In 1985–86, the Boston Celtics won 67 games, going 40–1 at home. Those 40 home wins set an NBA record which would only be matched by the San Antonio Spurs in 2016. Widely regarded among the greatest teams in NBA history, their 67 total wins were one win shy of tying their franchise record of 68 wins set in 1972–73, and tied for seventh all-time for total wins by a team in a single season. The Celtics were coming off of an NBA Finals loss in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers, marking the first instance the Celtics were defeated by the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird won his third consecutive MVP award and Bill Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. The team was anchored by the "Big Three" frontcourt of Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, which is frequently ranked among the best frontcourts in NBA history. In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Chicago Bulls in three games in the First Round, then defeated the Atlanta Hawks in five games in the Semifinals, before sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks in four games in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics faced off against the Houston Rockets in a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals, which the Celtics won in six games. The Celtics would go on to win their 16th championship and the last for 22 years, defeating the Houston Rockets in six games in the NBA Finals, and had won 82 combined regular season and playoff games, a record that stood until the Chicago Bulls racked up 87 combined wins en route to a title.
The 1985 NBA Draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. The lottery was put into place so teams could not intentionally lose games to receive the number one pick.
Round
Pick
Player
Position
Nationality
School/Club Team
1
20
Sam Vincent
Guard
United States
Michigan State
3
70
Andre Battle
Guard
United States
Loyola
4
93
Cliff Webber
Forward
United States
Liberty Baptist
5
116
Albert Butts
Forward
United States
La Salle
6
139
Ralph Lewis
Guard
United States
La Salle
7
162
Chris Remly
United States
Rutgers
Season Synopsis
The Celtics were coming from a 6-game NBA Finals series against their arch-rival the Los Angeles Lakers. They ended with a record 63-19 during the regular season, a league-best record, earning home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
November
They started their 1985–86 season campaign with a 109-113 OT loss to the New Jersey Nets, despite a near quadruple-double performance from Larry Bird who recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 steals for the Celtics. The next day, Kevin McHale's 26 points and 15 rebounds led the Celtics towards a 105-100 road win over the Cavaliers. Four days later, the Celtics defeated the visiting Bucks, 117–106, with Bird, McHale, Parish and Johnson, all scoring at least 20 points. They ended the month of November with a 2–1 record.
Regular season
Under head coach K.C. Jones, the 1985–86 Boston Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 67–15. This team is generally considered to be the best of Larry Bird's career. In addition to longtime Celtics Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the franchise was joined on the front line by former NBA MVP Bill Walton. Despite a career plagued by a series of serious injuries to his knees, ankles and feet, Walton would win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. Walton had missed essentially the past two seasons and the Los Angeles Clippers put him on the trade bloc as his contract ran out. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Celtics were both interested, but the Lakers wanted Walton to be cleared by their team doctor before making any trade. The Celtics, on the other hand, were willing to trade former Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell for Walton-based solely on his word that he felt he was healthy enough to play. Walton appeared in a career high 80 games. The backcourt was led by the MVP of the 1979 NBA Finals, defensive stopper Dennis Johnson, and former Toronto Blue Jays baseball player, shooting guard Danny Ainge. Off the bench, the Celtics featured former All-Star Scott Wedman and recent acquisition Jerry Sichting.
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
The Celtics steamrolled through the Eastern Conference Playoffs, sweeping the Chicago Bulls 3–0 in the first round. The highlight of the first round was the second game, which went into double-overtime. Matched up against a superior Celtics team, Michael Jordan scored 63 points at the Boston Garden and nearly led his team to an upset. The Celtics won the game, 135–131, and closed out the series two days later in Chicago. ;Conference Semifinals Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks: Celtics win series 4–1
Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 103, Atlanta 91
Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 119, Atlanta 98
Game 3 @ The Omni, Atlanta : Boston 111, Atlanta 107
Game 4 @ The Omni, Atlanta : Atlanta 106, Boston 94
Game 5 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 132, Atlanta 99
Boston bested the Atlanta Hawks four games to one in the semifinals. The series was highlighted by a game 5 blowout: the final score was 132–99, and featured the Celtics hammering the Hawks in the third quarter by a score of 36–6. ;Conference Finals Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Celtics win series 4–0
Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 128, Milwaukee 96
Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 122, Milwaukee 111
Game 3 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee : Boston 111, Milwaukee 107
Game 4 @ The MECCA, Milwaukee : Boston 111, Milwaukee 98
The Eastern Conference Finals matched the Celtics up against the Milwaukee Bucks and head coach Don Nelson. Nelson was a former Celtic player who enraged the Celtics in the 1983 NBA Playoffs by accusing Celtic guard Danny Ainge of being "a dangerous player". The Celtics swept the Bucks. This was the third time in four years that the Bucks and the Celtics had met in the playoffs; the Bucks defeated the Celtics in the 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Celtics defeated the Bucks in the 1984 Eastern Conference Finals. ;NBA Finals Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets: Celtics win series 4–2
Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 112, Houston 100
Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 117, Houston 95
Game 3 @ The Summit, Houston : Houston 106, Boston 104
Game 4 @ The Summit, Houston : Boston 106, Houston 103
Game 5 @ The Summit, Houston : Houston 111, Boston 96
Game 6 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 114, Houston 97
Following the conclusion of the 1986 NBA Finals, a video documentary of the 1986 NBA season, known as Sweet Sixteen, was released. David Perry was the narrator after Dick Stockton had narrated the last three NBA season documentaries.
