Milwaukee Bucks: 49 years in 49 days – 1973-74 season

By Ti Windisch | Sep 4, 2017

BOSTON - 1974: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the sky hook over Dave Cowens #18 of the Boston Celtics during the NBA Finals played in 1974 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachussetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1974 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Milwaukee Bucks made another trip to the NBA Finals after back-to-back early round exits the last two years prior to 1973-74.

The season: 1973-74

The record: 59-23

The postseason: 11-5, lost in Finals

The story:

After relying a lot on defense for most of the early Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era, the Milwaukee Bucks picked up their offense in the 1973-74 regular season. No team scored more efficiently than the Bucks, although their rather slow pace kept the team near the middle of the pack in points scored per game.

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After tearing it up the season before, the Boston Celtics cooled down in the regular season, as did most other NBA teams. The Bucks record of 59-23 may have been worse than it was the season before, but the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers also slumped in the regular season, leaving Milwaukee as the NBA’s best team through 82 games.

Although Oscar Robertson was gone from stardom at this point in time, the Bucks found success as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Dandridge, and Lucius Allen all aged right into their primes. All three of those players were 26 that year, and even with Kareem’s points per game dropping the level of play among them did not.

Milwaukee started blazing hot, compiling a 39-10 record heading into the 50th game of the season. Unfortunately the team couldn’t quite keep up that pace, although a 20-13 finish is nothing to scoff at, even for a great team.

Those wins didn’t come easily, either. The Bucks’ Midwest Division was really strong that season, as the Chicago Bulls won 54 games and the Detroit Pistons won 52. The Kansas City-Omaha Kings were not so successful, tallying just 33 wins and being swept in a seven-game season series by the Bucks.

The only team to have a winning record against the Bucks that year was the Los Angeles Lakers, who somehow remained in the same conference as Milwaukee. Still, the Bucks handled their business against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, winning the series in five games.

Chicago didn’t fare much better. In fact, the Bulls were worse off, as the Bucks took care of them in just four games. Former Buck Bob Love was the best Bull, but against Kareem and company he didn’t stand a chance.

Milwaukee was back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1971, and the opponent this time around was the Boston Celtics. John Havlicek was on the wrong side of 30, but he could still ball, as could Dave Cowens.

Unfortunately, the Bucks were far from full strength. Allen had been lost for the postseason before it even started due to a knee injury. Two years ago, Oscar might’ve been able to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, Allen had become a crucial piece of Milwaukee’s team by that point.

Still, the Bucks had Kareem, Dandridge, and Robertson together. Going into the Finals, that team was still expected to take it home. Until the Celtics came into Milwaukee and won Game 1 by 15 points, that is.

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Boston held the Bucks to 83 points in the victory, and it was clear this would be no walk in the park like Milwaukee’s last championship was. The Bucks battled back and took Game 2, and the teams proceeded to trade wins leading to a 3-3 tie and a dramatic Game 7.

The Bucks season almost ended the game before, but a legendary 15-foot sky hook from Kareem on a bungled play call kept Milwaukee alive and forced a deciding game on the Bucks homecourt.

Unfortunately, for the first time that series, the Celtics began to double Kareem, leaving Cornell Warner open. He managed to score a point on three taken shots–all misses. Kareem managed just 26, and the Celtics won handily. No player in the series was better than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but the Bucks, unable to adjust fast enough, couldn’t make up for Boston’s aggressive defense.

Next: 49 years in 49 days: 1972-73 season

Still, although losing in the NBA Finals is tough, Kareem and most of the Milwaukee Bucks core were still young. This couldn’t be their last Finals together … could it?

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