1969–70 Los Angeles Lakers season NBA professional basketball team season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1969–70 NBA season was the Lakers' 22nd season in the NBA and tenth season in Los Angeles .[ 1]
Offseason
After the tumultuous previous two seasons under the fiery head coach Butch Van Breda Kolff , the Lakers replaced him with the low key Joe Mullaney .[citation needed ]
Draft picks
1st round, 12th pick – Willie McCarter, G, Drake University
1st round, 15th pick – Rick Roberson, C, University of Cincinnati
2nd round, 27th pick – Dick Garrett, G, Southern Illinois University
Roster
1969–70 Los Angeles Lakers roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
SF
22
Baylor, Elgin
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1934-09-16
Seattle
C
13
Chamberlain, Wilt
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
275 lb (125 kg)
1936-08-21
Kansas
C
31
Counts, Mel
7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
1941-10-16
Oregon State
PG
21
Egan, Johnny
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1939-01-31
Providence
SF
24
Erickson, Keith
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1944-04-19
UCLA
SG
20
Garrett, Dick
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
1947-01-31
Southern Illinois
PF
52
Hairston, Happy
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1942-05-31
NYU
PF
30
Hewitt, Bill
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1944-08-08
USC
SF
33
Lynn, Mike
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1945-11-25
UCLA
SG
15
McCarter, Willie
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1946-07-26
Drake
C
35
Roberson, Rick
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
231 lb (105 kg)
1947-07-07
Cincinnati
PF
14
Tresvant, John
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1939-11-06
Seattle
PG
44
West, Jerry
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1938-05-28
West Virginia
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: January 23, 1970
Regular season
After barely losing the NBA title the previous season, the veteran Lakers had high hopes coming into the 1969–70 season. However, 9 games into the season, Wilt Chamberlain suffered a severe knee injury and it was thought he would miss the next 10–12 months. Elgin Baylor also missed 28 games due to injury, and Jerry West missed 8. They traded Bill Hewitt for double-double machine Happy Hairston midway through the season. 1st round draft pick Willie McCarter also missed almost the entire season. But the Lakers received key contributions from rookies Rick Roberson and Dick Garrett , and managed to battle the Atlanta Hawks for 1st place in the Western Division for most of the season. Chamberlain returned for the final few games, and while the Lakers
finished 2nd in the division to Atlanta by 2 games, they were at full strength for the playoffs.
Season standings
x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1969–70 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BAL
BOS
CHI
CIN
DET
LAL
MIL
NYK
PHI
PHO
SDR
SFW
SEA
Atlanta
–
2–4
6–0
5–2
3–3
3–3
4–3
3–3
4–2
3–3
2–4
4–2
5–2
4–2
Baltimore
4–2
–
5–2
5–1
4–3
5–2
4–2
3–3
1–5
3–4
3–3
6–0
2–4
5–1
Boston
0–6
2–5
–
3–3
3–3
4–3
2–4
1–6
4–3
2–4
2–4
4–2
5–1
2–4
Chicago
2–5
1–5
3–3
–
3–3
3–3
4–2
4–2
0–6
3–3
5–2
3–4
4–2
4–3
Cincinnati
3–3
3–4
3–3
3–3
–
4–2
2–4
2–5
2–5
4–3
3–3
4–2
2–4
1–5
Detroit
3–3
2–5
3–4
3–3
2–4
–
3–3
1–6
1–6
1–5
3–3
3–3
3–3
3–3
Los Angeles
3–4
2–4
4–2
2–4
4–2
3–3
–
3–3
2–4
4–2
3–4
5–2
5–2
6–0
Milwaukee
3–3
3–3
6–1
2–4
5–2
6–1
3–3
–
2–4
5–2
6–0
6–0
4–2
5–1
New York
2–4
5–1
3–4
6–0
5–2
6–1
4–2
4–2
–
5–2
6–0
5–1
5–1
4–2
Philadelphia
3–3
4–3
4–2
3–3
3–4
5–1
2–4
2–5
2–5
–
4–2
4–2
6–0
0–6
Phoenix
4–2
3–3
4–2
2–5
3–3
3–3
4–3
0–6
0–6
2–4
–
7–0
3–3
4–3
San Diego
2–4
0–6
2–4
4–3
2–4
3–3
2–5
0–6
1–5
2–4
0–7
–
5–2
4–2
San Francisco
2–5
4–2
1–5
2–4
4–2
3–3
2–5
2–4
1–5
0–6
3–3
2–5
–
3–4
Seattle
2–4
1–5
4–2
3–4
5–1
3–3
0–6
1–5
2–4
6–0
3–4
2–4
4–3
—
Game log
1969–70 game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 17
@ Philadelphia
126–131
Jerry West (39)
0–1
2
October 18
@ New York
96–99
Jerry West (42)
0–2
3
October 21
@ Baltimore
142–137 (OT)
Jerry West (39)
1–2
4
October 22
@ Cincinnati
116–109
Wilt Chamberlain (43)
2–2
5
October 24
Milwaukee
112–123
Elgin Baylor (26)
3–2
6
October 25
@ Seattle
130–106
Wilt Chamberlain (42)
4–2
7
October 26
Chicago
125–129
Wilt Chamberlain (37)
5–2
