1986 NBA Finals

1986 basketball championship series February 2024 1986NBAFinals.png NBA 1986 Houston Rockets Bill Fitch 2 Boston Celtics K. C. Jones 4 May 26 – June 8 Larry Bird(Boston Celtics) Celtics:Larry Bird (1998)Dennis Johnson (2010)Kevin McHale (1999)Robert Parish (2003)Bill Walton (1993)Rockets:Hakeem Olajuwon (2008)Ralph Sampson (2012) Coaches:Bill Fitch (2019)K.C. Jones (1989, player) Rudy Tomjanovich (2020)Officials:Hugh Evans (2022)Darell Garretson (2016)Earl Strom (1995) Celtics defeated Bucks, 4–0 Rockets defeated Lakers, 4–1 The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1985–86 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, in a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals (though only Allen Leavell and Robert Reid remained from the Rockets' 1981 team). It was the second and last NBA Championship Series of the 1980s not to feature the Los Angeles Lakers, who were eliminated by the Rockets on both occasions. The heavily favoredRoy S. Johnson https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/26/sports/fitch-finds-old-habits-hard-to-break.html FITCH FINDS OLD HABITS HARD TO BREAK The New York Times May 26, 1986 December 8, 2021 Celtics defeated the Rockets four games to two to win their then-record 16th NBA championship. The championship would be the Celtics' last until 2008. Larry Bird was named the Finals MVP. On another note, this series marked the first time the "NBA Finals" branding was officially used, as they dropped the "NBA World Championship Series" branding which had been in use since the beginning of the league, though it had been unofficially called the "NBA Finals" for years.Aldridge David 2026-06-03 NBA’s ‘Script F’ Finals logo, 40 years after its debut, still means a team has made it big https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7309434/2026/06/03/nba-finals-logo-script-f/ 2026-06-21 The New York Times 0362-4331 Until the 2011 series, this was the last time the NBA Finals had started before June. Since game three, all NBA Finals games have been played in June. Starting with the following year, the NBA Finals would be held exclusively in the month of June. It was also the last NBA Finals series to schedule a game on a Monday until 1999 and also the last NBA Finals game to be played on Memorial Day. Until the 2018 series, it was the last to conclude before June 10. CBS Sports used Dick Stockton and Tom Heinsohn as the play-by-play man and color commentator respectively. Meanwhile, Brent Musburger was the host and Pat O'Brien (the Rockets' sideline) and Lesley Visser (the Celtics' sideline) were the sideline reporters. Background 1986 NBA playoffs Boston Celtics 1985–86 Boston Celtics season The Celtics made the 1985 NBA Finals, but lost in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers. The series exposed some of Boston's weaknesses, such as the lack of bench scoring, which was exploited after Kevin McHale moved to the starting lineup with Cedric Maxwell bothered by knee injuries. In addition, Larry Bird played through an elbow injury, which severely affected his shooting. In the offseason, president Red Auerbach decided to tweak the roster, trading Maxwell to the Los Angeles Clippers for oft-injured center Bill Walton.Walton Deal Highlights NBA Trading Season - UPI Archives https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/10/19/Walton-Deal-Highlights-NBA-Trading-Season/1351498542400/ 2026-06-21 UPI He also made a trade with the Indiana Pacers, acquiring Jerry Sichting for Quinn Buckner.Jerry Sichting, a free-agent guard valued for his outside... - UPI Archives https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/09/13/Jerry-Sichting-a-free-agent-guard-valued-for-his-outside/8908495432000/ 2026-06-21 UPI These moves would pave the way for the Celtics' greatest season yet. Entering the 1985–86 season, the Celtics surged to a league-best 67–15 record, powered by an NBA record 40 victories at home. Their incomparable home record alone (since tied by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2015 y regular season) put the Celtics in the conversation among the NBA's greatest teams in a single season.