The 1981–82 Phoenix Suns season was the 14th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. The Suns were in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, extending a then-franchise record. In the first round, Denver was taken down by the Suns, two games to one. Phoenix would find a tougher opponent, however, in the Western Conference Semifinals, getting swept four games to zero by the eventual league champions, Los Angeles Lakers. The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Dennis Johnson again earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors and was the lone All-Star Game participant from the Suns. Additionally, he led the Suns in scoring with his 19.5 points average, a personal career-high. Truck Robinson was not far behind with his 19.1 average, and paired that with rebounding average of 9.7 a game. Fellow big man Alvan Adams brought in 7 rebounds and 15 points a contest.
Phoenix Suns roster
|
Players |
Coaches
|
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Height |
Weight |
DOB (Y-M-D) |
From
|
F/C
|
33
|
Adams, Alvan
|
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
|
210 lb (95 kg)
|
1954-07-19
|
Oklahoma
|
G/F
|
7
|
Bradley, Dudley
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
195 lb (88 kg)
|
1957-03-19
|
North Carolina
|
F/C
|
45
|
Cook, Jeff
|
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
|
215 lb (98 kg)
|
1956-10-21
|
Idaho State
|
G/F
|
6
|
Davis, Walter
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
193 lb (88 kg)
|
1954-09-09
|
North Carolina
|
F
|
35
|
Dykema, Craig
|
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
|
190 lb (86 kg)
|
1959-06-11
|
Long Beach State
|
G
|
24
|
Johnson, Dennis
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
185 lb (84 kg)
|
1954-09-18
|
Pepperdine
|
C
|
53
|
Kelley, Rich
|
7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
|
235 lb (107 kg)
|
1953-03-23
|
Stanford
|
F
|
50
|
Kramer, Joel
|
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
|
203 lb (92 kg)
|
1955-11-30
|
San Diego State
|
G
|
4
|
Macy, Kyle
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
175 lb (79 kg)
|
1957-04-09
|
Kentucky
|
F/C
|
22
|
Nance, Larry
|
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
|
205 lb (93 kg)
|
1959-02-12
|
Clemson
|
F
|
21
|
Robinson, Leonard
|
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
|
225 lb (102 kg)
|
1951-10-04
|
Tennessee State
|
F
|
14
|
Scott, Alvin
|
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
|
185 lb (84 kg)
|
1955-09-14
|
Oral Roberts
|
|
- Head coach
- Assistant coach(es)
- Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
- Injured
|
Record vs. opponents
edit
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 |
—
|
1982 playoff game log
|
First Round: 2–1 (home: 1–0; road: 1–1)
|
Conference semifinals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2)
|
1982 schedule
|
- Dennis Johnson was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. Johnson finished fourth in voting among Western Conference guards with 220,914 votes. It was his fourth consecutive All-Star selection.
- The other Suns player who received All-Star votes was Alvan Adams (134,441).
† – Minimum 300 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 25 three-pointers made.
† – Minimum 20 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 10 free throws made.