1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season

1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coach	Bill Fitch
Arena	Cleveland Arena
Results
Record	32–50 (.390)
Place	Division: 4th (Central) Conference: 6th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	DNQ
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WEWS-TV
Radio	WERE

The 1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the third season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 32–50 record, finishing last in the Central Division and 6th Eastern Conference. This was the 2nd consecutive year with a total win increase. Lenny Wilkens led the team in assists and was named an All-Star.

Offseason

Trades

August 23: Guard Lenny Wilkens and forward Barry Clemens obtained from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for guard Butch Beard.

September 21: Cavaliers trade the rights to 1971 second-round draft choice Steve Hawes to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a future undisclosed draft choice.

Draft picks

Main article: 1972 NBA Draft

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division

Team	W	L	PCT.	GB
Baltimore Bullets	52	30	.634	–
Atlanta Hawks	46	36	.561	6
Houston Rockets	33	49	.402	19
Cleveland Cavaliers	32	50	.390	20

Record vs. opponents

1972–73 NBA records
Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CLE	DET	GSW	HOU	KCO	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SEA
Atlanta	—	3–4	1–5	5–1	2–2	3–4	2–2	1–3	4–4	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–3	6–0	3–1	4–0	3–1
Baltimore	4–3	—	1–5	5–1	0–4	8–0	2–2	3–1	5–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–3	5–1	2–2	4–0	4–0
Boston	5–1	5–1	—	7–0	3–1	5–1	3–1	3–1	5–1	3–1	4–0	2–2	4–4	7–0	4–0	4–0	4–0
Buffalo	1–5	1–5	0–7	—	2–2	1–5	1–3	0–4	1–5	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–6	7–1	1–3	2–2	2–2
Chicago	2–2	4–0	1–3	2–2	—	3–1	3–4	3–3	4–0	5–2	1–5	2–4	3–1	4–0	4–2	5–1	5–1
Cleveland	4–3	0–8	1–5	5–1	1–3	—	1–3	1–3	4–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–6	6–0	1–3	1–3	3–1
Detroit	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	4–3	3–1	—	2–4	1–3	3–3	1–5	2–5	1–3	3–1	4–2	6–0	2–4
Golden State	3–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	3–3	3–1	4–2	—	3–1	4–2	3–4	1–5	2–2	4–0	2–4	5–1	4–3
Houston	4–4	2–5	1–5	5–1	0–4	3–4	3–1	1–3	—	0–4	1–3	1–3	1–5	5–1	2–2	2–2	2–2
Kansas City-Omaha	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–5	2–2	3–3	2–4	4–0	—	1–5	1–6	0–4	3–1	3–3	4–2	4–2
Los Angeles	1–3	3–1	0–4	4–0	5–1	3–1	5–1	4–3	3–1	5–1	—	3–3	2–2	4–0	6–1	6–0	6–0
Milwaukee	3–1	2–2	2–2	4–0	4–2	3–1	5–2	5–1	3–1	6–1	3–3	—	2–2	3–1	5–1	5–1	5–1
New York	3–3	3–3	4–4	6–1	1–3	6–0	3–1	2–2	5–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	—	6–1	3–1	3–1	4–0
Philadelphia	0–6	1–5	0–7	1–7	0–4	0–6	1–3	0–4	1–5	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–6	—	0–4	1–3	1–3
Phoenix	1–3	2–2	0–4	3–1	2–4	3–1	2–4	4–2	2–2	3–3	1–6	1–5	1–3	4–0	—	5–2	4–2
Portland	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–5	3–1	0–6	1–5	2–2	2–4	0–6	1–5	1–3	3–1	2–5	—	3–4
Seattle	1–3	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–5	1–3	4–2	3–4	2–2	2–4	0–6	1–5	0–4	3–1	2–4	4–3	—

Game log

1972–73 game log Total: 32–50 (Home: 20–21; Road: 10–27; Neutral: 2–2)
October: 3–8 (home: 2–5; road: 1–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
November : 5–8 (home: 3–2; road: 2–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 20 November 19, 1972 Atlanta W 109–98 Cleveland Arena 5,265 6–14
December : 2–12 (home: 2–6; road: 0–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 33 December 16, 1972 @ Atlanta L 94–100 The Omni 6,431 9–24 36 December 26, 1972 Atlanta W 115–96 Cleveland Arena 5,593 10–26
January : 9–5 (home: 5–1; road: 4–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 48 January 20, 1973 @ Atlanta L 84–96 The Omni 6,517 17–31
February : 5–9 (home: 3–5; road: 2–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 56 February 8, 1973 @ Atlanta W 136–132 (OT) The Omni 4,535 21–35 58 February 11, 1973 Atlanta L 107–115 Cleveland Arena 6,872 21–37
March : 8–8 (home: 5–2; road: 3–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 72 March 13, 1973 Atlanta W 115–107 Cleveland Arena 4,427 26–46
1972–73 schedule

Awards and records

• Dwight Davis, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

References

• Cleveland Cavaliers on Database Basketball
• Cleveland Cavaliers on Basketball Reference