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 playoffs are notable for being the second and final time to date that a team with a losing record advanced to the NBA Finals (the Minneapolis Lakers did it first in 1959 with a 33–39 record), as the Rockets won their first Western Conference title despite having a 40–42 record.