1970 NBA Finals

1970 basketball championship series August 2023 NBA 1970 Los Angeles Lakers Joe Mullaney 3 New York Knicks Red Holzman 4 April 24 – May 8 Willis Reedhttp://www.nba.com/history/finals/19691970.html 1970 NBA Finals: New York 4 L.A. Lakers 3 Encyclopedia Playoff Edition NBA 27 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20110817235531/http://www.nba.com/home/index.html 17 August 2011 dead(New York Knicks) Knicks:Willis Reed (1982)Bill Bradley (1983)Dave DeBusschere (1983)Walt Frazier (1987)Phil Jackson (2007, coach)Dick Barnett (2024) Lakers:Elgin Baylor (1977)Wilt Chamberlain (1979)Jerry West (1980)Coaches:Red Holzman (1986)Officials:Mendy Rudolph (2007) Knicks defeated Bucks, 4–1 Lakers defeated Hawks, 4–0 The 1970 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1970 NBA playoffs, which concluded the 1969–70 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Eastern Division champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games for their first NBA title in franchise history. The Knicks appeared to have a see-saw Game 3 won when Dave DeBusschere made a shot with three seconds left to give New York a 102–100 edge and the Lakers were stuck with no time outs. L.A. inbounded to Mr. Clutch, Jerry West, who launched and made a miracle shot from beyond midcourt. It counted only for two points, as only the ABA had a three-point shot at the time, so the game went to overtime, and the Knicks were able to win, 111–108.Greatest Finals Moments http://www.nba.com/playoffs2004/greatest_finals_moments.html NBA.com February 9, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20130411073901/http://www.nba.com/playoffs2004/greatest_finals_moments.html April 11, 2013 dead The final game of the series was named by ESPN in 2010 as the greatest Game 7 in Finals history, featuring a return from injury for Willis Reed.https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5170973 Reed's game vs. Lakers tops list 7 May 2010 ESPN 24 June 2016 Reed's most famous performance took place on May 8, 1970, in Game 7 played at Madison Square Garden. Due to a severe thigh injury suffered in Game 5, a torn muscle that kept him out of Game 6, he was considered unlikely to play in Game 7. Yet Reed surprised the fans by walking onto the court during warmups, prompting widespread applause. Starting the game, he scored the Knicks' first two field goals on his first two shot attempts, his only points of the game. He then played defense on Wilt Chamberlain, limiting him to two shots made in nine attempts. When Reed left for good with 3:05 left in the first half, the Knicks led 61–37.In for Two Plus the Title https://www.si.com/vault/1970/05/18/611328/in-for-two-plus-the-title si.com/vault May 18, 1970 Walt "Clyde" Frazier took it from there, finishing with 36 points and 19 assists as the Knicks won the championship, 113–99. Following the game in the winner's locker room, a moved Howard Cosell told Reed on national television, "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit can offer." ESPN's SportsCentury Top 10 Games of the 20th Century ranked Game 7 the 9th Greatest Game in 1999. As of , this remains the only time in which the Knicks won the championship at home. Background 1970 NBA playoffs New York Knicks 1969–70 New York Knicks season New York Knicks 1969–70 #006BB6 #FFFFFF #F58220 #000000 12 Dick Barnett SG 6 4 190 Tennessee State 1936–10–02 17 Nate Bowman C 6 10 230 Wichita State 1945–03–19 24 Bill Bradley SF 6 5 205 Princeton 1943–07–28 22 Dave DeBusschere PF 6 6 220 Detroit Mercy 1940–10–16 10 Walt Frazier PG 6 4 200 Southern Illinois 1945–03–29 20 Bill Hosket, Jr. Bill Hosket, Jr. PF 6 8 225 Ohio State 1946–12–20 18 Phil Jackson PF 6 8 220 North Dakota 1945-09-17 IN 5 Don May basketball SF 6 4 200 Dayton 1946–01–03 19 Willis Reed C 6 9 235 Grambling State 1942–06–25 6 Mike Riordan basketball SG 6 4 200 Providence 1945–07–09 33 Cazzie Russell SF 6 5 218 Michigan 1944–06–07 9 Dave Stallworth SF 6 7 200 Wichita State 1941–12–20 16 John Warren basketball SG 6 3 180 St. John's 1947–07–07 Red Holzman Los Angeles Lakers 1969–70 Los Angeles Lakers season Los Angeles Lakers 1969–70 22 Elgin Baylor SF 6 5 225 1934-09-16 Seattle University 13 Wilt Chamberlain C 7 1 275 1936-08-21 Kansas 31 Mel Counts C 7 0 230 1941-10-16 Oregon State 21 Johnny Egan basketball PG 5 11 180 