1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the third season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 32–50 record, finishing last in the Central Division and 6th Eastern Conference. This was the 2nd consecutive year with a total win increase. Lenny Wilkens led the team in assists and was named an All-Star.

1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coachBill Fitch
ArenaCleveland Arena
Results
Record32–50 (.390)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Central)
Conference: 6th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWEWS-TV
RadioWERE
< 1971–72 1973–74 >

Offseason

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Trades

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August 23: Guard Lenny Wilkens and forward Barry Clemens obtained from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for guard Butch Beard.

September 21: Cavaliers trade the rights to 1971 second-round draft choice Steve Hawes to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a future undisclosed draft choice.

Draft picks

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Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Club team
1 3 Dwight Davis PF   United States Houston
2 24 Steve Hawes C   United States Washington
  • Note: This table only lists players drafted through the second round.

Roster

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1972–73 Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 34 Carr, Austin 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Mar. 10, 1948 Notre Dame
G 5 Cleamons, Jim 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sep. 13, 1949 Ohio State
F 40 Clemens, Barry 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) May 1, 1943 Ohio Wesleyan
F 42 Davis, Dwight 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Oct. 28, 1949 Houston
F 32 Johnson, John 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Oct. 18, 1947 Iowa
C 50 Patterson, Steve 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jun. 24, 1948 UCLA
F/C 35 Roberson, Rick 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 231 lb (105 kg) Jul. 7, 1947 Cincinnati
C 45 Rule, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jun. 29, 1944 Colorado State
G/F 7 Smith, Bingo 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Feb. 26, 1946 Tulsa
F/C 15 Warner, Cornell 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Aug. 12, 1948 Jackson State
G 11 Warren, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul. 7, 1947 St. John's
G 19 Wilkens, Lenny 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Oct. 28, 1937 Providence
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  •   Injured

Regular season

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Season standings

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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

Record vs. opponents

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1972–73 NBA records
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

