1986 NBA playoffs

{{16TeamBracket

| RD1 = First Round

| RD2 = Conference Semifinals

| RD3 = Conference Finals

| RD4 = NBA Finals

| RD2-group1=Eastern Conference

| RD2-group2=Western Conference

| RD1-seed01=E1

| RD1-team01=Boston*

| RD1-score01=3

| RD1-seed02=E8

| RD1-team02=Chicago

| RD1-score02=0

| RD1-seed03=E4

| RD1-team03=Atlanta

| RD1-score03=3

| RD1-seed04=E5

| RD1-team04=Detroit

| RD1-score04=1

| RD1-seed05=E3

| RD1-team05=Philadelphia

| RD1-score05=3

| RD1-seed06=E6

| RD1-team06=Washington

| RD1-score06=2

| RD1-seed07=E2

| RD1-team07=Milwaukee*

| RD1-score07=3

| RD1-seed08=E7

| RD1-team08=New Jersey

| RD1-score08=0

| RD1-seed09=W1

| RD1-team09=LA Lakers*

| RD1-score09=3

| RD1-seed10=W8

| RD1-team10=San Antonio

| RD1-score10=0

| RD1-seed11=W4

| RD1-team11=Dallas

| RD1-score11=3

| RD1-seed12=W5

| RD1-team12=Utah

| RD1-score12=1

| RD1-seed13=W3

| RD1-team13=Denver

| RD1-score13=3

| RD1-seed14=W6

| RD1-team14=Portland

| RD1-score14=1

| RD1-seed15=W2

| RD1-team15=Houston*

| RD1-score15=3

| RD1-seed16=W7

| RD1-team16=Sacramento

| RD1-score16=0

| RD2-seed01=E1

| RD2-team01=Boston*

| RD2-score01=4

| RD2-seed02=E4

| RD2-team02=Atlanta

| RD2-score02=1

| RD2-seed03=E3

| RD2-team03=Philadelphia

| RD2-score03=3

| RD2-seed04=E2

| RD2-team04=Milwaukee*

| RD2-score04=4

| RD2-seed05=W1

| RD2-team05=LA Lakers*

| RD2-score05=4

| RD2-seed06=W4

| RD2-team06=Dallas

| RD2-score06=2

| RD2-seed07=W3

| RD2-team07=Denver

| RD2-score07=2

| RD2-seed08=W2

| RD2-team08=Houston*

| RD2-score08=4

| RD3-seed01=E1

| RD3-team01=Boston*

| RD3-score01=4

| RD3-seed02=E2

| RD3-team02=Milwaukee*

| RD3-score02=0

| RD3-seed03=W1

| RD3-team03=LA Lakers*

| RD3-score03=1

| RD3-seed04=W2

| RD3-team04=Houston*

| RD3-score04=4

| RD4-seed01=E1

| RD4-team01=Boston*

| RD4-score01=4

| RD4-seed02=W2

| RD4-team02=Houston*

| RD4-score02=2

}}{{ubl

|* Division winner

|Bold Series winner

|Italic Team with home-court advantage}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 17 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604170BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Chicago Bulls | score1 = 104

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 123

| Q1 = 35–27 | Q2 = 24–34 | Q3 = 25–33 | Q4 = 20–29

| points1 = Michael Jordan 49 | rebounds1 = Charles Oakley 10 | assist1 = Macy, Paxson 4 each

| points2 = Larry Bird 30 | rebounds2 = McHale, Parish 10 each | assist2 = Larry Bird 8

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak | series = Boston leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 20 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604200BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Chicago Bulls | score1 = 131

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 135

| overtime = 2OT

| Q1 = 33–25 | Q2 = 25–26 | Q3 = 33–37 | Q4 = 25–28 | OT = 9–9, 6–10

| points1 = Michael Jordan 63 | rebounds1 = Charles Oakley 14 | assist1 = Michael Jordan 6

| points2 = Larry Bird 36 | rebounds2 = McHale, Walton 15 each | assist2 = Bird, Johnson 8 each

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton, Jack Nies | series = Boston leads series, 2–0

}}

• Michael Jordan hits the game-tying free throws with no time left in regulation to force the first OT; Danny Ainge hits the game-tying lay-up with 12 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT.
• Michael Jordan's 63 points scored is an NBA playoff record
• As it turned out, this was George Gervin's final NBA game, as he played in Europe for a few seasons afterwards.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 22 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604220CHI.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 122

| team2 = Chicago Bulls | score2 = 104

| Q1 = 33–23 | Q2 = 33–29 | Q3 = 33–19 | Q4 = 23–33

| points1 = Kevin McHale 31 | rebounds1 = Bill Walton 9 | assist1 = Larry Bird 8

| points2 = John Paxson 23 | rebounds2 = Dave Corzine 15 | assist2 = Michael Jordan 9

| place = Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois | attendance = 18,968

| referee = Lee Jones, Ed Rush | series = Boston wins series, 3–0

}}

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 18 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604180MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = New Jersey Nets | score1 = 107

