1986 NBA ALL-STAR GAME - FINAL SCORE
EAST 139 - WEST 132
Isiah Thomas: 30 Points, 10 Assists, 5 Steals | All-Star Game MVP
1986 NBA All-Star Game Recap
The 36th NBA All-Star Game was played on February 9, 1986, at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. Before a crowd of 16,573, the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 139-132. Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas won his second NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award in three seasons, leading the East with 30 points, 10 assists and five steals.
The contest brought together many of the NBA's biggest stars, including Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone and Ralph Sampson. It also featured the All-Star Game debuts of Atlanta Hawks forward Dominique Wilkins, Portland Trail Blazers guard Clyde Drexler and San Antonio Spurs guard Alvin Robertson.
The Western Conference began strongly, outscoring the East 36-34 in the opening quarter. The East answered with a 35-30 second quarter to take a 69-66 lead into halftime. The game remained competitive throughout the third quarter, with the West outscoring the East 36-31 and carrying a 102-100 advantage into the final period.
Thomas took control during the fourth quarter. Boston Celtics head coach K.C. Jones relied on Thomas to direct the offense, and the Pistons guard helped the East produce 39 points over the final 12 minutes. The Western Conference scored only 30 in the quarter, allowing the East to turn a two-point deficit into a seven-point victory.
Thomas made 11 of his 19 field goal attempts and eight of nine free throws. His 30 points led all players, and he complemented his scoring with 10 assists and five steals. His performance earned him a second All-Star Game MVP award after previously winning the honor in 1984.
Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird contributed 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists and seven steals. Bird made two three-pointers and was a major factor on both ends of the floor. Philadelphia 76ers center Moses Malone added 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Milwaukee Bucks guard Sidney Moncrief also scored 16 points.
New Jersey Nets forward Buck Williams and Atlanta Hawks forward Dominique Wilkins each scored 13 points. Boston Celtics forward Kevin McHale contributed eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, giving the Eastern Conference an important defensive presence off the bench.
The Western Conference was led by Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting. His Lakers teammate James Worthy added 20 points, while Houston Rockets forward Ralph Sampson and Denver Nuggets forward Alex English each scored 16.
Magic Johnson finished with six points but delivered a game-high 15 assists. Dallas Mavericks guard Rolando Blackman, playing before his home crowd, contributed 12 points and eight assists. Portland's Clyde Drexler added 10 points, four assists and three steals in his first All-Star appearance.
Utah Jazz forward Adrian Dantley scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds in 17 minutes. The Western Conference shot 52.7 percent from the field, better than the East's 46.4 percent, but the Eastern Conference made 32 free throws compared with only 16 for the West. The East also forced more turnovers and recorded 18 steals.
The game was notable for two major absences. Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan, who had appeared in the 1985 game as a rookie, missed the 1986 contest while recovering from a broken foot. New York Knicks rookie Patrick Ewing was also selected but could not participate because of injury.
Dallas hosted an especially memorable All-Star Weekend. Atlanta Hawks guard Spud Webb, listed at 5 feet 7 inches, won the Slam Dunk Contest by defeating teammate Dominique Wilkins. Larry Bird won the inaugural NBA Three-Point Shootout, beginning a streak of three consecutive titles in that competition.
The Eastern Conference's victory gave it six wins in the previous seven All-Star Games. Thomas' MVP performance, Bird's seven steals, Magic Johnson's passing and the emergence of several future Hall of Famers made the 1986 contest an important chapter in NBA All-Star history.