1939-01-31 Providence 24 Keith Erickson SF 6 5 195 1944-04-19 UCLA 20 Dick Garrett SG 6 3 185 1947-01-31 Southern Illinois 52 Happy Hairston PF 6 7 225 1942-05-31 NYU 30 Bill Hewitt basketball PF 6 7 210 1944-08-08 USC 33 Mike Lynn basketball SF 6 7 215 1945-11-25 UCLA 15 Willie McCarter SG 6 3 175 1946-07-26 Drake University 35 Rick Roberson C 6 9 231 1947-07-07 Cincinnati 14 John Tresvant PF 6 7 215 1939-11-06 Seattle University 44 Jerry West PG 6 3 175 1938-05-28 West Virginia Joe Mullaney Series summary Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 April 24 Los Angeles Lakers 112–124 (0–1) New York Knicks Game 2 April 27 Los Angeles Lakers 105–103 (1–1) New York Knicks Game 3 April 29 New York Knicks 112–108 (OT) (2–1) Los Angeles Lakers Game 4 May 1 New York Knicks 115–121 (OT) (2–2) Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 May 4 Los Angeles Lakers 100–107 (2–3) New York Knicks Game 6 May 6 New York Knicks 113–135 (3–3) Los Angeles Lakers Game 7 May 8 Los Angeles Lakers 99–113 (3–4) New York Knicks Knicks win series 4–3 Source:https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1970-nba-finals-lakers-vs-knicks.html 1970 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Knicks Basketball-Reference.com SportsDirect 27 February 2016 Game summaries Game 1 #eee April 24 Boxscore Los Angeles Lakers 112 New York Knicks 124 25–35 29–30 38–24 20–35 Jerry West 33 Wilt Chamberlain 24 Wilt Chamberlain 5 Willis Reed 37 Reed, DeBusschere 16 each Dick Barnett 9 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York 19,500 New York leads series, 1–0 Game 2 #eee April 27 Boxscore Los Angeles Lakers 105 New York Knicks 103 28–24 24–28 29–29 24–22 Jerry West 34 Wilt Chamberlain 24 Garrett, Erickson 6 each Willis Reed 29 Willis Reed 15 Walt Frazier 11 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York 19,500 Series tied, 1–1 Game 3 #eee April 29 Boxscore New York Knicks 111 Los Angeles Lakers 108 OT 20–26 22–30 26–17 34–29 9–6 Willis Reed 38 Willis Reed 17 Walt Frazier 7 Jerry West 34 Wilt Chamberlain 26 Elgin Baylor 11 The Forum, Inglewood, California 17,509 New York leads series, 2–1 Jerry West hit a desperation buzzer-beating 60-foot shot to tie it at 102 and force OT. If a three-point line had existed at the time, it would've won the game for the Lakers and potentially the Finals, likely going down as the greatest shot in NBA history.Dizon Orel 2023-11-01 “We were lucky that there were no 3-point shots back then” - Walt Frazier on Jerry West’s 60-foot buzzer-beater in the 1970 Finals https://www.basketballnetwork.net/latest-news/walt-frazier-on-jerry-wests-60-foot-buzzer-beater-in-the-1970-finals#:~:text=West's%20shot%20sent%20Game%203,lead%20in%20the%201970%20Finals.&text=The%201970%20NBA%20Finals%20brought,'%22 2025-01-16 Basketball Network en Game 4 #eee May 1 Boxscore New York Knicks 115 Los Angeles Lakers 121 OT 27–24 20–30 20–17 32–28 16–22 Dick Barnett 29 Dave Stallworth 13 Walt Frazier 11 Jerry West 37 Wilt Chamberlain 25 Jerry West 18 The Forum, Inglewood, California 17,509 Series tied, 2–2 Game 5 #eee May 4 Boxscore Los Angeles Lakers 100 New York Knicks 107 30–20 23–20 29–35 18–32 Wilt Chamberlain 22 Wilt Chamberlain 19 Keith Erickson 6 Walt Frazier 21 Cazzie Russell 8 Walt Frazier 12 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York 19,500 New York leads series, 3–2 Game 6 #eee May 6 Boxscore New York Knicks 113 Los Angeles Lakers 135 16–36 35–35 29–28 33–36 Dave DeBusschere 25 Dave DeBusschere 9 Dick Barnett 8 Wilt Chamberlain 45 Wilt Chamberlain 27 Jerry West 13 The Forum, Inglewood, California 17,509 Series tied, 3–3 Game 7 #eee May 8 Boxscore Los Angeles Lakers 99 New York Knicks 113 24–38 18–31 27–25 30–19 Jerry West 28 Wilt Chamberlain 24 Keith Erickson 6 Walt Frazier 36 Dave DeBusschere 17 Walt Frazier 19 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York 19,500 New York wins series, 4–3 *No. 5 Mendy Rudolph No. 26 Richie PowersZiWzpL_bxKM Full game broadcast During the pre-game segment with Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman noticed Knicks' injured center Willis Reed (whose status for the clincher had been doubtful) advancing from the tunnel toward the court. Twyman then exclaimed: "I think we see Willis coming out!"SeITaf3e2Uo The sight of Reed marching toward the basketball floor helped inspire the Knicks