Roster
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| 1972–73 Houston Rockets season | |
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| Head coach |
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| General manager | Ray Patterson |
| Owners | |
| Arena | Hofheinz Pavilion |
| Results | |
| Record | 33–49 (.402) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Central) Conference: 5th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KHTV |
| Radio | KPRC |
The 1972-73 NBA season was the Rockets' 6th season in the NBA and 2nd season in the city of Houston. [1]
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| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Baltimore Bullets | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 24–9 | 21–17 | 7–4 | 17–5 |
| x-Atlanta Hawks | 46 | 36 | .561 | 6 | 28–13 | 17–23 | 1–0 | 10–12 |
| Houston Rockets | 33 | 49 | .402 | 19 | 14–14 | 10–28 | 9–7 | 9–13 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 32 | 50 | .390 | 20 | 20–21 | 10–27 | 2–2 | 8–14 |
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | |
| 1 | z-Boston Celtics | 68 | 14 | .829 |
| 2 | x-New York Knicks | 57 | 25 | .695 |
| 3 | y-Baltimore Bullets | 52 | 30 | .634 |
| 4 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 46 | 36 | .561 |
| 5 | Houston Rockets | 33 | 49 | .402 |
| 6 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 32 | 50 | .390 |
| 7 | Buffalo Braves | 21 | 61 | .256 |
| 8 | Philadelphia 76ers | 9 | 73 | .110 |
| 1972–73 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||
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| Team | ATL | BAL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CLE | DET | GSW | HOU | KCO | LAL | MIL | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SEA |
| Atlanta | — | 3–4 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–4 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 |
| Baltimore | 4–3 | — | 1–5 | 5–1 | 0–4 | 8–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 |
| Boston | 5–1 | 5–1 | — | 7–0 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 4–4 | 7–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 |
| Buffalo | 1–5 | 1–5 | 0–7 | — | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–6 | 7–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Chicago | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 5–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–1 |
| Cleveland | 4–3 | 0–8 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 1–3 | — | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–6 | 6–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
| Detroit | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 3–1 | — | 2–4 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–5 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–4 |
| Golden State | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 4–2 | — | 3–1 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 4–3 |
| Houston | 4–4 | 2–5 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 0–4 | 3–4 | 3–1 | 1–3 | — | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Kansas City-Omaha | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–0 | — | 1–5 | 1–6 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 |
| Los Angeles | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 4–3 | 3–1 | 5–1 | — | 3–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 6–1 | 6–0 | 6–0 |
| Milwaukee | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 6–1 | 3–3 | — | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 |
| New York | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–4 | 6–1 | 1–3 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 6–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 |