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/631934-nba-power-rankings-the-1986-celtics-1996-bulls-and-the-10-best-nba-teams-ever/page/11 https://web.archive.org/web/20130602032419/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/631934-nba-power-rankings-the-1986-celtics-1996-bulls-and-the-10-best-nba-teams-ever/page/11 dead June 2, 2013 NBA Power Rankings: The 1986 Celtics, 1996 Bulls and the 10 Best NBA Teams Ever Bleacher Report March 10, 2011 August 8, 2012 In the playoffs, Boston needed just three games to defeat the Chicago Bulls in the first round, despite a playoff record 63 points by Michael Jordan in Game 2.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/alexander_wolff/04/20/jordan.celtics/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110424114204/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/alexander_wolff/04/20/jordan.celtics/index.html dead April 24, 2011 Michael Jordan had record 63 points in playoff game 25 years ago – Alex Wolff – SI.com Sports Illustrated August 8, 2012 When asked about Jordan's performance in Boston's 135–131 2OT victory, Boston's coach K. C. Jones said, "I don't have a word for today." In retrospect, this game is considered to be a classic clash of the NBA's (arguably) greatest player, Jordan, and the NBA's (arguably) greatest team, Bird's 1985–86 Celtics. In the second round, Boston eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in five games, with the clinching Game 5 a no-doubter as Boston outscored Atlanta 36–6 in the third quarter in route to a 132–99 victory. Then in the conference finals, Boston swept the Milwaukee Bucks in four games, a direct reversal of their second round meeting in the 1983 NBA playoffs.Goldaper Sam Times Special To the New York 1986-05-19 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; 3-POINTERS BY BIRD LEAD CELTIC SWEEP https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/19/sports/nba-playoffs-3-pointers-by-bird-lead-celtic-sweep.html 2026-06-21 The New York Times 0362-4331 Houston Rockets 1985–86 Houston Rockets season Following their previous Finals appearance in 1981, the Rockets entered a brief rebuilding period. Long-time Rockets Calvin Murphy and Rudy Tomjanovich retired, while Mike Dunleavy, Sr., Bill Willoughby, Tom Henderson and Billy Paultz moved on to different teams. But the biggest move came during the 1982 offseason, when the Rockets traded Moses Malone to the 1983 champions Philadelphia 76ers. The loss of Malone sent the Rockets to a league-worst 14–68 record in the 1982–83 season, after which the Rockets were awarded the top pick of the 1983 NBA draft and selected Ralph Sampson.1983 NBA Draft https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1983.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com After a 29-win season in 1984, the Rockets were once again rewarded with the top pick in the 1984 NBA draft. They selected another center in Akeem Olajuwon, and paired alongside Sampson, they were dubbed as the "Twin Towers".3/16/86: Lakers vs. Rockets - Kareem takes on Twin Towers https://www.nba.com/watch/video/3-16-86-kareem-takes-on-twin-towers 2026-06-21 NBA.com en Houston also added some valuable role players to complement the duo and holdovers Allen Leavell and Robert Reid, acquiring Rodney McCray, Lewis Lloyd, Craig Ehlo, Mitchell Wiggins and Jim Petersen. Under third-year head coach Bill Fitch (the head coach of the 1980–81 Celtics championship team),Davis Clint 2022-10-26 The 9 most unforgettable Houston Rockets coaches ever https://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/article/houston-rockets-coaches-17441621.php 2026-06-21 Chron the Rockets posted a 51–31 record and won the Midwest Division title. In the first round, they swept the Sacramento Kings, then eliminated the Denver Nuggets