1985 NBL season

1985 NBL season
League	National Basketball League
Sport	Basketball
Duration	12 April – 24 August 1985 31 August 1985 (semi-finals) 7 September 1985 (Grand Final)
Number of teams	14
TV partner(s)	ABC
Regular season
Season champions	Brisbane Bullets
Season MVP	Ray Borner (Coburg)
Top scorer	Kendal Pinder (Sydney)
Finals
Champions	Brisbane Bullets (1st title)
Runners-up	Adelaide 36ers

The 1985 NBL season was the seventh season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams contested the league.

Regular season

The 1985 regular season took place over 18 rounds between 12 April 1985 and 18 August 1985.

Ladder

Pos	1985 NBL season
	Team	Pld	W	L	PCT	Last 5	Streak	Home	Away	PF	PA	PP
1	Brisbane Bullets1	26	20	6	76.92%	4–1	W2	12–1	8–5	2832	2328	121.65%
2	Adelaide 36ers1	26	20	6	76.92%	4–1	L1	11–2	9–4	3155	2693	117.16%
3	Nunawading Spectres2	26	19	7	73.08%	4–1	W3	10–3	9–4	2574	2388	107.79%
4	Canberra Cannons2	26	19	7	73.08%	3–2	L2	7–6	12–1	2607	2439	106.89%
5	Coburg Giants	26	18	8	69.23%	4–1	W4	11–2	7–6	2947	2730	107.95%
6	Newcastle Falcons	26	16	10	61.54%	2–3	L1	9–4	7–6	2864	2796	102.43%
7	Geelong Cats	26	15	11	57.69%	2–3	L1	8–5	7–6	2871	2674	107.37%
8	Perth Wildcats	26	13	13	50.00%	3–2	W3	9–4	4–9	2816	2844	99.02%
9	Illawarra Hawks3	26	10	16	38.46%	1–4	L1	6–7	4–9	2690	2975	90.42%
10	St. Kilda Saints3	26	10	16	38.46%	2–3	L1	7–6	3–10	2699	2810	96.05%
11	Sydney Supersonics	26	9	17	34.62%	2–3	L3	6–7	3–10	2804	2934	95.57%
12	Bankstown Bruins	26	6	20	23.08%	3–2	W1	3–10	3–10	2527	2694	93.80%
13	Melbourne Tigers	26	5	21	19.23%	1–4	L2	3–10	2–11	2362	2903	81.36%
14	Hobart Devils	26	2	24	07.69%	0–5	L8	2–11	0–13	2519	3059	82.35%

Updated to match(es) played on 18 August 1985. Source: NBL.com.au

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.

¹Head-to-Head between Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers (1-1). Brisbane Bullets won For and Against ( 19).

²Head-to-Head between Nunawading Spectres and Canberra Cannons (1-1) & For and Against (0). Nunawading Spectres won Overall Points Percentage ( 0.90%).

³Illawarra Hawks won Head-to-Head (2-0).

Finals

Main article: 1985 NBL Finals

Playoff bracket

	Elimination Finals					Semifinals					Grand Final
						1	Brisbane Bullets	93
	4	Canberra Cannons	110			4	Canberra Cannons	76
	5	Coburg Giants	87								1	Brisbane Bullets	121
											2	Adelaide 36ers	95
						2	Adelaide 36ers	151
	3	Nunawading Spectres	97			6	Newcastle Falcons	103
	6	Newcastle Falcons	103

There were two Elimination Finals, two Semifinals, 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 Semifinals.

1985 NBL statistics leaders

Category	Player	Team	Stat
Points per game	Kendal Pinder	Sydney Supersonics	33.5
Rebounds per game	Kendal Pinder	Sydney Supersonics	17.8
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	Sydney Supersonics
C	Ray Borner	Coburg Giants