Actual Result: It's the Celtics, winning their first title in 5 years, beating Kareem's Bucks in 7.
MVP: Kareem Abdul Jabbar
East Semis: Celtics d. Braves (4-2)
Knicks d. Bullets (4-3)
West Semis: Bulls d. Pistons (4-3)
Bucks d. Lakers (4-1)
Simulation: There wont be another Lakers threepeat, they lose to the Bucks in the West semis to end Jerry West's career; it's Oscar Robertson's final season. The Bucks face Chet Walker and the Bulls. In the East - of course - it's Knicks v. Celtics, it's always Knicks v. Celtics, either the Knicks or Celtics has lost the last 6 NBA Finals.
East Finals (April) Boston Celtics (56-26) v. New York Knicks (49-33)
West Finals (April) Milwaukee Bucks (59-23) v. Chicago Bulls (54-28)
East Finals Game 1 (Boston) Celtics 122 Knicks 102
The Celtics look to win their 3rd straight East Title and take game 1. 22 pts and 10 rebounds for John Havlicek. 21 and 13 for Dave Cowens. Double/double for Don Nelson. High scorer for the Knicks is Henry Bibby, with 16 points in 15 minutes.
East Finals Game 2 (NY) Celtics 123 Knicks 103
Boston rolls on the road and goes up 2-0. Jo Jo White leads the way with 31. 23 and 21 for Dave Cowens. Double/double for Don Nelson and Paul Silas. Bill Bradley scores 19 for the Knicks, double/double for Dave DeBusschere.
East Finals Game 3 (Boston) Celtics 109 Knicks 105
Boston goes up 3-0, they're a game from their 3rd consecutive East Title, which follows the Knicks 3 consecutive East Titles. 26 pts/20 rebounds for Dave Cowens 26 for Don Nelson. Havlicek scores 22, double double for Silas. 30 pts and 10 assists for Walt Frazier in the loss. Double/double for Phil Jackson and John Gianelli, both starting with Reed/DeBusschere coming off the bench.
East Finals Game 4 (NY) Celtics 103 Knicks 92
The Celtics sweep the Knicks and head to their 3rd consecutive NBA Finals, their last NBA Championship was in '61, 13 years prior. 24 for Jo Jo White, Don Chaney has 23 and 11. Double/double for Dave Cowens and he is the series MVP. Walt Frazier triple double in the Knicks loss.
West Finals Game 1 (Milwaukee) Bulls 107 Bucks 99
The Bulls take game 1 on the road. Chet Walker is the high man with 25. 24 and 12 boards for Norm Van Lier. 24 for Bob Love. Clifford Ray double/double. Huge triple double for Kareem in the loss. 38-11-11. Double/double for Bob Dandridge
West Finals Game 2 (Chicago) Bucks 119 Bulls 94
First ever conference final in Chicago, they get hammered by the Bucks. Bob Dandridge leads with 23, Cornell Warner goes 21 and 13. Kareem scores 20, a rare Bucks win when he is just a component and not the leader. Bob Love scores 25 for Chicago. 16 and 11 assists for Norm Van Lier.
West Finals Game 3 (Milwaukee) Bulls 100 Bucks 85
The road team wins each of the first 3 games. Bob Love leads the way for Chicago with 20 and 11. Clifford Ray double/double. 19 for Dandridge in the loss. Double/double for Kareem and Warner.
West Finals Game 4 (Chicago) Bulls 112 Bucks 101
The Chicago Bulls are one game away from their first NBA Finals. Chet Walker scores 29. 24 for Bob Love. Clifford Ray double/double. Dandridge goes 23 and 10 in the loss, 21 for Warner. Double/double for Kareem.
West Finals Game 5 (Milwaukee) Bucks 116 Bulls 94
The Bucks take game 5 and we head to Chicago, the Bulls having a chance to clinch the West on their home floor. Kareem breaks through with 36 and 19. 20 for Dandridge. Warner double/double. 33-14 for Love, he's been the best player in the series. 20 with 10 assists for Van Lier.
