1980 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1979–80 NBA season.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
was the league's MVP. But midway through Game 5, the Laker center
suffered a severely sprained ankle. He managed to come back in the game in the 4th quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia
for Game 6. Abdul-Jabbar was listed as out of game 6, although 76er coach Billy Cunningham was quoted as saying "I won't believe he's not playing until their plane lands and he's not on it." As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed.
In game 6, Magic Johnson
played what may have been the greatest game of his career. Playing on the road in Philadelphia, Magic (a 6'9" point guard) started the game at center and eventually played all 5 positions in a dominating performance. Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds—and handing out 7 assists—Magic Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA crown
. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes
with 37 points, and Norm Nixon
. Jim Chones
played strong defense on 76er center Daryl Dawkins, while Mark Landsberger
provided rebounding off the bench, and little used Brad Holland
chipped in 8 key points.
Magic Johnson's performance in game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. What made Magic Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookie—and, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old.
On a side note, here, in Game 4 of the 1980 Finals, Julius Erving
executed the legendary Baseline Move, an incredible, behind-the-board reverse layup that seemed to defy gravity. Play-by-play announcer Brent Musberger has noted that Erving made such moves almost routinely in his ABA days—but the ABA had no national TV contract in those days. This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move.
The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in a span of nine months. The Flyers
lost their series
against the New York Islanders
in overtime of Game 6, eight days after the 76ers fell to the Lakers in their Game 6. The Phillies
beat the Kansas City Royals
, themselves in six games, in the World Series
. The Eagles
lost Super Bowl XV
to the Oakland Raiders
in January 1981.
"A Magic Season", a season-ending documentary narrated by Brent Musburger, was the last 30-minute NBA championship documentary, recapping the 1980 NBA Playoffs. Later championship documentaries on NBA Entertainment
will have 60 minutes of running time.
The series-deciding Game 6 became the most notorious example of CBS's practice of showing even the most important NBA games on "tape delay
" broadcasts. Because May 16, 1980 was a Friday, the network did not want to preempt two of its highest-rated shows, The Dukes of Hazzard
and Dallas
, even though both shows' 1979-80 seasons ended in March in anticipation of a strike that summer by the Screen Actors Guild
. Game 6 was shown at 11:30 PM/10:30 PM CT in all but a few U.S. markets. The only markets outside of Los Angeles and Philadelphia which were known to have shown the game live were two with NBA franchises, Portland and Seattle.
This was the first of nine straight NBA Finals that featured either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers.
This was also the first NBA Finals to make use of the three-point line which debuted that very season.
, playing on a mission and finally with an effective supporting cast around him, scored 33 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and had six blocks and five assists on the way to a 109-102 win in the Forum. Norm Nixon
had 23 points and Jamaal Wilkes
finished with 20 while the Lakers did an excellent double-teaming job on Julius Erving
. Rookie Magic Johnson
contributed 16 points, nine assists and 10 rebounds.
continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going.
Julius Erving
scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. Darryl Dawkins
added 25 points, many of them on outside shots trying to draw Abdul-Jabbar away from the basket. Maurice Cheeks
matched Erving's total of 23 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench.
The Sixers led by as much as 20 in the fourth period, but the Lakers roared back, trimming the lead to 105-104 late in the game. Then, Jones popped in a jumper with seven seconds left, and that was enough for a 107-104 Philly win that tied the series at a game apiece.
led a short comeback in the second, but a 9-0 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
once again had a big game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and three assists as the Lakers cruised to a 111-101 win.
's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105-102 win. Darryl Dawkins
, who seemed to be growing into a legitimate NBA pivotman in this series (at least after he started breaking backboards), led the Sixers with 26 points, and Erving had 23.
stepped on Lionel Hollins
' foot as he was running upcourt after a Laker basket and twisted his ankle. At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. Magic Johnson
then asserted himself by scoring six points and added an assist as Los Angeles moved up by eight at the end of the third.
Abdul-Jabbar then limped back onto the floor. His appearance aroused the Forum regulars and, despite the bad ankle, scored 11 points and had two key blocked shots down the stretch. The Sixers, however, had Julius Erving
who scored 11 of the Sixers last 13 points to complete an 8 point comeback, and tie the game at 103-103 with only 43 seconds remaining.
On the Lakers possession, Darryl Dawkins
was trying to front Abdul-Jabbar but to no avail as Magic threw a pass overhead so only Erving stood between Kareem and the basket. Abdul-Jabbar, bad ankle and all, dunked emphatically over Erving and drew the foul with 33 seconds left. He converted the 3-point play to take a 106-103 lead.
