Amanda Knapp
The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals in 1985, beating the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the previous year's championship, which the Celtics had won. The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the culmination of the 1984-85 season's playoffs and featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference playoff champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1985 |
| Season | 1984-1985 |
| Winner | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Runner-up | Boston Celtics |
| Series Result | 4-2 |
| MVP | Larry Bird (Boston Celtics) |
| Number of Wins for Winner | 4 |
| Number of Wins for Runner-up | 2 |
| Winner's Coach | Pat Riley |
| Winner's Top Players | Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis |
| Runner-up's Top Players | Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Bill Walton |
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What You'll Learn
- The Los Angeles Lakers won the 1985 NBA Championship
- The Boston Celtics were the runners-up
- The Lakers avenged their loss to the Celtics the previous year
- The Lakers became the first team to win an NBA title on the Celtics' home floor
- The series was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding was used
The Los Angeles Lakers won the 1985 NBA Championship
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the culmination of the 1984-85 season's playoffs, featuring the defending NBA and Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics had home-court advantage, having finished the regular season with a 63-19 record, while the Lakers compiled a 62-20 record.
The Lakers entered the 1984-85 season with a mission, employing the effective Showtime offense that had brought them success in the Western Conference. The team underwent a slight evolution, with James Worthy starting as small forward and Byron Scott earning more minutes as the backup to both Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper. In the playoffs, the Lakers eliminated the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets, winning 11 out of 13 games across the three playoff rounds.
The Lakers bounced back from a Game 1 loss in the 1985 Finals, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 30 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 8 assists leading the way. Lakers swingman Michael Cooper added 22 points, including several clutch outside jumpers. The Lakers pulled away in the second half, winning the game 136-111 and setting a new record for a Finals game between the two rivals. Abdul-Jabbar also became the league's all-time leading playoff scorer, surpassing Lakers guard Jerry West.
The Los Angeles Lakers' victory in the 1985 NBA Championship is remembered as a historic moment in the team's history, avenging their previous loss to the Celtics and solidifying their place in the league.
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The Boston Celtics were the runners-up
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the culmination of the 1984-85 season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics were the runners-up, facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the eventual champions.
The Celtics had home-court advantage, having finished the regular season with a 63-19 record, while the Lakers compiled a 62-20 record. The Celtics were the defending NBA champions, having won the Eastern Conference playoff, and were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968-69 season.
The series was a rematch of the previous year's finals, in which the Celtics had defeated the Lakers. The Lakers entered the 1984-85 season with a mission, employing the Showtime offense that had proven effective, and with a slightly evolved team. James Worthy replaced Jamaal Wilkes as the starting small forward, and Byron Scott began to earn more minutes as the backup to both Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper.
The rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers was highly anticipated, with the Lakers seeking to beat the Celtics for the first time in an NBA Finals. The series was also historic as it was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be used, with the NBA Finals branding replacing it in 1986.
The Celtics put up a strong fight, with Larry Bird winning the MVP award for the second year in a row, and Kevin McHale winning the Sixth Man Award for the second consecutive year. Despite their best efforts, the Celtics ultimately lost to the Lakers, marking their first loss in the NBA Finals since 1958.
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The Lakers avenged their loss to the Celtics the previous year
The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals in 1985, avenging their loss to the Boston Celtics in the previous year. The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the culmination of the 1984-85 season's playoffs, featuring the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference playoff champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers entered the 1984-85 season with a mission, employing the Showtime offense that had proven effective in the past. The team underwent some changes, with James Worthy taking Jamaal Wilkes's place as the starting small forward, and Byron Scott earning more minutes as the backup to Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper. The Lakers had a strong season, eliminating the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and winning 62 games.
The Celtics, led by Larry Bird, were also seeking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968-69 season. They had finished the regular season with a 63-19 record and won the NBA's best record by winning 63 games. Bird won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award, while Kevin McHale won the Sixth Man Award for the second year in a row.
The Lakers and Celtics had a long-standing rivalry, and the 1985 NBA Finals was a highly anticipated rematch. The series was historic, with the Lakers finally beating the Celtics to claim their ninth NBA Championship. The Lakers recovered from a Game 1 loss, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 30 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 8 assists leading the way. Michael Cooper also had a strong performance, finishing with 22 points. The Lakers pulled away in the second half of Game 2, winning 136-111 and evening the series at 1-1. This series marked the first loss for the Larry Bird-led Celtics, who had won the NBA Finals in 1981 and 1984.
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The Lakers became the first team to win an NBA title on the Celtics' home floor
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the culmination of the 1984-85 season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference playoff champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics had home-court advantage and were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968-69 season. The Lakers, on the other hand, were seeking to bounce back from their loss to the Celtics in the previous year's finals and aimed to beat Boston for the first time in NBA Finals history.
The Lakers were led by Earvin 'Magic' Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with James Worthy and Byron Scott also stepping up as key players. They entered the 1984-85 season with a mission, employing the effective Showtime offense that had brought them success in the Western Conference. The team made some strategic adjustments, with Worthy taking on the starting small forward role and Scott playing an increased number of minutes as a backup to Johnson and Michael Cooper.
The Lakers' determination to avenge their previous loss to the Celtics was a driving force behind their performance. Mitch Kupchak, a key reserve on the Lakers team, recalled the memory of their defeat in the previous year and the determination to not let it happen again. The rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics added fuel to their motivation, as the Lakers sought to exorcise the "demon" of never having beaten the Celtics in an NBA Finals.
In a historic achievement, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics to win the 1985 NBA Championship. This victory was made even more remarkable as it occurred on the Celtics' home floor, making the Lakers the first and only team to capture an NBA title on Boston's home court. The Lakers' victory marked a turning point for the franchise, changing the fortunes of the team and solidifying their place in NBA history.
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The series was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding was used
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the last time the NBA used this branding. From 1986 onwards, the league adopted the branding of "NBA Finals".
The 1985 series was a highly anticipated rematch between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the previous year's finals and were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968-69 season. The Lakers, meanwhile, were seeking their first-ever victory over Boston in the NBA Finals.
The series featured several future Hall-of-Famers, including Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish of the Celtics, and Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Cooper of the Lakers. The Lakers entered the 1984-85 season with a mission, utilising the Showtime offense that had brought them success in the Western Conference. The team underwent slight changes, with James Worthy starting as small forward and Byron Scott playing more minutes as a backup.
The Lakers ultimately avenged their previous loss, defeating the Celtics in six games to win their ninth NBA Championship. This series is considered historic, propelling the NBA to new heights and showcasing the intense rivalry between the two teams. The branding change from "NBA World Championship Series" to "NBA Finals" shortly after this series only adds to its significance in the league's history.
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Frequently asked questions
The Los Angeles Lakers won the 1985 NBA Championship.
The Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics to win the championship.
The final score was 136-111 to the Lakers.
The Lakers' win has been attributed to the performances of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pat Riley, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, and Kurt Rambis.
