1970–71 Chicago Bulls season

The 1970–71 NBA season was the Bulls' fifth season in the NBA.[1]

1970–71 Chicago Bulls season
Head coachDick Motta
General managerPat Williams
Owner(s)Dick Klein
ArenaChicago Stadium
Results
Record51–31 (.622)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Midwest)
Conference: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finishConference semifinals
(lost to Lakers 3–4)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWGN-TV
(Jack Brickhouse, Vince Lloyd)
RadioWIND
(Jack Fleming, Bill Berg)
< 1969–70 1971–72 >

Offseason

Draft picks

Roster

1970–71 Chicago Bulls roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
F14Baum, Johnny6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)200 lb (91 kg)1946–06–17Temple
C18Boerwinkle, Tom7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)265 lb (120 kg)1945–08–23Tennessee
G22Collins, Jimmy6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg)1946–11–24New Mexico State
C31Fox, Jim6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)230 lb (104 kg)1943–04–07South Carolina
G24Guokas, Matt6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)195 lb (88 kg)1944–03–25Saint Joseph's
G21King, Jim6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg)1941–02–07Tulsa
F10Love, Bob6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)215 lb (98 kg)1942–12–08Southern
C44Ruffner, Paul6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)225 lb (102 kg)1948–10–15BYU
G4Sloan, Jerry6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg)1942–03–28Evansville
F25Walker, Chet6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)212 lb (96 kg)1940–02–22Bradley
G8Weiss, Bob6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg)1942–05–07Penn State
Head coach

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

Roster
Last transaction: January 26, 1971

Regular season

Season standings

W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks6616.80534–228–134–114–4
x-Chicago Bulls5131.6221530–1117–194–17–11
Phoenix Suns4834.5851827–1419–202–09–9
Detroit Pistons4537.5492124–1720–191–16–12
#
Team W L PCT
1z-Milwaukee Bucks6616.805
2y-Los Angeles Lakers4834.585
3x-Chicago Bulls5131.622
4x-San Francisco Warriors4141.500
5Phoenix Suns4834.585
6Detroit Pistons4537.549
7San Diego Rockets4042.488
8Seattle SuperSonics3844.463
9Portland Trail Blazers2953.354
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1970–71 NBA Records
TeamATLBALBOSBUFCHICINCLEDETLALMILNYKPHIPHOPORSDRSFWSEA
Atlanta3–32–43–11–42–44–00–53–21–43–34–21–42–22–32–33–2
Baltimore3–33–33–12–33–34–02–32–31–42–43–33–22–24–12–33–2
Boston4–23–34–04–14–23–12–33–20–50–64–22–32–23–23–23–2
Buffalo1–31–30–40–40–45–71–52–20–42–20–41–36–61–31–31–3
Chicago4–13–21–44–04–04–03–32–41–53–23–23–33–16–04–23–2
Cincinnati4–23–32–44–00–45–11–41–41–42–41–51–44–01–32–31–4
Cleveland0–40–41–37–50–41–52–20–40–40–41–30–42–100–41–30–4
Detroit5–03–23–25–13–34–12–22–31–52–32–32–43–14–21–43–1
Los Angeles2–33–22–32–24–24–14–03–21–43–23–22–44–03–34–24–2
Milwaukee4–14–15–04–05–14–14–05–14–11–44–14–23–14–16–05–1
New York3–34–26–02–22–34–24–03–22–34–12–44–13–14–13–22–3
Philadelphia2–43–32–44–02–35–13–13–22–31–44–23–24–03–23–23–2
Phoenix4–12–33–23–13–34–14–04–24–22–41–42–34–02–43–23–2
Portland2–22–22–26–61–30–410–21–30–41–31–30–40–40–41–32–4
San Diego3–21–42–33–10–63–14–02–43–31–41–42–34–24–02–45–1
San Francisco3–23–22–33–12–43–23–14–12–40–62–32–32–33–14–23–3
Seattle2–32–32–33–12–34–14–01–32–41–53–22–32–34–21–53–3

