Actual Result: The upstart Warriors win their first title since the move West, sweeping the Bullets.
MVP: Bob McAdoo
East Semis: Celtics d. Rockets (4-1)
Bullets d. Braves (4-3)
West Semis: Bulls d. Kings (4-2)
Warriors d. Sonics (4-2)
Simulation: After 13 years the Celtics won the NBA Championship last season and again are in the final four. They'll take on Celtic Hall of Famer KC Jones and the Washington Bullets. The defending West Champion Bulls are also back, they've added future Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond in a deal with the Warriors, who they are taking on in the West Finals.
East Finals (April/May) Boston Celtics (60-22) v. Washington Bullets (60-22)
West Finals (April/May) Golden St Warriors (48-34) v. Chicago Bulls (47-35)
East Finals Game 1 (Boston) Celtics 109 Bullets 97
No team has ever played in 4 consecutive NBA Finals, the Celtics are 3 games from that accomplishment. Jo Jo White scores 24. Double/double for Dave Cowens, Don Nelson, Paul Silas. Elvin Hayes scores 28 with 11 boards in the loss. Phil Chenier scores 21.
East Finals Game 2 (DC) Bullets 113 Celtics 112 (OT)
Celtics by 5 with less than a minute left, Phil Chenier hits a one handed runner, after a Celtic miss, Elvin Hayes hits a turnaround with 14 seconds to play. Celtics by 1, Bullets foul Cowens - he hits 1, and at :00 Wes Unseld in traffic beats the buzzer to force OT. Celtics led by as many as 5 in OT, led by 3 with a minute left when Unseld scores from down low. Celtics miss and with 20 seconds left Phil Chenier scores from the block and the Bullets had their first lead since the first quarter. Cowens misses at the buzzer and the Bullets had tied the series. 27 pts for Chenier to lead the Bullets. Unseld and Elvin Hayes both double/doubled. 23 and 16 for Cowens in the loss. Jo Jo White scored 20.
East Finals Game 3 (Boston) Celtics 111 Bullets 109
Jo Jo White hits 2 FT with 3 seconds left and the Celtics take game 3. 26 points and 15 rebounds for Dave Cowens. 23 pts, 13 assists for Jo Jo White. John Havlicek scored 24. Phil Chenier leads for the Bullets with 27. Double/double for Elvin Hayes and Nick Weatherspoon.
East Finals Game 4 (DC) Bullets 107 Celtics 94
Home teams have won all 4 games and its 2-2. Elvin Hayes scores 26 to lead the Bullets. 22 for Mike Riordan. Double/double for Wes Unseld. Dave Cowens is 25-13 for the Celts. Paul Silas double/double.
East Finals Game 5 (Boston) Bullets 112 Celtics 98
The Bullets take game 5 in Boston and now head home 1 win away from winning the East and heading to the NBA Finals. Phil Chenier leads the Bullets with 28. 25 for Mike Riordan. 22 boards for Wes Unseld. Double/double for Elvin Hayes and Nick Weatherspoon. Havlicek scores 16 to lead the Celtics. Double/double for Cowens and Silas.
East Finals Game 6 (DC) Bullets 114 Celtics 107
The Celtics do not win their 4th straight East title- the Bullets won the BAA Title in 1948, 27 years later they are going to the NBA Finals. Huge Elvin Hayes game, 33 pts, 13 boards. Phil Chenier scores 28 and is the series MVP. Unseld double/double. Cowens is 30-17 in the loss.
West Finals Game 1 (GSt) Warriors 121 Bulls 111
The Warriors take game 1. Rick Barry was unstoppable, 41 points and 10 rebounds. 21 for Jamaal Wilkes. Bob Love scored 26 in the loss. 23 for Jerry Sloan, 21 for Chet Walker. Norm Van Lier triple double, 15 pts, 10 boards, 10 assists.
West Finals Game 2 (Chicago) Bulls 128 Warriors 98
The series shifts to Chicago for games 2-3 and the Bulls even it up. 41 for Bob Love with 10 rebounds. Chet Walker scores 20. Tom Boerwinkle triple doubles, 14 pts, 13 boards, 10 assists. Jerry Sloan double/double. Rick Barry has 24 in the loss. 22 for Jeff Mullins, Clifford Ray double/double.
West Finals Game 3 (Chicago) Bulls 105 Warriors 100
The Bulls take both in Chicago and we are two games away from a Bulls/Bullets NBA Finals. Norm Van Lier drops 32. 20 for Walker, double/double for Nate Thurmond against his old club. Rick Barry scores 27 in the loss. Double/double for Jamaal Wilkes.
