1981–82 New York Knicks season

1981–82 New York Knicks season
Head coach	Red Holzman
General manager	Eddie Donovan
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Results
Record	33–49 (.402)
Place	Division: 5th (Atlantic) Conference: 10th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WOR-TV MSG Network
Radio	WNEW

The 1981-82 NBA season was the Knicks' 36th season in the NBA. The team finished second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a 33–49 record.

Draft picks

Main article: 1981 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
2	40	Greg Cook	PF	United States	LSU
3	57	Frank Brickowski	PF	United States	Penn State
3	63	Wayne McKoy	PF	United States	St. John's
4	86	Alex Bradley	SF	United States	Villanova

Roster

1981–82 New York Knicks roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From G 30 Bradley, Alex 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Villanova C 25 Cartwright, Bill 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 245 lb (111 kg) San Francisco F 45 Copeland, Hollis 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Rutgers F 42 Demic, Larry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Arizona F 43 Knight, Toby 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Notre Dame F 23 Lucas, Maurice 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Marquette G 14 Newlin, Mike 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Utah PG 20 Richardson, Michael Ray 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 189 lb (86 kg) Montana SF 21 Russell, Campy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Michigan G 9 Smith, Randy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Buffalo State C 40 Webster, Marvin 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Morgan State G 44 Westphal, Paul 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) USC

Head coach Red Holzman Assistant coach(es) Butch Beard Hal Fischer Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

After falling short in the 1981 NBA Playoffs, the Knicks' general manager Eddie Donovan attempted to add some veteran talent with the intention of making a more playoff-ready team. But Donovan's decisions showed he was out of touch with his team, and most importantly, his star player Michael Ray Richardson. First Ray Williams, Richardson's terrific backcourt teammate, was headed to free agency and therefore traded for veteran Maurice Lucas. Another one of Richardson's friends, Mike Glenn was also sent away, rather than being re-signed for a second-round draft pick.

The Knicks were still in a playoff hunt; despite not playing at a high level, they were 19–17 and were ready to make a run for the playoffs, when Donovan signed Paul Westphal; instead, the Knicks lost 16 of the last 21 games and were left out of the playoffs. It was here when Richardson asked what was wrong with the Knicks, he replied "The Ship Be Sinking". After the Season, Holtzman stepped down as Knicks head coach, and Richardson would be shift off to the Golden State Warriors.

Season standings

Atlantic Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Boston Celtics	63	19	.768	–	35–6	28–13	20–4
x-Philadelphia 76ers	58	24	.707	5.0	32–9	26–15	16–8
x-New Jersey Nets	44	38	.537	19.0	25–16	19–22	12–12
x-Washington Bullets	43	39	.524	20.0	22–19	21–20	7–17
New York Knicks	33	49	.402	30.0	19–22	14–27	5–19

#	Eastern Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Boston Celtics	63	19	.768	–
2	y-Milwaukee Bucks	55	27	.671	8
3	x-Philadelphia 76ers	58	24	.707	5
4	x-New Jersey Nets	44	38	.537	19
5	x-Washington Bullets	43	39	.524	20
6	x-Atlanta Hawks	42	40	.512	21
7	Detroit Pistons	39	43	.476	24
8	Indiana Pacers	35	47	.427	28
9	Chicago Bulls	34	48	.415	29
10	New York Knicks	33	49	.402	30
11	Cleveland Cavaliers	15	67	.183	48

