1972–73 Boston Celtics season

NBA basketball team season August 2023 March 2026 Boston Celtics yes 1973 68 14 Atlantic 1 1 Tom Heinsohn Red Auerbach Boston Garden WSMW WBZ Conference finals(lost to Knicks 3–4) BOS The 1972–73 Boston Celtics season was their 27th in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics finished the season with the best record in the league, and currently in franchise history, at 68–14, one win shy of the then-record set by the Los Angeles Lakers the previous season. Third-year center Dave Cowens won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and future Celtic Tiny Archibald. They also won the Atlantic Division for the second consecutive season. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics lost to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in seven games, marking the second consecutive year Boston was eliminated by New York. Draft picks 1972 NBA draft Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 10 Paul Westphal PG/SG United States USC 2 27 Dennis Wuycik SF United States North Carolina 3 44 Wayne Grabiec G United States Michigan 4 61 Nate Stephens C United States Long Beach State 5 77 Bryan Adrian G United States Davidson 6 94 Don Holcomb C United States Memphis 6 96 Wally Rice G United States Widener 7 111 Steve Previs PG United States North Carolina 8 127 Sam McCamey F United States Oral Roberts 10 154 Marty Hunt G United States Kenyon 11 165 Mark Minor SF United States Ohio State 12 173 Phil Stephens C United States South Carolina State Roster Boston Celtics 12 Don Chaney G 6 5 210 Houston 18 Dave Cowens C 6 9 230 Florida State 29 Henry Finkel C 7 0 240 Dayton 17 John Havlicek G/F 6 5 203 Ohio State 11 Steve Kuberski C/F 6 8 215 Bradley 19 Don Nelson F 6 6 210 Iowa 16 Tom Sanders Satch Sanders F 6 6 210 NYU 35 Paul Silas F 6 7 220 Creighton 44 Paul Westphal G 6 4 195 USC 10 Jo Jo White G 6 3 190 Kansas 7 Art Williams G 6 1 180 Cal Poly Pomona Tom Heinsohn John Killilea Regular season Season standings BOS BOS Game log 1972–73 game log # Date Opponent Score High points Record 1 October 11 @ Detroit 121–108 John Havlicek (29) 1–0 2 October 13 Los Angeles 104–112 John Havlicek (30) 2–0 3 October 14 @ Chicago 96–88 John Havlicek (21) 3–0 4 October 17 @ Atlanta 119–115 Dave Cowens (29) 4–0 5 October 20 Buffalo 118–126 Dave Cowens (24) 5–0 6 October 21 @ Baltimore 104–101 Jo Jo White (36) 6–0 7 October 23 Philadelphia 85–105 Dave Cowens (21) 7–0 8 October 24 @ Buffalo 105–97 Jo Jo White (28) 8–0 9 October 27 Cleveland 97–123 Jo Jo White (20) 9–0 10 November 3 Baltimore 96–109 Havlicek, White (22) 10–0 11 November 4 Kansas City–Omaha 118–107 John Havlicek (36) 10–1 12 November 8 Golden State 111–128 John Havlicek (25) 11–1 13 November 10 @ Buffalo 106–104 Jo Jo White (22) 12–1 14 November 11 Detroit 118–121 John Havlicek (37) 13–1 15 November 15 Phoenix 94–113 Dave Cowens (25) 14–1 16 November 17 Milwaukee 95–88 John Havlicek (30) 14–2 17 November 21 @ Milwaukee 116–102 John Havlicek (27) 15–2 18 November 22 Portland 107–126 Dave Cowens (33) 16–2 19 November 24 New York 97–114 Dave Cowens (23) 17–2 20 November 25 @ New York 94–97 John Havlicek (24) 17–3 21 November 29 Seattle 98–120 John Havlicek (22) 18–3 22 December 1 @ Philadelphia 105–99 Jo Jo White (31) 19–3 23 December 2 Philadelphia 120–131 Jo Jo White (30) 20–3 24 December 8 @ Cleveland 96–87 Dave Cowens (25) 21–3 25 December 9 Cleveland 88–123 John Havlicek (23) 22–3 26 December 13 @ Phoenix 105–100 Jo Jo White (26) 23–3 27 December 15 @ Los Angeles 102–98 Dave Cowens (31) 24–3 28 December 16 @ Portland 123–116 Dave Cowens (33) 25–3 29 December 17 @ Seattle 123–98 John Havlicek (27) 26–3 30 December 19 @ Golden State 112–115 Jo Jo White (30) 26–4 31 December 22 @ Kansas City–Omaha 118–90 Dave Cowens (26) 27–4 32 December 23 @ Milwaukee 98–104 John Havlicek (24) 27–5 33 December 26 New York 106–115 Dave Cowens (38) 28–5 34 December 29 Chicago 106–99 Dave Cowens (27) 28–6 35 December 30 N Philadelphia 107–117 John Havlicek (28) 29–6 36 January 2 @ Houston 130–110 John Havlicek (25) 30–6 37 January 3 @ Houston 112–123 John Havlicek (32) 30–7 38 January 5 @ Atlanta 126–108 John Havlicek (30) 31–7 39 January 7 N Baltimore 116–98 John Havlicek (33) 32–7 40 January 10 Houston 107–128 John Havlicek (22) 33–7 41 January 12 Atlanta 109–133 John Havlicek (25) 34–7 42 January 13 @ Philadelphia 111–95 Jo Jo White (29) 35–7 43 January 16 @ Buffalo 106–102 John Havlicek (33) 36–7 44 January 17 Portland 99–117 Dave Cowens (35) 37–7 45 January 19 Seattle 104–124 Jo Jo White (33) 38–7 46 January 21 Buffalo 97–104 John Havlicek (26) 39–7 47 January 26 Houston 126–139 Dave Cowens (24) 40–7 48 January 27 @ New York 108–111 John Havlicek (25) 40–8 49 January 28 New York 96–93 John Havlicek (25) 40–9 50 January 31 Cleveland 89–94 Don Chaney (26) 41–9 51 February 2 Atlanta 100–99 John Havlicek (30) 41–10 52 February 3 @ Philadelphia 104–100 Jo Jo White (20) 42–10 53 February 4 Philadelphia 115–123 Jo Jo White (38) 43–10 54 February 6 @ Cleveland 105–110 Don Nelson (30) 43–11 55 February 7 Los Angeles 112–113 (OT) Dave Cowens (34) 44–11 56 February 9 Detroit 104–95 Jo Jo White (24) 44–12 57 February 11 Milwaukee 96–120 Dave Cowens (28) 45–12 58 February 13 @ Chicago 105–101 John Havlicek (31) 46–12 59 February 14 @ Kansas City–Omaha 104–101 John Havlicek (28) 47–12 60 February 16 @ Portland 112–105 Jo Jo White (36) 48–12 61 February 17 @ Golden State 110–106 John Havlicek (33) 49–12 62 February 18 @ Seattle 106–105 Jo Jo White (26) 50–12 63 February 20 Phoenix 97–107 John Havlicek (26) 51–12 64 February 25 @ Cleveland 105–92 Dave Cowens (22) 52–12 65 February 27 @ New York 91–123 Don Chaney (18) 52–13 66 February 28 Golden State 111–118 Don Chaney (32) 53–13 67 March 2 @ Detroit 115–101 Jo Jo White (25) 54–13 68 March 4 Buffalo 113–125 Paul Silas (26) 55–13 69 March 6 @ Buffalo 127–112 Havlicek, White (25) 56–13 70 March 8 @ Phoenix 141–134 (OT) Dave Cowens (32) 57–13 71 March 9 @ Los Angeles 119–111 Dave Cowens (34) 58–13 72 March 11 New York 107–122 John Havlicek (32) 59–13 73 March 14 Baltimore 107–111 Havlicek, White (27) 60–13 74 March 16 @ Baltimore 97–103 Dave Cowens (23) 60–14 75 March 18 Kansas City–Omaha 105–109 John Havlicek (28) 61–14 76 March 20 N Houston 89–94 John Havlicek (28) 62–14 77 March 21 Chicago 105–106 John Havlicek (27) 63–14 78 March 23 Atlanta 108–124 Don Chaney (22) 64–14 79 March 24 @ New York 108–103 Dave Cowens (29) 65–14 80 March 25 @ Houston 125–121 Dave Cowens (28) 66–14 81 March 27 @ Atlanta 117–110 John Havlicek (29) 67–14 82 March 28 Baltimore 101–120 John Havlicek (34) 68–14 Playoffs Boston Celtics 1973 yes Boston Celtics #008040 white Conference semifinals yes yes no 2 1 2 1 |- | 1 | April 1 | Atlanta | W 134–109 | John Havlicek (54) | Dave Cowens (17) | Art Williams (12) | Boston Garden11,907 | 1–0 |- | 2 | April 4 | @ Atlanta | W 126–113 | John Havlicek (29) | Dave Cowens (25) | Jo Jo White (11) | Omni Coliseum11,588 | 2–0 |- | 3 | April 6 | Atlanta | L 105–118 | Jo Jo White (23) | Dave Cowens (18) | Jo Jo White (10) | Boston Garden15,320 | 2–1 |- | 4 | April 8 | @ Atlanta | L 94–97 | John Havlicek (21) | Paul Silas (22) | John Havlicek (5) | Omni Coliseum11,675 | 2–2 |- | 5 | April 11 | Atlanta | W 108–101 | John Havlicek (32) | Dave Cowens (20) | John Havlicek (11) | Boston Garden12,525 | 3–2 |- | 6 | April 13 | @ Atlanta | W 121–103 | Jo Jo White (33) | Paul Silas (17) | Jo Jo White (7) | Omni Coliseum16,181 | 4–2 |- Boston Celtics #008040 white Conference finals yes no 2 2 1 2 |- | 1 | April 15 | New York | W 134–108 | Jo Jo White (30) | Dave Cowens (15) | John Havlicek (11) | Boston Garden15,320 | 1–0 |- | 2 | April 18 | @ New York | L 96–129 | John Havlicek (21) | Dave Cowens (13) | John Havlicek (11) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 1–1 |- | 3 | April 20 | New York | L 91–98 | John Havlicek (29) | Paul Silas (14) | John Havlicek (6) | Boston Garden15,320 | 1–2 |- | 4 | April 22 | @ New York | L 110–117 (2OT) | Jo Jo White (34) | Paul Silas (23) | Jo Jo White (6) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 1–3 |- | 5 | April 25 | New York | W 98–97 | Dave Cowens (32) | Paul Silas (20) | Jo Jo White (7) | Boston Garden15,320 | 2–3 |- | 6 | April 27 | @ New York | W 110–100 | Dave Cowens (26) | Dave Cowens (14) | Jo Jo White (7) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 3–3 |- | 7 | April 29 | New York | L 78–94 | Dave Cowens (24) | Paul Silas (16) | Dave Cowens (5) | Boston Garden15,320 | 3–4 |- BOS yes 1973 Awards, records and milestones Most Valuable Player: Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics Coach of the Year: Tom Heinsohn, Boston Celtics All-NBA First Team: John Havlicek, Boston Celtics NBA All-Defensive Team: First Team: John Havlicek, Boston Celtics Second Team: Paul Silas, Boston Celtics Don Chaney, Boston Celtics References 2 Celtics on Database Basketball Celtics on Basketball Reference Boston 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