1981 NBA Playoffs

The 1981 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament follow National Basketball Association's 1980-1981 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics winning their 14th overall championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets in the 1981 NBA Finals. Boston's Cedric Maxwell was awarded NBA Finals MVP.

The playoffs were notable for being the only time, to date, a team with a losing record ever advanced as far as the NBA Finals, as the Rockets won their very first Western Conference championship despite finishing with a record of 40-42 (the other Western Conference Finalist, the Kansas City Kings, also had a 40-42 record).

The Indiana Pacers became the fourth and final former American Basketball Association team to make their postseason debut, though two straight losses to the Philadelphia 76ers put a quick end to the Pacers' first playoff run.

Bracket

4RoundBracket-Byes | RD1=1st Round

RD1=First Round
RD2=Conference Semifinals
RD3=Conference Finals
RD4=NBA Finals
group1=Western Conference
group2=Eastern Conference

RD1-seed03=4
RD1-team03=Portland
RD1-score03=1
RD1-seed04=5
RD1-team04=Kansas City
RD1-score04=2

RD1-seed05=3
RD1-team05=Los Angeles
RD1-score05=1
RD1-seed06=6
RD1-team06=Houston
RD1-score06=2

RD1-seed11=4
RD1-team11=New York
RD1-score11=0
RD1-seed12=5
RD1-team12=Chicago
RD1-score12=2

RD1-seed13=3
RD1-team13=Philadelphia
RD1-score13=2
RD1-seed14=6
RD1-team14=Indiana
RD1-score14=0

RD2-seed01=1
RD2-team01=Phoenix
RD2-score01=3
RD2-seed02=5
RD2-team02=Kansas City
RD2-score02=4

RD2-seed03=6
RD2-team03=Houston
RD2-score03=4
RD2-seed04=2
RD2-team04=San Antonio
RD2-score04=3

RD2-seed05=1
RD2-team05=Boston
RD2-score05=4
RD2-seed06=5
RD2-team06=Chicago
RD2-score06=0

RD2-seed07=3
RD2-team07=Philadelphia
RD2-score07=4
RD2-seed08=2
RD2-team08=Milwaukee
RD2-score08=3

RD3-seed01=5
RD3-team01=Kansas City
RD3-score01=1
RD3-seed02=6
RD3-team02=Houston
RD3-score02=4

RD3-seed03=1
RD3-team03=Boston
RD3-score03=4
RD3-seed04=3
RD3-team04=Philadelphia
RD3-score04=3

RD4-seed01=W6
RD4-team01=Houston
RD4-score01=2
RD4-seed02=E1
RD4-team02=Boston
RD4-score02=4

External links

* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1981.html Basketball-Reference.com]