| Philadelphia | 0–6 | 1–5 | 0–7 | 1–7 | 0–4 | 0–6 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–6 | — | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Phoenix | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–6 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 4–0 | — | 5–2 | 4–2 |
| Portland | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–5 | — | 3–4 |
| Seattle | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 4–3 | — |
| 1972–73 Game log | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
| 1 | October 13 | @ Cleveland | 109–108 | Rudy Tomjanovich (21) | 1–0 | |||||
| 2 | October 14 | @ Buffalo | 121–113 | Mike Newlin (25) | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | October 17 | @ New York | 95–103 | Marin, Walker (21) | 2–1 | |||||
| 4 | October 20 | Atlanta | 108–120 | Jimmy Walker (29) | 3–1 | |||||
| 5 | October 21 | Chicago | 130–97 | Calvin Murphy (18) | 3–2 | |||||
| 6 | October 25 | N Los Angeles | 112–107 | Don Smith [lower-alpha 1] (23) | 3–3 | |||||
| 7 | October 27 | Detroit | 118–130 | Jimmy Walker (30) | 4–3 | |||||
| 8 | October 31 | @ Atlanta | 106–105 | Jack Marin (26) | 5–3 | |||||
| 9 | November 1 | @ Philadelphia | 108–104 | Rudy Tomjanovich (23) | 6–3 | |||||
| 10 | November 3 | Atlanta | 114–108 | Cliff Meely (21) | 6–4 | |||||
| 11 | November 4 | N Detroit | 118–108 | Otto Moore (30) | 7–4 | |||||
| 12 | November 7 | @ Los Angeles | 109–122 | Mike Newlin (30) | 7–5 | |||||
| 13 | November 10 | @ Phoenix | 109–115 | Jimmy Walker (24) | 7–6 | |||||
| 14 | November 11 | N Philadelphia | 114–112 | Jack Marin (30) | 7–7 | |||||
| 15 | November 14 | @ Baltimore | 103–104 | Jack Marin (31) | 7–8 | |||||
| 16 | November 16 | @ New York | 100–119 | Jack Marin (22) | 7–9 | |||||
| 17 | November 18 | @ Kansas City–Omaha | 117–127 | Jimmy Walker (26) | 7–10 | |||||
| 18 | November 21 | @ Chicago | 105–113 | Jimmy Walker (30) | 7–11 | |||||
| 19 | November 22 | Golden State | 104–132 | Jack Marin (27) | 8–11 | |||||
| 20 | November 25 | Seattle | 109–114 | Jack Marin (28) | 9–11 | |||||
| 21 | November 28 | N Baltimore | 90–108 | Murphy, Walker (23) | 9–12 | |||||
| 22 | November 29 | N Baltimore | 102–94 | Jack Marin (21) | 10–12 | |||||
| 23 | December 1 | @ Baltimore | 96–103 | Jack Marin (20) | 10–13 | |||||
| 24 | December 2 | Kansas City–Omaha | 114–109 | Jimmy Walker (32) | 10–14 | |||||
| 25 | December 5 | @ Golden State | 101–108 | Rudy Tomjanovich (22) | 10–15 | |||||
| 26 | December 8 | Portland | 108–114 | Jimmy Walker (24) | 11–15 | |||||
| 27 | December 12 | @ Buffalo | 94–95 | Marin, Moore (20) | 11–16 | |||||
| 28 | December 15 | @ Baltimore | 91–94 | Jimmy Walker (21) | 11–17 | |||||
| 29 | December 16 | @ Detroit | 123–112 | Jimmy Walker (30) | 12–17 | |||||
| 30 | December 17 | @ Cleveland | 110–109 | Jack Marin (35) | 13–17 | |||||
| 31 | December 20 | N New York | 124–102 | Jimmy Walker (25) | 13–18 | |||||
| 32 | December 22 | Philadelphia | 103–116 | Jack Marin (29) | 14–18 | |||||
| 33 | December 26 | Phoenix | 110–113 | Rudy Tomjanovich (31) | 15–18 | |||||
| 34 | December 27 | Los Angeles | 104–136 | Mike Newlin (24) | 16–18 | |||||
| 35 | December 29 | Milwaukee | 114–101 | Jack Marin (25) | 16–19 | |||||
| 36 | January 2 | Boston | 130–110 | Jimmy Walker (25) | 16–20 | |||||
| 37 | January 3 | Boston | 112–123 | Mike Newlin (29) | 17–20 | |||||
| 38 | January 4 | @ Chicago | 97–111 | Rudy Tomjanovich (26) | 17–21 | |||||
| 39 | January 6 | @ New York | 106–116 | Jack Marin (24) | 17–22 | |||||
| 40 | January 7 | @ Cleveland | 97–102 | Marin, Walker (22) | 17–23 | |||||
| 41 | January 9 | @ Atlanta | 114–120 | Tomjanovich, Walker (25) | 17–24 | |||||
| 42 | January 10 | @ Boston | 107–128 | Calvin Murphy (20) | 17–25 | |||||
| 43 | January 12 | New York | 104–103 | Smith, Tomjanovich (20) | 17–26 | |||||
| 44 | January 13 | Cleveland | 123–115 | Calvin Murphy (20) | 17–27 | |||||
| 45 | January 17 | N Golden State | 117–123 | Don Smith (21) | 17–28 | |||||
| 46 | January 19 | Cleveland | 108–104 | Mike Newlin (24) | 17–29 | |||||