8
November 2
Cincinnati
124–116
Jerry West (27)
5–3
9
November 7
Phoenix
122–120
Wilt Chamberlain (33)
5–4
10
November 9
New York
112–102
Jerry West (28)
5–5
11
November 11
Detroit
110–102
Jerry West (24)
5–6
12
November 14
Phoenix
112–127
Elgin Baylor (31)
6–6
13
November 15
@ Phoenix
111–114
Elgin Baylor (30)
6–7
14
November 16
Philadelphia
125–138
Jerry West (45)
7–7
15
November 18
@ Detroit
125–114 (OT)
Elgin Baylor (32)
8–7
16
November 19
@ Cincinnati
116–103
Jerry West (32)
9–7
17
November 21
San Diego
98–100
Jerry West (37)
10–7
18
November 22
@ San Francisco
106–98
Jerry West (40)
11–7
19
November 23
Baltimore
129–97
Jerry West (38)
11–8
20
November 25
@ New York
96–103
Jerry West (41)
11–9
21
November 26
@ Milwaukee
81–100
Mel Counts (31)
11–10
22
November 28
San Francisco
114–108
Jerry West (43)
11–11
23
November 30
Chicago
116–114 (OT)
Jerry West (38)
11–12
24
December 4
@ Phoenix
109–119
Happy Hairston (25)
11–13
25
December 5
Detroit
109–128
Jerry West (26)
12–13
26
December 6
@ San Diego
128–115
Jerry West (30)
13–13
27
December 7
Atlanta
104–103
Elgin Baylor (36)
13–14
28
December 9
@ Philadelphia
99–123
Willie McCarter (21)
13–15
29
December 10
@ Boston
99–111
Elgin Baylor (29)
13–16
30
December 12
@ Atlanta
107–121
Elgin Baylor (26)
13–17
31
December 14
Seattle
127–131
Elgin Baylor (37)
14–17
32
December 19
Cincinnati
117–109
Jerry West (30)
14–18
33
December 21
Philadelphia
117–133
Jerry West (33)
15–18
34
December 23
@ San Diego
109–115
Jerry West (30)
15–19
35
December 26
New York
106–114
Jerry West (40)
16–19
36
December 28
Boston
99–109
Jerry West (34)
17–19
37
December 30
@ San Francisco
100–105
Jerry West (34)
17–20
38
January 2
San Francisco
95–125
Jerry West (32)
18–20
39
January 3
@ Seattle
126–109
Jerry West (45)
19–20
40
January 4
Phoenix
112–120
Jerry West (35)
20–20
41
January 6
N Chicago
100–105
Jerry West (37)
20–21
42
January 9
@ Atlanta
127–112
Jerry West (26)
21–21
43
January 10
@ Chicago
112–116 (OT)
Jerry West (36)
21–22
44
January 14
@ Milwaukee
113–115
Jerry West (34)
21–23
45
January 16
@ Boston
108–103
Jerry West (23)
22–23
46
January 18
@ Detroit
100–106
Jerry West (30)
22–24
47
January 22
N San Francisco
108–122
Jerry West (40)
23–24
48
January 23
Seattle
100–128
Happy Hairston (34)
24–24
49
January 24
@ Seattle
122–121 (OT)
Jerry West (39)
25–24
50
January 25
Phoenix
106–118
Jerry West (38)
26–24
51
January 27
San Diego
109–124
Jerry West (41)
27–24
52
January 28
@ San Diego
113–108
Jerry West (36)
28–24
53
January 30
Atlanta
87–102
Keith Erickson (23)
29–24
54
February 1
@ Philadelphia
113–112
Elgin Baylor (33)
30–24
55
February 3
N Cincinnati
124–114
Jerry West (38)
31–24
56
February 4
@ Detroit
109–125
Happy Hairston (31)
31–25
57
February 6
Milwaukee
118–105
Elgin Baylor (27)
31–26
58
February 7
@ Phoenix
117–121 (OT)
Elgin Baylor (41)
31–27
59
February 8
San Diego
113–125
Jerry West (34)
32–27
60
February 10
Baltimore
111–106
Jerry West (29)
32–28
61
February 11
@ San Francisco
125–115
Baylor, West (43)
33–28
62
February 12
Atlanta
114–136
Jerry West (42)
34–28
63
February 14
@ Chicago
113–116
Elgin Baylor (34)
34–29
64
February 15
@ Milwaukee
98–96
Jerry West (28)
35–29
65
February 17
@ New York
93–114
Elgin Baylor (18)
35–30
66
February 18
@ Baltimore
103–117
Jerry West (25)
35–31
67
February 20
Milwaukee
114–119
Jerry West (37)
36–31
68
February 21
@ San Diego
106–121
Happy Hairston (30)
36–32
69
February 22
Boston
96–108
Elgin Baylor (39)
37–32
70
February 24
Atlanta
118–106
Happy Hairston (24)
37–33
71
February 27
Chicago
101–111
Elgin Baylor (42)
38–33
72
March 1
@ Boston
120–114
Jerry West (33)
39–33
73
March 3
@ Atlanta
93–101
Elgin Baylor (21)
39–34
74
March 4
@ Baltimore
94–91
Jerry West (32)
40–34
75
March 6
Baltimore
105–100
Jerry West (35)
40–35
76
March 8
Cincinnati
116–144
Jerry West (31)
41–35
77
March 10
San Francisco
104–106
Jerry West (42)
42–35
78
March 13
Philadelphia
117–128
Jerry West (43)
43–35
79
March 15
New York
101–106
Jerry West (38)
44–35
80
March 18
Boston
137–122
Jerry West (36)
44–36
81
March 20
Detroit
111–117
Jerry West (34)
45–36
82
March 22
Seattle
118–121
Wilt Chamberlain (21)
46–36
Playoffs
1970 playoff game log
Division Semi-finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
Division finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
1970 schedule
Awards and records
References
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