Chicago Bulls

Lore & Background

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 Semi-finals, 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, winning every home game in the playoffs. 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 in 1996 (with the Golden State Warriors later breaking that record in 2016 with 88 combined wins, including a 73–9 regular season record, although they infamously lost in the finals that season after leading the series 3–1). HoopsHype later ranked this squad as the team with the 17th easiest path to the NBA Finals in 2024 due to the 30–52 record of their first round opponent, the Chicago Bulls.

In Their Own Story

The First Round matchup against the Boston Celtics became the centerpiece of the season's narrative. The defending champions, who had themselves been pushed to seven games by Atlanta the prior year, faced a Bulls team that finished at .500. What unfolded was a series unlike any other in NBA history: all four games went into overtime, creating an unprecedented test of endurance. In total, the teams played through seven overtime periods, setting a new record for the most overtimes played by a single team in an entire postseason. Despite the Celtics missing key player Kevin Garnett, the grueling nature of the series defined the Bulls' season, ending in a seven-game loss that highlighted both the resilience of Chicago and the sheer attrition required to challenge the East's elite.

Reader's Guide

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. 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 (from the Indiana Pacers) Jerry Sichting.

Did You Know?

• Larry Bird won his third consecutive MVP award in 1985–86.
• Bill Walton won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1985–86.
• The Celtics' 40 home wins in 1985–86 set an NBA record that was only matched by the San Antonio Spurs in 2016.
• The Celtics won their 16th championship in 1986, which was their last title for 22 years.
• The 1985–86 Celtics won 82 combined regular season and playoff games, a record that stood until the Chicago Bulls in 1996.