The 1971–72 NBA season was the Celtics' 26th season in the NBA .[ 1] The Celtics qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 3 seasons, and won the Atlantic Division for the 1st time in franchise history. The Celtics had the fifth best team defensive rating and the fifth best team offensive rating in the NBA.
Tom Heinsohn , a Celtics legend as a player, led the club in his third season as head coach. The team made its first postseason without Bill Russell since 1956, and would advance to their first conference finals before falling to the eventual runners-up and rivals New York Knicks in a five-game series.
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
SG
12
Chaney, Don
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Houston
F/C
18
Cowens, Dave
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
Florida State
C
29
Finkel, Henry
7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
Dayton
G/F
17
Havlicek, John
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
203 lb (92 kg)
Ohio State
F/C
11
Kuberski, Steve
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Bradley
G
20
Morgan, Rex
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Jacksonville
F
19
Nelson, Don
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Iowa
C
33
Smith, Garfield
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
Eastern Kentucky
G
10
White, Jo Jo
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Kansas
SF
16
Sanders, Satch
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
NYU
G
7
Williams, Art
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
Cal Poly Pomona
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
z = clinched division title
y = clinched division title
x = clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
edit
1971–72 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BAL
BOS
BUF
CHI
CIN
CLE
DET
GSW
HOU
LAL
MIL
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SEA
Atlanta
—
2–4
0–4
4–2
0–5
3–3
4–2
3–2
3–2
1–4
0–5
2–3
3–1
3–3
3–2
4–0
1–4
Baltimore
4–2
—
2–2
3–3
1–4
4–2
1–5
3–2
1–4
3–2
1–4
0–5
2–4
4–0
4–1
3–1
2–3
Boston
4–0
2–2
—
6–0
3–2
4–2
5–1
5–0
2–3
5–0
1–4
2–3
3–3
6–0
2–3
4–0
2–3
Buffalo
2–4
3–3
0–6
—
1–3
3–3
4–2
2–4
1–3
0–4
0–4
0–4
1–5
3–3
0–4
2–4
0–4
Chicago
5–0
4–1
2–3
3–1
—
3–1
4–0
5–1
3–3
5–1
1–3
2–4
3–2
4–1
5–1
6–0
2–3
Cincinnati
3–3
2–4
2–4
3–3
1–3
—
6–2
2–3
2–3
0–4
1–4
0–5
2–2
2–2
2–3
2–2
0–5
Cleveland
2–4
5–1
1–5
2–4
0–4
2–6
—
1–3
0–4
2–2
1–3
0–4
1–5
2–4
0–4
4–2
0–4
Detroit
2–3
2–3
0–5
4–2
1–5
3–2
3–1
—
0–5
3–3
1–4
1–5
1–4
1–4
2–4
2–2
0–4
Golden State
2–3
4–1
3–2
3–1
3–3
3–2
4–0
5–0
—
5–1
1–5
2–2
2–3
4–1
2–3
4–2
4–2
Houston
4–1
2–3
0–5
4–0
1–5
4–0
2–2
3–3
1–5
—
1–5
0–5
0–5
4–1
1–3
4–2
3–3
Los Angeles
5–0
4–1
4–1
4–0
3–1
4–1
3–1
4–1
5–1
5–1
—
4–1
4–1
5–0
4–2
6–0
5–1
Milwaukee
3–2
5–0
3–2
4–0
4–2
5–0
4–0
5–1
2–2
5–0
1–4
—
2–3
4–1
4–2
6–0
6–0
New York
1–3
4–2
3–3
5–1
2–3
2–2
5–1
4–1
3–2
5–0
1–4
3–2
—
3–3
1–4
3–1
3–2
Philadelphia
3–3
0–4
0–6
3–3
1–4
2–2
4–2
4–1
1–4
1–4
0–5
1–4
3–3
—
1–4
2–2
4–1
Phoenix
2–3
1–4
3–2
4–0
1–5
3–2
4–0
4–2
3–2
3–1
2–4
2–4
4–1
4–1
—
6–0
3–2
Portland
0–4
1–3
0–4
4–2
0–6
2–2
2–4
2–2
2–4
2–4
0–6
0–6
1–3
2–2
0–6
—
0–6
Seattle
4–1
3–2
3–2
4–0
3–2
5–0
4–0
4–0
2–4
3–3
1–5
0–6
2–3
1–4
2–3
6–0
—
1971–72 game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 15
Golden State
97–75
Jo Jo White (22)
0–1
2
October 19
Baltimore
114–134
Jo Jo White (26)
1–1
3
October 22
@ Atlanta
115–108
Jo Jo White (34)
2–1
4
October 23
@ Buffalo
103–98
John Havlicek (34)
3–1
5
October 25
Atlanta
116–136
Dave Cowens (27)
4–1
6
October 26
@ New York
101–106
Jo Jo White (29)
4–2
7
October 27
Houston
97–108
Jo Jo White (31)
5–2
8
October 29
Milwaukee
114–125
Dave Cowens (37)
6–2
9
November 5
Detroit
102–103
Jo Jo White (29)
7–2
10
November 6
Portland
109–124
John Havlicek (32)
8–2
11
November 8
N Cincinnati
109–120
Dave Cowens (30)
9–2
12
November 10
@ Houston
142–103
Dave Cowens (29)
10–2
13
November 12
@ Phoenix
119–128
John Havlicek (26)
10–3
14
November 13
@ Seattle
112–116
John Havlicek (30)
10–4
15
November 14