After a timeout, the Sixers put the ball in Erving's hands who tried a spectacular, scooping finger-roll, but missed. Magic got the rebound to seemingly seal the win, but the Lakers tried to force the fast-break and ended up turning the ball over, out-of-bounds. However, the Sixers turned the ball right back over by stepping out of bounds on a desperation 3-point attempt. Norm Nixon would finally seal the game at the foul line by making both of his foul shots. The victory gave the Lakers the crucial 3-2 series lead heading back to Philadelphia.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40 point performance. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson
's 17.4.
made a bold move by asking Magic Johnson
to jump center. Johnson had no problem and was up to the challenge, although he would lose the famous opening tip to Caldwell Jones
. Early on, the Sixers seemed unsure how to counter the matchup problem. The Lakers went up 7-0, then 11-4. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 52-44 lead. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 60-60 tie at the half.
Los Angeles opened the third period with a 14-0 run, keyed by Jamaal Wilkes
, who had 16 points in the quarter. In the fourth with a little over five minutes left, the Sixers had rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103-101. After a timeout, the tired Lakers went on one last run, with Magic scoring nine points down the stretch on the way to a final 123-107 margin.
Wilkes had a career-high 37 points and added 10 rebounds. Jim Chones
effectively shut down the middle in place of Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and held Darryl Dawkins
to 14 points and a scant four rebounds. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger
contributed 10 boards.
But, this night belonged to the rookie MVP Magic. He scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. "It was amazing, just amazing," said Erving, who led Philly with 27 points.
. Magic Johnson missed 45 games to a torn cartilage in his knee. When he returned, the Lakers were already playing on a deliberate half-court style, which suits the team's captain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, well. Though the Lakers won 54 games that season, they lost to the Houston Rockets
2-1 in the first round, with the clash of styles an apparent reason for their demise. The Rockets would go on to make the NBA Finals that season. Lakers coach Paul Westhead
was fired early in the 1981-82 NBA season
, and was replaced by top assistant Pat Riley
. He would guide the Lakers to the championship that year.
The Sixers won 62 games in the 1981 season, giving Julius Erving
the MVP award
that season. However, the Boston Celtics
owned the home-court advantage because of a tie-breaker. The two teams would meet in the Eastern Conference Finals
, where the Sixers owned a 3-1 lead. However the Celtics made a resounding comeback, winning the final three games to oust the Sixers. They would win the NBA title that season.
The Sixers and Lakers would later meet in the NBA Finals in 1982
, 1983
and 2001
, with the Lakers winning two of three.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
was the league's MVP. But midway through Game 5, the Laker center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
suffered a severely sprained ankle. He managed to come back in the game in the 4th quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
for Game 6. Abdul-Jabbar was listed as out of game 6, although 76er coach Billy Cunningham was quoted as saying "I won't believe he's not playing until their plane lands and he's not on it." As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed.
In game 6, Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
played what may have been the greatest game of his career. Playing on the road in Philadelphia, Magic (a 6'9" point guard) started the game at center and eventually played all 5 positions in a dominating performance. Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds—and handing out 7 assists—Magic Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA crown
Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
The Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy is a trophy awarded to the National Basketball Association team that wins the NBA Finals at the conclusion of every NBA season....
. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes is a retired American basketball player who played the small forward position and won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Wilkes was also a key player in the run of NCAA championships accumulated during the John Wooden era of UCLA basketball...
with 37 points, and Norm Nixon
Norm Nixon
Norman Ellard "Norm" Nixon is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, who spent twelve seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers.-Early life:...
. Jim Chones
Jim Chones
James Bernett Chones is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'11" forward/center, Chones starred at Marquette University, where he earned All-America honors as a junior in 1972 after averaging 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game...
played strong defense on 76er center Daryl Dawkins, while Mark Landsberger
Mark Landsberger
Mark Walter Landsberger is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'8" and 225 pounds, he played as a power forward and center.-Career:...
provided rebounding off the bench, and little used Brad Holland
Brad Holland
John Bradley Holland is a retired American professional basketball player. He played for four years at UCLA and was the 14th player taken in the first round of the 1979 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He served as a member of the 1980 NBA L.A. Lakers championship team...
chipped in 8 key points.
Magic Johnson's performance in game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. What made Magic Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookie—and, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old.
On a side note, here, in Game 4 of the 1980 Finals, Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
executed the legendary Baseline Move, an incredible, behind-the-board reverse layup that seemed to defy gravity. Play-by-play announcer Brent Musberger has noted that Erving made such moves almost routinely in his ABA days—but the ABA had no national TV contract in those days. This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move.
