1985-86 NBA
Early Three-Point Era
Boston Celtics won the title.
- Teams
- 23
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 102.1
- Points per team game
- 110.2
- League true shooting
- .541
- Share of shots from three
- 3.8%
Award winners
- MVPLarry Bird
- Defensive Player of the YearAlvin Robertson
- Rookie of the YearPatrick Ewing
- Sixth ManBill Walton
- Most ImprovedAlvin Robertson
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 67 | 15 | 9.06 | Won title |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 57 | 25 | 8.69 | Lost conf. finals |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 54 | 28 | 2.46 | Lost conf. finals |
| Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | 2.59 | Lost conf. finals |
| Detroit Pistons | 46 | 36 | 1.44 | Lost conf. finals |
| New Jersey Nets | 39 | 43 | -1.39 | Lost 2nd round |
| Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | -1.28 | Lost conf. finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 30 | 52 | -3.12 | Lost 1st round |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 29 | 53 | -2.19 | Missed playoffs |
| Indiana Pacers | 26 | 56 | -2.66 | Missed playoffs |
| New York Knicks | 23 | 59 | -4.82 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | 6.84 | Lost conf. finals |
| Houston Rockets | 51 | 31 | 2.10 | Lost Finals |
| Denver Nuggets | 47 | 35 | 0.89 | Lost conf. finals |
| Dallas Mavericks | 44 | 38 | 0.70 | Lost conf. finals |
| Utah Jazz | 42 | 40 | -0.67 | Lost conf. finals |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 40 | 42 | 0.61 | Lost conf. finals |
| Sacramento Kings | 37 | 45 | -3.19 | Lost 1st round |
| San Antonio Spurs | 35 | 47 | -2.06 | Lost 2nd round |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 32 | 50 | -6.83 | Missed playoffs |
| Phoenix Suns | 32 | 50 | -3.16 | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 31 | 51 | -0.47 | Missed playoffs |
| Golden State Warriors | 30 | 52 | -3.59 | 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.