@ Los Angeles
115–128
Jo Jo White (36)
10–5
16
November 17
Phoenix
121–140
John Havlicek (32)
11–5
17
November 19
Cincinnati
110–106
John Havlicek (29)
11–6
18
November 20
@ Chicago
106–123
John Havlicek (30)
11–7
19
November 21
@ Cleveland
128–105
John Havlicek (36)
12–7
20
November 24
Buffalo
100–108
John Havlicek (33)
13–7
21
November 26
New York
104–89
John Havlicek (28)
13–8
22
November 27
N Baltimore
120–125
John Havlicek (29)
13–9
23
November 28
Atlanta
108–130
Jo Jo White (25)
14–9
24
December 1
Los Angeles
124–111
John Havlicek (36)
14–10
25
December 4
Houston
107–117
John Havlicek (38)
15–10
26
December 7
@ New York
105–97
Jo Jo White (26)
16–10
27
December 8
Cleveland
107–126
John Havlicek (28)
17–10
28
December 10
@ Milwaukee
104–120
John Havlicek (32)
17–11
29
December 11
Chicago
115–99
John Havlicek (24)
17–12
30
December 12
@ Cincinnati
96–83
John Havlicek (28)
18–12
31
December 14
@ Chicago
116–108
John Havlicek (35)
19–12
32
December 15
Seattle
100–112
Chaney , White (22)
20–12
33
December 17
@ Cleveland
115–109
John Havlicek (25)
21–12
34
December 18
Buffalo
91–124
John Havlicek (30)
22–12
35
December 22
N Milwaukee
98–104
John Havlicek (26)
23–12
36
December 25
@ Cincinnati
99–94
Jo Jo White (30)
24–12
37
December 27
Golden State
97–99
John Havlicek (28)
25–12
38
December 28
@ Philadelphia
120–116
John Havlicek (36)
26–12
39
December 31
Philadelphia
119–131
John Havlicek (30)
27–12
40
January 1
@ Phoenix
104–114
John Havlicek (24)
27–13
41
January 2
@ Los Angeles
113–122
Cowens, Havlicek (29)
27–14
42
January 5
@ Houston
113–105
Jo Jo White (30)
28–14
43
January 7
@ Portland
120–114
John Havlicek (37)
29–14
44
January 8
@ Golden State
106–128
John Havlicek (28)
29–15
45
January 9
@ Seattle
119–125
Jo Jo White (32)
29–16
46
January 12
Chicago
112–113
Jo Jo White (31)
30–16
47
January 14
Detroit
94–108
Dave Cowens (26)
31–16
48
January 15
@ Atlanta
122–106
John Havlicek (40)
32–16
49
January 21
Houston
105–110
Havlicek, White (28)
33–16
50
January 23
Portland
105–115
Dave Cowens (26)
34–16
51
January 25
@ New York
106–109
Jo Jo White (33)
34–17
52
January 26
Cleveland
112–108
John Havlicek (27)
34–18
53
January 28
New York
116–122 (OT)
John Havlicek (33)
35–18
54
January 29
@ Detroit
124–112
Don Chaney (29)
36–18
55
January 30
Philadelphia
114–130
John Havlicek (33)
37–18
56
February 1
@ Baltimore
115–108
Dave Cowens (32)
38–18
57
February 2
Chicago
100–124
John Havlicek (32)
39–18
58
February 4
Cincinnati
109–122
Cowens, Nelson , White (21)
40–18
59
February 6
Seattle
123–128
John Havlicek (42)
41–18
60
February 9
Buffalo
112–139
Jo Jo White (24)
42–18
61
February 11
Los Angeles
108–121
Don Nelson (24)
43–18
62
February 13
Milwaukee
117–109
Jo Jo White (31)
43–19
63
February 15
@ Portland
111–104
John Havlicek (31)
44–19
64
February 16
@ Seattle
112–113
Dave Cowens (29)
44–20
65
February 18
@ Phoenix
115–126
John Havlicek (27)
44–21
66
February 19
@ Golden State
111–115
Havlicek, White (26)
44–22
67
February 20
@ Los Angeles
113–132
John Havlicek (27)
44–23
68
February 22
Phoenix
103–114
John Havlicek (27)
45–23
69
February 23
@ Cleveland
113–111
John Havlicek (33)
46–23
70
February 25
@ Buffalo
117–115
John Havlicek (33)
47–23
71
March 1
Cleveland
105–115
John Havlicek (31)
48–23
72
March 3
@ Detroit
125–96
Dave Cowens (22)
49–23
73
March 5
Cincinnati
125–114
John Havlicek (29)
49–24
74
March 6
@ Milwaukee
127–132 (OT)
John Havlicek (34)
49–25
75
March 12
New York
109–112
John Havlicek (41)
50–25
76
March 14
Golden State
110–124
John Havlicek (38)
51–25
77
March 15
@ Philadelphia
120–115
John Havlicek (36)
52–25
78
March 17
N Philadelphia
111–127
John Havlicek (35)
53–25
79
March 19
Baltimore
125–112
John Havlicek (26)
53–26
80
March 22
Philadelphia
106–113
John Havlicek (21)
54–26
81
March 25
@ Buffalo
121–116
John Havlicek (31)
55–26
82
March 26
Detroit
120–133
John Havlicek (27)
56–26
1972 playoff game log
Conference semifinals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
Conference finals: 1–4 (home: 1–2; road: 0–2)
1972 schedule