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1981-82 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SDC	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	1–5	2–3	4–2	1–1	1–1	2–4	0–2	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–2	3–3	3–2	5–1	3–3	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–4
Boston	5–1	—	4–2	5–0	2–0	1–1	6–0	1–1	1–1	4–1	2–0	1–1	3–3	5–1	5–1	4–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	2–0	6–0
Chicago	3–2	2–4	—	5–1	1–1	1–1	0–6	0–2	1–1	3–3	1–1	2–0	1–5	2–4	3–2	1–5	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–4
Cleveland	2–4	0–5	1–5	—	2–0	0–2	1–5	1–1	1–1	1–5	1–1	0–2	0–6	0–6	0–6	0–5	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–5
Dallas	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	—	1–5	1–1	0–5	2–4	1–1	4–2	1–4	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–3	2–3	1–5	2–3	1–4	3–3	1–1
Denver	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	5–1	—	1–1	3–2	5–1	0–2	4–2	1–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–3	2–3	2–4	5–0	2–3	3–3	2–0
Detroit	4–2	0–6	6–0	5–1	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	2–0	2–4	2–0	0–2	2–4	2–4	3–3	2–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–4
Golden State	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	5–0	2–3	0–2	—	1–4	2–0	3–2	3–3	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–2	2–4	3–2	5–1	1–5	3–2	1–1
Houston	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–2	1–5	0–2	4–1	—	2–0	3–3	1–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–2	4–1	3–3	4–1	2–3	6–0	2–0
Indiana	2–4	1–5	3–3	5–1	1–1	2–0	4–2	0–2	0–2	—	1–1	0–2	0–6	4–2	3–2	0–6	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–5
Kansas City	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–4	2–4	0–2	2–3	3–3	1–1	—	1–4	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–3	0–5	1–5	4–1	2–3	3–3	0–2
Los Angeles	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	4–1	4–1	2–0	3–3	4–1	2–0	4–1	—	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–2	5–1	2–3	5–1	4–2	5–0	2–0
Milwaukee	3–3	3–3	5–1	6–0	1–1	1–1	4–2	0–2	1–1	6–0	1–1	2–0	—	4–1	3–3	4–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	3–2
New Jersey	2–3	1–5	4–2	6–0	0–2	1–1	4–2	1–1	1–1	2–4	1–1	1–1	1–4	—	4–2	3–3	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	4–2
New York	1–5	1–5	2–3	6–0	1–1	1–1	3–3	1–1	1–1	2–3	0–2	2–0	3–3	2–4	—	1–5	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–5
Philadelphia	3–3	2–4	5–1	5–0	2–0	1–1	3–2	2–0	1–1	6–0	2–0	1–1	2–4	3–3	5–1	—	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	6–0
Phoenix	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	3–2	3–2	2–0	2–4	2–3	1–1	3–2	2–4	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	—	3–3	4–1	4–2	3–3	3–2	1–1
Portland	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–2	3–2	2–0	4–2	1–4	1–1	5–0	1–5	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	3–3	—	3–2	4–2	3–3	4–1	0–2
San Antonio	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	5–1	4–2	2–0	2–3	3–3	0–2	5–1	3–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–4	2–3	—	3–2	4–1	3–3	1–1
San Diego	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–2	0–5	0–2	1–5	1–4	0–2	1–4	1–5	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–4	2–4	2–3	—	1–5	1–4	0–2
Seattle	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	4–1	3–2	1–1	5–1	3–2	1–1	3–2	2–4	2–0	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–3	3–3	1–4	5–1	—	5–0	1–1
Utah	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	3–3	3–3	1–1	2–3	0–6	1–1	3–3	0–5	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–3	1–4	3–3	4–1	0–5	—	1–1
Washington	4–2	0–6	4–2	5–1	1–1	0–2	4–1	1–1	0–2	5–1	2–0	0–2	2–3	2–4	5–1	0–6	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	—

Game log

Regular season

1981–82 game log Total: 33–49 (Home: 19–22; Road: 14–27)
October: 1–1 (home: 0–1; road: 1–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 October 30 @ New Jersey W 103–99 Brendan Byrne Arena 1–0 2
November: 5–7 (home: 3–3; road: 2–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 3 4 5 6 November 10 New Jersey W 111–99 Madison Square Garden 3–3 7 8 November 14 Philadelphia 9 10 11 12 13 14
December: 9–7 (home: 4–4; road: 5–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 December 16 @ Philadelphia 23 24 25 December 22 Philadelphia 26 December 23 @ New Jersey L 99–115 Brendan Byrne Arena 12–14 27 December 25 New Jersey L 95–96 Madison Square Garden 12–15 28 29 30
January: 5–9 (home: 2–4; road: 3–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
February: 6–9 (home: 4–3; road: 2–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 45 46 February 3 @ Los Angeles W 98–94 The Forum 21–25 47 48 49 50 51 February 13 Philadelphia 52 February 14 @ Philadelphia 53 54 55 56 57 58 59
March: 5–8 (home: 5–4; road: 0–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 60 61 March 4 Los Angeles W 129–119 (OT) Madison Square Garden 28–33 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 March 28 @ New Jersey L 106–113 Brendan Byrne Arena 30–41 72
April: 2–8 (home: 1–3; road: 1–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 73 74 April 4 @ Philadelphia 75 76 77 78 79 April 13 New Jersey L 102–104 Madison Square Garden 33–36 80 81 82
1981–82 schedule

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

See also

• 1981-82 NBA season