Game log

1970–71 game log
#DateOpponentScoreHigh pointsRecord
1October 13San Diego96–111Bob Love (28)1–0
2October 14@ Philadelphia107–110Chet Walker (30)1–1
3October 16Los Angeles106–102Bob Weiss (22)1–2
4October 17@ New York99–96Chet Walker (24)2–2
5October 25@ Portland131–116Bob Love (30)3–2
6October 28@ Phoenix118–105Bob Love (28)4–2
7October 30@ San Francisco101–98Jerry Sloan (22)5–2
8October 31@ Seattle119–122Chet Walker (39)5–3
9November 3Seattle101–113Chet Walker (31)6–3
10November 6Phoenix105–102Chet Walker (29)6–4
11November 7Detroit99–125Jerry Sloan (25)7–4
12November 10Los Angeles96–118Jerry Sloan (32)8–4
13November 13New York106–98Bob Love (20)8–5
14November 14@ Atlanta120–116Bob Love (39)9–5
15November 17San Francisco111–105Bob Love (32)9–6
16November 18@ Cincinnati128–107Chet Walker (27)10–6
17November 21Boston107–110Bob Love (32)11–6
18November 24Milwaukee117–108Jerry Sloan (23)11–7
19November 27Buffalo104–121Bob Love (31)12–7
20November 28@ Baltimore91–99Chet Walker (23)12–8
21December 1Philadelphia91–107Chet Walker (28)13–8
22December 3@ Milwaukee100–107Bob Love (22)13–9
23December 4@ Detroit103–107Love, Walker (24)13–10
24December 5Boston101–97Jerry Sloan (28)13–11
25December 8San Francisco87–98Bob Love (30)14–11
26December 10N Buffalo138–120Love, Sloan (34)15–11
27December 11Atlanta86–87Chet Walker (27)16–11
28December 12San Diego98–103Chet Walker (27)17–11
29December 15Baltimore97–115Bob Love (37)18–11
30December 18Cincinnati122–137Jerry Sloan (31)19–11
31December 19@ New York87–98Bob Love (22)19–12
32December 20@ Cleveland116–103Chet Walker (24)20–12
33December 22Cleveland80–121Bob Love (22)21–12
34December 23@ Buffalo104–103Bob Love (31)22–12
35December 25@ Baltimore112–128Bob Love (42)22–13
36December 26Detroit117–114Jerry Sloan (28)22–14
37December 27@ San Diego110–101Bob Love (32)23–14
38December 29@ Los Angeles117–126Bob Love (31)23–15
39December 30@ Seattle109–128Boerwinkle, Love (20)23–16
40January 2@ Portland136–113Bob Love (36)24–16
41January 5San Diego103–116Jerry Sloan (29)25–16
42January 6N Milwaukee119–106Bob Love (29)25–17
43January 8Portland113–105Chet Walker (33)25–18
44January 10Buffalo113–141Bob Love (30)26–18
45January 14Philadelphia103–108Bob Love (27)27–18
46January 15@ Philadelphia96–99Jerry Sloan (23)27–19
47January 16Milwaukee110–90Bob Love (27)27–20
48January 19Portland111–123Chet Walker (32)28–20
49January 20New York103–109Chet Walker (33)29–20
50January 23@ San Francisco87–83Bob Love (34)30–20
51January 24@ Phoenix112–113Bob Love (34)30–21
52January 26@ Los Angeles111–136Chet Walker (21)30–22
53January 27@ San Diego111–106Jerry Sloan (30)31–22
54January 31Cincinnati99–131Bob Love (25)32–22
55February 2Seattle101–118Love, Walker (27)33–22
56February 3@ Baltimore124–102Bob Love (35)34–22
57February 5Philadelphia102–114Bob Love (37)35–22
58February 6@ New York109–102Bob Love (40)36–22
59February 7@ Boston96–104Bob Love (32)36–23
60February 9Boston90–88Bob Love (27)36–24
61February 12Los Angeles88–107Jerry Sloan (23)37–24
62February 13@ Milwaukee96–103Chet Walker (32)37–25
63February 14Cleveland83–108Jerry Sloan (26)38–25
64February 16Atlanta102–118Jerry Sloan (32)39–25
65February 17@ Cleveland109–104Chet Walker (32)40–25
66February 19Detroit114–115 (OT)Chet Walker (44)41–25
67February 21@ Detroit125–112Chet Walker (27)42–25
68February 27@ Seattle129–114Bob Love (39)43–25
69March 1N Cincinnati94–98Chet Walker (24)44–25
70March 3@ Phoenix90–115Jim Fox (20)44–26
71March 5N San Francisco103–130Bob Love (44)45–26
72March 6N San Diego99–105Bob Love (28)46–26
73March 7@ Los Angeles108–117Bob Love (28)46–27
74March 9Milwaukee103–110 (OT)Bob Love (23)47–27
75March 12Phoenix92–116Bob Love (29)48–27
76March 13Phoenix99–111Chet Walker (31)49–27
77March 14@ Boston104–117Bob Love (23)49–28
78March 16Baltimore99–113Tom Boerwinkle (26)50–28
79March 18San Francisco91–85Bob Love (20)50–29
80March 19@ Atlanta111–112 (OT)Chet Walker (22)50–30
81March 20Atlanta121–138Fox, Ruffner (19)51–30
82March 21@ Detroit111–116Bob Love (27)51–31

Playoffs

1971 playoff game log
Conference semifinals: 3–4 (home: 3–0; road: 0–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Series
1March 24@ Los AngelesL 99–100Bob Love (24)Sloan, Boerwinkle (9)Tom Boerwinkle (8)The Forum
10,726
0–1
2March 26@ Los AngelesL 95–105Bob Love (34)Jim Fox (13)Bob Weiss (5)The Forum
13,469
0–2
3March 28Los AngelesW 106–98Bob Love (27)Chet Walker (12)Bob Weiss (11)Chicago Stadium
10,101
1–2
4March 30Los AngelesW 112–102Bob Love (36)Jerry Sloan (12)Bob Weiss (13)Chicago Stadium
18,650
2–2
5April 1@ Los AngelesL 89–115Bob Love (21)Jim Fox (11)Weiss, King (7)The Forum
13,935
2–3
6April 4Los AngelesW 113–99Bob Weiss (25)Tom Boerwinkle (18)Boerwinkle, Walker (6)Chicago Stadium
14,211
3–3
7April 6@ Los AngelesL 98–109Sloan, Love (24)Jim Fox (12)Bob Weiss (8)The Forum
17,505
3–4
1971 schedule

Awards and records

References