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1972–73 Detroit Pistons season

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NBA team season

NBA professional basketball team season
1972–73 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach
General managerEd Coil
Owner(s)Fred Zollner
ArenaCobo Arena
Results
Record40–42 (.488)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Midwest)
Conference: 5th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
< 1971–72 1973–74 >

The 1972–73 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 25th season in the NBA and 16th season in the city of Detroit. The team played at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit.

The Pistons finished with a 40-42 (.488) record, 3rd place in the Midwest Division. The team was led guard Dave Bing (22.4 ppg, 7.8 apg, NBA All-Star), center Bob Lanier (23.8 ppg, 14.9 rpg, NBA All-Star) and forward Curtis Rowe (16.1 ppg). Coach Earl Lloyd was fired after 7 games, replaced by former Pistons player Ray Scott, who led the team to a 38–37 record under his direction. Lanier credited Scott with an improved culture, stating, “He took over and we started playing collectively as a unit. We had a good feeling, and we related well with one another.”

Draft picks

Main article: 1972 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 9 Bob Nash Forward  United States Hawaii
2 17 Chris Ford Guard  United States Villanova

Roster

Detroit Pistons roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
PG 21 Bing, Dave 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1943-11-24 Syracuse
C 20 Davis, Jim 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1941-12-18 Colorado
SG 42 Ford, Chris 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1949-01-11 Villanova
C 16 Lanier, Bob 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1948-09-10 St. Bonaventure
SG 22 Lantz, Stu 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1946-07-13 Nebraska
SG 15 Mengelt, John 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1949-10-16 Auburn
SF 33 Nash, Bob 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1950-08-24 Hawaiʻi
SF 8 Norwood, Willie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1947-08-08 Alcorn State
PF 18 Rowe, Curtis 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1949-07-02 UCLA
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: February 5, 1973

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks 60 22 .732 – 33–5 25–15 2–2 15–5
x-Chicago Bulls 51 31 .622 9 29–12 20–19 2–0 10–10
Detroit Pistons 40 42 .488 20 26–15 13–25 1–2 9–11
Kansas City–Omaha Kings 36 46 .439 24 24–17 12–29 – 6–14
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT
1 z-Milwaukee Bucks 60 22 .732
2 y-Los Angeles Lakers 60 22 .732
3 x-Chicago Bulls 51 31 .622
4 x-Golden State Warriors 47 35 .573
5 Detroit Pistons 40 42 .488
6 Phoenix Suns 38 44 .463
7 Kansas City–Omaha Kings 36 46 .439
8 Seattle SuperSonics 26 56 .317
9 Portland Trail Blazers 21 61 .256
z, y – division champions
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1972–73 NBA Records
Team ATL BAL BOS BUF CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCO LAL MIL NYK PHI PHO POR SEA
Atlanta — 3–4 1–5 5–1 2–2 3–4 2–2 1–3 4–4 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–3 6–0 3–1 4–0 3–1
Baltimore 4–3 — 1–5 5–1 0–4 8–0 2–2 3–1 5–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–3 5–1 2–2 4–0 4–0
Boston 5–1 5–1 — 7–0 3–1 5–1 3–1 3–1 5–1 3–1 4–0 2–2 4–4 7–0 4–0 4–0 4–0
Buffalo 1–5 1–5 0–7 — 2–2 1–5 1–3 0–4 1–5 1–3 0–4 0–4 1–6 7–1 1–3 2–2 2–2
Chicago 2–2 4–0 1–3 2–2 — 3–1 3–4 3–3 4–0 5–2 1–5 2–4 3–1 4–0 4–2 5–1 5–1
Cleveland 4–3 0–8 1–5 5–1 1–3 — 1–3 1–3 4–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–6 6–0 1–3 1–3 3–1
Detroit 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 4–3 3–1 — 2–4 1–3 3–3 1–5 2–5 1–3 3–1 4–2 6–0 2–4
Golden State 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 3–3 3–1 4–2 — 3–1 4–2 3–4 1–5 2–2 4–0 2–4 5–1 4–3
Houston 4–4 2–5 1–5 5–1 0–4 3–4 3–1 1–3 — 0–4 1–3 1–3 1–5 5–1 2–2 2–2 2–2
Kansas City-Omaha 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–5 2–2 3–3 2–4 4–0 — 1–5 1–6 0–4 3–1 3–3 4–2 4–2
Los Angeles 1–3 3–1 0–4 4–0 5–1 3–1 5–1 4–3 3–1 5–1 — 3–3 2–2 4–0 6–1 6–0 6–0
Milwaukee 3–1 2–2 2–2 4–0 4–2 3–1 5–2 5–1 3–1 6–1 3–3 — 2–2 3–1 5–1 5–1 5–1
New York 3–3 3–3 4–4 6–1 1–3 6–0 3–1 2–2 5–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 — 6–1 3–1 3–1 4–0
Philadelphia 0–6 1–5 0–7 1–7 0–4 0–6 1–3 0–4 1–5 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–6 — 0–4 1–3 1–3
Phoenix 1–3 2–2 0–4 3–1 2–4 3–1 2–4 4–2 2–2 3–3 1–6 1–5 1–3 4–0 — 5–2 4–2
Portland 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–5 3–1 0–6 1–5 2–2 2–4 0–6 1–5 1–3 3–1 2–5 — 3–4
Seattle 1–3 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–5 1–3 4–2 3–4 2–2 2–4 0–6 1–5 0–4 3–1 2–4 4–3 —

