Head-to-Head: Games Played Between Magic Johnson and John Salley

This is the detail of NBA games in which Magic Johnson and John Salley 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 18 times in NBA games. Overall, they are tied 9-9, but John Salley won more matchups in the Playoffs for a 6-4 postseason record.

Games Played Against Each Other

Magic Johnson
vs.
John Salley
NBA Timeline:
1946-47
2023-24
Magic Johnson:
1979-80 to 1995-96
John Salley:
1986-87 to 1999-00
18 Games played
8 in Regular Season
10 in Playoffs

Summary of Victories

 Games Won in
Regular Season		 in
Playoffs
Magic Johnson
9
5
4
John Salley
9
3
6

Stats in Games Between Them

Averages
Player
 Points Rebounds AssistsStealsBlocks
Magic Johnson 20.4 6.2 11.6 1.30.3
John Salley 7.0 4.6 1.00.51.4
Game Highs
Player
 Points Rebounds AssistsStealsBlocks
Magic Johnson 34 12 19 32
John Salley 17 10 3 25
Games with better stats than the other player...
Player
 Points Rebounds AssistsStealsBlocks
Magic Johnson 17

games		 11

games		 17

games		 11

games		1

game
John Salley 1

game 		3

games		 1

game		 2

games		10

games
Both had same stat 0

games		 4

games		 0

games		 5

games		7

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. 13, 1986
1. Lakers 114   Magic Johnson 34 9 9 0 2 2 2 39 13-30 .433 0-0 - 8-8 1.000
Pistons 119   John Salley 9 6 1 0 2 1 1 21 4-5 .800 0-0 - 1-2 .500
Mar. 26, 1987
2. Lakers 128   Magic Johnson 21 7 15 3 2 5 3 38 7-11 .636 0-1 .000 7-8 .875
Pistons 111   John Salley 16 7 3 0 1 0 5 25 5-8 .625 0-0 - 6-8 .750
1987-88 Season
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Jan. 08, 1988
3. Lakers 106   Magic Johnson 21 5 9 1 0 6 2 40 9-17 .529 0-1 .000 3-3 1.000
Pistons 104   John Salley 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 19 1-3 .333 0-0 - 0-0 -
Feb. 21, 1988
4. Lakers 117   Magic Johnson 19 7 13 2 0 2 3 40 5-17 .294 0-1 .000 9-10 .900
Pistons 110   John Salley 4 4 2 0 0 6 3 30 2-2 1.000 0-0 - 0-0 -
1988 Playoffs - NBA Finals
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Jun. 07, 1988
5. Lakers 93   Magic Johnson 28 8 10 2 0 1 3 44 8-11 .727 2-2 1.000 10-10 1.000
Pistons 105   John Salley 2 5 1 0 1 2 3 20 1-2 .500 0-0 - 0-0 -
Jun. 09, 1988
6. Lakers 108   Magic Johnson 23 7 11 2 0 3 3 42 7-12 .583 0-0 - 9-9 1.000
Pistons 96   John Salley 9 5 2 1 0 3 5 25 3-4 .750 0-0 - 3-6 .500
Jun. 12, 1988
7. Lakers 99   Magic Johnson 18 6 14 3 0 3 2 40 7-8 .875 0-0 - 4-5 .800
Pistons 86   John Salley 8 6 0 2 3 0 4 28 4-9 .444 0-0 - 0-0 -
Jun. 14, 1988
8. Lakers 86   Magic Johnson 23 4 6 1 0 2 5 34 7-13 .538 0-2 .000 9-11 .818
Pistons 111   John Salley 4 4 1 0 1 0 3 23 2-3 .667 0-0 - 0-0 -
Jun. 16, 1988
9. Lakers 94   Magic Johnson 15 6 17 2 1 4 3 45 4-15 .267 0-0 - 7-11 .636
Pistons 104   John Salley 7 10 1 1 3 0 5 24 1-2 .500 0-0 - 5-6 .833
Jun. 19, 1988
10. Lakers 103   Magic Johnson 22 4 19 2 0 2 2 45 5-12 .417 0-1 .000 12-13 .923
Pistons 102   John Salley 3 4 0 0 0 1 3 21 1-2 .500 0-0 - 1-1 1.000
Jun. 21, 1988
11. Lakers 108   Magic Johnson 19 5 14 2 0 4 5 40 6-9 .667 0-1 .000 7-8 .875
Pistons 105   John Salley 17 10 1 1 1 1 2 36 6-9 .667 0-0 - 5-7 .714
1988-89 Season
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Nov. 26, 1988
12. Lakers 99   Magic Johnson 19 9 8 0 0 9 2 32 8-18 .444 0-3 .000 3-3 1.000
Pistons 102   John Salley 6 6 0 0 1 1 5 19 3-5 .600 0-0 - 0-1 .000
1989 Playoffs - NBA Finals
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Jun. 06, 1989
13. Lakers 97   Magic Johnson 17 5 14 3 0 5 2 41 6-12 .500 0-2 .000 5-6 .833
Pistons 109   John Salley 5 2 1 0 5 2 3 21 2-5 .400 0-0 - 1-2 .500
Jun. 08, 1989
14. Lakers 105   Magic Johnson 18 6 9 0 0 0 2 29 6-12 .500 1-3 .333 5-5 1.000
Pistons 108   John Salley 8 2 0 1 3 0 4 17 4-4 1.000 0-0 - 0-0 -
Jun. 11, 1989
15. Lakers 110   Magic Johnson 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 05 0-2 .000 0-0 - 0-0 -
Pistons 114   John Salley 9 3 3 0 0 0 5 23 4-6 .667 0-0 - 1-1 1.000
1989-90 Season
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Dec. 01, 1989
16. Lakers 97   Magic Johnson 28 7 10 0 0 1 5 40 10-16 .625 1-4 .250 7-8 .875
OT Pistons 108   John Salley 4 3 0 2 0 2 6 23 2-4 .500 0-1 .000 0-0 -
Jan. 21, 1990
17. Lakers 107   Magic Johnson 21 5 16 1 0 4 4 45 6-14 .429 1-3 .333 8-8 1.000
Pistons 97   John Salley 6 1 0 0 0 1 2 19 2-3 .667 0-1 .000 2-3 .667
1990-91 Season
Game
  
Player
 Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF Min
FG
%
3PT
%
FT
%
Dec. 04, 1990
18. Lakers 114   Magic Johnson 21 12 14 0 0 4 2 36 9-17 .529 0-2 .000 3-3 1.000
Pistons 90   John Salley 7 3 1 0 1 0 4 23 3-6 .500 0-0 - 1-1 1.000
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