West Finals Game 4 (GSt) Bulls 107 Warriors 98
Chicago moves within a game of going back to the NBA Finals. 26 points and 12 assist for Van Lier, 23 for Bob Love. Double/double for Walker. Rick Barry scores 30 for the Warriors. Double/double for Clifford Ray.
West Finals Game 5 (GSt) Bulls 121 Warriors 111
The Chicago Bulls win the West in back to back seasons and we have turned the page from all the seasons of Knicks/Celtics/Lakers - it's Bulls v. Bullets for the NBA Championship. It's Chet Walker, in his final season, who leads with 31 in this one. 29 for Bob Love, he is the series MVP. 20 for Van Lier and a double/double for Tom Boerwinkle. 37 for Rick Barry in the loss.
NBA FINALS (May) WASHINGTON BULLETS v. CHICAGO BULLS
The Chicago Stags lost the first BAA Finals - 37 years later the city of Chicago returned to the Finals, getting swept by the Celtics. A year later, the Bulls are back. Chet Walker is 34, headed to the Hall of Fame, a 2 time Champion with the Sixers, he is retiring after the season. Joining him on the front line is Bob Love, West Finals MVP, 32 years old, second team All Defense. Splitting time in the middle is 33 year old future Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond, playing in his only full season with the Bulls, he gets dealt early next year to the Cavs - and Tom Boerwinkle, 29 years old his minutes have increased during the postseason. In the backcourt, 27 year old Norm Van Lier, second team All Defense, and first team All Defense 32 year old Jerry Sloan.
The Bullets were in Baltimore when they won the second BAA Title in '48, they moved to DC last season. They've got two future Hall of Famers on the front line, Wes Unseld is 28, he will spend his entire career as a Bullet. Rookie of the Year in '69, he was named to his 5th All Star team this year. Elvin Hayes is 29, he finished second to Unseld as a rookie with the Rockets, was acquired a couple of seasons prior by the Bullets for Jack Marin. Hayes was 3rd in the MVP vote this season. Mike Riordan and Nick Weatherspoon split time at the other forward spot. In the backcourt, 24 year old Phil Chenier was 2nd Team All NBA in what will turn out to be his career best season. 24 year old Kevin Porter runs the point.
BULLETS
HC-KC Jones
C Wes Unseld (28) All Star
F Elvin Hayes (29) 3rd MVP, 1st Team All NBA
F Nick Weatherspoon (24)
G Kevin Porter (24)
G Phil Chenier (24) 2nd Team All NBA
F Mike Riordan (29)
BULLS
HC-Dick Motta
C Tom Boerwinkle (29)
F Bob Love (32)
F Chet Walker (34)
G Norm Van Lier (27)
G Jerry Sloan (32) 1st Team All Defense
C Nate Thurmond (33)
NBA Finals Game 1 (DC) Bullets 98 Bulls 88
One of the lowest scoring finals games in history, Elvin Hayes goes 21 and 12 in the win for the Bullets. 20 for Phil Chenier, 24 rebounds for Wes Unseld. In the loss, Jerry Sloan is 21 and 10. Double/double for Tom Boerwinkle. In his senior season at the University of Houston Hayes averaged 36 and 19.
NBA Finals Game 2 (Chicago) Bullets 104 Bulls 95
The Bulls were swept in last year's Finals, it was only the second sweep in Finals history - and they go down 2-0 this year. Mike Riordan drops 28 for the Bullets. Kevin Porter 27 as the future Hall of Famers play supporting scoring roles, Unseld does add 22 boards and Hayes double/doubles. Jerry Sloan leads for Chicago with 18 pts and 10 rebounds. Riordan has Finals experience, he was on that Knicks team that lost 3 straight Finals. He was dealt here three years ago as part of the Earl Monroe deal.
NBA Finals Game 3 (Chicago) Bullets 95 Bulls 81
The Bullets go up 3-0 and will head home for games 4 and 5, just one win away from their first Championship since 1948. 23 and 13 for Hayes, double/double for Unseld. For the Bulls, double/double for Sloan and Love.
NBA Finals Game 4 (DC) Bullets 114 Bulls 102
The Bulls get swept in back to back NBA Finals - the Washington Bullets are World Champions. Phil Chenier scores 33, Kevin Porter 25 with 11 assists. Mike Riordan scores 21, 21 rebounds for Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes double/doubles and is the Finals MVP. Bob Love scores 33 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)
1975 Washington Bullets d. Chicago Bulls (4-0) MVP Elvin Hayes (PF, 29)
