The 1981 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1980–81 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Cedric Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP. The Pacers became the last former ABA team to make their playoff debut, but were quickly swept by the 76ers 2–0. This is the last year to date that an NBA playoff game was played in March.