1980–81 New York Knicks season

The 1980–81 New York Knicks season was the 35th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Knicks finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 50–32 win–loss record, qualifying for the 1981 NBA Playoffs. New York lost in the best-of-three first round to the Chicago Bulls in a two-game sweep.^[3]

1980–81 New York Knicks season
Head coach	Red Holzman
General manager	Eddie Donovan
Owners	Gulf+Western / Paramount Communications
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Results
Record	50–32 (.610)
Place	Division: 3rd (Atlantic) Conference: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	First round (lost to Bulls 0–2)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	WOR-TV[1] MSG Network[1]
Radio	WNEW[2]
< 1979–80 1981–82 >

NBA draft

Main article: 1980 NBA draft

Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.^[4]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	12	Mike Woodson	G/F	United States	Indiana
2	36	DeWayne Scales	F	United States	LSU
3	58	Kurt Rambis	F	United States	Santa Clara

Roster

1980–81 New York Knicks roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From SG 35 Reggie Carter 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1957-10-10 St. John's C 25 Bill Cartwright 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1957-07-30 San Francisco PF 42 Larry Demic 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1957-06-27 Arizona PG 34 Mike Glenn 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1955-09-10 Southern Illinois SF 43 Toby Knight (IN) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1955-05-03 Notre Dame SG 20 Micheal Ray Richardson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1955-04-11 Montana SF 21 Campy Russell 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1952-01-12 Michigan PF 31 DeWayne Scales 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 208 lb (94 kg) 1958-12-28 LSU C 40 Marvin Webster 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1952-04-13 Morgan State PG 13 Ray Williams 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1954-10-14 Minnesota PF 33 Sly Williams 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1958-01-26 Rhode Island SG 44 Mike Woodson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1958-03-24 Indiana

Head coach Red Holzman Assistant(s) Butch Beard Hal Fischer Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster Updated: January 30, 1981

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Boston Celtics	62	20	.756	–	35–6	27–14	19–5
x-Philadelphia 76ers	62	20	.756	–	37–4	25–16	15–9
x-New York Knicks	50	32	.610	12.0	28–13	22–19	14–10
Washington Bullets	39	43	.476	23.0	26–15	13–28	8–16
New Jersey Nets	24	58	.293	38.0	16–25	8–33	8–16

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Boston Celtics	62	20	.756	–
2	y-Milwaukee Bucks	60	22	.732	2
3	x-Philadelphia 76ers	62	20	.756	–
4	x-New York Knicks	50	32	.610	12
5	x-Chicago Bulls	45	37	.549	17
6	x-Indiana Pacers	44	38	.537	18
7	Washington Bullets	39	43	.476	23
8	Atlanta Hawks	31	51	.378	31
9	Cleveland Cavaliers	28	54	.341	34
10	New Jersey Nets	24	58	.293	38
11	Detroit Pistons	21	61	.256	41

