1985 NBL season
The 1985 NBL season was the seventh season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams contested the league.
| 1985 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 12 April 1985 – 24 August 1985 31 August 1985 (Semi-Finals) 7 September 1985 (Grand Final) |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Brisbane Bullets |
| Season MVP | Ray Borner (Coburg) |
| Top scorer | Kendal Pinder (Sydney) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Brisbane Bullets (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Adelaide 36ers |
Regular season
The home and away season took place over 19 rounds between 12 April 1985 and 24 August 1985 with semi-final on 31 August 1985 and grand final on 7 September 1985.
Ladder
This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. The top 6 teams qualified for the finals series.
| # | Team | Pld | Won | Lost | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | For | Against | % Pts | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Bullets | 26 | 20 | 6 | 4-1 | W2 | 12-1 | 8-5 | 2,832 | 2,328 | 121.65% | 76.92% |
| 2 | Adelaide 36ers | 26 | 20 | 6 | 4-1 | L1 | 11-2 | 9-4 | 3,155 | 2,693 | 117.16% | 76.92% |
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 26 | 19 | 7 | 4-1 | W3 | 10-3 | 9-4 | 2,574 | 2,388 | 107.79% | 73.08% |
| 4 | Canberra Cannons | 26 | 19 | 7 | 3-2 | L2 | 7-6 | 12-1 | 2,607 | 2,439 | 106.89% | 73.08% |
| 5 | Coburg Giants | 26 | 18 | 8 | 4-1 | W4 | 11-2 | 7-6 | 2,947 | 2,730 | 107.95% | 69.23% |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons | 26 | 16 | 10 | 2-3 | L1 | 9-4 | 7-6 | 2,864 | 2,796 | 102.43% | 61.54% |
| 7 | Geelong Cats | 26 | 15 | 11 | 2-3 | L1 | 8-5 | 7-6 | 2,871 | 2,674 | 107.37% | 57.69% |
| 8 | Perth Wildcats | 26 | 13 | 13 | 3-2 | W3 | 9-4 | 4-9 | 2,816 | 2,844 | 99.02% | 50.00% |
| 9 | Illawarra Hawks | 26 | 10 | 16 | 1-4 | L1 | 6-7 | 4-9 | 2,690 | 2,975 | 90.42% | 38.46% |
| 10 | St. Kilda Saints | 26 | 10 | 16 | 2-3 | L1 | 7-6 | 3-10 | 2,699 | 2,810 | 96.05% | 38.46% |
| 11 | Sydney Supersonics | 26 | 9 | 17 | 2-3 | L3 | 6-7 | 3-10 | 2,804 | 2,934 | 95.57% | 34.62% |
| 12 | Bankstown Bruins | 26 | 6 | 20 | 3-2 | W1 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2,527 | 2,694 | 93.80% | 23.08% |
| 13 | Melbourne Tigers | 26 | 5 | 21 | 1-4 | L2 | 3-10 | 2-11 | 2,362 | 2,903 | 81.36% | 19.23% |
| 14 | Hobart Devils | 26 | 2 | 24 | 0-5 | L8 | 2-11 | 0-13 | 2,519 | 3,059 | 82.35% | 07.69% |
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win-loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.
Finals
There were two quarter finals, two semi-finals, and then one grand final. All three of these finals were sudden death. The top two teams of the regular season, the Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers, automatically qualified to host their respective Semi-finals.
Quarter Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 August | Canberra Cannons | 110-87 | Coburg Giants | AIS Arena |
| 24 August | Nunawading Spectres | 97-103 | Newcastle Falcons | The Glass House |
Semi-Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August | Adelaide 36ers | 151-103 | Newcastle Falcons | Apollo Stadium |
| 31 August | Brisbane Bullets | 93-78 | Canberra Cannons | Sleeman Sports Centre |
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September | Brisbane Bullets | 121-95 | Adelaide 36ers | Sleeman Sports Centre |
1985 NBL statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Kendal Pinder | Sydney Supersonics | 33.5[1] |
| Rebounds per game | Kendal Pinder | Sydney Supersonics | 17.8[1] |
| Assists per game | Gordie McLeod | Illawarra Hawks | 10.2 |
| Steals per game | Leroy Loggins | Brisbane Bullets | 3.7 |
| Blocks per game | Andy Campbell | Canberra Cannons | 3.5 |
| Free throw percentage | Jim Slacke | Illawarra Hawks | 87.2% |
NBL awards
- Most Valuable Player: Ray Borner, Coburg Giants
- Rookie of the Year: Mike McKay, Adelaide 36ers
- Coach of the Year: Bob Turner, Canberra Cannons
All NBL Team
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Phil Smyth | Canberra Cannons |
| SG | Al Green | Adelaide 36ers |
| SF | Leroy Loggins | Brisbane Bullets |
| PF | Kendal Pinder[2] | Sydney Supersonics |
| C | Ray Borner | Coburg Giants |