The 1985-86 Los Angeles Lakers season saw the team aiming to defend their NBA championship title from the previous year. Under the leadership of head coach Pat Riley, the Lakers continued to showcase their fast-paced style of play, known as “Showtime,” characterized by quick transitions and high-flying offense. The roster featured Hall of Famers such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy, forming a formidable core.
During the regular season, the Lakers finished with a record of 62-20, securing the top seed in the Western Conference. Magic Johnson had an outstanding season, leading the league in assists with an average of 12.6 per game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to be a dominant force in the paint. James Worthy and Byron Scott provided crucial scoring support, making the Lakers a balanced and potent offensive threat.
In the playoffs, the Lakers swept the San Antonio Spurs in the first round and defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the conference semifinals. However, their campaign ended in disappointment when they faced the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers were defeated in five games, with Houston’s twin towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, proving to be too much to handle. The series was highlighted by Sampson’s improbable buzzer-beater in Game 5, sealing the Lakers’ fate.
Despite the setback, the 1985-86 season was another strong showing for the Lakers, maintaining their status as one of the premier teams in the NBA. Their playoff exit served as motivation for the subsequent seasons, as they sought to reclaim championship glory.
- Regular Season Record: 62-20
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 3-0, Western Conference Semifinals: 4-2, Western Conference Finals: 1-4
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1985-86 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 79 | 23.4 | 6.1 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 14 | 25.9 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| James Worthy | 75 | 20.0 | 5.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 19.6 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Magic Johnson | 72 | 18.8 | 5.9 | 12.5 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 23.8 | 14 | 21.6 | 7.1 | 15.1 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Byron Scott | 76 | 15.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 36.1 | 14 | 16.0 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 35.3 |
| Maurice Lucas | 77 | 10.2 | 7.4 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 50.0 | 14 | 9.4 | 6.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Michael Cooper | 82 | 9.2 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 38.7 | 14 | 9.7 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 46.3 |
| Mike McGee | 71 | 8.3 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 36.0 | 6 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Pétur Guðmundsson | 8 | 7.3 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 12 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| A.C. Green | 82 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 16.7 | 9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Mitch Kupchak | 55 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kurt Rambis | 74 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 14 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Larry Spriggs | 43 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 3 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jerome Henderson | 1 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Chuck Nevitt | 4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ronnie Lester | 27 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