to a 113–99 victory – one that gave New York its first NBA league title. Walt "Clyde" Frazier went on to post one of the greatest performances in NBA playoff history, tallying 36 points, seven rebounds, 19 assists, and six steals in leading New York to victory. Television The 1970 NBA Finals were the first to be nationally televised in full, with ABC providing the coverage. Chris Schenkel was the play-by-play man, with Jack Twyman serving as the color analyst. Howard Cosell provided interviews from the Knicks' locker room following Game 7 and was famously doused with champagne. However, the Knicks' victory in Game 7 was not seen live on broadcast TV in New York; ABC's coverage was blacked out on WABC-TV, causing a raft of angry fans to deluge the WABC switchboard. Schenkel made an announcement during the broadcast that the game would be aired in New York at 11:30 p.m. that night. The game was shown live on the premium-channel MSG Network in New York City, which was then only available in about 25,000 cable households in Manhattan. Since the 1970 finals, every NBA Finals game has been carried across the United States, though local blackouts would take some time to subside. Player statistics New York Knicks New York Knicks |- | align="left" | Willis Reed || 6 || || 37.7 || .484 || || .588 || 10.5 || 2.8 || || || 23.0 |- | align="left" | Dave DeBusschere || 7 || || 38.1 || .455 || || .722 || 12.6 || 2.6 || || || 19.0 |- | align="left" | Dick Barnett || 7 || || 40.6 || .448 || || .897 || 2.3 || 4.3 || || || 18.6 |- | align="left" | Walt Frazier || 7 || || 43.1 || .541 || || .775 || 7.7 || 10.4 || || || 17.6 |- | align="left" | Bill Bradley || 7 || || 35.6 || .388 || || .750 || 4.0 || 2.7 || || || 12.1 |- | align="left" | Cazzie Russell || 7 || || 18.6 || .492 || || 1.000 || 3.6 || 1.4 || || || 9.3 |- | align="left" | Dave Stallworth || 7 || || 14.0 || .447 || || 1.000 || 4.7 || 1.6 || || || 7.0 |- | align="left" | Mike Riordan basketball || 7 || || 13.0 || .387 || || .857 || 1.9 || 1.4 || || || 4.3 |- | align="left" | Nate Bowman || 7 || || 9.7 || .481 || || .600 || 3.0 || 0.3 || || || 4.1 |- | align="left" | Bill Hosket || 2 || || 4.5 || .250 || || || 0.5 || 0.5 || || || 1.0 |- | align="left" | John Warren || 4 || || 1.5 || 1.000 || || || 0.0 || 0.3 || || || 0.5 Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers |- | align="left" | Jerry West || 7 || || 47.9 || .450 || || .833 || 3.4 || 7.7 || || || 31.3 |- | align="left" | Wilt Chamberlain || 7 || || 47.6 || .625 || || .343 || 24.1 || 4.0 || || || 23.3 |- | align="left" | Elgin Baylor || 7 || || 40.0 || .486 || || .778 || 11.3 || 4.7 || || || 17.9 |- | align="left" | Dick Garrett || 7 || || 36.7 || .474 || || .944 || 3.0 || 2.1 || || || 13.0 |- | align="left" | Keith Erickson || 7 || || 38.7 || .479 || || .722 || 4.4 || 4.7 || || || 11.6 |- | align="left" | Happy Hairston || 6 || || 17.5 || .471 || || .636 || 4.3 || 1.5 || || || 6.5 |- | align="left" | Johnny Egan basketball || 7 || || 10.3 || .526 || || 1.000 || 0.1 || 0.9 || || || 3.6 |- | align="left" | John Tresvant || 4 || || 9.3 || .333 || || .800 || 2.8 || 1.3 || || || 4.5 |- | align="left" | Mel Counts || 3 || || 9.0 || .357 || || .667 || 2.7 || 0.3 || || || 4.0 |- | align="left" | Rick Roberson || 3 || || 3.3 || .500 || || .500 || 1.3 || 0.0 || || || 2.3 |- | align="left" | Mike Lynn || 1 || || 1.0 || || || || 0.0 || 0.0 || || || 0.0 |- | align="left" | Willie McCarter || 1 || || 2.0 || .000 || || || 1.0 || 1.0 || || || 0.0 Source: References External links New York Times (April 25, 1970) Game 1: "Knicks Conquer Lakers, 124-112, in First Game of N.B.A. Final at Garden" New York Times (April 29, 1970) Game 3: "HOME-COURT EDGE TO LAKERS TONIGHT" New York Times (May 2, 1970) Game 4: "Lakers Overcome Knicks, 121-115, in Overtime and Tie Final Series at 2-2" New York Times (May 5, 1970) Game 5: "Their Big Man Out Early With an Injury, the Knicks Fight Back to Overcome Big Deficit" New York Times (May 7, 1970) Game 6: "Lakers Overwhelm Knicks, 135-113, to Square Title Playoff Series at 3-3" New York Times (May 9, 1970) Game 7: "Knicks Take First Title, Beating Lakers, 113 to 99" Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in New York City Category:Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California NBA Finals Category:1970s in Los Angeles County, California