1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season
| 1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season | |
|---|---|
| First NBA championship | |
| Head coach | Larry Costello |
| Arena | Milwaukee Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 66–16 (.805) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Midwest) Conference: 1st (Western) |
| Playoff finish | NBA champions |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com |
|
The 1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season was the third season for the Bucks. Milwaukee posted a 66–16 record in only its third year of existence, and its second since getting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[1] Key part of the championship season was the acquisition of Oscar Robertson. Other role players on the Bucks included players such as Bob Dandridge (18.4 ppg) and Jon McGlocklin (15.8 ppg), power forward Greg Smith and key reserves Lucius Allen, Bob Boozer and Dick Cunningham completing the nucleus. The season included a 20-game winning streak, the NBA's longest at the time, and still ranked fourth all-time.
Contents
Draft picks
| Round | Player | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gary Freeman | Oregon State |
| 2 | Bill Zopf | Duquesne |
| 3 | Marvin Winkler | SW Louisiana |
| 4 | Virgle Fredricks | Drury |
| 5 | Mike Grosso | Louisville |
| 6 | Willy Watson | Oklahoma City |
| 7 | John Rinka | Kenyon |
| 8 | Jim Samo | Northwestern |
| 9 | Joe Hamilton | North Texas State |
| 10 | Bob Seemer | Georgia Tech |
Roster
Regular season
In only his second pro season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) led the league in scoring at 31.7 ppg, ranked second in field goal percentage at .577 and fourth in rebounding at 16.0 rpg.[1] Newly arrived Oscar Robertson turned 32 early in the 1970-71 season, and was past his prime when he came to Milwaukee, but his versatile skills and experience provided a leadership role for the Bucks. Robertson had never won a championship and his desire to win seemed to inspire Abdul-Jabbar and unite the rest of the Bucks. Robertson ranked third in the league in assists at 8.3 apg and was the Bucks' No. 2 scorer at 19.4 ppg.[1]
Standings
| Midwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Milwaukee Bucks | 66 | 16 | .805 | – | 34–2 | 28–13 | 4–1 | 14–4 |
| x-Chicago Bulls | 51 | 31 | .622 | 15 | 30–11 | 17–19 | 4–1 | 7–11 |
| Phoenix Suns | 48 | 34 | .585 | 18 | 27–14 | 19–20 | 2–0 | 9–9 |
| Detroit Pistons | 45 | 37 | .549 | 21 | 24–17 | 20–19 | 1–1 | 6–12 |
| # | Western Conference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | |
| 1 | z-Milwaukee Bucks | 66 | 16 | .805 |
| 2 | y-Los Angeles Lakers | 48 | 34 | .585 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 51 | 31 | .622 |
| 4 | x-San Francisco Warriors | 41 | 41 | .500 |
| 5 | Phoenix Suns | 48 | 34 | .585 |
| 6 | Detroit Pistons | 45 | 37 | .549 |
| 7 | San Diego Rockets | 40 | 42 | .488 |
| 8 | Seattle SuperSonics | 38 | 44 | .463 |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 29 | 53 | .354 |
Season schedule
November
| Game | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 17, 1970 | @ Atlanta Hawks | 107-98 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Oct 20, 1970 | @ Detroit Pistons | 114-115 | 1-1 |
Player stats
| Player | Games Played | Minutes | Points | Assists | Field Goals | Rebounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 82 | 3288 | 2596 | 272 | 1063 | 1311 |
| Oscar Robertson | 81 | 3194 | 1569 | 668 | 592 | 462 |
Playoffs
West Conference Semifinals
(M1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (P2) San Francisco Warriors: Bucks win series 4-1
- Game 1 @ San Francisco: Milwaukee 107, San Francisco 96
- Game 2 @ Madison: Milwaukee 104, San Francisco 90
- Game 3 @ Madison: Milwaukee 114, San Francisco 102
- Game 4 @ San Francisco: San Francisco 106, Milwaukee 104
- Game 5 @ Madison: Milwaukee 136, San Francisco 86
West Conference Finals
(M1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (P1) Los Angeles Lakers: Bucks win series 4-1
- Game 1 @ Milwaukee: Milwaukee 106, Los Angeles 85
- Game 2 @ Milwaukee: Milwaukee 91, Los Angeles 73
- Game 3 @ Los Angeles: Los Angeles 118, Milwaukee 107
- Game 4 @ Los Angeles: Milwaukee 117, Los Angeles 94
- Game 5 @ Milwaukee: Milwaukee 116, Los Angeles 98
NBA Finals
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | April 21 | Milwaukee | 98-88 | Baltimore |
| Game 2 | April 25 | Baltimore | 83-102 | Milwaukee |
| Game 3 | April 28 | Milwaukee | 107-99 | Baltimore |
| Game 4 | April 30 | Baltimore | 106-118 | Milwaukee |
Bucks win series 4-0
Awards and records
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA scoring champion
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA MVP
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Finals MVP
Transactions
On April 21, 1970, the Bucks traded two young players, Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk, to the Cincinnati Royals for 10-year veteran guard Oscar Robertson.[1]