The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in a span of nine months. The Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
lost their series
1980 Stanley Cup Finals
-See also:* List of Stanley Cup champions* 1979–80 NHL season* 1980 NBA Finals* 1980 World Series* Super Bowl XV-Notes:...
against the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in overtime of Game 6, eight days after the 76ers fell to the Lakers in their Game 6. The Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
beat the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, themselves in six games, in the World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
. The Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
lost Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in January 1981.
"A Magic Season", a season-ending documentary narrated by Brent Musburger, was the last 30-minute NBA championship documentary, recapping the 1980 NBA Playoffs. Later championship documentaries on NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment is the production arm of the National Basketball Association and produces numerous NBA-related films including team championship videos and blooper and entertainment reels. It was previously associated with CBS/Fox Video, but now distributes its films through Warner Bros....
will have 60 minutes of running time.
The series-deciding Game 6 became the most notorious example of CBS's practice of showing even the most important NBA games on "tape delay
Tape delay
Tape delay can mean:*Delay , an audio effect reminiscent of an echo*Broadcast delay, the practice of intentionally delaying a radio and television broadcast of live material....
" broadcasts. Because May 16, 1980 was a Friday, the network did not want to preempt two of its highest-rated shows, The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
and Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, even though both shows' 1979-80 seasons ended in March in anticipation of a strike that summer by the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
. Game 6 was shown at 11:30 PM/10:30 PM CT in all but a few U.S. markets. The only markets outside of Los Angeles and Philadelphia which were known to have shown the game live were two with NBA franchises, Portland and Seattle.
This was the first of nine straight NBA Finals that featured either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers.
This was also the first NBA Finals to make use of the three-point line which debuted that very season.
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sunday, May 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | 109-102 (1-0) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Game 2 | Wednesday, May 7 | Los Angeles Lakers | 104-107 (1-1) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Game 3 | Saturday, May 10 | Philadelphia 76ers | 101-111 (1-2) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 4 | Sunday, May 11 | Philadelphia 76ers | 105-102 (2-2) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 5 | Wednesday, May 14 | Los Angeles Lakers | 108-103 (3-2) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Game 6 | Friday, May 16 | Philadelphia 76ers | 107-123 (2-4) | Los Angeles Lakers |
Game 1
Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, playing on a mission and finally with an effective supporting cast around him, scored 33 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and had six blocks and five assists on the way to a 109-102 win in the Forum. Norm Nixon
Norm Nixon
Norman Ellard "Norm" Nixon is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, who spent twelve seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers.-Early life:...
had 23 points and Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes is a retired American basketball player who played the small forward position and won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Wilkes was also a key player in the run of NCAA championships accumulated during the John Wooden era of UCLA basketball...
finished with 20 while the Lakers did an excellent double-teaming job on Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
. Rookie Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
contributed 16 points, nine assists and 10 rebounds.
Game 2
Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going.
Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
added 25 points, many of them on outside shots trying to draw Abdul-Jabbar away from the basket. Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward "Mo" Cheeks is a retired American professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association from May 23, 2005 to December 13, 2008...
matched Erving's total of 23 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench.
The Sixers led by as much as 20 in the fourth period, but the Lakers roared back, trimming the lead to 105-104 late in the game. Then, Jones popped in a jumper with seven seconds left, and that was enough for a 107-104 Philly win that tied the series at a game apiece.
Game 3
With a split in L.A., the Sixers were hoping to take command of the series with the next two games in Philadelphia. The Lakers, however, ended those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter. Julius ErvingJulius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
led a short comeback in the second, but a 9-0 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
once again had a big game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and three assists as the Lakers cruised to a 111-101 win.
Game 4
This game was a nip-and-tuck affair that was highlighted by Julius ErvingJulius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105-102 win. Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
, who seemed to be growing into a legitimate NBA pivotman in this series (at least after he started breaking backboards), led the Sixers with 26 points, and Erving had 23.
Game 5
Back at the Forum, the Lakers held a two-point lead late in the third quarter when Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
stepped on Lionel Hollins
Lionel Hollins
-External links:***...
' foot as he was running upcourt after a Laker basket and twisted his ankle. At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
then asserted himself by scoring six points and added an assist as Los Angeles moved up by eight at the end of the third.
Abdul-Jabbar then limped back onto the floor. His appearance aroused the Forum regulars and, despite the bad ankle, scored 11 points and had two key blocked shots down the stretch. The Sixers, however, had Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
who scored 11 of the Sixers last 13 points to complete an 8 point comeback, and tie the game at 103-103 with only 43 seconds remaining.
