1974 NBA Finals
1974 NBA Finals
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1974 NBA Finals

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1974 NBA Finals

The 1974 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1973–74 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks in seven games to win their twelfth NBA championship. This was the last time the Celtics won a Game 7 on the road until 2022.

The Milwaukee Bucks returned to the NBA Finals after a three-year absence. Some of the cast from the 1971 championship team, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor), Jon McGlocklin, Bob Dandridge and the retiring Oscar Robertson returned for another title run; however, starting guard Lucius Allen, who averaged 17.6 points and 5.2 assists per game, was injured and did not play in the series. The Bucks eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls in five and four games, respectively, to advance to the Finals.

The Boston Celtics won a franchise record 68 games in the 1972–73 season, but a shoulder injury to John Havlicek quashed their title hopes, as they lost in seven games to the New York Knicks in the conference finals. Havlicek returned healthier for the 1973–74 season, and with Dave Cowens, Paul Silas and Jo Jo White entering the prime of their careers, the Celtics appeared poised for another title run. The Celtics, though winning 12 fewer games than the previous season, made the Finals, defeating the Buffalo Braves in six games before ousting the defending champion New York Knicks in five games.

These teams split the four-game season series, each winning once at home and on the road.

Celtics win series 4–3

Before the series started, Bucks point guard Lucius Allen would be lost for the series with a knee injury. In Game 1, the Celtics took advantage, harassing a 35-year-old Oscar Robertson and Allen's replacement, Ron Williams, into frequent turnovers. The Celtics took a 35–19 lead in the first quarter and never looked back on the way to a 98–83 win in Milwaukee. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 35 points for the Bucks.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 36 points, but more importantly, he took more of a role in running the Bucks' offense from the post, given their backcourt issues. His passing enabled Bob Dandridge to score 24 points.

On the defensive end, Abdul-Jabbar forced Dave Cowens into shooting 8-of-22 from the floor, including a block of a Cowens shot at the end of regulation to force overtime. The Bucks won 105–96 to even the series at a game apiece as it headed to Boston.

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