Notes

• z, y – division champions
• x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1980–81 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NYN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SDC	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–4	2–4	1–5	2–0	1–1	4–2	2–0	1–1	1–5	1–1	0–2	1–5	3–2	2–4	1–5	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–4
Boston	4–2	—	5–1	4–1	2–0	2–0	4–1	1–1	2–0	3–3	1–1	2–0	3–3	6–0	5–1	3–3	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	5–1
Chicago	4–2	1–5	—	5–1	1–1	1–1	5–1	1–1	1–1	3–2	2–0	1–1	3–3	3–2	3–3	2–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	5–1
Cleveland	5–1	1–4	1–5	—	2–0	1–1	3–3	1–1	0–2	2–4	0–2	0–2	0–6	3–3	0–5	0–6	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–2
Dallas	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	—	3–3	0–2	2–3	0–6	0–2	0–6	0–5	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–4	1–4	1–5	2–3	1–4	1–5	0–2
Denver	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–3	—	2–0	3–2	2–4	1–1	4–2	3–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–4	2–3	2–4	3–2	3–2	2–4	0–2
Detroit	2–4	1–4	1–5	3–3	2–0	0–2	—	0–2	1–1	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–5	3–3	1–5	1–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–5
Golden State	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–2	2–3	2–0	—	3–2	1–1	5–0	1–5	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–4	2–4	1–4	2–4	3–3	4–1	1–1
Houston	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	6–0	4–2	1–1	2–3	—	1–1	2–4	2–3	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–4	3–2	3–3	1–4	4–1	4–2	0–2
Indiana	5–1	3–3	2–3	4–2	2–0	1–1	4–2	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	0–2	2–4	5–1	3–2	0–6	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–2
Kansas City	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	6–0	2–4	1–1	0–5	4–2	0–2	—	0–5	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–2	3–2	2–4	3–2	2–3	5–1	1–1
Los Angeles	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–0	5–0	2–3	2–0	5–1	3–2	2–0	5–0	—	0–2	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–4	3–3	2–3	3–3	6–0	3–2	1–1
Milwaukee	5–1	3–3	3–3	6–0	2–0	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	4–2	1–1	2–0	—	5–1	3–3	3–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	4–1
New Jersey	2–3	0–6	2–3	3–3	1–1	1–1	3–3	1–1	0–2	1–5	0–2	0–2	1–5	—	0–6	1–5	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–3
New York	4–2	1–5	3–3	5–0	1–1	2–0	5–1	0–2	2–0	2–3	1–1	0–2	3–3	6–0	—	3–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	4–2
Philadelphia	5–1	3–3	4–2	6–0	2–0	1–1	4–1	2–0	2–0	6–0	2–0	1–1	2–3	5–1	3–3	—	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	4–2
Phoenix	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–1	4–1	4–1	2–0	4–2	4–1	1–1	2–3	4–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	—	3–3	3–2	6–0	5–1	5–0	1–1
Portland	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	4–1	3–2	2–0	4–2	2–3	2–0	2–3	3–3	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–3	—	2–3	4–2	4–2	2–3	2–0
San Antonio	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	4–1	3–3	0–2	4–2	3–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	2–3	3–2	—	4–1	3–2	5–1	1–1
San Diego	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–2	2–3	1–1	4–2	4–1	1–1	2–3	3–3	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–6	2–4	1–4	—	5–1	3–2	0–2
Seattle	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	4–1	2–3	2–0	3–3	1–4	2–0	3–2	0–6	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–5	2–4	2–3	1–5	—	4–1	1–1
Utah	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	1–4	2–4	1–1	1–5	2–3	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–5	3–2	1–5	2–3	1–4	—	0–2
Washington	4–1	1–5	1–5	2–4	2–0	2–0	5–1	1–1	2–0	2–4	1–1	1–1	1–4	3–3	2–4	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	—

Game log

Regular season

1980–81 game log Total: 48–34 (home: 28–13; road: 20–21)
Uctober: 6–2 (home: 5–0; road: 1–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 2 October 14 5 October 23 @ Boston (at Hartford, CT)
November: 9–6 (home: 5–2; road: 4–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 14 November 12 17 November 18 20 November 24 Houston 22 November 28 @ Boston
December: 10–5 (home: 7–2; road: 3–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 25 December 3 36 December 25 Boston
January: 6–9 (home: 2–4; road: 4–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 44 January 13 Boston 47 January 17 @ Houston
February: 9–4 (home: 4–2; road: 5–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
March: 8–8 (home: 5–3; road: 3–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 71 March 8 @ Boston 72 March 11 74 March 15 79 March 24 Boston
1980–81 schedule

Playoffs

1981 playoff game log
First Round: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 March 31 Chicago L 80–90 Ray Williams (19) Micheal Ray Richardson (13) Micheal Ray Richardson (6) Madison Square Garden 14,822 0–1 2 April 3 @ Chicago W 114–115 (OT) Campy Russell (29) three players tied (6) three players tied (5) Chicago Stadium 19,901 0–2
1981 schedule

Awards and records

• Micheal Ray Richardson, NBA All-Defensive First Team^[5]