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Boston Celtics in seven games, increasing their losing streak to the Celtics in the NBA Finals to 8 consecutive losses.
1984–85 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
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NBA champions | |
Conference champions | |
Division champions | |
Head coach | Pat Riley |
General manager | Jerry West |
Owner(s) | Jerry Buss |
Arena | The Forum |
Results | |
Record | 62–20 (.756) |
Place | Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western) |
Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Celtics 4–2) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | KHJ-TV (Chick Hearn, Keith Erickson) |
Radio | KLAC (Chick Hearn, Keith Erickson) |
In the playoffs, the Lakers swept the Phoenix Suns in three games in the First Round, then defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the Semifinals, before defeating the Denver Nuggets in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the fifth time in the 1980s, facing off against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. This time, however, the Lakers were able to return to their championship ways and win their ninth NBA championship (their fourth in Los Angeles), avenging their NBA Finals loss and getting revenge on the Celtics, defeating them in six games, and marking the first time the Lakers had defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Lakers also became the first team to have defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals while on the road, a feat that has since only been accomplished one other time by the Golden State Warriors in 2022. In 2024, HoopsHype would rank this squad as the team with the 22nd-easiest route to the NBA Finals championship (ahead of that year's Boston Celtics squad in terms of higher combined winning percentage of their opponents), with their first two opponents docking the overall percentage from the season there.[1]
NBA draft
editRound | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 23 | Earl Jones | Center | United States | District of Columbia |
Transactions
editThe Lakers have been involved in the following transactions during the 1984–1985 season.
Free Agent Additions
editPlayer | Former team |
Chuck Nevitt | Houston Rockets |
Ronnie Lester | Chicago Bulls |
Roster
editPlayers | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Regular season
editSeason standings
editW | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – | 36–5 | 26–15 | 18–12 |
x-Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 20 | 33–8 | 15–26 | 17–13 |
x-Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 | 32–9 | 10–31 | 14–16 |
Seattle SuperSonics | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 | 31–10 | 10–31 | 16–14 |
Los Angeles Clippers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 | 27–14 | 10–31 | 13–17 |
Golden State Warriors | 22 | 60 | .268 | 40 | 25–16 | 5–36 | 12–18 |
# | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | c-Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
2 | y-Denver Nuggets | 52 | 30 | .634 | 10 |
3 | x-Houston Rockets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 14 |
4 | x-Dallas Mavericks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 18 |
5 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 20 |
6 | x-Utah Jazz | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 |
7 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 |
8 | x-Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 |
9 | Seattle SuperSonics | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
10 | Los Angeles Clippers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
11 | Kansas City Kings | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
12 | Golden State Warriors | 22 | 60 | .268 | 40 |
Record vs. opponents
edit1984-85 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAC | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
Atlanta | — | 1–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 |
Boston | 4–1 | — | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
Chicago | 3–3 | 2–4 | — | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
Cleveland | 3–3 | 0–6 | 4–2 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
Dallas | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 2–4 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 1–5 | 1–1 |
Denver | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | — | 0–2 | 5–0 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 |
Detroit | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 |
Golden State | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 0–2 | — | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 |
Houston | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | — | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 |
Indiana | 0–6 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 |
Kansas City | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | — | 3–2 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 |
L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | — | 0–6 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
L.A. Lakers | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 6–0 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
Milwaukee | 4–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 3–3 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
New Jersey | 3–3 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | — | 6–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 |
New York | 3–3 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 0–6 | — | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–6 |
Philadelphia | 5–0 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
Phoenix | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | — | 3–3 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
Portland | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | — | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
San Antonio | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | — | 4–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 |
Seattle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–4 | — | 3–2 | 2–0 |
Utah | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 2–3 | — | 1–1 |
Washington | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — |
Game log
editRegular season
editPlayoffs
edit1985 playoff game log Total: 15–4 (Home: 9–2; Road: 6–2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Western Conference First Round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
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Western Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
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Western Conference Finals: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
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NBA Finals: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
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1985 schedule |
Player statistics
editGP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
editPlayer | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 79 | 79 | 33.3 | .599 | .000 | .732 | 7.9 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 22.0 |
Magic Johnson | 77 | 77 | 36.1 | .561 | .189 | .843 | 6.2 | 12.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 18.3 |
James Worthy | 80 | 76 | 33.7 | .572 | .000 | .776 | 6.4 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 17.6 |
Byron Scott | 81 | 65 | 28.5 | .539 | .433 | .820 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 16.0 |
Bob McAdoo | 66 | 0 | 19.0 | .520 | .000 | .753 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 10.5 |
Mike McGee | 76 | 3 | 15.4 | .538 | .361 | .588 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 10.2 |
Michael Cooper | 82 | 20 | 26.7 | .465 | .285 | .865 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 8.6 |
Jamaal Wilkes | 42 | 8 | 18.1 | .488 | .000 | .773 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 8.3 |
Larry Spriggs | 75 | 32 | 17.2 | .548 | .000 | .767 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 6.7 |
Mitch Kupchak | 58 | 3 | 12.3 | .504 | .659 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.3 | |
Kurt Rambis | 82 | 46 | 19.7 | .554 | .660 | 6.4 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 5.2 | |
Ronnie Lester | 32 | 1 | 8.7 | .415 | .000 | .677 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 2.8 |
Chuck Nevitt | 11 | 0 | 5.4 | .294 | .250 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.1 | |
Earl Jones | 2 | 0 | 3.5 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Playoffs
editAwards and records
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ranking the easiest paths to an NBA title ever". June 18, 2024.
- ^ 1984 NBA draft