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 119

| Q1 = 29–34 | Q2 = 29–24 | Q3 = 26–28 | Q4 = 23–33

| points1 = Buck Williams 27 | rebounds1 = Buck Williams 14 | assist1 = Birdsong, Cook 7 each

| points2 = Craig Hodges 25 | rebounds2 = Alton Lister 10 | assist2 = Paul Pressey 10

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Earl Strom, Hue Hollins | series = Milwaukee leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 20 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604200MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = New Jersey Nets | score1 = 97

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 111

| Q1 = 23–26 | Q2 = 23–23 | Q3 = 25–36 | Q4 = 26–26

| points1 = Mike Gminski 28 | rebounds1 = Mike Gminski 13 | assist1 = Darwin Cook 7

| points2 = Terry Cummings 28 | rebounds2 = Terry Cummings 7 | assist2 = Paul Pressey 7

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Darrell Garretson, Dick Bavetta | series = Milwaukee leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 22 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604220NJN.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Milwaukee Bucks | score1 = 118

| team2 = New Jersey Nets | score2 = 113

| Q1 = 24–36 | Q2 = 31–37 | Q3 = 36–22 | Q4 = 27–18

| points1 = Terry Cummings 23 | rebounds1 = Terry Cummings 11 | assist1 = Sidney Moncrief 5

| points2 = Otis Birdsong 28 | rebounds2 = Buck Williams 10 | assist2 = Kelvin Ransey 4

| place = Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey | attendance = 7,784

| referee = Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton, Dick Bavetta | series = Milwaukee wins series, 3–0

}}

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 18 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604180PHI.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Washington Bullets | score1 = 95

| team2 = Philadelphia 76ers | score2 = 94

| Q1 = 25–22 | Q2 = 19–23 | Q3 = 24–25 | Q4 = 27–24

| points1 = Jeff Malone 21 | rebounds1 = Cliff Robinson 8 | assist1 = Gus Williams 7

| points2 = Charles Barkley 26 | rebounds2 = Charles Barkley 22 | assist2 = Charles Barkley 9

| place = Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | attendance = 9,148

| referee = Jack Madden, Ed Middleton | series = Washington leads series, 1–0

}}

• Dudley Bradley hits the game-winning 3 capping off a rally from 17 points down.

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 20 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604200PHI.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Washington Bullets | score1 = 97

| team2 = Philadelphia 76ers | score2 = 102

| Q1 = 26–22 | Q2 = 23–27 | Q3 = 30–26 | Q4 = 18–27

| points1 = Jeff Malone 25 | rebounds1 = Cliff Robinson 11 | assist1 = Gus Williams 12

| points2 = Charles Barkley 27 | rebounds2 = Charles Barkley 20 | assist2 = Charles Barkley 6

| place = Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | attendance = 9,057

| referee = Earl Strom, Hue Hollins | series = Series tied, 1–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 22 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604220WSB.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers | score1 = 91

| team2 = Washington Bullets | score2 = 86

| Q1 = 26–27 | Q2 = 18–26 | Q3 = 22–18 | Q4 = 25–15

| points1 = Julius Erving 22 | rebounds1 = Charles Barkley 14 | assist1 = Julius Erving 6

| points2 = Gus Williams 28 | rebounds2 = Bol, Roundfield 10 each | assist2 = Williams, Roundfield 4 each

| place = Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland | attendance = 17,137

| referee = Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis | series = Philadelphia leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 24 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604240WSB.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers | score1 = 111

| team2 = Washington Bullets | score2 = 116

| Q1 = 31–27 | Q2 = 27–33 | Q3 = 26–31 | Q4 = 27–25

| points1 = Maurice Cheeks 30 | rebounds1 = Charles Barkley 15 | assist1 = Charles Barkley 7

| points2 = Cliff Robinson 31 | rebounds2 = Manute Bol 12 | assist2 = Jeff Ruland 5

| place = Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland | attendance = 12,588

| referee = Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford | series = Series tied, 2–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 27 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604270PHI.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Washington Bullets | score1 = 109

| team2 = Philadelphia 76ers | score2 = 134

| Q1 = 22–40 | Q2 = 30–30 | Q3 = 33–27 | Q4 = 24–37

| points1 = Cliff Robinson 30 | rebounds1 = Cliff Robinson 11 | assist1 = Gus Williams 6

| points2 = Terry Catledge 27 | rebounds2 = Charles Barkley 15 | assist2 = Charles Barkley 12

| place = Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | attendance = 15,162

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Darrell Garretson | series = Philadelphia wins series, 3–2

}}

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two of the first four meetings.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 17 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604170ATL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Detroit Pistons | score1 = 122

| team2 = Atlanta Hawks | score2 = 140

| Q1 = 34–30 | Q2 = 27–41 | Q3 = 29–32 | Q4 = 32–37

| points1 = Bill Laimbeer 26 | rebounds1 = Bill Laimbeer 17 | assist1 = Isiah Thomas 16

| points2 = Dominique Wilkins 28 | rebounds2 = Rollins, Levingston 8 each | assist2 = Doc Rivers 16

| place = Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia | attendance = 12,538

