The 1985-86 Los Angeles Clippers season marked another challenging year for the franchise. Under head coach Don Chaney, the team aimed to improve their performance but struggled throughout the season. They ended with a disappointing record of 32-50, finishing sixth in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year. Despite the team’s overall struggles, center Benoit Benjamin emerged as a key player, demonstrating potential with his defensive skills and rebounding abilities.
The Clippers faced difficulties with consistency, and injuries further hampered their progress. The team played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, where attendance was lackluster, reflecting their on-court performance. The season highlighted the need for a stronger roster and a renewed strategy to compete more effectively in the competitive Western Conference. As a result, the Clippers looked to the upcoming draft and off-season to rebuild and improve for the future.
- Regular Season Record: 32-50
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Los Angeles Clippers Roster and Stats for 1985-86 Season
POINTS
Derek Smith
23.5
REBOUNDS
James Donaldson
9.4
ASSISTS
Norm Nixon
8.6
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Derek Smith | 11 | 23.5 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 50.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Marques Johnson | 75 | 20.3 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 6.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Norm Nixon | 67 | 14.6 | 2.7 | 8.6 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 34.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Cedric Maxwell | 76 | 14.1 | 8.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kurt Nimphius | 67 | 12.0 | 5.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rory White | 75 | 11.7 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 11.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Benoit Benjamin | 79 | 11.1 | 7.6 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 33.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| James Donaldson | 14 | 10.2 | 9.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Franklin Edwards | 73 | 9.0 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 11.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Junior Bridgeman | 58 | 8.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 33.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Michael Cage | 78 | 6.7 | 5.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Darnell Valentine | 34 | 5.9 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 27.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jamaal Wilkes | 13 | 5.8 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 33.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Lancaster Gordon | 60 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 25.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jay Murphy | 14 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Thomas | 6 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Wallace Bryant | 8 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jeff Cross | 21 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ozell Jones | 3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Los Angeles Clippers 1985-86 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1985-86 season for the Los Angeles Clippers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 1985 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 108-104 | |
| Oct 26, 1985 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 130-129 | |
| Oct 29, 1985 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 119-113 | |
| Oct 31, 1985 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 120-112 | |
| Nov 02, 1985 | vs. New York Knicks | W 103-95 | |
| Nov 07, 1985 | @ Houston Rockets | L 137-115 | |
| Nov 09, 1985 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 97-94 | |
| Nov 12, 1985 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 127-115 | |
| Nov 13, 1985 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 93-89 | |
| Nov 15, 1985 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 127-96 | |
| Nov 16, 1985 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 113-109 | |
| Nov 20, 1985 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 122-107 | |
| Nov 21, 1985 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 112-108 | |
| Nov 23, 1985 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 116-112 | |
| Nov 26, 1985 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 131-99 | |
| Nov 27, 1985 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 137-130 | |
| Nov 29, 1985 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 134-106 | |
| Nov 30, 1985 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 124-115 | |
| Dec 04, 1985 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 128-103 | |
| Dec 05, 1985 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 121-104 | |
| Dec 07, 1985 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 131-91 | |
| Dec 10, 1985 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 120-118 | |
| Dec 11, 1985 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 134-95 | |
| Dec 13, 1985 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 114-95 | |
| Dec 14, 1985 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 114-92 | |
| Dec 18, 1985 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 103-99 | |
| Dec 20, 1985 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 119-104 | |
| Dec 21, 1985 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 117-116 | |
| Dec 25, 1985 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 121-107 | |
| Dec 26, 1985 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 117-108 | |
| Dec 28, 1985 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 111-106 | |
| Dec 30, 1985 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 125-103 | |
| Jan 03, 1986 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 130-111 | |
| Jan 04, 1986 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 106-77 | |
| Jan 07, 1986 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 117-103 | |
| Jan 08, 1986 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 116-114 | |
| Jan 10, 1986 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 125-120 | |
| Jan 11, 1986 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 132-123 | |
| Jan 13, 1986 | @ Washington Bullets | L 90-77 | |
| Jan 15, 1986 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 110-103 | |
| Jan 16, 1986 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 112-96 | |
| Jan 18, 1986 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 131-97 | |
| Jan 21, 1986 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 97-96 | |
| Jan 22, 1986 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 131-118 | |
| Jan 24, 1986 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 120-109 | |
| Jan 25, 1986 | @ Utah Jazz | L 130-90 | |
| Jan 27, 1986 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 103-98 | |
| Jan 29, 1986 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 118-108 | |
| Feb 01, 1986 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 156-121 | |
| Feb 06, 1986 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 116-104 | |
| Feb 11, 1986 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 120-112 | |
| Feb 13, 1986 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 118-113 | |
| Feb 15, 1986 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 108-101 | |
| Feb 17, 1986 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 96-94 | |
| Feb 21, 1986 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 125-123 | |
| Feb 23, 1986 | @ New York Knicks | W 110-99 | |
| Feb 25, 1986 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 114-99 | |
| Feb 26, 1986 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 111-104 | |
| Feb 28, 1986 | @ Boston Celtics | L 124-108 | |
| Mar 02, 1986 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 129-112 | |
| Mar 04, 1986 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 106-101 | |
| Mar 06, 1986 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 131-113 | |
| Mar 07, 1986 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 142-126 | |
| Mar 09, 1986 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 123-121 | |
| Mar 11, 1986 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 129-108 | |
| Mar 12, 1986 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 100-96 | |
| Mar 14, 1986 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 105-104 | |
| Mar 15, 1986 | @ Houston Rockets | L 148-116 | |
| Mar 18, 1986 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 126-122 | |
| Mar 19, 1986 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 115-114 | |
| Mar 21, 1986 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 115-104 | |
| Mar 22, 1986 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 119-99 | |
| Mar 26, 1986 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 105-97 | |
| Mar 28, 1986 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 107-96 | |
| Mar 29, 1986 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 112-103 | |
| Apr 01, 1986 | @ Utah Jazz | W 113-109 | |
| Apr 02, 1986 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 97-94 | |
| Apr 05, 1986 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 107-106 | |
| Apr 09, 1986 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 132-127 | |
| Apr 10, 1986 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-100 | |
| Apr 12, 1986 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 115-108 | |
| Apr 13, 1986 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 118-99 |