1986 NBA All-Star Game Information
Date: February 9, 1986
Location: Dallas, Texas
Arena: Reunion Arena
Attendance: 16,573
Winning Team: Eastern Conference, 139-132
Most Valuable Player: Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons
Eastern Conference Coach: K.C. Jones, Boston Celtics
Western Conference Coach: Pat Riley, Los Angeles Lakers
Officials: Joe Crawford and Jack Madden
Most Fan Votes: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1,060,892)
1986 NBA All-Star Game Score by Quarter
| Conference | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|
| Eastern Conference | 34 | 35 | 31 | 39 | 139 |
| Western Conference | 36 | 30 | 36 | 30 | 132 |
Eastern Conference All-Stars - 139 Points
Head Coach: K.C. Jones, Boston Celtics
| Player | Team |
MIN | FG | 3PT |
FT | REB | AST |
STL | BLK | PTS |
| Starters |
| Isiah Thomas (MVP) | Detroit Pistons | 36 | 11-19 | 0-1 | 8-9 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 30 |
| Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | 35 | 8-18 | 2-4 | 5-6 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
| Moses Malone | Philadelphia 76ers | 34 | 5-12 | 0-0 | 6-9 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | 26 | 4-11 | 1-1 | 7-7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Julius Erving | Philadelphia 76ers | 19 | 4-10 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Reserves |
| Buck Williams | New Jersey Nets | 20 | 5-8 | 0-0 | 3-5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Kevin McHale | Boston Celtics | 20 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Dominique Wilkins | Atlanta Hawks | 17 | 6-15 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Maurice Cheeks | Philadelphia 76ers | 14 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Jeff Malone | Washington Bullets | 12 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Robert Parish | Boston Celtics | 7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | | 240 | 52-112 | 3-6 | 32-44 | 51 | 32 | 18 | 7 | 139 |
Selected but did not play: Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls and Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks were unable to participate because of injuries. Neither was replaced on the Eastern Conference roster.
Western Conference All-Stars - 132 Points
Head Coach: Pat Riley, Los Angeles Lakers
| Player | Team |
MIN | FG | 3PT |
FT | REB | AST |
STL | BLK | PTS |
| Starters |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers | 32 | 9-15 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 21 |
| James Worthy | Los Angeles Lakers | 28 | 10-19 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20 |
| Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 28 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 4-4 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets | 21 | 7-11 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Alvin Robertson | San Antonio Spurs | 20 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Reserves |
| Rolando Blackman | Dallas Mavericks | 22 | 6-11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| Adrian Dantley | Utah Jazz | 17 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Alex English | Denver Nuggets | 16 | 8-12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Clyde Drexler | Portland Trail Blazers | 15 | 5-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 15 | 1-8 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Artis Gilmore | San Antonio Spurs | 13 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Marques Johnson | Los Angeles Clippers | 13 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| TEAM TOTALS | | 240 | 58-110 | 0-4 | 16-18 | 53 | 45 | 12 | 9 | 132 |
Statistical abbreviations: MIN = Minutes Played; FG = Field Goals Made-Attempted; 3PT = Three-Point Field Goals Made-Attempted; FT = Free Throws Made-Attempted; REB = Total Rebounds; AST = Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocked Shots; PTS = Points.
Team shooting: East: 52-for-112 FG (46.4%), 3-for-6 three-pointers (50.0%), 32-for-44 FT (72.7%). West: 58-for-110 FG (52.7%), 0-for-4 three-pointers (0.0%), 16-for-18 FT (88.9%).
1986 NBA All-Star Game Historical Notes
Isiah Thomas Wins His Second All-Star MVP
Isiah Thomas became a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP after scoring 30 points and recording 10 assists and five steals. Thomas had previously won the award in 1984, when he helped the Eastern Conference defeat the West in overtime. His 1986 performance demonstrated his ability to take over a game with scoring, passing and defense.
Larry Bird Records Seven Steals
Larry Bird finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists and seven steals. His seven steals tied the NBA All-Star Game single-game record at the time. Bird was also one of the East's most effective outside shooters, converting two of his four three-point attempts.
Magic Johnson Leads All Players with 15 Assists
Magic Johnson scored only six points but contributed a game-high 15 assists. He had previously established the NBA All-Star Game single-game assist record with 22 in 1984. Johnson's passing helped the West record 45 assists as a team.
Three Future Hall of Famers Make Their All-Star Debuts
Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler and Alvin Robertson made their first NBA All-Star Game appearances in 1986. Wilkins scored 13 points for the East, Drexler recorded 10 points for the West, and Robertson contributed four points, nine rebounds and five assists. All three eventually entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Michael Jordan Misses the Game
Michael Jordan was selected for the Eastern Conference but could not participate because of a broken foot suffered early in the 1985-86 season. Jordan had made his All-Star debut as a rookie in 1985. He returned later that season and produced a memorable 63-point playoff game against the Boston Celtics.