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta | series = Atlanta leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 19 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604190ATL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Detroit Pistons | score1 = 125

| team2 = Atlanta Hawks | score2 = 137

| Q1 = 34–29 | Q2 = 32–39 | Q3 = 30–33 | Q4 = 29–36

| points1 = Isiah Thomas 36 | rebounds1 = Bill Laimbeer 12 | assist1 = Isiah Thomas 9

| points2 = Randy Wittman 35 | rebounds2 = Tree Rollins 14 | assist2 = Spud Webb 18

| place = Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia | attendance = 12,964

| referee = Ed Rush, Walter Rooney, Jim Capers | series = Atlanta leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 22 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604220DET.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Atlanta Hawks | score1 = 97

| team2 = Detroit Pistons | score2 = 106

| Q1 = 24–33 | Q2 = 23–25 | Q3 = 21–26 | Q4 = 29–22

| points1 = Dominique Wilkins 21 | rebounds1 = Wilkins, Levingston 7 each | assist1 = Doc Rivers 8

| points2 = Kelly Tripucka 33 | rebounds2 = Bill Laimbeer 14 | assist2 = Isiah Thomas 11

| place = Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan | attendance = 13,312

| referee = Jack Madden, Joe Crawford | series = Atlanta leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 25 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604250DET.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Atlanta Hawks | score1 = 114

| team2 = Detroit Pistons | score2 = 113

| overtime = 2OT

| Q1 = 25–28 | Q2 = 24–18 | Q3 = 24–26 | Q4 = 19–20 | OT = 11–11, 11–10

| points1 = Dominique Wilkins 38 | rebounds1 = Doc Rivers 13 | assist1 = Doc Rivers 9

| points2 = Isiah Thomas 30 | rebounds2 = Bill Laimbeer 13 | assist2 = Isiah Thomas 12

| place = Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan | attendance = 15,288

| referee = Darell Garretson, Jess Kersey | series = Atlanta wins series, 3–1

}}

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning two of the first three meetings while in St. Louis.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 17 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604170LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = San Antonio Spurs | score1 = 88

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 135

| Q1 = 23–33 | Q2 = 22–34 | Q3 = 31–30 | Q4 = 12–38

| points1 = Mike Mitchell 24 | rebounds1 = Mitchell, S. Johnson 4 each | assist1 = Wes Matthews 10

| points2 = Byron Scott 24 | rebounds2 = Kurt Rambis 8 | assist2 = Magic Johnson 18

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Darell Garretson, Bill Oakes | series = LA Lakers lead series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 19 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604190LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = San Antonio Spurs | score1 = 94

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 122

| Q1 = 28–27 | Q2 = 21–26 | Q3 = 18–33 | Q4 = 27–36

| points1 = Wes Matthews 30 | rebounds1 = David Greenwood 7 | assist1 = Alvin Robertson 8

| points2 = Magic Johnson 30 | rebounds2 = Abdul-Jabbar, Lucas 10 each | assist2 = Magic Johnson 13

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Lee Jones, Joe Crawford | series = LA Lakers lead series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 23 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604230SAS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Los Angeles Lakers | score1 = 114

| team2 = San Antonio Spurs | score2 = 94

| Q1 = 27–20 | Q2 = 29–28 | Q3 = 28–15 | Q4 = 30–31

| points1 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25 | rebounds1 = Kurt Rambis 14 | assist1 = Magic Johnson 17

| points2 = Wes Matthews 30 | rebounds2 = Artis Gilmore 11 | assist2 = Wes Matthews 8

| place = HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas | attendance = 7,918

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Tommy Nunez Sr. | series = LA Lakers win series, 3–0

}}

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 17 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604170HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Sacramento Kings | score1 = 87

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 107

| Q1 = 22–31 | Q2 = 15–24 | Q3 = 25–26 | Q4 = 25–26

| points1 = Reggie Theus 18 | rebounds1 = LaSalle Thompson 17 | assist1 = Reggie Theus 4

| points2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 29 | rebounds2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 15 | assist2 = Rodney McCray 7

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 15,101

| referee = Hugh Evans, Tommy Nunez Sr. | series = Houston leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 19 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604190HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Sacramento Kings | score1 = 103

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 111

| Q1 = 21–34 | Q2 = 23–22 | Q3 = 26–30 | Q4 = 33–25

| points1 = Reggie Theus 19 | rebounds1 = LaSalle Thompson 10 | assist1 = Reggie Theus 7

| points2 = Robert Reid 29 | rebounds2 = Ralph Sampson 8 | assist2 = Reid, Sampson 6 each