in six games during the second round. In the conference finals, they were matched up against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, and after losing Game 1, the Rockets stunned the Lakers by winning the final four games, highlighted by a series-clinching buzzer beater by Sampson in Game 5.This Date in NBA History: Ralph Sampson flips it over his head for the improbable buzzer-beater to beat LAL in 1986 https://www.nba.com/watch/video/this-date-in-nba-history-ralph-sampson-flips-it-over-his-head-for-the-improbable-buzzer-beater-to-beat-lal-in-1986 2026-06-21 NBA.com Road to the Finals 1986 NBA playoffs Houston Rockets (Western Conference champion) Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference champion)HOU2nd seed in the West, 5th best league recordRegular seasonBOS1st seed in the East, best league recordDefeated the (7) Sacramento Kings, 3–0First roundDefeated the (8) Chicago Bulls, 3–0Defeated the (3) Denver Nuggets, 4–2Conference semifinalsDefeated the (4) Atlanta Hawks, 4–1Defeated the (1) Los Angeles Lakers, 4–1Conference finalsDefeated the (2) Milwaukee Bucks, 4–0 Regular season series The Boston Celtics won both games in the regular season series: #fff March 11, 1986 Boston Celtics 116 Houston Rockets 104 The Summit, Houston, Texas March 24, 1986 Houston Rockets 107 Boston Celtics 114 Boston Garden, Boston The Finals The Larry Bird–led Celtics defeated the Rockets again 4 games to 2 in the 1986 NBA Finals. The Celtics won the first two games at the Boston Garden, where they had gone 40–1 during the regular season. The Rockets had been almost as good at home during the regular season, and they defeated the Celtics 106–104 in game three. Game 4 was a tense battle at the Summit, which the Celtics won 106–103, with Bill Walton coming off the bench for a tired Robert Parish to score a crucial basket. The infamous fifth game featured the signature moment of the series, when 7'4" Ralph Sampson ignited a brawl with Jerry Sichting, a player 15 in mm shorter than Sampson, leading to his ejection.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_nAe0oR8I4 Ralph Sampson Recalls INFAMOUS FIGHT vs. Boston Celtics In 1986 🥊 2025-10-17 DraftKings 2026-06-21 YouTube While Jim Petersen led the Rockets to a decisive victory, Sampson's actions motivated the Celtics to end the series in six.Bonk Thomas 1986-06-06 Rockets Still Have Some Punch Left : Sampson Beats Up on Celtics, and His Team Follows, 111-96 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-06-sp-9024-story.html 2026-06-21 Los Angeles Times Bird dismantled the young Rockets in game 6; the raucous Garden crowd booed every time Sampson touched the ball.Berkow Ira 1986-06-09 Sampson's Long Day https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/09/sports/sampson-s-long-day.html 2026-06-21 The New York Times 0362-4331 The Celtics eliminated the Rockets 114–97 in a game that wasn't as close as the score would indicate.Bulpett Steve 2020-06-05 Sichting-Sampson squabble in 1986 still remembered all these years later https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/06/05/37-for-34-the-86-sichting-sampson-fight-still-remembered-all-these-years-later/ 2026-06-21 Boston Herald en-US With backup forward Scott Wedman sidelined due to a wrist injury, Bird got very little rest during the six-game series, logging 269 out of a possible 288 minutes of floor time.https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1986-nba-finals-rockets-vs-celtics.html 1986 NBA Finals - Rockets vs. Celtics Bird was named the Finals' MVP for that year, averaging 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.7 steals per game for the series. The Celtics' victory capped off a 29-year period that had seen them win 16 championships and it was their last championship until 2008. Series summary Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 May 26 Houston Rockets 100–112 (0–1) Boston Celtics Game 2 May 29 Houston Rockets 95–117 (0–2) Boston Celtics