West Finals Game 6 (Chicago) Bulls 121 Bucks 109
It is done - the Chicago Bulls upset the Milwaukee Bucks and head to the NBA Finals to take on the Boston Celtics in the final game of the NBA career of Oscar Robertson. 27 pts and 10 assists for Norm Van Lier. 23 for Walker, Bob Love wins the series MVP, 20 pts, 10 rebounds. Clifford Ray double/double. Kareem scores 28 in the loss.
NBA FINALS (April/May) BOSTON CELTICS v. CHICAGO BULLS
The hard luck Celtics return to the NBA Finals, they do have 4 NBA titles ('53, '57, '58, '61) but have lost the NBA Finals in '55, '60, '62, '66, '68, '72, '73. This is their 12th Finals appearance. John Havlicek is 33, it's his 4th straight year as 1st Team All NBA. Dave Cowens is 25, it's his second straight top 4 MVP finish. Backcourt mates Jo Jo White and Don Chaney are both 27, White was an All Star, Chaney second team all Defense. 30 year olf Paul Silas is the fifth starter, the veteran Don Nelson and young Paul Westphal are both in the rotation. It is the first ever Finals appearance for the Bulls, their top player this year was Norm Van Lier, 26 year old point guard, second team All NBA. He shares a backcourt with 31 year old Jerry Sloan, Sloan missed the conference final but brings his first team all defense performance into this one. 33 year old Chet Walker was an All Star for the 7th time this year, he is in his penultimate NBA season; 31 year old Bob Love was conference finals MVP, second team all defense. The center is 25 year old Clifford Ray and he is off to the Warriors after the season in a huge deal for Nate Thurmond.
CELTICS
HC-Tom Heinsohn
C Dave Cowens (25) 4th MVP
F Paul Silas (30)
F John Havelicek (33) 1st Team All NBA
G Jo Jo White (27) All Star
G Don Chaney (27)
F Don Nelson (33)
BULLS
HC-Dick Motta
C Clifford Ray (25)
F Bob Love (31)
F Chet Walker (33) All Star
G Norm Van Lier (26) 2nd Team All NBA
G Jerry Sloan (31) 1st Team All Defense
G Bob Weiss (31)
NBA Finals Game 1 (Boston) Celtics 102 Bulls 91
The Celtics take game 1 at home. Big game for John Havlicek, 34 pts. This is Hondo's 12th season, he'll play 16, all in Boston. Dave Cowens had 23 rebounds. Bob Love scored 24 in the loss. 21 for Chet Walker, double/double for Norm Van Lier.
NBA Finals Game 2 (Boston) Celtics 134 Bulls 100
The Celtics have not won an NBA Championship in 13 years - but they dominate in game 2 and are now 2 games away. Dave Cowens scores 25 with 23 rebounds. Cowens will be an All Star in 9 of his 10 Celtics seasons. 24 points and 10 boards for Don Nelson, 21 pts and 10 assists for Jo Jo White. Chet Walker leads the Bulls with 19.
NBA Finals Game 3 (Chicago) Celtics 116 Bulls 108
Boston goes up 3-0, all the heartbreak the Celtics have been through with 5 Finals losses since their last win could be coming to an end. Havlicek scores 30. Cowens has 28 pts and 17 boards. Double/double for Paul Silas. Chet Walker scores 28 in the loss, Walker's a 2 time champion with the Sixers, dealt to the Bulls five seasons prior. 27 and 13 for Love. Double/double for Jerry Sloan.
NBA Finals Game 4 (Chicago) Celtics 113 Bulls 111
Chet Walker hit a long jumper with 10 seconds to play to tie the score - Cowens was fouled with 2 seconds left, hit both shots and the Boston Celtics are the Champions of the World. Jo Jo White scores 29. 22 and 10 assists for Havlicek, he is the Finals MVP. Double/double for Cowens. Walker scores 32 in the loss.
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)
1971 Milwaukee Bucks d. New York Knicks (4-3) MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar (C, 23)
1972 Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-3) MVP Jerry West (PG, 33)
1973 Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-1) MVP Jim McMillan (SF 24)
1974 Boston Celtics d. Chicago Bulls (4-0) MVP John Havlicek (SF 33)