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey | series = Houston leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 22 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604220SAC.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 113

| team2 = Sacramento Kings | score2 = 98

| Q1 = 23–26 | Q2 = 32–25 | Q3 = 32–22 | Q4 = 26–25

| points1 = Lloyd, Sampson 25 each | rebounds1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 13 | assist1 = Lloyd, McCray 7 each

| points2 = Eddie Johnson 33 | rebounds2 = three players 8 each | assist2 = Reggie Theus 8

| place = ARCO Arena I, Sacramento, California | attendance = 10,333

| referee = Darell Garretson, Paul Mihalak | series = Houston wins series, 3–0

}}

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 18 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604180DEN.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Portland Trail Blazers | score1 = 126

| team2 = Denver Nuggets | score2 = 133

| Q1 = 28–28 | Q2 = 34–38 | Q3 = 33–36 | Q4 = 31–31

| points1 = Kiki VanDeWeghe 28 | rebounds1 = Kenny Carr 9 | assist1 = Steve Colter 6

| points2 = Calvin Natt 40 | rebounds2 = Danny Schayes 11 | assist2 = English, Lever 9 each

| place = McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado | attendance = 13,209

| referee = Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey | series = Denver leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 20 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604200DEN.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Portland Trail Blazers | score1 = 108

| team2 = Denver Nuggets | score2 = 106

| Q1 = 36–25 | Q2 = 18–21 | Q3 = 26–30 | Q4 = 28–30

| points1 = Kiki VanDeWeghe 36 | rebounds1 = Kenny Carr 11 | assist1 = Clyde Drexler 8

| points2 = Alex English 24 | rebounds2 = Blair Rasmussen 9 | assist2 = Alex English 10

| place = McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado | attendance = 11,724

| referee = Joe Crawford, Paul Mihalak | series = Series tied, 1–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 22 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604220POR.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Denver Nuggets | score1 = 115

| team2 = Portland Trail Blazers | score2 = 104

| Q1 = 23–28 | Q2 = 26–22 | Q3 = 32–21 | Q4 = 34–33

| points1 = Blair Rasmussen 15 | rebounds1 = Calvin Natt 11 | assist1 = Fat Lever 5

| points2 = Kiki VanDeWeghe 24 | rebounds2 = Kenny Carr 15 | assist2 = Clyde Drexler 7

| place = Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon | attendance = 12,666

| referee = Earl Strom, Bill Oakes | series = Denver leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 24 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604240POR.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Denver Nuggets | score1 = 116

| team2 = Portland Trail Blazers | score2 = 112

| Q1 = 24–33 | Q2 = 28–30 | Q3 = 37–30 | Q4 = 27–19

| points1 = Fat Lever 30 | rebounds1 = T. R. Dunn 11 | assist1 = Alex English 8

| points2 = Kiki VanDeWeghe 18 | rebounds2 = Kenny Carr 18 | assist2 = Steve Colter 8

| place = Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon | attendance = 12,666

| referee = Jack Madden, Hue Hollins | series = Denver wins series, 3–1

}}

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first meeting.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 18 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604180DAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Utah Jazz | score1 = 93

| team2 = Dallas Mavericks | score2 = 101

| Q1 = 25–26 | Q2 = 30–34 | Q3 = 24–25 | Q4 = 14–16

| points1 = Karl Malone 23 | rebounds1 = Karl Malone 13 | assist1 = Rickey Green 12

| points2 = Rolando Blackman 25 | rebounds2 = Sam Perkins 15 | assist2 = Derek Harper 7

| place = Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas | attendance = 17,007

| referee = Hugh Evans, Tommy Nunez Sr. | series = Dallas leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 20 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604200DAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Utah Jazz | score1 = 106

| team2 = Dallas Mavericks | score2 = 113

| Q1 = 28–31 | Q2 = 29–32 | Q3 = 28–27 | Q4 = 21–23

| points1 = Karl Malone 31 | rebounds1 = Mark Eaton 11 | assist1 = Rickey Green 8

| points2 = Mark Aguirre 27 | rebounds2 = Sam Perkins 10 | assist2 = Aguirre, Harper 5 each

| place = Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas | attendance = 17,007

| referee = Ed Rush, Lee Jones | series = Dallas leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 23 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604230UTA.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Dallas Mavericks | score1 = 98

| team2 = Utah Jazz | score2 = 100

| Q1 = 23–29 | Q2 = 24–22 | Q3 = 31–25 | Q4 = 20–24

| points1 = James Donaldson 17 | rebounds1 = James Donaldson 20 | assist1 = Derek Harper 6

| points2 = Rickey Green 32 | rebounds2 = Thurl Bailey 14 | assist2 = Rickey Green 8

| place = Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah | attendance = 11,635

| referee = Earl Strom, Hue Hollins | series = Dallas leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 25 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604250UTA.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Dallas Mavericks | score1 = 117

| team2 = Utah Jazz | score2 = 113

| Q1 = 24–29 | Q2 = 31–25 | Q3 = 29–26 | Q4 = 33–33

| points1 = Sam Perkins 29 | rebounds1 = Sam Perkins 12 | assist1 = Mark Aguirre 8

| points2 = Thurl Bailey 24 | rebounds2 = Mark Eaton 12 | assist2 = Rickey Green 10

| place = Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah | attendance = 12,683

| referee = Mike Mathis, Jack Madden | series = Dallas wins series, 3–1

}}

This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Jazz.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=DAL&opp_id=UTA&is_playoffs=Y|title=Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)|publisher=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2015}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 27| report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604270BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Atlanta Hawks | score1 = 91

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 103

| Q1 = 23–30 | Q2 = 23–22 | Q3 = 17–34 | Q4 = 28–17

| points1 = Kevin Willis 18 | rebounds1 = Kevin Willis 8 | assist1 = Spud Webb 5

| points2 = Kevin McHale 24 | rebounds2 = Larry Bird 12 | assist2 = Dennis Johnson 14

