1970 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1970 NBA Finals was a best-of-7 series for the world championship of the National Basketball Association. It featured the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks
and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers
. The Knicks won the series 4 games to 3 for their first NBA title.
The 1970 Finals was the ninth consecutive NBA championship series to feature a team from California
- all of which were lost by the team from that state. For the seventh time, the team was the Lakers. The San Francisco Warriors were the other, losing in 1964
and 1967
.
and Walt Frazier
. They had a strong supporting cast that featured Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley
and Dave DeBusschere
. In the playoffs
, the Knicks barely won a tough seven-game series against the Baltimore Bullets
. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they beat the Milwaukee Bucks
, led by captain Lew Alcindor
, in five games.
The veteran Lakers were led by superstars Elgin Baylor
, Wilt Chamberlain
and Jerry West
. However, Chamberlain suffered a severe knee injury in the 9th game of the season and didn't return until there were 3 games left. Baylor missed 28 games and West was out for 3 weeks. The Lakers sputtered early without Chamberlain and Baylor and were 13-17 after 30 games. But first year players like center Rick Roberson
and guard Dick Garrett
made valuable contributions; an early season trade brought Happy Hairston
from Detroit to help in the front court, and the Lakers won 46 games to finish 2 games behind the Atlanta Hawks in the Western Division. In the playoffs, the Lakers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Phoenix Suns
, and then in the Western Conference Finals they swept the Atlanta Hawks
to advance to the NBA Finals for the 3rd straight year.
Television: ABC
- Commentators: Chris Schenkel
, Jack Twyman
, and Howard Cosell
.
In a reversal of Game 1, the Lakers achieved an early double-digit lead in Game 2, but they struggled to keep it till the end. Finally, Jerry West scored the game-winning free throws as the Lakers grabbed home court advantage with a 105-103 win.
fell down hard while trying to make a shot. Reed eventually got up on his own, but a leg injury forced him to leave the game. The Lakers took advantage and led by 16 points in the 3rd quarter, but a scrambling defense, full court press, and sheer determination to "win one for the captain" helped New York stage a comeback. The Knicks forced 19 second half Laker turnovers, and Bill Bradley
's clutch shot tied the game at 87 with 7:40 left to play. New York then outscored L.A. 20-13 the rest of the way for a 107-100 victory and a 3-2 lead in the series. Back in L.A. for game 6, the Knicks were without Reed. Chamberlain, remembering the criticism after playing poorly in game 6 of the prior year's finals, responded by taking advantage of Reed's absence with 45 points as the Lakers cruised to a 135-113 win.
Knicks win series 4-3
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. The Knicks won the series 4 games to 3 for their first NBA title.
The 1970 Finals was the ninth consecutive NBA championship series to feature a team from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- all of which were lost by the team from that state. For the seventh time, the team was the Lakers. The San Francisco Warriors were the other, losing in 1964
1964 NBA Finals
The 1964 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1963-64 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1964 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics...
and 1967
1967 NBA Finals
The 1967 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1966-67 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia...
.
Road to the finals
The New York Knicks had a very successful season; they won 60 games and were led by future hall of famers Willis ReedWillis Reed
Willis Reed, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, coach and manager of basketball teams. He spent his entire professional playing career with the New York Knicks. In 1982, his outstanding record and achievements were recognized by his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall...
and Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier
Walter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard...
. They had a strong supporting cast that featured Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
and Dave DeBusschere
Dave DeBusschere
David Albert DeBusschere was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history....
. In the playoffs
1970 NBA Playoffs
The 1970 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1969-1970 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to three in the NBA Finals...
, the Knicks barely won a tough seven-game series against the Baltimore Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they beat the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, led by captain Lew Alcindor
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, in five games.
The veteran Lakers were led by superstars Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
, Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
and Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
. However, Chamberlain suffered a severe knee injury in the 9th game of the season and didn't return until there were 3 games left. Baylor missed 28 games and West was out for 3 weeks. The Lakers sputtered early without Chamberlain and Baylor and were 13-17 after 30 games. But first year players like center Rick Roberson
Rick Roberson
Rick Roberson was a Center/Forward for the Los Angeles Lakers , Cleveland Cavaliers , Portland Trail Blazers , New Orleans Jazz and Kansas City Kings ....
and guard Dick Garrett
Dick Garrett
Eldo "Dick" Garrett is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'3" guard from Southern Illinois University, Garrett was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 27th overall pick of the 1969 NBA Draft...
made valuable contributions; an early season trade brought Happy Hairston
Happy Hairston
Harold "Happy" Hairston was an American professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He was a member of 1971–72 NBA championship Lakers team that won 33 games in a row, a record not duplicated in any other American professional sport. Hairston was a 6'7" ...
from Detroit to help in the front court, and the Lakers won 46 games to finish 2 games behind the Atlanta Hawks in the Western Division. In the playoffs, the Lakers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, and then in the Western Conference Finals they swept the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
to advance to the NBA Finals for the 3rd straight year.