Patrick Ewing Is Selected but Cannot Play
New York Knicks rookie Patrick Ewing was selected for the Eastern Conference but missed the game because of injury. Ewing would go on to win the 1985-86 NBA Rookie of the Year award and become one of the league's premier centers.
Spud Webb Wins the Slam Dunk Contest
Atlanta Hawks guard Spud Webb won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in Dallas, defeating teammate and defending champion Dominique Wilkins. Standing just 5 feet 7 inches tall, Webb became one of the shortest players ever to win the competition. His victory remains one of the most celebrated moments in Slam Dunk Contest history.
Larry Bird Wins the First NBA Three-Point Shootout
The NBA introduced the Three-Point Shootout during 1986 All-Star Weekend. Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird won the inaugural competition, beginning a run of three consecutive championships in 1986, 1987 and 1988. The event became a permanent fixture of All-Star Weekend.
Rolando Blackman Represents the Host Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks guard Rolando Blackman scored 12 points and handed out eight assists in front of his home crowd at Reunion Arena. Blackman had been one of Dallas' most important players since the franchise joined the NBA in 1980.
Adrian Dantley Represents the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz forward Adrian Dantley contributed eight points, seven rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes. Dantley was among the NBA's most accomplished scorers during the 1980s and had previously won two league scoring titles.
Three Los Angeles Lakers Start for the West
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Magic Johnson all started for the Western Conference. Abdul-Jabbar scored 21 points, Worthy added 20 and Johnson contributed 15 assists. The three Lakers had helped Los Angeles win the 1985 NBA championship the previous season.
Houston's Twin Towers Play Together
Houston Rockets big men Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon both appeared for the Western Conference. Sampson scored 16 points, while Olajuwon added three points and five rebounds. Later that season, the Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Kevin McHale Blocks Four Shots
Boston Celtics forward Kevin McHale recorded four blocked shots, 10 rebounds and eight points in 20 minutes. His interior defense helped the Eastern Conference contain a Western roster that featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Artis Gilmore.
The East Wins Despite Lower Shooting Percentage
The Western Conference made 58 field goals compared with 52 for the East and shot 52.7 percent from the field. However, the Eastern Conference made three three-pointers, converted 16 more free throws and recorded six more steals. Those advantages helped the East overcome the West's superior field goal shooting.
1986 NBA All-Star Game FAQ
Who won the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
The Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 139-132 on February 9, 1986.
Who was the 1986 NBA All-Star Game MVP?
Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons won MVP honors with 30 points, 10 assists and five steals. It was his second All-Star Game MVP award.
Where was the 1986 NBA All-Star Game played?
The game was played at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas, home of the Dallas Mavericks.
Who scored the most points in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
Isiah Thomas led all players with 30 points. Larry Bird added 23 for the East, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the West with 21.
Who had the most assists in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
Magic Johnson led all players with 15 assists. Isiah Thomas led the Eastern Conference with 10.
Who had the most rebounds in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
Moses Malone led all players with 13 rebounds. Kevin McHale added 10 for the East, while Alvin Robertson led the West with nine.
Did Michael Jordan play in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
No. Jordan was selected but missed the game because of a foot injury.
Did Patrick Ewing play in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
No. Ewing was selected for the Eastern Conference but could not participate because of injury.
How many fans attended the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
The announced attendance at Reunion Arena was 16,573.
Who coached the 1986 NBA All-Star teams?
K.C. Jones of the Boston Celtics coached the East, while Pat Riley of the Los Angeles Lakers coached the West.
Who won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest?
Spud Webb of the Atlanta Hawks defeated teammate Dominique Wilkins to win the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest.
Who won the first NBA Three-Point Shootout?
Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics won the inaugural NBA Three-Point Shootout in 1986.
Which Utah Jazz player appeared in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
Adrian Dantley represented the Utah Jazz, scoring eight points and grabbing seven rebounds.
Who received the most fan votes for the 1986 NBA All-Star Game?
Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers led all players with 1,060,892 fan votes.
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