1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season

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.

1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coachBill Fitch
ArenaCleveland Arena
Results
Record32–50 (.390)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Central)
Conference: 6th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWEWS-TV
RadioWERE

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
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Club team
1 3 Dwight Davis PF  United States Houston
2 24 Steve Hawes C  United States Washington
  • Note: This table only lists players drafted through the second round.

Roster
1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G 34 Carr, Austin 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Mar. 10, 1948 Notre Dame
G 5 Cleamons, Jim 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sep. 13, 1949 Ohio State
F 40 Clemens, Barry 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) May 1, 1943 Ohio Wesleyan
F 42 Davis, Dwight 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Oct. 28, 1949 Houston
F 32 Johnson, John 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Oct. 18, 1947 Iowa
C 50 Patterson, Steve 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jun. 24, 1948 UCLA
F/C 35 Roberson, Rick 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 231 lb (105 kg) Jul. 7, 1947 Cincinnati
C 45 Rule, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jun. 29, 1944 Colorado State
G/F 7 Smith, Bingo 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Feb. 26, 1946 Tulsa
F/C 15 Warner, Cornell 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Aug. 12, 1948 Jackson State
G 11 Warren, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul. 7, 1947 St. John's
G 19 Wilkens, Lenny 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Oct. 28, 1937 Providence
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings
Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Baltimore Bullets 5230.634–24–921–177–417–5
x-Atlanta Hawks 4636.561628–1317–231–010–12
Houston Rockets 3349.4021914–1410–289–79–13
Cleveland Cavaliers 3250.3902020–2110–272–28–14
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT
1 z-Boston Celtics6814.829
2 x-New York Knicks5725.695
3 y-Baltimore Bullets5230.634
4 x-Atlanta Hawks4636.561
5 Houston Rockets3349.402
6 Cleveland Cavaliers3250.390
7 Buffalo Braves2161.256
8 Philadelphia 76ers973.110

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 —3–41–55–12–23–42–21–34–42–23–11–33–36–03–14–03–1
Baltimore 4–3—1–55–10–48–02–23–15–23–11–32–23–35–12–24–04–0
Boston 5–15–1—7–03–15–13–13–15–13–14–02–24–47–04–04–04–0
Buffalo 1–51–50–7—2–21–51–30–41–51–30–40–41–67–11–32–22–2
Chicago 2–24–01–32–2—3–13–43–34–05–21–52–43–14–04–25–15–1
Cleveland 4–30–81–55–11–3—1–31–34–32–21–31–30–66–01–31–33–1
Detroit 2–22–21–33–14–33–1—2–41–33–31–52–51–33–14–26–02–4
Golden State 3–11–31–34–03–33–14–2—3–14–23–41–52–24–02–45–14–3
Houston 4–42–51–55–10–43–43–11–3—0–41–31–31–55–12–22–22–2
Kansas City-Omaha 2–21–31–33–12–52–23–32–44–0—1–51–60–43–13–34–24–2
Los Angeles 1–33–10–44–05–13–15–14–33–15–1—3–32–24–06–16–06–0
Milwaukee 3–12–22–24–04–23–15–25–13–16–13–3—2–23–15–15–15–1
New York 3–33–34–46–11–36–03–12–25–14–02–22–2—6–13–13–14–0
Philadelphia 0–61–50–71–70–40–61–30–41–51–30–41–31–6—0–41–31–3
Phoenix 1–32–20–43–12–43–12–44–22–23–31–61–51–34–0—5–24–2
Portland 0–40–40–42–21–53–10–61–52–22–40–61–51–33–12–5—3–4
Seattle 1–30–40–42–21–51–34–23–42–22–40–61–50–43–12–44–3—