Television: ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
- Commentators: Chris Schenkel
Chris Schenkel
Christopher Eugene "Chris" Schenkel was an American sportscaster. Over the course of five decades he called play-by-play for numerous sports on television and radio, becoming known for his smooth delivery and baritone voice.-Early life and career:Schenkel began his broadcasting career at radio...
, Jack Twyman
Jack Twyman
John Kennedy "Jack" Twyman is an American former professional basketball player and sports broadcaster.-Playing career:...
, and Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
.
Game-by-game recap
The series started with the Knicks jumping out to an early double digit lead and they were never seriously threatened in their 124-112 game 1 victory.In a reversal of Game 1, the Lakers achieved an early double-digit lead in Game 2, but they struggled to keep it till the end. Finally, Jerry West scored the game-winning free throws as the Lakers grabbed home court advantage with a 105-103 win.
Game 3
The scene shifted to L.A. for game 3 and the fans witnessed one of the most memorable games in NBA finals history. It was a see-saw game that saw Willis Reed score 38 for the Knicks, while Elgin Baylor fouled out for the Lakers. With 15 seconds left, Jerry West hit a 20 footer to tie the game, only to see Dave DeBusschere score from just above the free throw line with 3 seconds left to put the Knicks up by two. A frustrated Chamberalin grabbed the ball after it went through the basket, and without ever going completely out of bounds (a violation that was not called), threw the ball to West and turned to head to the locker room. West caught the pass, took two dribbles and fired up a desperation 63 footer. The ball glanced off the back of the rim and caromed through the net and the Forum crowd went wild as the game headed to overtime. However, the Lakers could not take advantage of the momentum and the Knicks went out to a 5 point lead midway through overtime. The Lakers cut the lead to 109-108, but Dick Barnett's 18 footer sealed a 3 point Knicks victory. West later lamented that he "still can't believe the Lakers lost that game."Games 4-6
The Lakers knew they had to win Game 4; it was another overtime thriller and this time the Lakers won, 121-115, behind 37 points from West and 30 from Baylor. In Game 5 at the Garden, the Knicks took an early lead but then eight minutes into the game, Willis ReedWillis Reed
Willis Reed, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, coach and manager of basketball teams. He spent his entire professional playing career with the New York Knicks. In 1982, his outstanding record and achievements were recognized by his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall...
fell down hard while trying to make a shot. Reed eventually got up on his own, but a leg injury forced him to leave the game. The Lakers took advantage and led by 16 points in the 3rd quarter, but a scrambling defense, full court press, and sheer determination to "win one for the captain" helped New York stage a comeback. The Knicks forced 19 second half Laker turnovers, and Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
's clutch shot tied the game at 87 with 7:40 left to play. New York then outscored L.A. 20-13 the rest of the way for a 107-100 victory and a 3-2 lead in the series. Back in L.A. for game 6, the Knicks were without Reed. Chamberlain, remembering the criticism after playing poorly in game 6 of the prior year's finals, responded by taking advantage of Reed's absence with 45 points as the Lakers cruised to a 135-113 win.
Game 7
The two teams headed back to New York for Game 7. All indications were that Reed would not be able to play. But during warm-ups, Willis Reed walked onto the floor, and the Madison Square Garden crowd erupted with cheers on the heels of his entrance. Reed proceeded to score the first two (and his only) baskets of the game to give the Knicks an early lead and send the crowd into a fever pitch. Reed then came out of the game, but the Lakers were rattled. Walt Frazier took over, scoring 22 points in the first half en route to a 36-point, 19-assist, 7-rebound game. The Knicks didn't look back as they built a 20+ point second half lead, and won 113-99 to capture their first NBA championship.Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Score | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | April 24 (Fri.) | New York Knicks | 124-112 (1-0) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 2 | April 27 (Mon.) | New York Knicks | 103-105 (1-1) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 3 | April 29 (Wed.) | Los Angeles Lakers | 108-111 OT (1-2) | New York Knicks |
| Game 4 | May 1 (Fri.) | Los Angeles Lakers | 121-105 (2-2) | New York Knicks |
| Game 5 | May 4 (Mon.) | New York Knicks | 107-100 (3-2) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 6 | May 6 (Wed.) | Los Angeles Lakers | 135-113 (3-3) | New York Knicks |
| Game 7 | May 8 (Fri.) | New York Knicks | 113-99 (4-3) | Los Angeles Lakers |
Knicks win series 4-3