Season of National Basketball Association team the New York Knicks
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1970–71 New York Knicks season was the 25th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[ 1] New York entered the season as the defending NBA champions, having defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970 NBA Finals in seven games to win the first championship in franchise history.[ 2] In the 1970–71 regular season, the Knicks finished in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 52–30 record, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.[ 1]
New York began its NBA title defense with a 4–1 series victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 1971 NBA Playoffs . In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Baltimore Bullets defeated the Knicks in seven games, ending the team's chances for a repeat championship.[ 3]
Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.[ 4]
Roster
1970–71 New York Knicks roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
SG
12
Barnett, Dick
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1936-10-02
Tennessee State
SF
24
Bradley, Bill
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1943-07-28
Princeton
PF
22
DeBusschere, Dave
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1940-10-16
Detroit Mercy
C
34
Fillmore, Greg
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
1947-03-07
Cheyney
PG
10
Frazier, Walt
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1945-03-29
Southern Illinois
PF
18
Jackson, Phil
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1945-09-17
North Dakota
PF
26
Mast, Eddie
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1948-10-03
Temple
G
5
Price, Mike
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1948-09-11
Illinois
C
19
Reed, Willis
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
1942-06-25
Grambling State
SG
6
Riordan, Mike
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1945-07-09
Providence
SF
33
Russell, Cazzie
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
218 lb (99 kg)
1944-06-07
Michigan
SF
9
Stallworth, Dave
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1941-12-20
Wichita State
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Regular season
Season standings
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1970–71 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BAL
BOS
BUF
CHI
CIN
CLE
DET
LAL
MIL
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SDR
SFW
SEA
Atlanta
—
3–3
2–4
3–1
1–4
2–4
4–0
0–5
3–2
1–4
3–3
4–2
1–4
2–2
2–3
2–3
3–2
Baltimore
3–3
—
3–3
3–1
2–3
3–3
4–0
2–3
2–3
1–4
2–4
3–3
3–2
2–2
4–1
2–3
3–2
Boston
4–2
3–3
—
4–0
4–1
4–2
3–1
2–3
3–2
0–5
0–6
4–2
2–3
2–2
3–2
3–2
3–2
Buffalo
1–3
1–3
0–4
—
0–4
0–4
5–7
1–5
2–2
0–4
2–2
0–4
1–3
6–6
1–3
1–3
1–3
Chicago
4–1
3–2
1–4
4–0
—
4–0
4–0
3–3
2–4
1–5
3–2
3–2
3–3
3–1
6–0
4–2
3–2
Cincinnati
4–2
3–3
2–4
4–0
0–4
—
5–1
1–4
1–4
1–4
2–4
1–5
1–4
4–0
1–3
2–3
1–4
Cleveland
0–4
0–4
1–3
7–5
0–4
1–5
—
2–2
0–4
0–4
0–4
1–3
0–4
2–10
0–4
1–3
0–4
Detroit
5–0
3–2
3–2
5–1
3–3
4–1
2–2
—
2–3
1–5
2–3
2–3
2–4
3–1
4–2
1–4
3–1
Los Angeles
2–3
3–2
2–3
2–2
4–2
4–1
4–0
3–2
—
1–4
3–2
3–2
2–4
4–0
3–3
4–2
4–2
Milwaukee
4–1
4–1
5–0
4–0
5–1
4–1
4–0
5–1
4–1
—
1–4
4–1
4–2
3–1
4–1
6–0
5–1
New York
3–3
4–2
6–0
2–2
2–3
4–2
4–0
3–2
2–3
4–1
—
2–4
4–1
3–1
4–1
3–2
2–3
Philadelphia
2–4
3–3
2–4
4–0
2–3
5–1
3–1
3–2
2–3
1–4
4–2
—
3–2
4–0
3–2
3–2
3–2
Phoenix
4–1
2–3
3–2
3–1
3–3
4–1
4–0
4–2
4–2
2–4
1–4
2–3
—
4–0
2–4
3–2
3–2
Portland
2–2
2–2
2–2
6–6
1–3
0–4
10–2
1–3
0–4
1–3
1–3
0–4
0–4
—
0–4
1–3
2–4
San Diego
3–2
1–4
2–3
3–1
0–6
3–1
4–0
2–4
3–3
1–4
1–4
2–3
4–2
4–0
—
2–4
5–1
San Francisco
3–2
3–2
2–3
3–1
2–4
3–2
3–1
4–1
2–4
0–6
2–3
2–3
2–3
3–1
4–2
—
3–3
Seattle
2–3
2–3
2–3
3–1
2–3
4–1
4–0
1–3
2–4
1–5
3–2
2–3
2–3
4–2
1–5
3–3
—
Game log
1970–71 game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 13
Boston
107–114
Willis Reed (35)
1–0
2
October 14
@ Cincinnati
128–104
Cazzie Russell (29)
2–0
3
October 17
Chicago
99–96
Dave DeBusschere (22)
2–1
4
October 20
Los Angeles
100–115
Willis Reed (29)
3–1
5
October 22
San Francisco
92–95
Cazzie Russell (20)
4–1
6
October 23
@ Baltimore
92–98
Willis Reed (25)
4–2
7
October 24
Cincinnati
103–115
Dave DeBusschere (24)
5–2
8
October 27
Seattle
104–117
Dave DeBusschere (22)
6–2
9
October 28
@ Boston
126–89
Willis Reed (22)
7–2
10
October 29
San Diego
