| ||||||||||
| Dates | April 21–30 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Bucks: Lew Alcindor (as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; 1995) Bob Dandridge (2021) Oscar Robertson (1980) Bullets: Earl Monroe (1990) Wes Unseld (1988) Gus Johnson (2010) Coaches: Larry Costello (2022) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Bullets defeatedKnicks, 4–3 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Bucks defeatedLakers, 4–1 | |||||||||
The1971 NBA World Championship Series was thechampionship series played at the conclusion of theNational Basketball Association (NBA)'s 25th anniversary season of1970–71. TheWestern Conference championMilwaukee Bucks, who were founded as anexpansion team three years earlier, swept theEastern Conference championBaltimore Bullets in four games. Baltimore had dethroned the1969–70 NBA championNew York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. This was the first NBA Finals played between two expansion teams.
The Bucks were the first Western Conference champions to win the league's championship since theSt. Louis Hawks did so in1958, and were the firstexpansion team in the NBA to win a championship since the NBA held its firstexpansion draft. (The Bullets originally started out as theChicago Packers, an expansion team that began play in1961–62 before moving to Baltimore in 1963.) It was also the first NBA title by a Western Conference team that has not since folded or relocated.
The Bullets were forced to play Game 1 on a Wednesday night, just 48 hours after having defeated New York in Game 7 of the 1971 Eastern Conference finals, then had to wait four days before playing Game 2.The series was the second (and last) time in NBA history that the teams alternated home games, the other being in1956. Most other series were held in the 2-2-1-1-1 or 2-3-2 format (a 1-2-2-1-1 format was used in1975 and1978). It was also the last NBA Championship Series completed before May 1.
The series was broadcast byABC withChris Schenkel andJack Twyman providing the commentary. This was the last playoff series broadcast for both Schenkel and Twyman; they were replaced the next season as the lead announcing team byKeith Jackson andBill Russell, who served two years before ABC lost the national television contract toCBS after the 1972–73 season.
Until2021, it was the Bucks' only and the city's second championship (with the other being the1957Braves). The city's 50-year drought was the fourth longest title drought among American teams in the "Big 4"major professional sports leagues, behind Buffalo and San Diego.[a]
| Game | Date | Home team | Result | Road team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | April 21 | Milwaukee Bucks | 98–88 (1–0) | Baltimore Bullets |
| Game 2 | April 25 | Baltimore Bullets | 83–102 (0–2) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Game 3 | April 28 | Milwaukee Bucks | 107–99 (3–0) | Baltimore Bullets |
| Game 4 | April 30 | Baltimore Bullets | 106–118 (0–4) | Milwaukee Bucks |
Bucks win series 4–0
April 21 |
| Baltimore Bullets 88,Milwaukee Bucks98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 20–22, 26–29,20–19 | ||
| Pts:Earl Monroe 26 Rebs:John Tresvant 14 Asts:Fred Carter 4 | Pts:Lew Alcindor 31 Rebs: Lew Alcindor 17 Asts:Oscar Robertson 7 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 25 |
| Milwaukee Bucks102,Baltimore Bullets 83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26,23–19,30–16,23–22 | ||
| Pts:Lew Alcindor 27 Rebs: Lew Alcindor 24 Asts:Oscar Robertson 10 | Pts:Jack Marin 22 Rebs:Wes Unseld 20 Asts:Earl Monroe 6 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 28 |
| Baltimore Bullets 99,Milwaukee Bucks107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–30, 24–24, 23–25,30–28 | ||
| Pts:Jack Marin 21 Rebs:Wes Unseld 23 Asts: Wes Unseld 6 | Pts:Bob Dandridge 29 Rebs:Lew Alcindor 21 Asts:Oscar Robertson 12 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 3–0 | ||
April 30 |
| Milwaukee Bucks118,Baltimore Bullets 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter:31–22,29–25, 29–30, 29–29 | ||
| Pts:Oscar Robertson 30 Rebs:Alcindor,Dandridge 12 each Asts: Oscar Robertson 9 | Pts:Fred Carter 28 Rebs:Wes Unseld 23 Asts: Wes Unseld 10 | |
| Milwaukee wins NBA Finals, 4–0 | ||
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| Head coach Assistant(s) Legend
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