| 47 | January 20 | Portland | 130–115 | Meely, Murphy (19) | 17–30 | |||||
| 48 | January 21 | New York | 103–107 | Mike Newlin (25) | 18–30 | |||||
| 49 | January 25 | N Milwaukee | 125–129 | Rudy Tomjanovich (29) | 19–30 | |||||
| 50 | January 26 | @ Boston | 126–139 | Calvin Murphy (27) | 19–31 | |||||
| 51 | January 28 | Atlanta | 108–116 | Jimmy Walker (28) | 20–31 | |||||
| 52 | January 30 | @ Portland | 123–120 | Rudy Tomjanovich (31) | 21–31 | |||||
| 53 | January 31 | @ Seattle | 109–118 | Rudy Tomjanovich (25) | 21–32 | |||||
| 54 | February 2 | @ Los Angeles | 109–126 | Mike Newlin (30) | 21–33 | |||||
| 55 | February 3 | @ Phoenix | 123–132 | Rudy Tomjanovich (27) | 21–34 | |||||
| 56 | February 4 | N Buffalo | 130–118 | Jack Marin (30) | 22–34 | |||||
| 57 | February 6 | N Philadelphia | 117–123 | Rudy Tomjanovich (35) | 23–34 | |||||
| 58 | February 9 | Kansas City–Omaha | 121–116 | Jack Marin (35) | 23–35 | |||||
| 59 | February 10 | @ Atlanta | 91–103 | Rudy Tomjanovich (24) | 23–36 | |||||
| 60 | February 13 | @ Kansas City–Omaha | 118–132 | Mike Newlin (34) | 23–37 | |||||
| 61 | February 16 | @ Milwaukee | 103–105 | Rudy Tomjanovich (29) | 23–38 | |||||
| 62 | February 17 | Phoenix | 111–127 | Rudy Tomjanovich (28) | 24–38 | |||||
| 63 | February 18 | Chicago | 110–99 | Rudy Tomjanovich (22) | 24–39 | |||||
| 64 | February 21 | N Seattle | 107–139 | Rudy Tomjanovich (37) | 25–39 | |||||
| 65 | February 23 | N Philadelphia | 116–138 | Jack Marin (30) | 26–39 | |||||
| 66 | February 25 | @ Detroit | 112–129 | Mike Newlin (24) | 26–40 | |||||
| 67 | February 27 | @ Buffalo | 112–105 | Mike Newlin (29) | 27–40 | |||||
| 68 | March 3 | @ Atlanta | 125–136 | Rudy Tomjanovich (32) | 27–41 | |||||
| 69 | March 4 | Milwaukee | 116–101 | Jack Marin (19) | 27–42 | |||||
| 70 | March 7 | N Cleveland | 100–118 | Rudy Tomjanovich (25) | 27–43 | |||||
| 71 | March 9 | Baltimore | 109–104 | Murphy, Newlin (21) | 27–44 | |||||
| 72 | March 10 | Cleveland | 116–131 | Rudy Tomjanovich (34) | 28–44 | |||||
| 73 | March 11 | Atlanta | 118–129 | Jack Marin (35) | 29–44 | |||||
| 74 | March 15 | @ Golden State | 125–141 | Rudy Tomjanovich (37) | 29–45 | |||||
| 75 | March 16 | @ Portland | 128–141 | Rudy Tomjanovich (28) | 29–46 | |||||
| 76 | March 18 | @ Seattle | 112–121 | Tomjanovich, Walker (27) | 29–47 | |||||
| 77 | March 20 | N Boston | 89–94 | Rudy Tomjanovich (21) | 29–48 | |||||
| 78 | March 21 | @ Baltimore | 118–110 | Rudy Tomjanovich (26) | 30–48 | |||||
| 79 | March 23 | @ Philadelphia | 132–112 | Rudy Tomjanovich (28) | 31–48 | |||||
| 80 | March 25 | Boston | 125–121 | Mike Newlin (36) | 31–49 | |||||
| 81 | March 27 | N Buffalo | 121–111 | Rudy Tomjanovich (25) | 32–49 | |||||
| 82 | March 28 | N Buffalo | 138–122 | Calvin Murphy (31) | 33–49 | |||||
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In the 1972–73 NBA season, their 12th overall season and tenth and final season in Baltimore, Maryland, the Bullets were led by seventh-year head coach Gene Shue and won a third consecutive Central Division title.
The 1971–72 NBA season was the 26th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
The 1972–73 season was the third season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After finishing the previous season at 18–64, the Blazers earned the first overall selection in the 1972 NBA draft, and infamously picked LaRue Martin over future Hall-of-Famer Bob McAdoo. LaRue would average seven points per game over a four-season NBA career. The Blazers finished at 21–61, a marginal three-game improvement from the previous season.
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Steve Brooks is an American former basketball player. He played college basketball for the Arkansas State Red Wolves from 1969 to 1974. He was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1974 NBA draft but never played in the NBA.