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Hugh Evans, Mike Mathis | series = Boston leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 29 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604290BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Atlanta Hawks | score1 = 108

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 119

| Q1 = 31–36 | Q2 = 20–29 | Q3 = 31–29 | Q4 = 26–25

| points1 = Kevin Willis 23 | rebounds1 = Willis, Rollins 10 each | assist1 = Doc Rivers 7

| points2 = Larry Bird 36 | rebounds2 = Kevin McHale 9 | assist2 = Dennis Johnson 9

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Earl Strom, Bill Oakes | series = Boston leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 2 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605020ATL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 111

| team2 = Atlanta Hawks | score2 = 107

| Q1 = 34–31 | Q2 = 30–29 | Q3 = 24–27 | Q4 = 23–20

| points1 = Larry Bird 28 | rebounds1 = Robert Parish 14 | assist1 = Larry Bird 12

| points2 = Dominique Wilkins 38 | rebounds2 = Kevin Willis 12 | assist2 = Doc Rivers 14

| place = Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia | attendance = 12,357

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Joe Crawford, Tommy Nunez Sr. | series = Boston leads series, 3–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 4 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605040ATL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 94

| team2 = Atlanta Hawks | score2 = 106

| Q1 = 24–29 | Q2 = 27–21 | Q3 = 23–29 | Q4 = 20–27

| points1 = Kevin McHale 26 | rebounds1 = Kevin McHale 12 | assist1 = Larry Bird 5

| points2 = Dominique Wilkins 37 | rebounds2 = Tree Rollins 16 | assist2 = Spud Webb 12

| place = Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia | attendance = 12,357

| referee = Darrell Garretson, Paul Mihalak | series = Boston leads series, 3–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 6 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605060BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Atlanta Hawks | score1 = 99

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 132

| Q1 = 27–32 | Q2 = 28–34 | Q3 = 6–36 | Q4 = 38–30

| points1 = Spud Webb 15 | rebounds1 = Tree Rollins 8 | assist1 = Spud Webb 8

| points2 = Larry Bird 36 | rebounds2 = Robert Parish 13 | assist2 = Dennis Johnson 8

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Jack Madden, Ed Middleton | series = Boston wins series, 4–1

}}

• Hawks only scored 1 field goal in the third quarter.

This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning six of the first seven meetings.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 29 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604290MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers | score1 = 118

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 112

| Q1 = 29–32 | Q2 = 24–33 | Q3 = 35–28 | Q4 = 30–19

| points1 = Charles Barkley 31 | rebounds1 = Charles Barkley 20 | assist1 = Cheeks, Threatt 7 each

| points2 = Terry Cummings 23 | rebounds2 = Terry Cummings 7 | assist2 = Paul Pressey 13

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Ed Rush, Lee Jones | series = Philadelphia leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 1 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605010MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers | score1 = 107

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 119

| Q1 = 23–30 | Q2 = 32–31 | Q3 = 21–30 | Q4 = 31–28

| points1 = Charles Barkley 26 | rebounds1 = Charles Barkley 15 | assist1 = Maurice Cheeks 8

| points2 = Terry Cummings 30 | rebounds2 = Terry Cummings 15 | assist2 = Paul Pressey 7

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Jack Madden, Hue Hollins | series = Series tied, 1–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 3 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605030PHI.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Milwaukee Bucks | score1 = 103

| team2 = Philadelphia 76ers | score2 = 107

| Q1 = 27–18 | Q2 = 20–35 | Q3 = 26–26 | Q4 = 30–28

| points1 = Terry Cummings 27 | rebounds1 = Cummings, Lister 9 each | assist1 = Paul Pressey 9

| points2 = Charles Barkley 29 | rebounds2 = Charles Barkley 13 | assist2 = Maurice Cheeks 10

| place = Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | attendance = 14,611

| referee = Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey | series = Philadelphia leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 5 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605050PHI.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Milwaukee Bucks | score1 = 109

| team2 = Philadelphia 76ers | score2 = 104

| Q1 = 27–27 | Q2 = 33–33 | Q3 = 24–20 | Q4 = 25–24

| points1 = Cummings, Pierce 19 each | rebounds1 = Terry Cummings 13 | assist1 = three players 4 each

| points2 = Charles Barkley 37 | rebounds2 = Charles Barkley 14 | assist2 = Maurice Cheeks 10

| place = Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | attendance = 17,941

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Joe Crawford | series = Series tied, 2–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 7 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605070MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers | score1 = 108

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 113

| Q1 = 26–33 | Q2 = 28–27 | Q3 = 30–26 | Q4 = 24–27

| points1 = Charles Barkley 29 | rebounds1 = Clemon Johnson 9 | assist1 = Barkley, Erving 5 each

| points2 = Pressey, Cummings 23 each | rebounds2 = Terry Cummings 11 | assist2 = Paul Pressey 16