On the Lakers possession, Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
was trying to front Abdul-Jabbar but to no avail as Magic threw a pass overhead so only Erving stood between Kareem and the basket. Abdul-Jabbar, bad ankle and all, dunked emphatically over Erving and drew the foul with 33 seconds left. He converted the 3-point play to take a 106-103 lead.
After a timeout, the Sixers put the ball in Erving's hands who tried a spectacular, scooping finger-roll, but missed. Magic got the rebound to seemingly seal the win, but the Lakers tried to force the fast-break and ended up turning the ball over, out-of-bounds. However, the Sixers turned the ball right back over by stepping out of bounds on a desperation 3-point attempt. Norm Nixon would finally seal the game at the foul line by making both of his foul shots. The victory gave the Lakers the crucial 3-2 series lead heading back to Philadelphia.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40 point performance. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
's 17.4.
Game 6
The Lakers' team doctors declared Abdul-Jabbar and his bad ankle unfit for Game 6 (he wasn't even allowed to make the trip to Philadelphia with the team because of the swelling), so Laker coach Paul WestheadPaul Westhead
Paul Westhead is a basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the University of Oregon women's team...
made a bold move by asking Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
to jump center. Johnson had no problem and was up to the challenge, although he would lose the famous opening tip to Caldwell Jones
Caldwell Jones
Caldwell "Pops" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player.Jones was drafted from Albany State University by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 14th pick in the 1973 NBA Draft...
. Early on, the Sixers seemed unsure how to counter the matchup problem. The Lakers went up 7-0, then 11-4. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 52-44 lead. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 60-60 tie at the half.
Los Angeles opened the third period with a 14-0 run, keyed by Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes is a retired American basketball player who played the small forward position and won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Wilkes was also a key player in the run of NCAA championships accumulated during the John Wooden era of UCLA basketball...
, who had 16 points in the quarter. In the fourth with a little over five minutes left, the Sixers had rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103-101. After a timeout, the tired Lakers went on one last run, with Magic scoring nine points down the stretch on the way to a final 123-107 margin.
Wilkes had a career-high 37 points and added 10 rebounds. Jim Chones
Jim Chones
James Bernett Chones is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'11" forward/center, Chones starred at Marquette University, where he earned All-America honors as a junior in 1972 after averaging 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game...
effectively shut down the middle in place of Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and held Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins
Darryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
to 14 points and a scant four rebounds. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger
Mark Landsberger
Mark Walter Landsberger is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'8" and 225 pounds, he played as a power forward and center.-Career:...
contributed 10 boards.
But, this night belonged to the rookie MVP Magic. He scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. "It was amazing, just amazing," said Erving, who led Philly with 27 points.
Quote from the Finals
Team rosters
Aftermath
The Lakers failed to defend their NBA championship in the 1980-81 NBA season1980-81 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith, Utah Jazz*Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
. Magic Johnson missed 45 games to a torn cartilage in his knee. When he returned, the Lakers were already playing on a deliberate half-court style, which suits the team's captain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, well. Though the Lakers won 54 games that season, they lost to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
2-1 in the first round, with the clash of styles an apparent reason for their demise. The Rockets would go on to make the NBA Finals that season. Lakers coach Paul Westhead
Paul Westhead
Paul Westhead is a basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the University of Oregon women's team...
was fired early in the 1981-82 NBA season
1981-82 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Moses Malone, Houston Rockets*Rookie of the Year: Buck Williams, New Jersey Nets*Coach of the Year: Gene Shue, Washington Bullets*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
, and was replaced by top assistant Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
. He would guide the Lakers to the championship that year.
The Sixers won 62 games in the 1981 season, giving Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
the MVP award
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
that season. However, the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
owned the home-court advantage because of a tie-breaker. The two teams would meet in the Eastern Conference Finals
1981 NBA Playoffs
The 1981 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament which followed National Basketball Association's 1980–81 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...
, where the Sixers owned a 3-1 lead. However the Celtics made a resounding comeback, winning the final three games to oust the Sixers. They would win the NBA title that season.
The Sixers and Lakers would later meet in the NBA Finals in 1982
1982 NBA Finals
The 1982 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1981-82 NBA season, the top level of competition in men's professional basketball in North America. The series saw the Los Angeles Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers....
, 1983
1983 NBA Finals
The 1983 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1982–83 NBA season.-Overview:The final piece of the Philadelphia 76ers' championship puzzle was completed before the 1982-83 season when they acquired center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets...
and 2001
2001 NBA Finals
The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2000-01 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage in a best-of-seven format.The...
, with the Lakers winning two of three.