Who Won the 1985 NBA Championship?

We take a look back at the 1985 NBA Finals to answer the question: who won the 1985 NBA Championship?

The Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers won the 1985 NBA Championship, defeating the Boston Celtics in six games. The Lakers had home-court advantage in the series, as they had a better regular season record than the Celtics. This was the Lakers’ first NBA Championship win in nine years.

The Roster

The Los Angeles Lakers are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They are one of the most successful teams in the NBA, having won 16 championships, including 11 in Los Angeles. The Lakers are also one of the most popular teams in the league, with a large and loyal fan base.

The team was founded in 1947 as the Minneapolis Lakers, and they played their home games in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1960, the team relocated to Los Angeles, California, and they have been based in Los Angeles ever since. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, which they share with the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Kings.

The Lakers have had many great players throughout their history, including Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James. The team has also been coached by some of the greatest coaches in NBA history, such as Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.

The Lakers are currently owned by Jeanie Buss and managed by Rob Pelinka.

The Regular Season

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 1984-85 NBA season as defending champions, having won their ninth title in franchise history the previous season. The team was looking to repeat as champions, and they did just that, finishing the regular season with a 62-20 record. They entered the playoffs as the Western Conference’s top seed.

The Playoffs

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. James Worthy was named NBA Finals MVP. It was the Lakers’ first championship since 1972, and set up a tradition of success for the franchise over the next several years, winning five more titles between 1986 and 2010.

The Boston Celtics

The 1985 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 1984–85 season. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to two.

The Roster

The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league’s original eight teams, the team play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Boston Bruins. The Celtics are one of the most successful teams in NBA history; they have won a record 17 NBA championships, which accounts for 24.6 percent of all NBA championships since the league’s founding in 1947, by far and away the highest winning percentage and number of championships among all NBA franchises.

The Regular Season

The Boston Celtics had a great regular season, winning 61 games and losing only 21. They had the best record in the Eastern Conference and easily won their division. They were led by their “Big Three” of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. These three players were All-Stars, and they were supported by a strong bench. The Celtics were favorites to win the NBA Championship.

The Playoffs

The Boston Celtics made it to the playoffs in 1985, where they faced the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. The Celtics won the series, 4-2.

In the second round, they faced the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics won the series, 4-1.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, they faced the Detroit Pistons. The Celtics won the series, 4-2.

This brought them to the NBA Finals, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics won the series, 4-2, and were crowned NBA champions.

The Finals

Game 1

The Boston Celtics take on the Los Angeles Lakers in game one of the 1985 NBA Finals. The Celtics are the defending champions, having won the title in 1984. The Lakers have home court advantage, as they had a better regular season record than the Celtics.

The game is close throughout, with neither team leading by more than six points. The Lakers take a late lead, but the Celtics tie the game with a jump shot by forward Larry Bird. The game goes into overtime, and the Celtics win by a final score of 124-121.

Game 2

The Boston Celtics took on the Los Angeles Lakers in the second game of the 1985 NBA Finals. The game was played on June 9, 1985, at the Boston Garden. The Celtics were able to take Game 2, 111-102. The win gave them a 2-0 series lead.

The Celtics were led by Larry Bird, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Kevin McHale also had a strong game, scoring 23 points. The Lakers were led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had 32 points and 14 rebounds. Magic Johnson also had a double-double, with 19 points and 10 assists.

In the end, the Celtics were able to take control of the series early with a 2-0 lead. They would go on to win the series in six games.

Game 3

The Lakers entered Game 3 with a 2–0 lead in the series. The Celtics had won Game 3s at home to extend previous series, but this time they were unable to do so, as the Lakers won 111–100. James Worthy went on to have one of his finest performances in a Lakers uniform, scoring 36 points on 16-of-27 shooting, while also adding 8 rebounds. Boston was able to cut the deficit to single digits late in the game, but ultimately could not catch up, as the Lakers held on for the win and took a commanding 3–0 lead in the series.

Game 4

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have a long history of heated competition, but perhaps no match-up was more intense than the 1985 NBA Finals. The two had met 11 times in the Finals before, with the Celtics winning nine championships. But by 1985, the Lakers had won back-to-back titles, and were looking to cement their place as one of the greatest teams of all time with a win over their biggest rivals.

The teams split the first two games of the series, with each winning on their home court. The stage was set for a thrilling finale.

In Game 4, the Celtics jumped out to an early lead, but the Lakers battled back and took a narrow lead at halftime. The second half was a see-saw battle, with neither team able to gain an advantage. With just seconds remaining, Celtics forward Larry Bird hit a jumper to give his team a 107-104 lead. Lakers guard Byron Scott then missed a potential game-tying three-pointer, sealing the win for the Celtics.

It was one of the most thrilling finishes in NBA history, and gave the Celtics their 10th championship in franchise history.

Game 5

The Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 1984–85 season, and the culmination of that season’s playoffs. It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were making their ninth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. The Lakers had won five championships since 1980, but had been unable to Russell during his previous two years in retirement; Game 5 is notable as it marked his final return to the parquet floor of Boston Garden.

The Celtics won the series four games to two, avenging their narrow defeat to the Lakers in seven games in 1984. The turning point of the series was Game 3, which saw Boston’s 126–115 victory at The Forum in Inglewood thanks to a Memorial Day Miracle comeback led by reserve forward Cedric Maxwell. The Celtics also became only the second team ever (after the 1969–70 New York Knicks) to win Game 7 on the road; this was joiny accomplished by 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers. As of 2020, this is also the most recent NBA Finals in which neither team scored 100 points in any game during the series. Also, it is notable as being one of four times (along with 1950, 1957 and 1962) where all seven games were won by the road team; this has never happened since.