Game 3 June 1 Boston Celtics 104–106 (2–1) Houston Rockets Game 4 June 3 Boston Celtics 106–103 (3–1) Houston Rockets Game 5 June 5 Boston Celtics 96–111 (3–2) Houston Rockets Game 6 June 8 Houston Rockets 97–114 (2–4) Boston Celtics Game 1 #eee May 26 3:00 pm EDT Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Houston Rockets 100 Boston Celtics 112 28–34 31–27 17–30 24–21 Akeem Olajuwon 33 Bird, McHale 21 each Akeem Olajuwon 12 Dennis Johnson 11 Robert Reid 8 Larry Bird 13 14,890 No. 14 Jack Madden No. 4 Ed T. Rush Boston leads the series, 1–0 The "Twin Towers" Ralph Sampson and Akeem Olajuwon were saddled with foul trouble for much of the game. Sampson got three quick fouls just 4:45 into the game and scored only two points; Olajuwon picked up five fouls despite scoring 33, 25 of which came in the first half. The backcourt tandem of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge provided the third quarter spurt for the Celtics, combining for 22 points, while Boston held Houston to just 17 points in an expected victory.1986 NBA Finals Game 1: Rockets vs Celtics, May 26, 1986 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605260BOS.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Game 2 #eee May 29 9:00 pm EDT Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Houston Rockets 95 Boston Celtics 117 30–31 20–29 19–34 26–23 Akeem Olajuwon 21 Larry Bird 31 Akeem Olajuwon 10 Larry Bird 8 McCray, Reid 5 each Larry Bird 7 14,890 No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 25 Hugh Evans Boston leads the series, 2–0 The third quarter again proved decisive for the Celtics, outscoring the Rockets 34–19 in the quarter. Sampson and Olajuwon combined for 32 points in the first half, but only seven in the second. Larry Bird paced the Celtics with 31 points on 12-for-19 shooting, while Kevin McHale added 25 in another Boston rout. It was Boston's 40th consecutive victory at home, regular season and playoffs combined.1986 NBA Finals Game 2: Rockets vs Celtics, May 29, 1986 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198605290BOS.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Game 3 #eee June 1 3:30 pm EDT The Summit, Houston, Texas CBS Boston Celtics 104 Houston Rockets 106 29–33 30–29 25–18 20–26 Kevin McHale 28 Ralph Sampson 24 Larry Bird 15 Ralph Sampson 22 Larry Bird 11 Robert Reid 9 16,016 No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 11 Jake O'Donnell Boston leads the series, 2–1 The Rockets rallied from eight points down in the fourth quarter before escaping to a much-needed two-point win at home, despite another third quarter meltdown. Sampson and Olajuwon combined for 47 points and 30 rebounds, Robert Reid added 20, while reserve guard Mitchell Wiggins tipped in off an Olajuwon miss late in the fourth to put the Rockets ahead for good. The Celtics only managed one more shot in their final two possessions, a missed 5-footer by Robert Parish. Kevin McHale and Larry Bird both scored 28 points in the loss, but Bird was held to 3-for-12 shooting in the second half due to Reid's defense.1986 NBA Finals Game 3: Celtics vs Rockets, June 1, 1986 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606010HOU.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Game 4 #eee June 3 9:00 pm EDT The Summit, Houston, Texas CBS Boston Celtics 106 Houston Rockets 103 30–30 33–34 23–21 20–18 Robert Parish 22 Ralph Sampson 25 Robert Parish 15 Akeem Olajuwon 14 Larry Bird 10 Ralph Sampson 9 16,016 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 12 Earl Strom Boston leads the series, 3–1 Larry Bird's three-pointer with 2:26 remaining gave Boston the lead for good, while holding the Rockets to just one basket in the final four minutes, keyed by Kevin McHale forcing three turnovers on Houston's final three possessions. Robert Parish scored 22 while hauling 15 rebounds. Dennis Johnson also added 22, while Bird scored 21 and dished out 10 assists. Ralph Sampson led the Rockets with 25 points, while Akeem Olajuwon, Robert Reid and Rodney McCray added 21, 19 and 17 respectively. The Rockets suffered their first home loss of the 1986 playoffs.1986 NBA Finals Game 4: Celtics vs Rockets, June 3, 1986 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606030HOU.