Game log

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1972–73 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 10 Baltimore 102–90 John Johnson (24) 0–1
2 October 13 Houston 109–108 Austin Carr (40) 0–2
3 October 15 Los Angeles 95–83 Austin Carr (26) 0–3
4 October 20 New York 92–89 Austin Carr (22) 0–4
5 October 21 @ Detroit 96–103 Rick Roberson (21) 0–5
6 October 22 Milwaukee 104–84 Carr, C. Davis, Johnson (14) 0–6
7 October 24 @ New York 90–123 Austin Carr (15) 0–7
8 October 25 @ Philadelphia 113–108 Austin Carr (35) 1–7
9 October 27 @ Boston 97–123 Lenny Wilkens (23) 1–8
10 October 29 Kansas City–Omaha 97–115 Austin Carr (22) 2–8
11 October 31 Philadelphia 116–126 Smith, Wilkens (27) 3–8
12 November 3 Buffalo 97–124 Austin Carr (26) 4–8
13 November 4 N Baltimore 98–108 Austin Carr (22) 4–9
14 November 5 Phoenix 107–106 Lenny Wilkens (29) 4–10
15 November 8 @ Phoenix 99–107 Austin Carr (26) 4–11
16 November 10 @ Los Angeles 88–118 Lenny Wilkens (16) 4–12
17 November 12 @ Seattle 113–107 Carr, Wilkens (22) 5–12
18 November 14 @ Portland 91–100 Dwight Davis (21) 5–13
19 November 17 @ Kansas City–Omaha 96–115 John Johnson (26) 5–14
20 November 19 Atlanta 98–109 Austin Carr (26) 6–14
21 November 21 Seattle 88–98 Austin Carr (31) 7–14
22 November 25 @ Buffalo 103–90 Lenny Wilkens (20) 8–14
23 November 26 Portland 105–102 Lenny Wilkens (29) 8–15
24 November 28 @ New York 84–107 Lenny Wilkens (22) 8–16
25 December 1 Detroit 114–113 Austin Carr (29) 8–17
26 December 3 Seattle 103–105 (OT) Austin Carr (30) 9–17
27 December 5 Baltimore 103–100 Austin Carr (31) 9–18
28 December 8 Boston 96–87 Austin Carr (20) 9–19
29 December 9 @ Boston 88–123 Austin Carr (27) 9–20
30 December 10 Golden State 103–100 Austin Carr (26) 9–21
31 December 12 @ Kansas City–Omaha 99–100 Austin Carr (27) 9–22
32 December 15 @ Milwaukee 82–98 Dwight Davis (17) 9–23
33 December 16 @ Atlanta 94–100 Carr, Johnson (21) 9–24
34 December 17 Houston 110–109 John Johnson (30) 9–25
35 December 22 New York 98–87 Austin Carr (27) 9–26
36 December 26 Atlanta 96–115 Austin Carr (26) 10–26
37 December 28 @ Golden State 105–118 Lenny Wilkens (25) 10–27
38 December 29 @ Seattle 91–99 Austin Carr (20) 10–28
39 January 2 Phoenix 88–111 Austin Carr (20) 11–28
40 January 3 @ Baltimore 80–89 Rick Roberson (17) 11–29
41 January 6 Los Angeles 93–108 Lenny Wilkens (36) 12–29
42 January 7 Houston 97–102 Lenny Wilkens (24) 13–29
43 January 9 @ Buffalo 102–106 Lenny Wilkens (23) 13–30
44 January 12 N Philadelphia 109–113 (2OT) Lenny Wilkens (27) 14–30
45 January 13 @ Houston 123–115 Austin Carr (25) 15–30
46 January 16 @ Golden State 100–98 Lenny Wilkens (22) 16–30
47 January 19 @ Houston 108–104 John Johnson (28) 17–30
48 January 20 @ Atlanta 84–96 Austin Carr (16) 17–31
49 January 26 Philadelphia 100–105 Lenny Wilkens (28) 18–31
50 January 28 Baltimore 102–93 Lenny Wilkens (22) 18–32
51 January 30 Milwaukee 98–112 Dwight Davis (23) 19–32
52 January 31 @ Boston 89–94 John Johnson (22) 19–33
53 February 3 @ New York 90–95 Lenny Wilkens (20) 19–34
54 February 4 New York 114–97 Lenny Wilkens (23) 19–35
55 February 6 Boston 105–110 Lenny Wilkens (31) 20–35
56 February 8 @ Atlanta 136–132 (OT) Austin Carr (38) 21–35
57 February 9 Chicago 103–97 Austin Carr (26) 21–36
58 February 11 Atlanta 115–107 Austin Carr (26) 21–37
59 February 13 Golden State 103–90 Austin Carr (21) 21–38
60 February 16 @ Chicago 92–100 Austin Carr (23) 21–39
61 February 17 @ Detroit 106–104 Austin Carr (23) 22–39
62 February 18 Buffalo 98–122 Austin Carr (26) 23–39
63 February 20 N Milwaukee 118–100 Lenny Wilkens (20) 23–40
64 February 23 Portland 102–121 Austin Carr (26) 24–40
65 February 25 Boston 105–92 Lenny Wilkens (23) 24–41
66 February 27 @ Baltimore 95–99 Lenny Wilkens (24) 24–42
67 March 2 @ Portland 92–106 Lenny Wilkens (32) 24–43
68 March 4 @ Los Angeles 84–127 Austin Carr (18) 24–44
69 March 6 @ Phoenix 102–110 Lenny Wilkens (26) 24–45
70 March 7 N Houston 100–118 John Johnson (22) 25–45
71 March 10 @ Houston 116–131 Austin Carr (26) 25–46
72 March 13 Atlanta 107–115 Austin Carr (28) 26–46
73 March 16 Kansas City–Omaha 99–114 Bingo Smith (21) 27–46
74 March 17 @ Buffalo 114–97 Carr, Roberson (18) 28–46
75 March 18 Buffalo 101–102 Lenny Wilkens (21) 29–46
76 March 20 Philadelphia 105–131 Austin Carr (25) 30–46
77 March 21 @ Philadelphia 112–109 Austin Carr (24) 31–46
78 March 23 Baltimore 106–104 Lenny Wilkens (25) 31–47
79 March 24 @ Baltimore 116–120 (OT) Austin Carr (31) 31–48
80 March 25 Chicago 105–112 Lenny Wilkens (26) 32–48
81 March 27 @ Chicago 105–121 Johnson, Wilkens (18) 32–49
82 March 28 Detroit 131–119 (OT) Austin Carr (27) 32–50

Awards and records

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References

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