1986 NBA All-Star Game

Result

MVP: Isiah Thomas

Box score

MVP: Isiah Thomas.

Bench (10+ points): Buck Williams (13), Dominique Wilkins (13)

Bench (10+ points): Rolando Blackman (12), Alex English (16), Clyde Drexler (10), Artis Gilmore (10)

Game context

The 1986 All-Star Game was played February 9 at Reunion Arena in Dallas, the first time the Mavericks' home city hosted the event, before 16,573 fans. It marked the second consecutive season that Boston's K.C. Jones and Los Angeles's Pat Riley — coaches of that era's two dominant franchises, who would face off in that June's NBA Finals for a second straight year — led the East and West squads, respectively. Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas was named MVP after a dominant floor performance: 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including a perfect 8-of-9 at the free-throw line, to go with a game-high 10 assists in 36 minutes. The game swung back and forth for three quarters — the East led 69-66 at halftime before the West retook the advantage, 102-100, entering the fourth — before Thomas and the East closed the door with a 39-30 final period to win 139-132. Larry Bird added 23 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in support, while Moses Malone (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Sidney Moncrief (16 points) rounded out a balanced Eastern attack that shot 52-of-112 from the floor. For the West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, and James Worthy added 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting, while Magic Johnson orchestrated the offense with 15 assists despite scoring just six points himself. Ralph Sampson chipped in 16 points, and reserve Alex English matched that total off the bench, but the West's 58-of-110 shooting (.527) and 45 assists could not overcome the East's fourth-quarter push. Notably, Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan — two of the league's most prominent rising stars — were both unable to play because of injuries, and neither was replaced on the active roster, thinning both squads' depth on the night. The game also featured appearances by retired legends Pete Maravich, John Havlicek, and Oscar Robertson as part of the weekend's associated Legends Game and related festivities, continuing the expanded, multi-event format the league had begun building out around the main game since 1984. Thomas's MVP award was the second of his career (he would also win it in 1984), cementing his standing as one of the era's most electric point guards and giving Detroit fans, watching a Pistons team still a few years from its own championship breakthroughs, a marquee showcase for their homegrown star. Thomas's Detroit Pistons were still several years from championship contention at this point in his career — the franchise's back-to-back titles would not arrive until 1989 and 1990 — making this MVP turn an early individual milestone for a player who would go on to be remembered as one of the sport's fiercest competitors. The presence of Pete Maravich, John Havlicek, and Oscar Robertson at the associated Legends festivities gave the weekend an additional nostalgic dimension distinct from the main event's showcase of the league's current stars.

Sources

• Basketball-Reference — NBA All-Star Game History
• Basketball-Reference — NBA & ABA All-Star Game MVP (Kobe Bryant Trophy)
• Wikipedia — 1986 NBA All-Star Game
• Basketball-Reference — 1986 NBA All-Star Game Box Score