Game log

1972–73 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 11 Boston 121–108 Bing, Lanier (28) 0–1
2 October 13 Chicago 91–100 Bob Lanier (21) 1–1
3 October 14 @ Kansas City–Omaha 101–113 Bob Lanier (31) 1–2
4 October 20 @ Milwaukee 86–109 Curtis Rowe (21) 1–3
5 October 21 Cleveland 96–103 Dave Bing (28) 2–3
6 October 25 Baltimore 115–105 Curtis Rowe (26) 2–4
7 October 27 @ Houston 118–130 Bob Lanier (36) 2–5
8 October 29 @ Portland 119–111 Bob Lanier (33) 3–5
9 October 31 @ Golden State 104–112 Dave Bing (25) 3–6
10 November 1 @ Seattle 116–106 Dave Bing (36) 4–6
11 November 3 @ Los Angeles 107–116 Bob Lanier (37) 4–7
12 November 4 N Houston 118–108 Bob Lanier (42) 4–8
13 November 10 Golden State 96–121 Curtis Rowe (31) 5–8
14 November 11 @ Boston 118–121 Bob Lanier (37) 5–9
15 November 15 Los Angeles 110–99 Bing, Foster, Lanier (20) 5–10
16 November 17 Chicago 96–109 Dave Bing (25) 6–10
17 November 21 Atlanta 110–113 (OT) Bob Lanier (34) 7–10
18 November 23 @ Phoenix 122–128 Curtis Rowe (26) 7–11
19 November 24 @ Los Angeles 123–140 Dave Bing (29) 7–12
20 November 26 @ Seattle 96–103 Fred Foster (23) 7–13
21 November 28 Portland 116–120 Bob Lanier (48) 8–13
22 November 30 Buffalo 116–127 Adams, Rowe (19) 9–13
23 December 1 @ Cleveland 114–113 Dave Bing (37) 10–13
24 December 5 @ Chicago 108–130 Bob Lanier (19) 10–14
25 December 6 Phoenix 105–114 Bob Lanier (34) 11–14
26 December 8 Kansas City–Omaha 100–113 Bob Lanier (37) 12–14
27 December 9 @ Milwaukee 107–103 Bob Lanier (22) 13–14
28 December 13 Golden State 110–107 Curtis Rowe (26) 13–15
29 December 15 @ Kansas City–Omaha 132–140 (OT) Bob Lanier (25) 13–16
30 December 16 Houston 123–112 Bob Lanier (36) 13–17
31 December 20 Philadelphia 113–141 Curtis Rowe (35) 14–17
32 December 22 Seattle 97–109 Bob Lanier (23) 15–17
33 December 23 @ Baltimore 97–104 Dave Bing (27) 15–18
34 December 25 @ New York 110–113 Dave Bing (35) 15–19
35 December 26 Milwaukee 105–112 Stu Lantz (37) 16–19
36 December 28 @ Milwaukee 91–115 Dave Bing (28) 16–20
37 December 29 New York 99–94 Bob Lanier (38) 16–21
38 January 3 Phoenix 105–119 Bob Lanier (38) 17–21
39 January 5 @ Kansas City–Omaha 100–103 Willie Norwood (19) 17–22
40 January 6 Atlanta 116–111 Dave Bing (26) 17–23
41 January 7 @ Portland 101–96 Bob Lanier (32) 18–23
42 January 9 @ Golden State 98–105 Curtis Rowe (27) 18–24
43 January 10 @ Phoenix 121–123 Dave Bing (29) 18–25
