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Actual Result: The Knicks win the NBA Championship, beating the Lakers in 7.
MVP: Willis Reed
East Semis: Milwaukee Bucks d. Philadelphia 76ers (4-1)
New York Knicks d. Baltimore Bullets (4-3)
West Semis: Atlanta Hawks d. Chicago Bulls (4-1)
Los Angeles Lakers d. Phoenix Suns (4-3)
Simulation: The Lakers won 4 titles in the 40s and 50s, moved to LA and won 4 more in the 60s, they are the unquestioned most dominant franchise in NBA history. They enter the 70s as back to back champions looking to become the first ever team to win 3 straight. They'll face the Hawks in a rematch of last year's West Finals - and in the East it is Sixers v. Knicks as the Celtics did not make the postseason.
East Finals (April) New York Knicks (60-22) v. Milwaukee Bucks (56-26)
West Finals (April) Atlanta Hawks (48-34) v. Los Angeles Lakers (46-36)
East Finals Game 1 (New York) Knicks 143 Bucks 116
The Knicks look to return to the NBA Finals and roll through the Bucks in game 1. 29 for Bill Bradley to lead the way. 26 for Walt Frazier. 20 pts and 15 assists from Dave DeBusschere. A double/double for Willis Reed. Milwaukee's rookie center is Kareem Abdul Jabbar and he scores 27.
East Finals Game 2 (New York) Knicks 117 Bucks 106
Big effort for Willis Reed, 33 pts, 14 boards. DeBusschere double/double. 20-17 for Kareem in the loss, 20-18 for Greg Smith.
East Finals Game 3 (Milwaukee) Knicks 123 Bucks 101
The Knicks are a game away from heading right back to the NBA Finals. 22 points and 11 rebounds for Frazier, an assist away from a triple double. 20 pts and 18 rebounds for Reed. Bill Bradley scored 21. Double/double for Kareem and Jon McGlocklin.
East Finals Game 4 (Milwaukee) Bucks 125 Knicks 102
No sweep in this series, Milwaukee forces game 5. Kareem has the big game, 39 points, 22 boards. Greg Smith double/double. Double/double for DeBusschere in the loss.
East Finals Game 5 (New York) Knicks 116 Bucks 88
Easy game 5 - the Knicks win the East and go back to the NBA Finals in consecutive seasons. 20 and 10 for Willis Reed, he's the series MVP. Bill Bradley scores 20. Double/double for Dave DeBusschere and Nate Bowman. Double/double for Kareem in the loss.
West Finals Game 1 (Atlanta) Lakers 126 Hawks 120
The only team to play in 3 consecutive Finals is the Celtics ('60-'62) and no team has ever had a chance to threepeat, the back to back champion Lakers are a game from heading back to the Finals. Wilt Chamberlain blows through the Hawks, 48 pts, 23 boards. 22 and 11 for Elgin Baylor. 22 and 10 assists for Jerry West. Lou Hudson had a great West Finals against the Lakers last year, he opens with 31 in a loss. 21 pts and 10 assists for former Laker Walt Hazzard. 22 for Joe Caldwell. 25 rebounds for Walt Bellamy. Double/double for Bill Bridges.
West Finals Game 2 (Atlanta) Hawks 127 Lakers 117
The Hawks even the series. 37 more for Lou Hudson, Joe Caldwell scores 23. Double/double for Bellamy, Bridges, Hazzard. Wilt goes 32-22 in the loss. 25 for West. Baylor double/double.
West Finals Game 3 (LA) Hawks 120 Lakers 109
The Hawks take game 3 in LA and now lead 2-1. 32 more for Lou Hudson, is Lou Hudson about to lead the Atlanta Hawks to the 1970 NBA Finals? Butch Beard gets a start and scores 25. 23 rebounds for Walt Bellamy, a double/double for Joe Caldwell. Jerry West scores 26 in the loss. 21 and 10 for Wilt. Double/double for Baylor.
West Finals Game 4 (LA) Lakers 108 Hawks 99
The Lakers even the series as we head back to Atlanta for game 5. Wilt goes 28 and 12. Happy Hairston gets a start and he double/doubles. Joe Caldwell scores 22. Double/double for Walt Bellamy.