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Game 5 #eee June 5 9:00 pm EDT The Summit, Houston, Texas CBS Boston Celtics 96 Houston Rockets 111 28–26 19–32 18–28 31–25 Kevin McHale 33 Akeem Olajuwon 32 Kevin McHale 8 Akeem Olajuwon 14 Danny Ainge 5 Robert Reid 17 16,016 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 14 Jack Madden Boston leads the series, 3–2 The game was highlighted by Ralph Sampson's ejection early in the second quarter. With 9:40 remaining in the second, Sampson threw punches at the Celtics' reserve guard Jerry Sichting, 16 inches shorter than Sampson, leading to his ejection while the benches were cleared.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXVGtzKkpNM The Sampson Sichting FIGHT Game! Rockets vs Celtics 1986 Finals Game 5 2026-05-09 NewJoel 2026-06-21 YouTube The Rockets were leading 34–33 at the time of the brawl, and would lead by as many as 25 points in the second half to score a lopsided victory. Akeem Olajuwon scored 32 points while blocking 8 shots. Though Kevin McHale scored 33, Larry Bird was held to only 17 points, ultimately leading to one of the worst losses suffered by the Celtics that season. Game 6 #eee June 8 1:00 pm EDT Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Houston Rockets 97 Boston Celtics 114 23–29 15–26 23–27 36–32 Akeem Olajuwon 21 Larry Bird 29 Akeem Olajuwon 10 Larry Bird 11 McCray, Reid 5 each Larry Bird 12 14,890 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 10 Darrell Garretson Boston wins the series, 4–2 Larry Bird recorded a triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists to pace a lopsided Boston win that clinched their 16th NBA championship. Kevin McHale added 29 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Olajuwon paced the Rockets with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but Ralph Sampson was held to only eight points on 4-for-12 shooting, visibly distracted by an angry Boston Garden crowd in the aftermath of Game 5. The Celtics led by as much as 30 in the fourth to put away the Rockets. Following the conclusion of the 1986 NBA Finals, a video documentary of the 1985–86 NBA season, known as "Sweet Sixteen", was released. David Perry was the narrator after Dick Stockton narrated the last three NBA season documentaries.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWBeVae4nPU Boston Celtics - Sweet Sixteen 1986 - NBA Champions 2017-08-18 Santiago73 2026-06-21 YouTube This would be the city of Boston's last professional sports championship until 2002 when the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI.Super Bowl XXXVI - St. Louis Rams vs. New England Patriots - February 3rd, 2002 https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200202030nwe.htm 2026-06-21 Pro-Football-Reference.com Player statistics Boston Celtics Boston Celtics |- | align="left" | Danny Ainge || 6 || 6 || 35.5 || .556 || .500 || .824 || 3.5 || 5.5 || 2.5 || 0.2 || 14.5 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Larry Bird || 6 || 6 || 44.8 || .482 || .368 || .939 || 9.7 || 9.5 || 2.7 || 0.3 || 24.0 |- | align="left" | Rick Carlisle || 3 || 0 || 2.7 || 1.000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | Dennis Johnson || 6 || 6 || 42.8 || .420 || .286 || .821 || 6.2 || 5.3 || 2.0 || 0.3 || 17.0 |- | align="left" | Greg Kite || 6 || 0 || 5.0 || 1.000 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 1.0 |- | align="left" | Kevin McHale basketball || 6 || 6 || 40.2 || .573 || .000 || .804 || 8.5 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 2.5 || 25.8 |- | align="left" | Robert Parish || 6 || 6 || 31.8 || .418 || .000 || .500 || 6.8 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 2.2 || 12.7 |- | align="left" | Jerry