Eaton's third season (1984–85) was spectacular. He blocked 456 shots, shattering the NBA record for most blocked shots in a single season set during the 1973–74 season by Elmore Smith who had blocked 393 shots for the Los Angeles Lakers. Eaton averaged 5.56 blocks per game, more than double the league's second ranked blocker (Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon with 2.68 blocks per game). In addition, Eaton averaged 11.3 rebounds per game, ranking fifth in the league in that category. For his efforts, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and was honored as the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. On April 26, 1985, Eaton scored 8 points but recorded a playoff career-high 10 blocks in a 96-94 loss to the Rockets. He became the first player to record 10 blocks in a playoff game. Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrew Bynum are the only players since then to have blocked 10 shots in a playoff game.