The 1981-82 Phoenix Suns season marked the 14th year of the franchise in the NBA. Under the leadership of head coach John MacLeod, the Suns entered the season with aspirations to improve upon their previous campaign. The team played their home games at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which had become a stronghold for the Suns’ faithful fans.
During the regular season, the Suns compiled a respectable record of 46 wins and 36 losses. This performance secured them a spot in the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Western Conference. The Suns were led by standout players such as Walter Davis and Dennis Johnson, who provided significant contributions on both ends of the court. Davis was particularly notable for his scoring prowess, while Johnson was recognized for his defensive capabilities and leadership.
In the playoffs, the Suns faced the Denver Nuggets in the first round. The series was a tightly contested affair, but ultimately the Suns advanced by defeating the Nuggets in a best-of-three series. However, their playoff run was cut short in the Western Conference Semifinals, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, proved too formidable for the Suns, resulting in a series loss.
Overall, the 1981-82 season was a competitive one for the Phoenix Suns, showcasing their capacity to contend in the playoffs, albeit falling short of reaching the NBA Finals. The team’s performance laid a foundation for future success and growth within the league.
- Regular Season Record: 46-36
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 2-1, Western Conference Semifinals: 0-4
Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats for 1981-82 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Dennis Johnson | 80 | 19.5 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 19.5 | 7 | 22.3 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Truck Robinson | 74 | 19.1 | 9.7 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 100.0 | 7 | 13.3 | 7.6 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Alvan Adams | 79 | 15.1 | 7.4 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 16.9 | 7.3 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| Walter Davis | 55 | 14.4 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 18.7 | 7 | 18.1 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 33.3 |
| Kyle Macy | 82 | 14.2 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 39.0 | 7 | 13.6 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 36.4 |
| Rich Kelley | 81 | 7.9 | 6.1 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 7 | 9.7 | 6.9 | 4.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Larry Nance | 80 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 7 | 7.7 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Alvin Scott | 81 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 7 | 4.6 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Jeff Cook | 76 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Dudley Bradley | 64 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 20.0 | 7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| John McCullough | 8 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Joel Kramer | 56 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 4 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Craig Dykema | 32 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 6 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Phoenix Suns in the 1982 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Denver Nuggets
In the first round of the 1982 NBA Playoffs, the Phoenix Suns faced off against the Denver Nuggets in a best-of-three series. Phoenix, led by head coach John MacLeod and key players like Walter Davis and Truck Robinson, secured a 2-1 series victory, showcasing a strong team performance. The Suns' ability to capitalize on their defensive strengths and clutch shooting moments allowed them to advance to the next round.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 1982 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 129-113 | |
| Apr 23, 1982 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 126-110 | |
| Apr 24, 1982 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 124-119 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Los Angeles Lakers
In the 1982 NBA Playoffs, the Phoenix Suns faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite a strong effort, the Suns were outmatched by the Lakers' star-studded lineup, ultimately losing the series 4-0. The Lakers' dominance, spearheaded by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, proved too formidable for the Suns to overcome.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1982 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 115-96 | |
| Apr 28, 1982 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 117-98 | |
| Apr 30, 1982 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 114-106 | |
| May 02, 1982 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 112-107 |
Phoenix Suns 1981-82 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1981-82 season for the Phoenix Suns.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 1981 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 103-95 | |
| Oct 31, 1981 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 94-84 | |
| Nov 03, 1981 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 111-88 | |
| Nov 05, 1981 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 121-93 | |
| Nov 06, 1981 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 101-99 | |
| Nov 07, 1981 | @ Utah Jazz | L 95-87 | |
| Nov 10, 1981 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 109-106 | |
| Nov 12, 1981 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 95-93 | |
| Nov 14, 1981 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 98-97 | |
| Nov 18, 1981 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 102-97 | |
| Nov 21, 1981 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 110-88 | |
| Nov 25, 1981 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 128-114 | |
| Nov 27, 1981 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 111-107 | |
| Dec 01, 1981 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 117-94 | |
| Dec 03, 1981 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 137-109 | |
| Dec 05, 1981 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 101-99 | |
| Dec 08, 1981 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 121-110 | |
| Dec 09, 1981 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 134-127 | |
| Dec 10, 1981 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 117-110 | |
| Dec 12, 1981 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 105-98 | |
| Dec 15, 1981 | @ Houston Rockets | L 99-95 | |
| Dec 16, 1981 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 97-81 | |
| Dec 18, 1981 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 108-104 | |
| Dec 19, 1981 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 95-87 | |
| Dec 23, 1981 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 118-103 | |
| Dec 25, 1981 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 104-101 | |
| Dec 26, 1981 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 112-96 | |
| Dec 27, 1981 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 99-96 | |
| Dec 30, 1981 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 113-112 | |
| Jan 02, 1982 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 120-97 | |
| Jan 05, 1982 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 87-82 | |
| Jan 07, 1982 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 110-94 | |
| Jan 09, 1982 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 105-101 | |
| Jan 12, 1982 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 133-121 | |
| Jan 14, 1982 | vs. New York Knicks | W 90-89 | |
| Jan 16, 1982 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 106-87 | |
| Jan 19, 1982 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 108-96 | |
| Jan 22, 1982 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 99-97 | |
| Jan 23, 1982 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 113-90 | |
| Jan 27, 1982 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 99-92 | |
| Jan 28, 1982 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 97-87 | |
| Feb 03, 1982 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 90-88 | |
| Feb 04, 1982 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 118-112 | |
| Feb 05, 1982 | @ Houston Rockets | L 106-104 | |
| Feb 07, 1982 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 107-92 | |
| Feb 10, 1982 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 112-110 | |
| Feb 12, 1982 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 94-90 | |
| Feb 13, 1982 | @ Utah Jazz | L 120-115 | |
| Feb 16, 1982 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 91-86 | |
| Feb 17, 1982 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 110-107 | |
| Feb 19, 1982 | @ New York Knicks | W 104-90 | |
| Feb 21, 1982 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 109-102 | |
| Feb 24, 1982 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 131-97 | |
| Feb 26, 1982 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 131-122 | |
| Feb 28, 1982 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 103-98 | |
| Mar 02, 1982 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 119-108 | |
| Mar 03, 1982 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 115-102 | |
| Mar 05, 1982 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 110-98 | |
| Mar 07, 1982 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 94-92 | |
| Mar 09, 1982 | @ Washington Bullets | W 103-95 | |
| Mar 10, 1982 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 113-105 | |
| Mar 11, 1982 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 101-95 | |
| Mar 14, 1982 | @ Boston Celtics | L 105-92 | |
| Mar 16, 1982 | @ Houston Rockets | W 114-109 | |
| Mar 17, 1982 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 135-133 | |
| Mar 21, 1982 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 115-105 | |
| Mar 23, 1982 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 95-91 | |
| Mar 24, 1982 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 104-96 | |
| Mar 26, 1982 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 113-112 | |
| Mar 27, 1982 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 140-134 | |
| Mar 29, 1982 | @ Utah Jazz | W 113-102 | |
| Mar 31, 1982 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 127-106 | |
| Apr 02, 1982 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 109-99 | |
| Apr 04, 1982 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 104-95 | |
| Apr 06, 1982 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 102-91 | |
| Apr 08, 1982 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 106-104 | |
| Apr 09, 1982 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 105-100 | |
| Apr 10, 1982 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 116-99 | |
| Apr 13, 1982 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 105-94 | |
| Apr 14, 1982 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 104-92 | |
| Apr 16, 1982 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 113-99 | |
| Apr 18, 1982 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-115 |