# 1973 NBA Finals
The 1973 [NBA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-finals) was the championship series of the 1972-73 [National Basketball Association](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-basketball-association) season, in which the [New York Knicks](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-knicks) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one to win the second NBA title in franchise history.[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73) It was a rematch of the previous year's Finals, which the Lakers had won 4-1, and it was the last NBA Finals appearance of Wilt Chamberlain's career.[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73) • [2](https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/la-coaching-history-sharman) Knicks center Willis Reed was named Finals MVP.[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1973_standings.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Result | New York Knicks defeated Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1, for the Knicks' second NBA championship[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73) |
| Series pattern | The Lakers won Game 1, then the Knicks won four straight; four of the five games were decided by five or fewer points[4](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships) |
| Finals MVP | Willis Reed, 16.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1973_standings.html) |
| Game 1 | May 1, 1973, at The Forum: Lakers 115, Knicks 112, before 17,505[5](https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1973_games.html) |
| Clincher | Game 5, May 10, 1973: Knicks 102, Lakers 93[6](https://champsorchumps.us/team/nba/new-york-knicks/head-to-head/los-angeles-lakers) |
| Paths to the Finals | Knicks beat Baltimore 4-1 and Boston 4-3; Lakers beat Chicago 4-3 and Golden State 4-2[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73) |
| Historical note | The last Finals for Wilt Chamberlain, who took three different teams to seven Finals and won twice[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73) |
## The two finalists
**New York** entered the series a year removed from its Finals loss to the Lakers. The 1972-73 Knicks went 57-25, led by [Walt Frazier](https://www.edgepedia.org/walt-frazier)'s 21.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships) [Willis Reed](https://www.edgepedia.org/willis-reed), the MVP of the Knicks' 1970 championship run, appeared in 69 games but averaged just 11.0 points and 8.6 rebounds, and the frontcourt scoring gap was covered by [Dave DeBusschere](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-debusschere), Bill Bradley, and Earl Monroe, each of whom averaged at least 15.5 points per game.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships) The team was defense-oriented and so well balanced that no player finished among the league's individual statistical leaders except Bradley, who was fifth in free-throw percentage.[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73) Monroe, acquired during the previous season, teamed with Frazier in the backcourt.[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73)
**Los Angeles** was the defending champion. Behind the 33-game winning streak of the 1971-72 season, still the record in major professional sports, the Lakers rolled to 69 wins and the franchise's first title since moving to Los Angeles, beating New York 4-1 in the 1972 Finals.[2](https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/la-coaching-history-sharman) The core of Chamberlain, Jerry West, and [Gail Goodrich](https://www.edgepedia.org/gail-goodrich), with Jim McMillian and Happy Hairston filling supporting roles, was still playing at a high level under coach [Bill Sharman](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-sharman).[2](https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/la-coaching-history-sharman)
## The playoff run to the Finals
In the 1973 playoffs, New York beat the Baltimore Bullets in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, then outlasted the [Boston Celtics](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-celtics) in seven in the conference finals, taking Game 7 by 94-78 at [Boston Garden](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-garden).[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73) Boston had seemed the title favorite during the regular season, rolling up a franchise-record 68 wins behind league MVP Dave Cowens.[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73)
The Lakers, in the Western Conference, defeated Chicago 4-3 in the semifinals and Golden State 4-2 in the conference finals.[1](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73)
## The series
The Lakers took Game 1 at home on May 1, 1973, winning 115-112 at The Forum.[5](https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1973_games.html) New York then won four straight, all closely contested: despite the series lasting only five games, four of the games were decided by five or fewer points.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships) The Knicks closed the series on May 10 with a 102-93 win in Game 5.[6](https://champsorchumps.us/team/nba/new-york-knicks/head-to-head/los-angeles-lakers)
Reed was named Finals MVP, averaging 16.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in the series.[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1973_standings.html) Across the 17-game playoff run, Frazier averaged 21.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, and DeBusschere averaged 15.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships) Reed played only 19 more regular season games in his career after the series.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships)
## Aftermath
The title was the Knicks' second, after their seven-game win over the Lakers in 1970, and it closed a run in which New York had reached the Finals three times in four seasons.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships) It was the close of an era for Los Angeles: after that season Chamberlain walked away from the game, while [Jerry West](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-west) appeared in only 31 games during 1973-74 before his body could no longer endure the nightly physical toll.[2](https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/la-coaching-history-sharman) The 1973 championship remained the Knicks' most recent for more than half a century; the franchise did not win another title until 2026.[7](https://apnews.com/article/0391290b598972abdf5dd230c2f49d82)
## References
1. [Season Review: 1972-73, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1972-73)
2. [los angeles lakers | coaching history](https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/la-coaching-history-sharman)
3. [1973 NBA Playoffs Standings, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1973_standings.html)
4. [New York Knicks' NBA Championships, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/new-york-knicks-nba-championships)
5. [1973 NBA Playoffs Schedule and Results, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1973_games.html)
6. [New York Knicks vs Los Angeles Lakers History, Champs or Chumps](https://champsorchumps.us/team/nba/new-york-knicks/head-to-head/los-angeles-lakers)
7. [After 53 years, the New York Knicks are NBA champions, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/0391290b598972abdf5dd230c2f49d82)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › NBA and WNBA (North American professional basketball) › NBA and WNBA seasons, champions, and records › NBA seasons and team seasons › NBA playoffs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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