1970 NBA Finals
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2016) |
| ||||||||||
| Dates | April 24 – May 8 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Willis Reed[1] (New York Knicks) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Knicks: Bill Bradley (1983) Dave DeBusschere (1983) Willis Reed (1982) Phil Jackson (2007, coach) Walt Frazier (1987) Lakers: Elgin Baylor (1977) Wilt Chamberlain (1979) Jerry West (1980) Coaches: Red Holzman (1986) Bill Sharman (1976, player/2004, coach) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Knicks defeat Bucks, 4–1 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Lakers defeat Hawks, 4–0 | |||||||||
The 1970 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1970 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1969–70 season. The Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks faced the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a best-of-seven series that the Knicks won 4 games to 3 for their first NBA title.
The final game of the series was named by ESPN in 2010 as the greatest-ever Game 7 in finals history, featuring a return from injury for Willis Reed.[2]
Background
Road to the Finals
| Los Angeles Lakers (Western Division Champion) | New York Knicks (Eastern Division Champion) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular season |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defeated the (4) Phoenix Suns, 4–3 | Division Semifinals | Defeated the (3) Baltimore Bullets, 4–3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defeated the (1) Atlanta Hawks, 4–0 | Division Finals | Defeated the (2) Milwaukee Bucks, 4–1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series summary
| Game | Home Team | Score | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | New York Knicks | 124–112 (1–0) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 2 | New York Knicks | 103–105 (1–1) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | 108–111 OT (1–2) | New York Knicks |
| Game 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | 121–115 OT (2–2) | New York Knicks |
| Game 5 | New York Knicks | 107–100 (3–2) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 6 | Los Angeles Lakers | 135–113 (3–3) | New York Knicks |
| Game 7 | New York Knicks | 113–99 (4–3) | Los Angeles Lakers |
Knicks win series 4–3
Source:[3]
Team rosters
References
- ^ "1970 NBA Finals: New York 4 L.A. Lakers 3". Encyclopedia Playoff Edition. NBA. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Reed's game vs. Lakers tops list". ESPN. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- ^ "1970 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Knicks". Basketball-Reference.com. SportsDirect. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
External links
- New York Times (April 25, 1970) Game 1: "Knicks Conquer Lakers, 124‐112, in First Game of N.B.A. Final at Garden"
- New York Times (April 29, 1970 Game 3: "HOME‐COURT EDGE TO LAKERS TONIGHT"
- New York Times (May 2, 1970) Game 4: "Lakers Overcome Knicks, 121‐115, in Overtime and Tie Final Series at 2‐2"
- New York Times (May 5, 1970) Game 5: "Their Big Man Out Early With an Injury, the Knicks Fight Back to Overcome Big Deficit"
- New York Times (May 7, 1970) Game 6: "Lakers Overwhelm Knicks, 135‐113, to Square Title Playoff Series at 3‐3"
- New York Times (May 9, 1970) Game 7: "Knicks Take First Title, Beating Lakers, 113 to 99"
| 1940s |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | ||
| 1960s | ||
| 1970s | ||
| 1980s | ||
| 1990s | ||
| 2000s | ||
| 2010s | ||
| 2020s | ||