The 1981–82 Denver Nuggets season was their 15th season, and their sixth in the NBA. During the 1981–82 season, they scored at least 100 points in every game and allowed at least 100 points in every game. They returned to the postseason for the first time since the 1978–79 season.
In the playoffs, the Nuggets lost to the Phoenix Suns in three games in the First Round.
1981–82 Denver Nuggets roster
Players
|
Coaches
|
Pos.
|
No.
|
Name
|
Height
|
Weight
|
DOB
|
From
|
SG
|
23
|
Dunn, T.R.
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
192 lb (87 kg)
|
|
Alabama
|
SF
|
2
|
English, Alex
|
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
|
190 lb (86 kg)
|
|
South Carolina
|
F
|
22
|
Gondrezick, Glen
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
218 lb (99 kg)
|
|
UNLV
|
G
|
1
|
Higgs, Kenny
|
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
|
180 lb (82 kg)
|
|
LSU
|
F
|
34
|
Hordges, Cedrick
|
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
|
280 lb (127 kg)
|
|
South Carolina
|
C
|
44
|
Issel, Dan
|
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
|
235 lb (107 kg)
|
|
Kentucky
|
G
|
7
|
McKinney, Billy
|
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
|
170 lb (77 kg)
|
|
Northwestern
|
F
|
43
|
Ray, James
|
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
|
215 lb (98 kg)
|
|
Jacksonville
|
C
|
25
|
Robisch, Dave
|
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
|
235 lb (107 kg)
|
|
Kansas
|
G
|
10
|
Roche, John
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
170 lb (77 kg)
|
|
South Carolina
|
SF
|
33
|
Thompson, David
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
195 lb (88 kg)
|
|
NC State
|
PF
|
55
|
Vandeweghe, Kiki
|
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
|
220 lb (100 kg)
|
|
UCLA
|
|
- Head coach
- Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
- Injured
|
Notes
- z, y – division champions
- x – clinched playoff spot
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 |
—
|
1981–82 game log Total: 46–36 (home: 29–12; road: 17–24)
|
October: 1–1 (home: 1–0; road: 0–1)
|
November: 7–4 (home: 5–1; road: 2–3)
|
December: 6–10 (home: 3–4; road: 3–6)
|
January: 9–5 (home: 5–2; road: 4–3)
|
February: 6–8 (home: 4–4; road: 2–4)
|
March: 13–2 (home: 8–1; road: 5–1)
|
April: 4–6 (home: 3–0; road: 1–6)
|
1981–82 schedule
|
1982 playoff game log
|
Western Conference First Round: 1–2 (home: 0–1; road: 1–1)
|
1982 schedule
|
Player
|
GP
|
GS
|
MPG
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
FT%
|
RPG
|
APG
|
SPG
|
BPG
|
PPG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Player
|
GP
|
GS
|
MPG
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
FT%
|
RPG
|
APG
|
SPG
|
BPG
|
PPG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Alex English, All-NBA Second Team