| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Milwaukee Bucks | 60 | 22 | .732 | – | 34–7 | 26–15 | 23–7 |
| x-Chicago Bulls | 45 | 37 | .549 | 15.0 | 26–15 | 19–22 | 20–9 |
| x-Indiana Pacers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 16.0 | 27–14 | 17–24 | 17–12 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 29.0 | 20–21 | 11–30 | 9–21 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 28 | 54 | .341 | 32.0 | 20–21 | 8–33 | 9–21 |
| Detroit Pistons | 21 | 61 | .256 | 39.0 | 14–27 | 7–34 | 9–21 |
This is a template that was created to easily update every article with the 1980–81 NBA Central Division standings. To use the update on any article, insert:
{{1980–81 NBA Central standings}}
To highlight the Milwaukee Bucks, insert:
{{1980–81 NBA Central standings|team=MIL}}
For the other teams, use:
- Chicago Bulls – CHI
- Indiana Pacers – IND
- Atlanta Hawks – ATL
- Cleveland Cavaliers – CLE
- Detroit Pistons – DET