West Finals Game 5 (Atlanta) Lakers 125 Hawks 118 (OT)
Down 4 with 90 seconds left in regulation the Hawks were unable to score and Jerry West hit two long jumpers to force OT, the Lakers pull away and now we go back to LA, the Lakers one game from their third straight West Title. The big 3 won this for the Lakers: 37 pts and 10 assists for West. Wilt has a triple double, 25 pts, 21 boards, 10 blocks. Baylor has a triple double. 27 pts, 18 boards, 15 assists. Double/double for Hairston. 35 for Lou Hudson in the loss, 20 and 25 for Bill Bridges. 23 for Caldwell - the Hawks had their own triple double, 15 pts, 18 boards, 10 assists.
West Finals Game 6 (LA) Lakers 128 Hawks 109
The Lakers win the West and head to the NBA Finals with the first opportunity any team has ever had to threepeat, to do that, they will need to again beat the New York Knicks. Wilt is the series MVP, 34 pts, 21 boards. West scores 32. Baylor scores 20, all 3 men were on the All-Decade playoff team for the 60s, all start the 70s with a big playoff run. Another double/double for Hairston who has been a big success since moving into the lineup during the series. Bridges goes 21-10 in the loss.
NBA FINALS (April/May) NEW YORK KNICKS v. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
8 Championships for the Lakers, none for the Knicks. This is the Lakers 13th Finals appearance, it is the third for the Knicks. Can the Lakers invent the threepeat?
KNICKS
HC-Red Holzman
C Willis Reed (27) MVP, 1st Team All NBA
PF Dave DeBusschere (29) All Star
SF Bill Bradley (26)
PG Walt Frazier (24) 4th MVP, 1st Team All NBA
SG Dick Barnett (33)
LAKERS
HC-Joe Mullaney
C Wilt Chamberlain (33)
PF Happy Hairston (27)
SF Elgin Baylor (35) All Star
PG Jerry West (31) 2nd MVP, 1st Team All NBA
SG Dick Garrett (23)
NBA Finals Game 1 (NY) Knicks 127 Lakers 114
The Knicks are looking to avenge their lost last year to LA and win their first ever NBA Championship. They're off to a good start. 25 points and 10 rebounds for Willis Reed. The Lakers dealt Dick Barnett to the Knicks for Bob Boozer in '65, now he's in the Knicks backcourt and he scores 22. Double/double for Dave DeBusschere and Walt Frazier. Jerry West scores 28 in the loss. Double/double for Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Finals Game 2 (NY) Knicks 130 Lakers 126
The Lakers trailed by as many as a dozen in the 4th quarter, but with a minute left Wilt was fouled on a dunk, cutting the deficit to 1 -- he missed the FT and the Lakers couldn't get any closer, losing by 4. All 5 Knicks starters score 20+. 26 with 13 rebounds for DeBusschere, 24 for Barnett, 22 for Frazier, 21 for Bill Bradley and 20 points/18 rebounds for Willis Reed. Wilt goes 33-16 in the defeat. 26 pts, 13 assists for West. 29 for Baylor.
NBA Finals Game 3 (LA) Lakers 126 Knicks 124
Bill Bradley hit a 16 footer with 12 seconds left to tie the game at 124, the Knicks fouled Wilt - he hit both FT and the Lakers had their first win in the series. 35 points and 21 rebounds for Chamberlain. Wilt's 33 and will play just 3 more seasons. Another big game for West, 38 pts, 11 assists. Double/double for Baylor. 28-19 for Reed in the loss. 26-20 for DeBusschere. Bradley scored 23. Double/double for Clyde.
NBA Finals Game 4 (LA) Lakers 120 Knicks 112
Huge game for the Dipper, 35 pts, 25 boards and the Lakers take both on their home floor. 33 for West. Double/double for Baylor. Reed goes 37-18 in the defeat. Double/double for DeBusschere.
NBA Finals Game 5 (NY) Knicks 126 Lakers 119
With just 13 minutes from Willis Reed the Knicks take game 5 and are 1 game away from their first NBA Championship. Dick Barnett again leads the Knicks in scoring with 32 points. 29 and 11 for Walt Frazier. 21 rebounds for Debusschere. 27 points and 10 assists for Jerry West, 28 for Baylor, 22-20 for Wilt.
NBA Finals Game 6 (LA) Lakers 130 Knicks 114
No Willie Reed and the Knicks get blown out meaning we get a game 7. Wilt with the huge triple double. 27 pts, 16 boards, and a Finals record 13 blocks. West leads in scoring with 32. 20 and 11 for Baylor. Double/double for Keith Erickson. Cazzie Russell leads the Knicks with 20 pts. Double/double for DeBusschere.
