1971–72 Boston Celtics season

1971–72 Boston Celtics season
Division champions
Head coach	Tom Heinsohn
General manager	Red Auerbach
Arena	Boston Garden
Results
Record	56–26 (.683)
Place	Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East Conference Finals (Lost to Knicks 1–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WSMW-TV
Radio	WBZ

The 1971–72 NBA season was the Celtics' 26th season in the NBA.

Draft picks

Main article: 1971 NBA draft

This table only displays picks through the second round.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	10	Clarence Glover	SF	United States	Western Kentucky
2	28	Jim Rose	PG/SG	United States	Western Kentucky

Roster

Boston Celtics roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SG 12 Chaney, Don 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Houston F/C 18 Cowens, Dave 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Florida State C 29 Finkel, Hank 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Dayton G/F 17 Havlicek, John 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 203 lb (92 kg) Ohio State F/C 11 Kuberski, Steve 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Bradley G 20 Morgan, Rex 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jacksonville F 19 Nelson, Don 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Iowa C 33 Smith, Garfield 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Eastern Kentucky G 10 White, Jo Jo 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Kansas SF 16 Sanders, Satch 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) New York G 7 Williams, Art 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) CSPU

Head coach Tom Heinsohn Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Atlantic Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
y-Boston Celtics	56	26	.683	–	32–9	21–16	3–1	15–3
x-New York Knicks	48	34	.585	8	27–14	20–19	1–1	11–7
Philadelphia 76ers	30	52	.366	26	14–23	14–26	2–3	6–12
Buffalo Braves	22	60	.268	34	13–27	8–31	1–2	4–14

#	Eastern Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT
1	z-Boston Celtics	56	26	.683
2	y-Baltimore Bullets	38	44	.463
3	x-New York Knicks	48	34	.585
4	x-Atlanta Hawks	36	46	.439
5	Philadelphia 76ers	30	52	.366
5	Cincinnati Royals	30	52	.366
7	Cleveland Cavaliers	23	59	.280
8	Buffalo Braves	22	60	.268

z = clinched division title

y = clinched division title

x = clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1971–72 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CIN	CLE	DET	GSW	HOU	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SEA
Atlanta	—	2–4	0–4	4–2	0–5	3–3	4–2	3–2	3–2	1–4	0–5	2–3	3–1	3–3	3–2	4–0	1–4
Baltimore	4–2	—	2–2	3–3	1–4	4–2	1–5	3–2	1–4	3–2	1–4	0–5	2–4	4–0	4–1	3–1	2–3
Boston	4–0	2–2	—	6–0	3–2	4–2	5–1	5–0	2–3	5–0	1–4	2–3	3–3	6–0	2–3	4–0	2–3
Buffalo	2–4	3–3	0–6	—	1–3	3–3	4–2	2–4	1–3	0–4	0–4	0–4	1–5	3–3	0–4	2–4	0–4
Chicago	5–0	4–1	2–3	3–1	—	3–1	4–0	5–1	3–3	5–1	1–3	2–4	3–2	4–1	5–1	6–0	2–3
Cincinnati	3–3	2–4	2–4	3–3	1–3	—	6–2	2–3	2–3	0–4	1–4	0–5	2–2	2–2	2–3	2–2	0–5
Cleveland	2–4	5–1	1–5	2–4	0–4	2–6	—	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–3	0–4	1–5	2–4	0–4	4–2	0–4
Detroit	2–3	2–3	0–5	4–2	1–5	3–2	3–1	—	0–5	3–3	1–4	1–5	1–4	1–4	2–4	2–2	0–4
Golden State	2–3	4–1	3–2	3–1	3–3	3–2	4–0	5–0	—	5–1	1–5	2–2	2–3	4–1	2–3	4–2	4–2
Houston	4–1	2–3	0–5	4–0	1–5	4–0	2–2	3–3	1–5	—	1–5	0–5	0–5	4–1	1–3	4–2	3–3
Los Angeles	5–0	4–1	4–1	4–0	3–1	4–1	3–1	4–1	5–1	5–1	—	4–1	4–1	5–0	4–2	6–0	5–1
Milwaukee	3–2	5–0	3–2	4–0	4–2	5–0	4–0	5–1	2–2	5–0	1–4	—	2–3	4–1	4–2	6–0	6–0
New York	1–3	4–2	3–3	5–1	2–3	2–2	5–1	4–1	3–2	5–0	1–4	3–2	—	3–3	1–4	3–1	3–2
Philadelphia	3–3	0–4	0–6	3–3	1–4	2–2	4–2	4–1	1–4	1–4	0–5	1–4	3–3	—	1–4	2–2	4–1
Phoenix	2–3	1–4	3–2	4–0	1–5	3–2	4–0	4–2	3–2	3–1	2–4	2–4	4–1	4–1	—	6–0	3–2
Portland	0–4	1–3	0–4	4–2	0–6	2–2	2–4	2–2	2–4	2–4	0–6	0–6	1–3	2–2	0–6	—	0–6
Seattle	4–1	3–2	3–2	4–0	3–2	5–0	4–0	4–0	2–4	3–3	1–5	0–6	2–3	1–4	2–3	6–0	—

Playoffs

East Conference Semifinals

(A1) Boston Celtics vs. (C2) Atlanta Hawks: Celtics win series 4-2

• Game 1 @ Boston: Boston 126, Atlanta 108
• Game 2 @ Atlanta: Atlanta 113, Boston 104
• Game 3 @ Boston: Boston 136, Atlanta 113
• Game 4 @ Atlanta: Atlanta 112, Boston 110
• Game 5 @ Boston: Boston 124, Atlanta 114
• Game 6 @ Atlanta: Boston 127, Atlanta 118

East Conference Finals

(A1) Boston Celtics vs. (A2) New York Knicks: Knicks win series 4-1

• Game 1 @ Boston: New York 116, Boston 94
• Game 2 @ New York: New York 106, Boston 105
• Game 3 @ Boston: Boston 115, New York 109
• Game 4 @ New York: New York 116, Boston 98
• Game 5 @ Boston: New York 111, Boston 103

Awards and records

• John Havlicek, All-NBA First Team
• John Havlicek, NBA All-Defensive First Team
• Don Chaney, NBA All-Defensive Second Team