1981-82 NBA
Early Three-Point Era
Los Angeles Lakers won the title.
- Teams
- 23
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 100.9
- Points per team game
- 108.6
- League true shooting
- .539
- Share of shots from three
- 2.6%
Award winners
- MVPMoses Malone
- Rookie of the YearBuck Williams
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 63 | 19 | 6.35 | Lost conf. finals |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 58 | 24 | 5.74 | Lost Finals |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 55 | 27 | 5.38 | Lost 2nd round |
| New Jersey Nets | 44 | 38 | 0.87 | Lost conf. finals |
| Washington Bullets | 43 | 39 | 1.06 | Lost conf. finals |
| Atlanta Hawks | 42 | 40 | 0.81 | Lost 1st round |
| Detroit Pistons | 39 | 43 | -0.63 | Missed playoffs |
| Indiana Pacers | 35 | 47 | -1.49 | Missed playoffs |
| Chicago Bulls | 34 | 48 | -1.57 | Missed playoffs |
| New York Knicks | 33 | 49 | -2.15 | Missed playoffs |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 15 | 67 | -7.77 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 57 | 25 | 4.37 | Won title |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 52 | 30 | 3.69 | Lost conf. finals |
| San Antonio Spurs | 48 | 34 | 1.79 | Lost conf. finals |
| Denver Nuggets | 46 | 36 | 0.13 | Lost conf. finals |
| Houston Rockets | 46 | 36 | -0.39 | Lost conf. finals |
| Phoenix Suns | 46 | 36 | 3.05 | Lost conf. finals |
| Golden State Warriors | 45 | 37 | 0.80 | Missed playoffs |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | 0.39 | Missed playoffs |
| Kansas City Kings | 30 | 52 | -3.25 | Missed playoffs |
| Dallas Mavericks | 28 | 54 | -4.48 | Missed playoffs |
| Utah Jazz | 25 | 57 | -5.63 | Missed playoffs |
| San Diego Clippers | 17 | 65 | -7.05 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Three-point line | 23 ft 9 in (22 ft corners) |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | allowed (source pending) |
| Hand-checking | allowed |
| Zone defense | not permitted (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 10 seconds (source pending) |
| Shot clock | 24 seconds |
See how each rule changed over time on the rules timeline.
What changed this season
No league-wide rule or format changes recorded for this season.