1973 ABA Playoffs

Last updated

1973 ABA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesMarch 30 – May 12, 1973
Season 1972–73
Teams8
Final positions
Champions Indiana Pacers (3rd title)
Runner-up Kentucky Colonels
Semifinalists
  1972
1974  

The 1973 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1972-1973 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels, four games to three in the ABA Finals.

Contents

Notable events

The teams with the three best records in the ABA that year failed to win the championship. The Carolina Cougars had the league's best record at 57–27 (.679), one game ahead of the Kentucky Colonels (56–28, .667) in the Eastern Division. The Utah Stars won the Western Division with a record of 55–29 (.655), four games ahead of the Indiana Pacers, who won the league championship after posting a regular season record of 51–33 (.607). [1]

The Pacers became the first team to win a third ABA championship.

The Colonels became the first team to lose two separate ABA championship series. The series also marked the second time in three years that the Colonels lost the ABA finals 4 games to 3; the same happened at the end of the 1971 ABA Playoffs against the Utah Stars.

Two years after the 1973 finals the Colonels and Pacers would meet again at the end of the 1975 ABA Playoffs with the Colonels winning the championship series.

The Pacers' George McGinnis was the Most Valuable Player of the ABA playoffs.

Bracket

Division Semifinals Division Finals ABA Finals
         
1 Utah Stars 4
4 San Diego Conquistadors 0
1 Utah Stars 2
Western Division
2Indiana Pacers4
3 Denver Rockets 1
2 Indiana Pacers 4
W2Indiana Pacers4
E2 Kentucky Colonels 3
1 Carolina Cougars 4
4 New York Nets 1
1 Carolina Cougars 3
Eastern Division
2Kentucky Colonels4
3 Virginia Squires 1
2 Kentucky Colonels 4

Western Division

Champion: Indiana Pacers

Division Semifinals

(1) Utah Stars vs. (4) San Diego Conquistadors: Stars win series 4-0

(2) Indiana Pacers vs. (3) Denver Rockets: Pacers win series 4-1

Division Finals

(1) Utah Stars vs. (2) Indiana Pacers : Pacers win series 4-2

Eastern Division

Champion: Kentucky Colonels

Division Semifinals

(1) Carolina Cougars vs. (4) New York Nets: Cougars win series 4-1

(2) Kentucky Colonels vs. (3) Virginia Squires: Colonels win series 4-1

Division Finals

(1) Carolina Cougars vs. (2) Kentucky Colonels : Colonels win series 4-3

ABA Finals: (2) Kentucky Colonels vs. (2) Indiana Pacers

April 28
Indiana Pacers 111, Kentucky Colonels 107 (OT)
Scoring by quarter:38–19, 27–32, 14–34, 21–15,  Overtime:11–7
Pts: Freddie Lewis 29
Rebs: Mel Daniels 14
Asts: Freddie Lewis 13
Pts: Dan Issel 33
Rebs: Dan Issel 20
Asts: Jim O'Brien 8
Indiana leads series, 1–0
Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Attendance: 12,119
April 30
Indiana Pacers 102, Kentucky Colonels 114
Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 24–29, 33–22, 22–35
Pts: George McGinnis 28
Rebs: Mel Daniels 16
Asts: Mel Daniels 4
Pts: Artis Gilmore 29
Rebs: Artis Gilmore 26
Asts: Jim O'Brien 10
Series tied, 1–1
Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Attendance: 13,408
May 3
Kentucky Colonels 92, Indiana Pacers 88
Scoring by quarter:26–14, 18–26, 22–27, 26–21
Pts: Artis Gilmore 28
Rebs: Artis Gilmore 16
Asts: Gilmore, Mount, Simon 6 each
Pts: Mel Daniels 21
Rebs: George McGinnis 17
Asts: Freddie Lewis 8
Kentucky leads series, 2–1
May 5
Kentucky Colonels 86, Indiana Pacers 90
Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 23–19, 27–26, 16–16
Pts: Dan Issel 21
Rebs: Dan Issel 15
Asts: Walt Simon 4
Pts: George McGinnis 20
Rebs: Darnell Hillman 18
Asts: Freddie Lewis 6
Series tied, 2–2
May 8
Indiana Pacers 89, Kentucky Colonels 86
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 23–18, 20–22, 27–22
Pts: Freddie Lewis 31
Rebs: Mel Daniels 20
Asts: Daniels, Freeman 3 each
Pts: Dan Issel 31
Rebs: Artis Gilmore 17
Asts: Artis Gilmore 11
Indiana lead series 3–2
Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Attendance: 16,779
May 10
Kentucky Colonels 109, Indiana Pacers 93
Scoring by quarter:28–24, 27–19, 25–33, 29–17
Pts: Artis Gilmore 29
Rebs: Artis Gilmore 21
Asts: Louie Dampier 7
Pts: George McGinnis 26
Rebs: George McGinnis 15
Asts: Donnie Freeman 7
Series tied, 3–3
May 12
Indiana Pacers 88, Kentucky Colonels 81
Scoring by quarter:24–18, 18–23, 24–11, 22–29
Pts: George McGinnis 27
Rebs: Darnell Hillman 13
Asts: Freeman, Brown, Keller each
Pts: Artis Gilmore 19
Rebs: Artis Gilmore 17
Asts: Dan Issel 4
Indiana wins series 4–3
Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Attendance: 16,597

It was the last game for Gus Johnson, who recorded seven rebounds and played late defense against Artis Gilmore.

Four members of the Pacers eventually made the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: Gus Johnson (2010), Mel Daniels (2012), Roger Brown (2013), and George McGinnis (2017), to go along with head coach Bobby Leonard (2014) while the Colonels saw three players inducted in Dan Issel (1993), Artis Gilmore (2011), and Louie Dampier (2015).

Joe Mullaney left the Colonels after the series ended and was replaced by Babe McCarthy.

Statistical leaders

CategoryTotalAverage
PlayerTeamTotalPlayerTeamAvg.Games played
Points Dan Issel Kentucky Colonels 521 Julius Erving Virginia Squires 29.65
Rebounds Artis Gilmore Kentucky Colonels 260 Mel Daniels Indiana Pacers 13.818
Assists Freddie Lewis Indiana Pacers 91 Bill Melchionni New York Nets 6.25

Total leaders

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