107–114
Dick Barnett (26)
8–2
11
October 31
Detroit
89–107
Walt Frazier (22)
9–2
12
November 2
@ San Francisco
111–99
Walt Frazier (27)
10–2
13
November 4
@ San Diego
109–100
Walt Frazier (25)
11–2
14
November 6
@ Los Angeles
104–106
Willis Reed (24)
11–3
15
November 8
@ Portland
125–113
Frazier, Reed (28)
12–3
16
November 10
@ Seattle
91–93
Willis Reed (32)
12–4
17
November 12
Baltimore
110–108
Willis Reed (34)
12–5
18
November 13
@ Chicago
106–98
Dave DeBusschere (24)
13–5
19
November 14
Philadelphia
94–126
Walt Frazier (23)
14–5
20
November 17
Phoenix
100–103
Willis Reed (19)
15–5
21
November 18
@ Philadelphia
106–113
Walt Frazier (24)
15–6
22
November 19
Cincinnati
106–98
Walt Frazier (28)
15–7
23
November 21
Cleveland
94–102
Dick Barnett (24)
16–7
24
November 24
Atlanta
119–128
Walt Frazier (33)
17–7
25
November 25
@ Atlanta
114–111
Willis Reed (35)
18–7
26
November 27
@ Milwaukee
103–94
Willis Reed (34)
19–7
27
November 28
Milwaukee
99–100
Dave DeBusschere (21)
20–7
28
December 1
Seattle
109–114
Willis Reed (35)
21–7
29
December 2
@ Detroit
82–101
Willis Reed (17)
21–8
30
December 4
@ Buffalo
91–97
Willis Reed (31)
21–9
31
December 5
Buffalo
93–117
Frazier, Reed (23)
22–9
32
December 8
Portland
121–139
Willis Reed (37)
23–9
33
December 12
Philadelphia
101–118
Willis Reed (25)
24–9
34
December 13
N San Francisco
101–94
Walt Frazier (24)
24–10
35
December 15
Cleveland
92–110
Walt Frazier (25)
25–10
36
December 16
@ Cleveland
108–84
Walt Frazier (22)
26–10
37
December 19
Chicago
87–98
Dave Stallworth (22)
27–10
38
December 20
@ Phoenix
133–118
Walt Frazier (26)
28–10
39
December 22
@ Seattle
108–119
Dave DeBusschere (27)
28–11
40
December 25
Buffalo
102–115
Dick Barnett (24)
29–11
41
December 27
Baltimore
105–110
Walt Frazier (33)
30–11
42
December 30
San Francisco
103–111
Walt Frazier (29)
31–11
43
January 2
Atlanta
112–108
Walt Frazier (28)
31–12
44
January 6
@ Cleveland
127–94
Cazzie Russell (18)
32–12
45
January 7
@ Milwaukee
106–116
Walt Frazier (23)
32–13
46
January 9
@ Portland
96–114
Dick Barnett (23)
32–14
47
January 14
@ Phoenix
88–107
Dave DeBusschere (23)
32–15
48
January 16
@ San Francisco
93–102
Walt Frazier (21)
32–16
49
January 19
San Diego
113–117 (OT)
Bill Bradley (27)
33–16
50
January 20
@ Chicago
103–109
Walt Frazier (30)
33–17
51
January 23
Boston
107–128
Walt Frazier (32)
34–17
52
January 24
@ Detroit
117–105
Willis Reed (24)
35–17
53
January 26
Milwaukee
98–107
Willis Reed (35)
36–17
54
January 27
@ Atlanta
116–108
Walt Frazier (26)
37–17
55
January 29
@ Boston
118–111
Willis Reed (29)
38–17
56
January 30
Philadelphia
106–105
Walt Frazier (28)
38–18
57
January 31
N Baltimore
125–95
Walt Frazier (29)
39–18
58
February 2
Cincinnati
108–115
Willis Reed (27)
40–18
59
February 5
@ Detroit
99–108
Willis Reed (35)
40–19
60
February 6
Chicago
109–102
Cazzie Russell (25)
40–20
61
February 7
@ Philadelphia
99–127
Barnett, Reed (20)
40–21
62
February 9
Atlanta
114–109
Willis Reed (24)
40–22
63
February 10
@ Buffalo
99–106
Dick Barnett (21)
40–23
64
February 12
@ Atlanta
116–125
Walt Frazier (33)
40–24
65
February 13
Phoenix
97–114
Dick Barnett (30)
41–24
66
February 16
@ Los Angeles
115–130
Willis Reed (23)
41–25
67
February 18
@ San Diego
116–115
Walt Frazier (36)
42–25
68
February 20
Detroit
94–108
Bill Bradley (23)
43–25
69
February 23
San Diego
126–109
Barnett, DeBusschere (24)
43–26
70
February 24
@ Cincinnati
125–105
Walt Frazier (26)
44–26
71
February 27
Portland
102–113
Willis Reed (35)
45–26
72
February 28
@ Baltimore
110–104
Walt Frazier (25)
46–26
73
March 2
Baltimore
95–109
Willis Reed (21)
47–26
74
March 5
@ Philadelphia
116–121
Willis Reed (26)
47–27
75
March 6
Boston
104–112
Walt Frazier (39)
48–27
76
March 7
@ Boston
116–110
Walt Frazier (34)
49–27
77
March 9
Seattle
114–99
Walt Frazier (19)
49–28
78
March 10
@ Cincinnati
118–120 (OT)
Dave DeBusschere (29)
49–29
79
March 13
Milwaukee
103–108
Dave DeBusschere (33)
50–29
80
March 16
Los Angeles
82–115
Walt Frazier (22)
51–29
81
March 18
@ Phoenix
131–123 (OT)
Dick Barnett (30)
52–29
82
March 21
@ Los Angeles
98–101
Cazzie Russell (16)
52–30
Playoffs
1971 playoff game log
Conference semifinals: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
Conference finals: 3–4 (home: 3–1; road: 0–3)
1971 schedule
Player statistics
Season
Playoffs
Awards and records
References
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