Sichting || 6 || 0 || 14.2 || .450 || .000 || .000 || 0.8 || 1.7 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 3.0 |- | align="left" | David Thirdkill || 5 || 0 || 3.0 || .200 || .000 || .500 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 0.6 |- | align="left" | Sam Vincent || 4 || 0 || 3.0 || .182 || .000 || .000 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 1.0 |- | align="left" | Bill Walton || 6 || 0 || 19.5 || .622 || .000 || .500 || 6.7 || 1.7 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 8.0 |- | align="left" | Scott Wedman || 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 Houston Rockets Houston Rockets |- | align="left" | Craig Ehlo || 4 || 0 || 2.5 || .714 || .000 || .667 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 3.0 |- | align="left" | Steve Harris basketball || 4 || 0 || 6.8 || .417 || .000 || .400 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.8 || 3.0 |- | align="left" | Allen Leavell || 6 || 0 || 12.0 || .382 || .500 || .800 || 0.8 || 3.0 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 5.7 |- | align="left" | Lewis Lloyd || 6 || 6 || 22.3 || .380 || .000 || .800 || 1.8 || 2.8 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 7.7 |- | align="left" | Rodney McCray basketball || 6 || 6 || 39.5 || .588 || .000 || .706 || 4.0 || 4.0 || 1.2 || 0.8 || 15.3 |- | align="left" | Hank McDowell || 5 || 0 || 1.8 || .667 || .000 || .667 || 1.0 || 0.6 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.6 |- | align="left" | Akeem Olajuwon Hakeem Olajuwon || 6 || 6 || 40.2 || .479 || .000 || .667 || 11.8 || 1.8 || 2.3 || 3.2 || 24.7 |- | align="left" | Jim Petersen || 6 || 0 || 22.7 || .311 || .000 || .750 || 7.2 || 1.8 || 0.7 || 0.5 || 5.2 |- | align="left" | Robert Reid basketball || 6 || 6 || 40.2 || .420 || .125 || .917 || 4.3 || 8.7 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 14.3 |- | align="left" | Ralph Sampson || 6 || 6 || 32.2 || .438 || .000 || .731 || 9.5 || 3.3 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 14.8 |- | align="left" | Granville Waiters || 4 || 0 || 1.8 || 1.000 || .000 || .000 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 1.0 |- | align="left" | Mitchell Wiggins || 6 || 0 || 22.2 || .451 || .000 || .667 || 3.7 || 1.3 || 0.8 || 0.2 || 8.3 Team rosters Boston Celtics Boston Celtics 1985–86 44 Danny Ainge G/F 6 4 175 BYU 1959–03–17 33 Larry Bird F 6 9 220 Indiana State 1956–12–07 34 Rick Carlisle G 6 5 210 Virginia 1959–10–27 3 Dennis Johnson G 6 4 185 Pepperdine 1954–09–18 50 Greg Kite C 6 11 250 BYU 1961–08–05 32 Kevin McHale basketball F/C 6 10 210 Minnesota 1957–12–19 00 Robert Parish C 7 0 230 Centenary College of Louisiana 1953–08–30 12 Jerry Sichting G 6 1 168 Purdue 1956–11–29 45 David Thirdkill F 6 7 195 Bradley 1960–04–12 11 Sam Vincent basketball G 6 2 185 Michigan State 1963–05–18 5 Bill Walton C 6 11 235 UCLA 1952–11–05 8 Scott Wedman G 6 7 215 Colorado 1952–07–29 35 Sly Williams F-G 6 7 210 Rhode Island 1958–01–26 K.C. Jones Ed Badger Chris Ford Jimmy Rodgers Houston Rockets Houston Rockets 1985–86 #CE1141 #FFFFFF #FDB927 #000000 3 Craig Ehlo SG 6 8 200 Washington State 1961–08–11 20 Steve Harris basketball SG 6 5 195 Tulsa 1963–10–15 30 Allen Leavell PG 6 1 170 Oklahoma City 1957–05–27 32 Lewis Lloyd SG/SF 6 6 205 Drake 1959–02–22 5 John Lucas II PG 6 3 175 Maryland 1953–10–31 22 Rodney McCray basketball SF 6 7 220 Louisville 1961–08–29 8 Hank McDowell F/C 6 9 215 Memphis 1959–11–13 34 Akeem Olajuwon C 7 0 255 Houston 1963–01–21 43 Jim Petersen F/C 6 10 235 Minnesota 1962–02–22 33 Robert Reid basketball SF/SG 6 8 228 St. Mary's (Texas) 1955–08–30 50 Ralph Sampson F/C 7 4 200 Virginia 1960–07–07 31 Granville Waiters C 6 11 225 Ohio State 1961–01–08 15 Mitchell Wiggins SG 6 4 185 Florida State 1959–09–28 Bill Fitch Carroll Dawson Rudy Tomjanovich Aftermath The 1986–87 version of the Celtics were still a great team, but the death of #2 overall pick Len Bias less than two days after the 1986 NBA