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Paul Mihalak, Hugh Evans | series = Milwaukee leads series, 3–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 9 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605090PHI.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Milwaukee Bucks | score1 = 108

| team2 = Philadelphia 76ers | score2 = 126

| Q1 = 28–35 | Q2 = 26–27 | Q3 = 21–32 | Q4 = 33–32

| points1 = Craig Hodges 22 | rebounds1 = Alton Lister 10 | assist1 = Terry Cummings 5

| points2 = Jones, Barkley 23 each | rebounds2 = Charles Barkley 21 | assist2 = Maurice Cheeks 13

| place = Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | attendance = 15,287

| referee = Ed Rush, Darell Garretson | series = Series tied, 3–3

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 11 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605110MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers | score1 = 112

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 113

| Q1 = 32–30 | Q2 = 26–33 | Q3 = 28–27 | Q4 = 26–23

| points1 = Sedale Threatt 28 | rebounds1 = Charles Barkley 12 | assist1 = Maurice Cheeks 6

| points2 = Terry Cummings 27 | rebounds2 = Terry Cummings 8 | assist2 = Paul Pressey 15

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Jack Madden | series = Milwaukee wins series, 4–3

}}

• Charles Barkley's goaltending on Craig Hodges with 29 seconds left; Bob McAdoo's and Bobby Jones' final NBA game.

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first five meetings.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 27 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604270LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Dallas Mavericks | score1 = 116

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 130

| Q1 = 17–30 | Q2 = 31–36 | Q3 = 32–29 | Q4 = 36–35

| points1 = Jay Vincent 18 | rebounds1 = James Donaldson 10 | assist1 = Derek Harper 9

| points2 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 | rebounds2 = Maurice Lucas 8 | assist2 = Magic Johnson 14

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Ed Rush, Ed Middleton | series = LA Lakers lead series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 30 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604300LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Dallas Mavericks | score1 = 113

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 117

| Q1 = 30–27 | Q2 = 33–29 | Q3 = 24–28 | Q4 = 26–33

| points1 = Mark Aguirre 28 | rebounds1 = Mark Aguirre 12 | assist1 = Derek Harper 16

| points2 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 | rebounds2 = Maurice Lucas 11 | assist2 = Magic Johnson 9

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Hugh Evans, Paul Mihalak | series = LA Lakers lead series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 2 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605020DAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Los Angeles Lakers | score1 = 108

| team2 = Dallas Mavericks | score2 = 110

| Q1 = 23–26 | Q2 = 32–24 | Q3 = 28–31 | Q4 = 25–29

| points1 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 | rebounds1 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 12 | assist1 = Magic Johnson 14

| points2 = Mark Aguirre 27 | rebounds2 = James Donaldson 14 | assist2 = Mark Aguirre 8

| place = Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas | attendance = 17,007

| referee = Jack Madden, Hue Hollins | series = LA Lakers lead series, 2–1

}}

• Derek Harper redeemed himself from his 1984 mistake by hitting the game-winning 3 with 3 seconds left.

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 4 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605040DAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Los Angeles Lakers | score1 = 118

| team2 = Dallas Mavericks | score2 = 120

| Q1 = 33–45 | Q2 = 25–22 | Q3 = 29–31 | Q4 = 31–22

| points1 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 33 | rebounds1 = Magic Johnson 15 | assist1 = Magic Johnson 14

| points2 = Mark Aguirre 39 | rebounds2 = James Donaldson 11 | assist2 = Derek Harper 11

| place = Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas | attendance = 17,007

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Lee Jones | series = Series tied, 2–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 6 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605060LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Dallas Mavericks | score1 = 113

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 116

| Q1 = 25–29 | Q2 = 26–25 | Q3 = 28–30 | Q4 = 34–32

| points1 = Mark Aguirre 27 | rebounds1 = James Donaldson 8 | assist1 = Derek Harper 9

| points2 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 34 | rebounds2 = Kurt Rambis 10 | assist2 = Magic Johnson 14

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis | series = LA Lakers lead series, 3–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 8 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605080DAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Los Angeles Lakers | score1 = 120

| team2 = Dallas Mavericks | score2 = 107

| Q1 = 33–28 | Q2 = 36–23 | Q3 = 19–30 | Q4 = 32–26

| points1 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27 | rebounds1 = Maurice Lucas 8 | assist1 = Magic Johnson 17

| points2 = Mark Aguirre 28 | rebounds2 = James Donaldson 18 | assist2 = Rolando Blackman 8

| place = Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas | attendance = 17,007

| referee = Ed Rush, Joe Crawford | series = LA Lakers win series, 4–2

}}

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 26 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604260HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Denver Nuggets | score1 = 119

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 126

| Q1 = 32–32 | Q2 = 29–23 | Q3 = 30–39 | Q4 = 28–32

| points1 = Alex English 34 | rebounds1 = Schayes, Natt 7 each | assist1 = English, Lever 9 each

| points2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 38 | rebounds2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 16 | assist2 = Robert Reid 9

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 15,448

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton | series = Houston leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 29 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198604290HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Denver Nuggets | score1 = 101

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 119

| Q1 = 22–26 | Q2 = 21–27 | Q3 = 28–35 | Q4 = 30–31

| points1 = Blair Rasmussen 18 | rebounds1 = Wayne Cooper 9 | assist1 = Mike Evans 7

| points2 = Ralph Sampson 27 | rebounds2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 14 | assist2 = Rodney McCray 10

