The 1986-87 Philadelphia 76ers season was marked by transition and challenges. Coached by Matt Guokas, the team finished with a 45-37 record, securing the fourth spot in the Atlantic Division and the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Charles Barkley emerged as the team’s standout performer, showcasing his dominance with an average of 23 points and 14.6 rebounds per game, earning him an All-NBA First Team selection.
Despite Barkley’s efforts, the 76ers struggled with consistency, impacted by the departure of key veteran players like Moses Malone and Julius Erving’s retirement after the season. In the playoffs, the 76ers faced the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. The series proved challenging, and Philadelphia was eliminated in a three-game sweep, highlighting the need for a roster overhaul. The season signaled a pivotal point for the franchise as they looked to rebuild around their young star, Barkley.
- Regular Season Record: 45-37
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference First Round: 2-3
Philadelphia 76ers Roster and Stats for 1986-87 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Charles Barkley | 68 | 23.0 | 14.6 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 20.2 | 5 | 24.6 | 12.6 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 12.5 |
| Julius Erving | 60 | 16.8 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 26.4 | 5 | 18.2 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 33.3 |
| Maurice Cheeks | 68 | 15.6 | 3.2 | 7.9 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 23.5 | 5 | 17.6 | 2.6 | 8.8 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Cliff Robinson | 55 | 14.8 | 5.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 5 | 14.6 | 8.6 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| Roy Hinson | 76 | 13.9 | 6.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 5 | 17.2 | 4.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Tim McCormick | 81 | 12.8 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 5 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Andrew Toney | 52 | 10.6 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 32.8 | 5 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Sedale Threatt | 28 | 9.5 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 43.8 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jeff Ruland | 5 | 9.4 | 5.6 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| David Wingate | 77 | 8.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 25.0 | 5 | 8.2 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 100.0 |
| Steve Colter | 43 | 6.8 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 50.0 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| World B. Free | 20 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 22.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kenny Green | 19 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mark McNamara | 11 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Lampley | 1 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Danny Vranes | 58 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 20.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Philadelphia 76ers in the 1987 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Milwaukee Bucks
In the 1987 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. Despite a strong effort from stars like Charles Barkley, the 76ers fell to the Bucks in a tightly contested series, losing three games to two. This early exit marked the end of an era, as it was the last postseason appearance for Philadelphia's legendary forward Julius Erving, who retired that year.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 1987 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 107-104 | |
| Apr 26, 1987 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 125-122 | |
| Apr 29, 1987 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 121-120 | |
| May 01, 1987 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 124-118 | |
| May 03, 1987 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 102-89 |
Philadelphia 76ers 1986-87 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1986-87 season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 1986 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 108-104 | |
| Nov 02, 1986 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 122-113 | |
| Nov 04, 1986 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 125-121 | |
| Nov 05, 1986 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 107-101 | |
| Nov 07, 1986 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 114-97 | |
| Nov 09, 1986 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 125-119 | |
| Nov 11, 1986 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 121-114 | |
| Nov 13, 1986 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 112-104 | |
| Nov 14, 1986 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 127-97 | |
| Nov 16, 1986 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 103-90 | |
| Nov 19, 1986 | vs. New York Knicks | W 98-94 | |
| Nov 21, 1986 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 120-110 | |
| Nov 23, 1986 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 114-104 | |
| Nov 25, 1986 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 102-100 | |
| Nov 28, 1986 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 116-112 | |
| Dec 03, 1986 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 115-110 | |
| Dec 05, 1986 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-106 | |
| Dec 06, 1986 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 105-100 | |
| Dec 10, 1986 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 122-112 | |
| Dec 12, 1986 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 123-90 | |
| Dec 13, 1986 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 123-120 | |
| Dec 16, 1986 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 103-91 | |
| Dec 17, 1986 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 110-107 | |
| Dec 19, 1986 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 122-100 | |
| Dec 20, 1986 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 98-88 | |
| Dec 22, 1986 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 114-111 | |
| Dec 25, 1986 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 102-97 | |
| Dec 27, 1986 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 99-95 | |
| Dec 28, 1986 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 111-85 | |
| Dec 30, 1986 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 111-108 | |
| Jan 02, 1987 | @ Utah Jazz | W 104-99 | |
| Jan 05, 1987 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 108-102 | |
| Jan 07, 1987 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 109-102 | |
| Jan 09, 1987 | vs. New York Knicks | L 94-84 | |
| Jan 10, 1987 | @ Washington Bullets | L 117-111 | |
| Jan 13, 1987 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 101-94 | |
| Jan 14, 1987 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 96-93 | |
| Jan 17, 1987 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 105-89 | |
| Jan 19, 1987 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 107-104 | |
| Jan 21, 1987 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 129-123 | |
| Jan 25, 1987 | @ Boston Celtics | L 111-96 | |
| Jan 27, 1987 | @ New York Knicks | W 108-103 | |
| Jan 28, 1987 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-107 | |
| Jan 30, 1987 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 121-112 | |
| Jan 31, 1987 | @ Washington Bullets | L 106-105 | |
| Feb 03, 1987 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 99-94 | |
| Feb 04, 1987 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 121-95 | |
| Feb 10, 1987 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 104-99 | |
| Feb 11, 1987 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 123-113 | |
| Feb 14, 1987 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 125-107 | |
| Feb 16, 1987 | @ New York Knicks | W 111-101 | |
| Feb 18, 1987 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 114-103 | |
| Feb 20, 1987 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 123-91 | |
| Feb 22, 1987 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 112-110 | |
| Feb 23, 1987 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 112-103 | |
| Feb 26, 1987 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 96-94 | |
| Feb 27, 1987 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 123-110 | |
| Mar 01, 1987 | @ Houston Rockets | W 102-97 | |
| Mar 04, 1987 | vs. New York Knicks | L 102-99 | |
| Mar 06, 1987 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 123-113 | |
| Mar 07, 1987 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 114-102 | |
| Mar 10, 1987 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 100-91 | |
| Mar 11, 1987 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 117-108 | |
| Mar 14, 1987 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 98-95 | |
| Mar 18, 1987 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 109-107 | |
| Mar 20, 1987 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 116-106 | |
| Mar 21, 1987 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 105-102 | |
| Mar 23, 1987 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 103-100 | |
| Mar 24, 1987 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 93-91 | |
| Mar 27, 1987 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 110-99 | |
| Mar 29, 1987 | @ Boston Celtics | L 118-100 | |
| Mar 31, 1987 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 116-105 | |
| Apr 01, 1987 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 108-99 | |
| Apr 03, 1987 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 113-109 | |
| Apr 05, 1987 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 106-104 | |
| Apr 06, 1987 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-101 | |
| Apr 08, 1987 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 110-92 | |
| Apr 10, 1987 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 98-96 | |
| Apr 13, 1987 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 113-105 | |
| Apr 15, 1987 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 128-95 | |
| Apr 17, 1987 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 115-111 | |
| Apr 19, 1987 | @ Washington Bullets | W 108-102 |