1970 NBA Finals
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[edit] How They Got Here
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The New York Knicks had a spectacular season, their 60 wins coming as a result of team play instead of big name superstars.
The Knicks had a 18-game winning streak (then an NBA record), led by NBA MVP Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley and Dave DeBusschere. In the playoffs, the Knicks barely defeated a tough Baltimore Bullets team in 7 games, and in the East Finals, they beat the Milwaukee Bucks led by captain Lew Alcindor in 5 games.
On the other hand, The Los Angeles Lakers had a team of superstars led by Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. In the playoffs, the Lakers came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns, and then in the West finals they beat the Atlanta Hawks to advance to the NBA Finals for the 3rd straight year.
Television: ABC - Commentators: Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman, and Howard Cosell.
[edit] Game-By-Game Recap
The first two games of the finals were an even matchup, as the two teams won one game apiece. In Game 3 at The Forum, after 47 minutes and 48 seconds, the game was tied 100 apiece. With the Knicks possessing the ball with 12 seconds left, Dave DeBusschere hit a key shot that put the Knicks the lead, and then with 1 second remaining Jerry West made an incredible half-court shot to send the game into overtime, where the Knicks prevailed.
In Game 4, the Lakers had to win that game and they did, thanks to reserve players Mel Kaus and Johnny Egen. In Game 5, The Knicks' worst fear came true: Eight minutes into the game, Reed fell down hard while trying to make a shot. Reed eventually got up on his own, but a leg injury forced him to leave the game. The Lakers led by as many as 16 points, but a scrambling defense and sheer determination to win one for the captain helped New York staged a remarkable comeback: Bill Bradley's clutch shot tied the game at 87 apiece with 7:40 left to play. The Lakers committed 30 turnovers in the game, 19 in the second half, as the Knicks did win for the captain.
But without Willis on the team, the Knicks fell to the Lakers in Game 6, as Chamberlain scored 45 points. The 2 teams headed back to New York for Game 7. For the Knicks, a miracle was desperately needed if they would win their first-ever championship. When Game 7 came, a miracle came: while the players were warming up for that game, along came Willis Reed and with it, some much-needed momentum. Despite still suffering from injury, Reed scored the first two baskets of the game to give the Knicks an early lead. Frazier also played an inspiring game, as he scored 22 points in the first half en route to a 35-point game. The Knicks didn't look back as they captured their first NBA Championship, and a place in Pro Basketball history.
[edit] Series Summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | April 24 | New York | 124-112 | Los Angeles |
| Game 2 | April 27 | New York | 103-105 | Los Angeles |
| Game 3 | April 29 | Los Angeles | 108-111 | New York |
| Game 4 | May 1 | Los Angeles | 121-115 | New York |
| Game 5 | May 4 | New York | 107-100 | Los Angeles |
| Game 6 | May 6 | Los Angeles | 135-113 | New York |
| Game 7 | May 8 | New York | 113-99 | Los Angeles |
Knicks win series 4-3
[edit] Quotes
"Now here Comes Willis... and the crowd is going wild" - New York Knick radio announcer Marv Albert describing Wilis Reed's dramatic entrance prior to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
| Preceded by: 1969 NBA Finals |
NBA Finals 1970 |
Succeeded by: 1971 NBA Finals |
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