The two greatest words in sports - Game Seven, we head to Madison Square Garden.
NBA Finals Game 7 (NY) Lakers 121 Knicks 118
Knicks by 12 as the 4th quarter started. The lead was still 10 with 10 minutes left. Down to 7 with 8 to play. Elgin Baylor hit a runner in the lane with just under 6 left to cut the deficit to 3. At 4:30, West hit a pull up from 25 and the Lakers had their first lead of the quarter. with 2 left, back to back Wilt dunks gave the Lakers a 4 point lead. Bradley scored twice from the wing, surrounding a Wilt FT and the Lakers led by a point with a minute left. Wilt finger roll, Lakers by 3. Frazier went bank, Lakers by 1 with 30 seconds to play. Wilt missed from the paint - but Dick Garrett - Dick Garrett - in his only season with the Lakers - was there with the follow, LA led by 3 with 12 seconds to go. Bradley scored, West hit foul shots and it was done. A Game 7 Triple double for Wilt, who wins his 4th NBA Finals MVP, 37 pts, 33 rebounds, 10 blocks. West scores 22. 26 for Barnett in the loss.
The Los Angeles Lakers win their 3rd straight NBA Championship, the 9th in franchise history.
NBA Finals History
1947 (BAA): Philadelphia Warriors d. Chicago Stags (4-1)
1948 (BAA): Baltimore Bullets d. Philadelphia Warriors (4-2)
1949 (BAA): Minneapolis Lakers d. Washington Capitols (4-2)
1950: Minneapolis Lakers d. Syracuse Nationals (4-2)
1951: Rochester Royals d. New York Knicks (4-3)
1952: Rochester Royals d. Syracuse Nationals (4-3) - MVP: Jack Coleman (PF 27 yrs)
1953: Boston Celtics d. Minneapolis Lakers (4-3) - MVP: Bob Cousy (PG, 24)Back
1954: Minneapolis Lakers d. Syracuse Nationals (4-2) - MVP: George Mikan (C, 29)
1955: Minneapolis Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-3) - MVP: Clyde Lovellette (C, 25)
1956: Philadelphia Warriors d. St Louis Hawks (4-0) - MVP: Neil Johnston (C, 26)
1957: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-2) - MVP Bob Pettit (C, 24)
1958: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-1) - MVP Bob Cousy (PG, 29)
1959: Syracuse Nationals d. Minneapolis Lakers (4-1) - MVP Dolph Schayes (PF, 30)
1950s Playoffs All NBA
1st Team
C George Mikan (Lakers)
F Bob Pettit (Hawks) - Playoff Player of the Decade
F Dolph Schayes (Nationals)
G Bob Cousy (Lakers)
G Bill Sharman (Lakers)
2nd Team
C Bill Russell (Lakers)
F Neil Johnston (Warriors)
F Clyde Lovellette (Lakers)
G Slater Martin (Lakers/Hawks)
G Paul Seymour (Nationals)
1960: St Louis Hawks d. Boston Celtics (4-2) - MVP Bob Pettit (PF, 27)
1961: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-0) - MVP Bill Russell (C, 26)
1962: Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-2) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 27)
1963: Cincinnati Royals d. Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) MVP Oscar Robertson (PG, 24)
1964: San Francisco Warriors d. Cincinnati Royals (4-3) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 27)
1965 Philadelphia 76ers d. Los Angeles Lakers (4-3) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 28)
1966 Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-3) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 31)
1967 Philadelphia 76ers d. San Francisco Warriors (4-2) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 30)
1968 Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-2) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 33)
1969 Los Angeles Lakers d. New York Knicks (4-1) MVP Jerry West (SG, 30)
1960s Playoffs All NBA
1st Team
C Wilt Chamberlain (Warriors/Sixers/Lakers) Playoff Player of the Decade
F Elgin Baylor (Lakers)
F John Havlicek (Celtics)
G Jerry West (Lakers)
G Sam Jones (Celtics)
2nd Team
C Bill Russell (Celtics)
F Bob Pettit (Hawks)
F Chet Walker (Sixers)
G Oscar Robertson (Royals)
G Hal Greer (Sixers)
1970 Los Angeles Lakers d. New York Knicks (4-3) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 33)