Game log
1972–73 Game log
#DateOpponentScoreHigh pointsRecord
1October 10Baltimore102–90John Johnson (24)0–1
2October 13Houston109–108Austin Carr (40)0–2
3October 15Los Angeles95–83Austin Carr (26)0–3
4October 20New York92–89Austin Carr (22)0–4
5October 21@ Detroit96–103Rick Roberson (21)0–5
6October 22Milwaukee104–84Carr, C. Davis, Johnson (14)0–6
7October 24@ New York90–123Austin Carr (15)0–7
8October 25@ Philadelphia113–108Austin Carr (35)1–7
9October 27@ Boston97–123Lenny Wilkens (23)1–8
10October 29Kansas City–Omaha97–115Austin Carr (22)2–8
11October 31Philadelphia116–126Smith, Wilkens (27)3–8
12November 3Buffalo97–124Austin Carr (26)4–8
13November 4N Baltimore98–108Austin Carr (22)4–9
14November 5Phoenix107–106Lenny Wilkens (29)4–10
15November 8@ Phoenix99–107Austin Carr (26)4–11
16November 10@ Los Angeles88–118Lenny Wilkens (16)4–12
17November 12@ Seattle113–107Carr, Wilkens (22)5–12
18November 14@ Portland91–100Dwight Davis (21)5–13
19November 17@ Kansas City–Omaha96–115John Johnson (26)5–14
20November 19Atlanta98–109Austin Carr (26)6–14
21November 21Seattle88–98Austin Carr (31)7–14
22November 25@ Buffalo103–90Lenny Wilkens (20)8–14
23November 26Portland105–102Lenny Wilkens (29)8–15
24November 28@ New York84–107Lenny Wilkens (22)8–16
25December 1Detroit114–113Austin Carr (29)8–17
26December 3Seattle103–105 (OT)Austin Carr (30)9–17
27December 5Baltimore103–100Austin Carr (31)9–18
28December 8Boston96–87Austin Carr (20)9–19
29December 9@ Boston88–123Austin Carr (27)9–20
30December 10Golden State103–100Austin Carr (26)9–21
31December 12@ Kansas City–Omaha99–100Austin Carr (27)9–22
32December 15@ Milwaukee82–98Dwight Davis (17)9–23
33December 16@ Atlanta94–100Carr, Johnson (21)9–24
34December 17Houston110–109John Johnson (30)9–25
35December 22New York98–87Austin Carr (27)9–26
36December 26Atlanta96–115Austin Carr (26)10–26
37December 28@ Golden State105–118Lenny Wilkens (25)10–27
38December 29@ Seattle91–99Austin Carr (20)10–28
39January 2Phoenix88–111Austin Carr (20)11–28
40January 3@ Baltimore80–89Rick Roberson (17)11–29
41January 6Los Angeles93–108Lenny Wilkens (36)12–29
42January 7Houston97–102Lenny Wilkens (24)13–29
43January 9@ Buffalo102–106Lenny Wilkens (23)13–30
44January 12N Philadelphia109–113 (2OT)Lenny Wilkens (27)14–30
45January 13@ Houston123–115Austin Carr (25)15–30
46January 16@ Golden State100–98Lenny Wilkens (22)16–30
47January 19@ Houston108–104John Johnson (28)17–30
48January 20@ Atlanta84–96Austin Carr (16)17–31
49January 26Philadelphia100–105Lenny Wilkens (28)18–31
50January 28Baltimore102–93Lenny Wilkens (22)18–32
51January 30Milwaukee98–112Dwight Davis (23)19–32
52January 31@ Boston89–94John Johnson (22)19–33
53February 3@ New York90–95Lenny Wilkens (20)19–34
54February 4New York114–97Lenny Wilkens (23)19–35
55February 6Boston105–110Lenny Wilkens (31)20–35
56February 8@ Atlanta136–132 (OT)Austin Carr (38)21–35
57February 9Chicago103–97Austin Carr (26)21–36
58February 11Atlanta115–107Austin Carr (26)21–37
59February 13Golden State103–90Austin Carr (21)21–38
60February 16@ Chicago92–100Austin Carr (23)21–39
61February 17@ Detroit106–104Austin Carr (23)22–39
62February 18Buffalo98–122Austin Carr (26)23–39
63February 20N Milwaukee118–100Lenny Wilkens (20)23–40
64February 23Portland102–121Austin Carr (26)24–40
65February 25Boston105–92Lenny Wilkens (23)24–41
66February 27@ Baltimore95–99Lenny Wilkens (24)24–42
67March 2@ Portland92–106Lenny Wilkens (32)24–43
68March 4@ Los Angeles84–127Austin Carr (18)24–44
69March 6@ Phoenix102–110Lenny Wilkens (26)24–45
70March 7N Houston100–118John Johnson (22)25–45
71March 10@ Houston116–131Austin Carr (26)25–46
72March 13Atlanta107–115Austin Carr (28)26–46
73March 16Kansas City–Omaha99–114Bingo Smith (21)27–46
74March 17@ Buffalo114–97Carr, Roberson (18)28–46
75March 18Buffalo101–102Lenny Wilkens (21)29–46
76March 20Philadelphia105–131Austin Carr (25)30–46
77March 21@ Philadelphia112–109Austin Carr (24)31–46
78March 23Baltimore106–104Lenny Wilkens (25)31–47
79March 24@ Baltimore116–120 (OT)Austin Carr (31)31–48
80March 25Chicago105–112Lenny Wilkens (26)32–48
81March 27@ Chicago105–121Johnson, Wilkens (18)32–49
82March 28Detroit131–119 (OT)Austin Carr (27)32–50

Awards and records

References
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.