1981–82 New York Knicks season

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
< 1980–81	1982–83 >

The 1981-82 NBA season was the Knicks' 36th season in the NBA.^[1] The team finished second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a 33–49 record.

Draft picks

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	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)

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 v t	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 v t
#	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	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	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	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	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	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

v t New York Knicks
Founded in 1946 Based in New York City, New York
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Madison Square Garden III 69th Regiment Armory Madison Square Garden IV
Personnel	Owner(s) Madison Square Garden Sports (James Dolan, chairman) President Leon Rose General manager Vacant Head coach Tom Thibodeau
G League affiliate	Westchester Knicks
Retired numbers	10 12 15 15 19 22 24 33 613
NBA championships	1970 1973
Rivalries	Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers Miami Heat
Culture and lore	Broadcasters Dancing Harry Eddie Spike Lee Diedrich Knickerbocker Whatever Happened to Micheal Ray? Theme from New York, New York Mike Walczewski George Kalinsky Trent Tucker Rule Disputed foul against Scottie Pippen June 17th, 1994 Knicks–Nuggets brawl Linsanity Sweetwater

1981–82 New York Knicks season

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Regular season

Player statistics

Season

Awards and records

Transactions

References

See also

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