draft, and nagging injuries loomed heavily over their season. Kevin McHale broke his foot in March and the team was never the same. McHale kept playing on the foot despite being told not to by doctors. The battered and fatigued Celtics – with not just McHale, but also Parish (two sprained ankles), Ainge (leg injury) and Walton (broken foot) playing hurt – lost to the Lakers in six games in the 1987 NBA Finals. Afterwards, the Celtics entered a rare and unusual slump for the next two decades, and would not win the championship again until 2008, in which the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games. Years afterward, The Boston Globe sportswriter Bob Ryan would always consider this a win by proxy for the Celtics in their rivalry in the 1980s with the Lakers, as the Rockets had eliminated the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in a convincing five games. Ryan would also say, "I believe the 1987 Lakers and the 1986 Celtics was the greatest series that never was".2014-10-05 Ten questions with Bob Ryan: Celtics tales, NBA's G.O.A.T. and 'Scribe' https://www.si.com/nba/2014/10/05/bob-ryan-scribe-review-michael-jordan-lebron-james-larry-bird-celtics 2025-12-20 SI en-US Despite the Finals defeat, the Rockets looked poised to dominate the decade with the tandem of Akeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Instead, the team immediately disintegrated due to the rampant cocaine use of several key rotation players. The problem actually started prior to their 1986 postseason run when star guard John Lucas—the number one overall pick in the 1976 draft—was repeatedly suspended for using cocaine and ultimately waived by the team in March.Spears Marc J. May 11, 2017 Rockets assistant coach John Lucas helps athletes fight alcohol and drug addiction https://andscape.com/features/rockets-assistant-coach-john-lucas/ 2026-06-03 Andscape Then, on January 14, 1987, commissioner David Stern suspended the team's starting guards Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins for 21 2 years after they tested positive for cocaine. Because the players did not voluntarily enter a treatment program, they were banned by the league.1987-01-14 NBA Bans Houston's Lloyd, Wiggins After Pair Fail Cocaine Test https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-14-sp-3285-story.html 2026-06-03 Los Angeles Times en-US "We had the makings of a good team, but the drug laws wiped us out", head coach Bill Fitch later stated.2007-06-26 Draft deal stranger than ‘1984’ https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/06/26/draft-deal-stranger-than-1984/ 2026-06-03 Chicago Tribune The Rockets would not find championship success until the mid-1990s. With a revamped roster around Olajuwon, they returned to the Finals in 1994 and defeated the New York Knicks in seven games for their first championship. Then, the Rockets would repeat as champions the following season, sweeping the Shaquille O'Neal-led Orlando Magic. The 1986 NBA Finals was the second of three "Big Four" championship rounds involving Boston-based sports teams to take place in the 1986 calendar year. In January, the New England Patriots lost to the Chicago Bears 46–10 in Super Bowl XX. Then in October, the Boston Red Sox lost in seven games to the New York Mets in the World Series. The Mets' prior victory in the National League Championship Series against the Houston Astros also prevented a second championship series in a calendar year between teams from Boston and Houston. Kevin McHale would later coach the Rockets from 2011 to 2015. 2015-11-18 Rockets fire coach Kevin McHale https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14160559/houston-rockets-fire-coach-kevin-mchale 2026-02-19 ESPN.com en See also 1986 NBA playoffs References External links NBA History 1986 NBA Finals at Basketball Reference Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Boston Category:Basketball competitions in Houston NBA Finals Category:Events at the Boston Garden