Head-to-Head: Games Played Between Magic Johnson and Ben McDonald

This is the detail of NBA games in which Magic Johnson and Ben McDonald played against each other, including head-to-head record, stats average, game highs and game-by-game data both in the Regular Season and Playoffs.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Games against each other

They faced each other a total of 16 times in NBA games. Magic Johnson has a 14-2 winning record over Ben McDonald, including a 4-0 record in Playoffs.

Games Played Against Each Other

Magic Johnson
vs.
Ben McDonald
NBA Timeline:
1946-47
2023-24
Magic Johnson:
1979-80 to 1995-96
Ben McDonald:
1985-86 to 1988-89
16 Games played
12 in Regular Season
4 in Playoffs

Summary of Victories

 Games Won in
Regular Season		 in
Playoffs
Magic Johnson
14
10
4
Ben McDonald
2
2
0

Stats in Games Between Them

Averages
Player
 Points Rebounds AssistsStealsBlocks
Magic Johnson 21.4 6.6 11.8 1.60.2
Ben McDonald 5.0 3.1 1.90.50.0
Game Highs
Player
 Points Rebounds AssistsStealsBlocks
Magic Johnson 38 12 17 52
Ben McDonald 21 12 6 20
Games with better stats than the other player...
Player
 Points Rebounds AssistsStealsBlocks
Magic Johnson 14

games		 13

games		 16

games		 9

games		2

games
Ben McDonald 2

games 		2

games		 0

games		 2

games		0

games
Both had same stat 0

games		 1

game		 0

games		 5

games		14

games

Head To Head Games Played: One by One

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1986-87 Season
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Dec. 04, 1986
1. Lakers 106   Magic Johnson 28 7 6 1 0 5 1 37 8-15 .533 0-1 .000 12-16 .750
Warriors 116   Ben McDonald 8 3 0 1 0 0 5 33 4-10 .400 0-0 - 0-0 -
Dec. 07, 1986
2. Lakers 132   Magic Johnson 10 6 13 2 0 1 0 28 2-6 .333 0-0 - 6-6 1.000
Warriors 100   Ben McDonald 2 5 3 1 0 1 5 26 1-6 .167 0-0 - 0-0 -
Jan. 10, 1987
3. Lakers 109   Magic Johnson 38 4 7 1 0 6 3 39 12-20 .600 1-1 1.000 13-13 1.000
Warriors 124   Ben McDonald 6 3 2 2 0 1 5 24 2-5 .400 0-0 - 2-2 1.000
Jan. 15, 1987
4. Lakers 129   Magic Johnson 31 6 12 3 2 3 4 40 7-16 .438 0-0 - 17-21 .810
Warriors 109   Ben McDonald 4 6 4 0 0 0 1 27 2-5 .400 0-0 - 0-0 -
Feb. 27, 1987
5. Lakers 121   Magic Johnson 21 10 15 1 0 5 0 39 8-16 .500 0-0 - 5-5 1.000
Warriors 109   Ben McDonald 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 09 0-1 .000 0-0 - 0-0 -
Mar. 03, 1987
6. Lakers 114   Magic Johnson 21 7 17 0 0 6 4 41 6-12 .500 0-0 - 9-10 .900
Warriors 109   Ben McDonald 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 04 0-1 .000 0-0 - 0-0 -
1987 Playoffs - Western Conference Semifinals
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
May. 05, 1987
7. Lakers 125   Magic Johnson 25 12 14 2 0 5 0 37 8-16 .500 0-0 - 9-10 .900
Warriors 116   Ben McDonald 2 1 4 0 0 0 1 14 1-4 .250 0-2 .000 0-0 -
May. 07, 1987
8. Lakers 116   Magic Johnson 23 8 8 1 0 4 4 33 8-11 .727 0-0 - 7-10 .700
Warriors 101   Ben McDonald 0 1 4 1 0 0 1 06 0-2 .000 0-0 - 0-0 -
May. 09, 1987
9. Lakers 133   Magic Johnson 20 10 14 2 0 3 1 38 7-15 .467 0-2 .000 6-9 .667
Warriors 108   Ben McDonald 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 12 0-2 .000 0-0 - 0-0 -
May. 12, 1987
10. Lakers 118   Magic Johnson 19 5 13 2 1 2 1 35 8-11 .727 0-0 - 3-3 1.000
Warriors 106   Ben McDonald 0 3 1 1 0 0 2 08 0-1 .000 0-0 - 0-0 -
1987-88 Season
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Nov. 14, 1987
11. Lakers 118   Magic Johnson 23 4 12 1 0 2 1 39 8-15 .533 0-1 .000 7-8 .875
Warriors 110   Ben McDonald 10 2 0 1 0 2 5 26 5-11 .455 0-1 .000 0-0 -
Dec. 17, 1987
12. Lakers 113   Magic Johnson 31 8 17 5 0 4 3 39 10-16 .625 0-0 - 11-16 .688
Warriors 106   Ben McDonald 9 2 1 0 0 0 5 24 3-9 .333 0-2 .000 3-3 1.000
Jan. 12, 1988
13. Lakers 117   Magic Johnson 20 8 14 3 0 4 2 42 7-17 .412 0-0 - 6-8 .750
Warriors 113   Ben McDonald 7 4 3 0 0 0 4 20 3-7 .429 1-1 1.000 0-0 -
Mar. 04, 1988
14. Lakers 120   Magic Johnson 8 4 10 0 0 2 2 18 1-5 .200 0-0 - 6-6 1.000
Warriors 107   Ben McDonald 9 5 1 0 0 2 3 32 3-8 .375 0-1 .000 3-3 1.000
Apr. 24, 1988
15. Lakers 136   Magic Johnson 2 1 7 0 0 1 1 11 1-3 .333 0-0 - 0-0 -
Warriors 100   Ben McDonald 21 12 6 1 0 0 5 34 8-11 .727 0-0 - 5-6 .833
1988-89 Season
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Mar. 12, 1989
16. Lakers 126   Magic Johnson 23 6 10 2 0 3 3 39 6-13 .462 1-4 .250 10-10 1.000
Warriors 115   Ben McDonald 2 1 1 0 0 1 2 06 1-2 .500 0-0 - 0-0 -
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