44 January 12 @ Seattle 104–113 Bob Lanier (25) 18–26
45 January 15 Portland 101–112 Dave Bing (31) 19–26
46 January 16 @ Atlanta 129–130 (OT) Dave Bing (32) 19–27
47 January 17 Seattle 106–104 Dave Bing (26) 19–28
48 January 19 @ Buffalo 98–108 Curtis Rowe (22) 19–29
49 January 20 Chicago 92–112 Bing, Norwood (21) 20–29
50 January 26 Milwaukee 117–105 Curtis Rowe (30) 20–30
51 January 28 @ Chicago 105–110 Dave Bing (32) 20–31
52 January 30 @ Atlanta 126–123 Bob Lanier (40) 21–31
53 January 31 New York 91–94 Bob Lanier (30) 22–31
54 February 2 Philadelphia 104–114 Bob Lanier (26) 23–31
55 February 6 @ Buffalo 107–105 Dave Bing (25) 24–31
56 February 7 Phoenix 107–113 Bob Lanier (26) 25–31
57 February 9 @ Boston 104–95 Bob Lanier (27) 26–31
58 February 10 @ New York 93–107 Bob Lanier (25) 26–32
59 February 13 Milwaukee 110–96 Bob Lanier (29) 26–33
60 February 16 @ Philadelphia 106–119 Dave Bing (42) 26–34
61 February 17 Cleveland 106–104 Bob Lanier (38) 26–35
62 February 18 Kansas City–Omaha 100–144 Bob Lanier (25) 27–35
63 February 21 Los Angeles 98–106 Bob Lanier (25) 28–35
64 February 23 Baltimore 105–107 Bob Lanier (30) 29–35
65 February 25 Houston 112–129 Bob Lanier (42) 30–35
66 February 27 Golden State 100–114 Curtis Rowe (25) 31–35
67 March 2 Boston 115–101 Bob Lanier (40) 31–36
68 March 3 Seattle 115–113 Dave Bing (26) 31–37
69 March 4 @ Portland 113–109 Bob Lanier (31) 32–37
70 March 6 @ Golden State 93–108 John Mengelt (23) 32–38
71 March 10 @ Phoenix 117–110 Bob Lanier (27) 33–38
72 March 11 @ Los Angeles 117–141 Don Adams (20) 33–39
73 March 14 Los Angeles 121–112 Dave Bing (23) 33–40
74 March 16 Buffalo 100–121 Don Adams (36) 34–40
75 March 17 @ Chicago 99–97 John Mengelt (29) 35–40
76 March 18 Chicago 119–107 Dave Bing (24) 35–41
77 March 19 N Milwaukee 118–99 Bob Lanier (24) 35–42
78 March 21 Portland 109–122 Bob Lanier (33) 36–42
79 March 24 Kansas City–Omaha 98–110 Ford, Rowe (20) 37–42
80 March 25 N Philadelphia 96–115 Bob Lanier (27) 38–42
81 March 27 @ Baltimore 112–98 Dave Bing (30) 39–42
82 March 28 @ Cleveland 131–119 (OT) Dave Bing (34) 40–42

References

  1. ^ "1972-73 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  2. "Chevette to Corvette No. 27: The 1972-73 Detroit Pistons". November 7, 2011.
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Bold indicates NBA Finals victory
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