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Joe Crawford, Jess Kersey | series = Houston leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 2 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605020DEN.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 115

| team2 = Denver Nuggets | score2 = 116

| Q1 = 29–30 | Q2 = 29–33 | Q3 = 29–34 | Q4 = 28–19

| points1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 31 | rebounds1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 11 | assist1 = McCray, Lloyd 8 each

| points2 = Alex English 33 | rebounds2 = Danny Schayes 8 | assist2 = Alex English 5

| place = McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado | attendance = 17,022

| referee = Hugh Evans, Paul Mihalak | series = Houston leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 4 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605040DEN.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 111

| team2 = Denver Nuggets | score2 = 114

| overtime = OT

| Q1 = 32–27 | Q2 = 19–24 | Q3 = 29–23 | Q4 = 24–30 | OT = 7–10

| points1 = Ralph Sampson 28 | rebounds1 = Ralph Sampson 13 | assist1 = Robert Reid 7

| points2 = Alex English 28 | rebounds2 = Wayne Cooper 9 | assist2 = Turner, Hanzlik 5 each

| place = McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado | attendance = 14,152

| referee = Hue Hollins, Ed Rush | series = Series tied, 2–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 6 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605060HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Denver Nuggets | score1 = 103

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 131

| Q1 = 26–32 | Q2 = 20–40 | Q3 = 38–32 | Q4 = 19–27

| points1 = Alex English 27 | rebounds1 = Blair Rasmussen 12 | assist1 = Fat Lever 4

| points2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 36 | rebounds2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 19 | assist2 = Robert Reid 12

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Darell Garretson, Lee Jones | series = Houston leads series, 3–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 8 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605080DEN.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 126

| team2 = Denver Nuggets | score2 = 122

| overtime = 2OT

| Q1 = 21–33 | Q2 = 25–24 | Q3 = 31–24 | Q4 = 31–27 | OT = 8–8, 10–6

| points1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 28 | rebounds1 = Ralph Sampson 18 | assist1 = Rodney McCray 7

| points2 = Alex English 42 | rebounds2 = Danny Schayes 14 | assist2 = Fat Lever 7

| place = McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado | attendance = 17,022

| referee = Mike Mathis, Jack Madden | series = Houston wins series, 4–2

}}

This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Rockets.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=DEN&opp_id=HOU&is_playoffs=Y|title=Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Houston Rockets (Playoffs)|publisher=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 26, 2015}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 13 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605130BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Milwaukee Bucks | score1 = 96

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 128

| Q1 = 12–29 | Q2 = 26–31 | Q3 = 30–33 | Q4 = 28–35

| points1 = Kenny Fields 18 | rebounds1 = Terry Cummings 11 | assist1 = three players 3 each

| points2 = Larry Bird 26 | rebounds2 = Danny Ainge 10 | assist2 = Jerry Sichting 8

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey | series = Boston leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 15 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605150BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Milwaukee Bucks | score1 = 111

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 122

| Q1 = 29–36 | Q2 = 26–27 | Q3 = 25–26 | Q4 = 31–33

| points1 = Terry Cummings 23 | rebounds1 = Alton Lister 7 | assist1 = Paul Pressey 9

| points2 = Larry Bird 26 | rebounds2 = Robert Parish 9 | assist2 = Larry Bird 9

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Darell Garretson, Lee Jones | series = Boston leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 17 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605170MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 111

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 107

| Q1 = 32–35 | Q2 = 21–25 | Q3 = 29–27 | Q4 = 29–20

| points1 = Kevin McHale 29 | rebounds1 = Larry Bird 16 | assist1 = Larry Bird 13

| points2 = Terry Cummings 27 | rebounds2 = Terry Cummings 18 | assist2 = Paul Pressey 9

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton | series = Boston leads series, 3–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 18 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605180MIL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 111

| team2 = Milwaukee Bucks | score2 = 98

| Q1 = 25–28 | Q2 = 37–30 | Q3 = 17–24 | Q4 = 32–16

| points1 = Larry Bird 30 | rebounds1 = Kevin McHale 11 | assist1 = Ainge, Bird 5 each

| points2 = Sidney Moncrief 27 | rebounds2 = Alton Lister 12 | assist2 = Sidney Moncrief 8

| place = MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | attendance = 11,052

| referee = Ed Rush, Joe Crawford | series = Boston wins series, 4–0

}}

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning two of the first three meetings.

