1981 NBL Finals
| 1981 NBL Finals | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 27–28 June |
| Number of teams | 4 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Grand Final | |
| Champions | Launceston Casino City Tigers |
| Runners-up | Nunawading Spectres |
The 1981 NBL Finals was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball League's 1981 season, which began in February. The finals began on 27 June. The tournament concluded with the Launceston Casino City Tigers defeating the Nunawading Spectres in the NBL Grand Final on 28 June.
Format
The NBL finals series in 1981 consisted of two semi-final games, and one championship-deciding grand final. The finals were contested between the top four teams of the regular season, with the finals weekend hosted at the neutral Apollo Entertainment Centre in Adelaide.
Qualification
Qualified teams
| Team | Finals appearance | Previous appearance | Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Kilda Saints* | – | 1980 | Champions (1980) |
| Launceston Casino City Tigers | 1st | N/A | N/A |
| West Adelaide Bearcats | 2nd | 1980 | Runner-up (1980) |
| Nunawading Spectres | 2nd | 1980 | Semi-Finalist (1980) |
| Brisbane Bullets | 2nd | 1980 | Semi-Finalist (1980) |
*St Kilda did not participate in the finals, instead choosing to participate in the 1981 FIBA Club World Cup in Brazil. As a result, the fifth-placed Brisbane Bullets were elevated into the finals.
Ladder
| Team | Pld | Won | Lost | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | % Pts | % Won | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Kilda Saints | 22 | 17 | 5 | 5-0 | W6 | 10-1 | 7-4 | 110 | 77 |
| 2 | Launceston Casino City Tigers | 24 | 16 | 8 | 5-0 | W5 | 9-4 | 7-4 | 105 | 66 |
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 24 | 14 | 10 | 3-2 | L1 | 8-3 | 6-7 | 107 | 58 |
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 23 | 13 | 10 | 2-3 | L1 | 6-5 | 7-5 | 107 | 56 |
| 5 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 23 | 13 | 10 | 2-3 | L1 | 10-2 | 3-8 | 101 | 56 |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0-5 | L6 | 9-2 | 4-7 | 103 | 59 |
| 7 | Canberra Cannons | 22 | 12 | 10 | 3-2 | W3 | 10-1 | 2-9 | 98 | 54 |
| 8 | Illawarra Hawks | 22 | 9 | 13 | 3-2 | L1 | 8-3 | 1-10 | 96 | 40 |
| 9 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 22 | 8 | 14 | 4-1 | W2 | 5-6 | 3-8 | 90 | 31 |
| 10 | Coburg Giants | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0-5 | L5 | 6-5 | 1-10 | 96 | 31 |
| 11 | Bankstown Bruins | 22 | 7 | 15 | 1-4 | L1 | 5-6 | 2-9 | 92 | 31 |
| 12 | Forestville Eagles | 22 | 6 | 16 | 1-4 | L3 | 5-6 | 1-10 | 91 | 27 |
Bracket
| Semi Finals | Grand Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City Tigers | 71 | |||||||
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 69 | |||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City Tigers | 75 | |||||||
| 2 | Nunawading Spectres | 54 | |||||||
| 2 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71 | |||||||
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 74 | |||||||
Semi Finals
(1) Launceston Casino City Tigers vs (4) Brisbane Bullets
27 June |
| Launceston Casino City Tigers 71, Brisbane Bullets 69 | ||
| Pts: Jim Ericksen 23 | Pts: Leroy Loggins 31 | |
(2) West Adelaide Bearcats vs (3) Nunawading Spectres
Grand Final
(1) Launceston Casino City Tigers vs (3) Nunawading Spectres
28 June |
| Launceston Casino City Tigers 75, Nunawading Spectres 54 | ||
| Pts: Cliff Martin 25 | Pts: Rob Mayberry 16 | |
| Launceston wins the NBL Championship | ||