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 10 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605100LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 107

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 119

| Q1 = 32–34 | Q2 = 26–30 | Q3 = 24–30 | Q4 = 25–25

| points1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 28 | rebounds1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 16 | assist1 = Robert Reid 8

| points2 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31 | rebounds2 = Johnson, Lucas 7 each | assist2 = Magic Johnson 18

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Hue Hollins, Hugh Evans | series = LA Lakers lead series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 13 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605130LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 112

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 102

| Q1 = 18–25 | Q2 = 36–28 | Q3 = 33–24 | Q4 = 25–25

| points1 = Sampson, Lloyd 24 each | rebounds1 = Ralph Sampson 16 | assist1 = Rodney McCray 11

| points2 = Magic Johnson 24 | rebounds2 = Kurt Rambis 9 | assist2 = Magic Johnson 19

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak | series = Series tied, 1–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 16 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605160HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Los Angeles Lakers | score1 = 109

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 117

| Q1 = 38–37 | Q2 = 21–23 | Q3 = 32–30 | Q4 = 18–27

| points1 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 33 | rebounds1 = Johnson, Lucas 8 each | assist1 = Magic Johnson 20

| points2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 40 | rebounds2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 12 | assist2 = Robert Reid 12

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Jack Madden, Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis | series = Houston leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 18 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605180HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Los Angeles Lakers | score1 = 95

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 105

| Q1 = 29–32 | Q2 = 24–18 | Q3 = 26–30 | Q4 = 16–25

| points1 = James Worthy 26 | rebounds1 = Magic Johnson 12 | assist1 = Magic Johnson 11

| points2 = Hakeem Olajuwon 35 | rebounds2 = Jim Petersen 13 | assist2 = Rodney McCray 6

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Darell Garretson, Mike Mathis, Lee Jones | series = Houston leads series, 3–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 21 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605210LAL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 114

| team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | score2 = 112

| Q1 = 23–35 | Q2 = 31–26 | Q3 = 31–26 | Q4 = 29–25

| points1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 30 | rebounds1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 7 | assist1 = Rodney McCray 11

| points2 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 | rebounds2 = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13 | assist2 = Magic Johnson 13

| place = The Forum, Inglewood, California | attendance = 17,505

| referee = Earl Strom, Jess Kersey | series = Houston wins series, 4–1

}}

• Ralph Sampson hits the famous off-balanced series winner at the buzzer; Hakeem Olajuwon was ejected in the fourth quarter for fighting Lakers forward Mitch Kupchak.

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.

{{main article|1986 NBA Finals}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = May 26 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605260BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 100

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 112

| Q1 = 28–34 | Q2 = 31–27 | Q3 = 17–30 | Q4 = 24–21

| points1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 33 | rebounds1 = Hakeem Olajuwon 12 | assist1 = Robert Reid 8

| points2 = Robert Parish 23 | rebounds2 = Dennis Johnson 11 | assist2 = Larry Bird 13

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Ed T. Rush, Jack Madden | series = Boston leads series, 1–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = May 29 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605290BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 95

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 117

|Q1=30–31 |Q2=20–29 |Q3=19–34 |Q4=26–23

|points1=Hakeem Olajuwon 21 |points2=Larry Bird 31

|rebounds1=Hakeem Olajuwon 10 |rebounds2=Larry Bird 8

|assist1=McCray, Reid 5 each |assist2=Larry Bird 7

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Jess Kersey, Hugh Evans | series = Boston leads series, 2–0

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = June 1 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606010HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 104

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 106

|Q1=29–33 |Q2=30–29 |Q3=25–18 |Q4=20–26

|points1=Kevin McHale 28 |points2=Ralph Sampson 24

|rebounds1=Larry Bird 15 |rebounds2=Ralph Sampson 22

|assist1=Larry Bird 11 |assist2=Robert Reid 9

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Joe Crawford, Jake O'Donnell | series = Boston leads series, 2–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = June 3 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606030HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 106

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 103

|Q1=30–30 |Q2=33–34 |Q3=23–21 |Q4=20–18

|points1=Robert Parish 22 |points2=Ralph Sampson 25

|rebounds1=Robert Parish 15 |rebounds2=Hakeem Olajuwon 14

|assist1=Larry Bird 10 |assist2=Ralph Sampson 9

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Darell Garretson, Earl Strom | series = Boston leads series, 3–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = June 5 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606050HOU.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 96

| team2 = Houston Rockets | score2 = 111

|Q1=28–26 |Q2=19–32 |Q3=18–28 |Q4=31–25

|points1=Kevin McHale 33 |points2=Hakeem Olajuwon 32

|rebounds1=Kevin McHale 8 |rebounds2=Hakeem Olajuwon 14

|assist1=Danny Ainge 5 |assist2=Robert Reid 17

| place = The Summit, Houston, Texas | attendance = 16,016

| referee = Hugh Evans, Jack Madden | series = Boston leads series, 3–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = June 8 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606080BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Houston Rockets | score1 = 97

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 114

|Q1=23–29 |Q2=15–26 |Q3=23–27 |Q4=36–32

|points1=Hakeem Olajuwon 21 |points2=Larry Bird 29

|rebounds1=Hakeem Olajuwon 10 |rebounds2=Larry Bird 11

|assist1=McCray, Reid 5 each |assist2=Larry Bird 12

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 14,890

| referee = Jake O'Donnell, Darrell Garretson | series = Boston wins series, 4–2

}}

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1986.html Basketball-Reference.com's 1986 NBA Playoffs page]
• {{YouTube|jCCZ5PRjfkw|Eastern Conf. First round Game 2 "Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls"}}

{{NBAPlayoffs}}

{{1985–86 NBA season by team}}

Category:NBA playoffs

Playoffs

Category:Sports in Portland, Oregon

fi:NBA-kausi 1985–1986#Pudotuspelit