1975 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1975 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1974-75 NBA season
of the National Basketball Association
. The Golden State Warriors
(48-34) of the Western Conference
played against the Washington Bullets (60-22) of the Eastern Conference
. The series was played under a best-of-seven format.
The Warriors' home games were played at Cow Palace
in San Francisco due to scheduling conflicts at their normal home court of Oakland Arena
during the week of May 19-26. In addition, an odd scheduling format had to be used because Golden State could not secure Cow Palace for Memorial Day
Weekend (May 24-26). A Sports Illustrated
article about the series reported that Washington, which held home court advantage
, was given the option of a 1-2-2-1-1 scheduling format due to Golden State's problems or, if they wished, opening on the road and then having Games 2, 3, and 4 at home. Washington opted for the 1-2-2-1-1 format not out of a sense of fairness, but because they wanted to open the series at home.
The series is notable as it was the first championship game or series in any of the four North American major professional sports leagues to feature two African American
head coach
es or managers, as Al Attles
coached the Warriors and K.C. Jones coached the Bullets. On a lesser note, it was the first time that the NBA ever scheduled a game to be played in the month of June (Game Seven was scheduled for Monday Night, June 2). The first June game ever, however, would have to wait until the following year
.
The underdog
Warriors won four close games in a row to earn a sweep over the Bullets.
Golden State Warriors
defeated Washington Bullets, 4 games to 0.
, the Warriors were somewhat haggard, but built a 14-point lead in the first half over the Bullets at the Capital Centre
. The Bullets began to storm back, but Phil Smith
came off the bench to score 20 points in 31 minutes of playing time as Golden State took the first game, 101-95.
(the Oakland facility being unavailable). The Bullets jumped to an early 13-point lead, but Golden State battled back, led by 36 points from Rick Barry
, to take a 92-91 lead in the closing seconds. Washington got the ball back with six seconds left but missed two shots and now were down 2-0.
poured in 38 points and backup center George Johnson
had 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench to help the Warriors to a key Game 3 109-101 win.
Two major factors enabling the Warriors to take an insurmountable lead were the defensive play of the seemingly undersized Jamaal Wilkes
on Bullets' power forward Elvin Hayes
and the play of the Warrior bench. In three games, Hayes had only 29 points and the Warriors' bench players had outscored the Bullets' reserves 115-53.
was assigned to guard Rick Barry
, who had killed the Bullets in the series up to that point by averaging 35 points a game. Riordan played Barry very physical, arousing the ire of Warriors' coach Al Attles
. Midway through the first quarter, Barry went on a drive to the basket and was fouled hard from behind by Riordan. Barry reacted with a shove, but Attles bolted onto the court and initiated a fight of his own with Riordan, thereby protecting his star player from an ejection and getting ejected himself.
After the brawl, Barry immediately went on a scoring tear, but had to endure boos and taunts from the Capital Centre
crowd. His performance, along with the Warriors' pressure defense, brought them back and guard Butch Beard
scored the last seven points of the game, including two free throws to make the final score 96-95.
1974-75 NBA season
The 1974–75 NBA season was the 29th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Washington Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(48-34) of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
played against the Washington Bullets (60-22) of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
. The series was played under a best-of-seven format.
The Warriors' home games were played at Cow Palace
Cow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
in San Francisco due to scheduling conflicts at their normal home court of Oakland Arena
Oakland Arena
The Oracle is an indoor arena, in Oakland, California, located in the Coliseum Industrial area...
during the week of May 19-26. In addition, an odd scheduling format had to be used because Golden State could not secure Cow Palace for Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
Weekend (May 24-26). A Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
article about the series reported that Washington, which held home court advantage
Home team
In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans...
, was given the option of a 1-2-2-1-1 scheduling format due to Golden State's problems or, if they wished, opening on the road and then having Games 2, 3, and 4 at home. Washington opted for the 1-2-2-1-1 format not out of a sense of fairness, but because they wanted to open the series at home.
The series is notable as it was the first championship game or series in any of the four North American major professional sports leagues to feature two African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
es or managers, as Al Attles
Al Attles
Alvin A. "Al" Attles Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He is a graduate of Weequahic High School in Newark and North Carolina A&T State University...
coached the Warriors and K.C. Jones coached the Bullets. On a lesser note, it was the first time that the NBA ever scheduled a game to be played in the month of June (Game Seven was scheduled for Monday Night, June 2). The first June game ever, however, would have to wait until the following year
1976 NBA Finals
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season.-Background:The Phoenix Suns finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA...
.
The underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
Warriors won four close games in a row to earn a sweep over the Bullets.
Series Summary
| Game | Date | Result | Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | May 18 (Sun.) | Golden State Warriors 101, Washington Bullets 95 | @ Landover, Md. |
| Game 2 | May 20 (Tue.) | Golden State Warriors 92, Washington Bullets 91 | @ San Francisco, Cal. |
| Game 3 | May 22 (Fri.) | Golden State Warriors 109, Washington Bullets 101 | @ San Francisco, Cal. |
| Game 4 | May 25 (Sun.) | Golden State Warriors 96, Washington Bullets 95 | @ Landover, Md. |
Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
defeated Washington Bullets, 4 games to 0.
Game 1
Coming off a tough seven-game conference finals win over the Chicago BullsChicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, the Warriors were somewhat haggard, but built a 14-point lead in the first half over the Bullets at the Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
. The Bullets began to storm back, but Phil Smith
Phil Smith
Philip Arnold Smith was an American professional basketball player who played for 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association .- Collegiate career :...
came off the bench to score 20 points in 31 minutes of playing time as Golden State took the first game, 101-95.
Game 2
Instead of their familiar Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Warriors were forced to play their first two scheduled home games of the series at the nearby Cow PalaceCow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
(the Oakland facility being unavailable). The Bullets jumped to an early 13-point lead, but Golden State battled back, led by 36 points from Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
, to take a 92-91 lead in the closing seconds. Washington got the ball back with six seconds left but missed two shots and now were down 2-0.
Game 3
Rick BarryRick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
poured in 38 points and backup center George Johnson
George Johnson (basketball)
George Thomas Johnson is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'11" forward/center from Dillard University, he played in 13 NBA seasons as a member of the Golden State Warriors, the Buffalo Braves, the New Jersey Nets, the San Antonio Spurs, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Seattle...
had 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench to help the Warriors to a key Game 3 109-101 win.
Two major factors enabling the Warriors to take an insurmountable lead were the defensive play of the seemingly undersized Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes is a retired American basketball player who played the small forward position and won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Wilkes was also a key player in the run of NCAA championships accumulated during the John Wooden era of UCLA basketball...
on Bullets' power forward Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
and the play of the Warrior bench. In three games, Hayes had only 29 points and the Warriors' bench players had outscored the Bullets' reserves 115-53.
Game 4
Back at home, the Bullets seemed to be on their way to staving off an unexpected sweep by the underdog Warriors, leading by 14 points early on. Bullets forward Mike RiordanMike Riordan
Michael W. Riordan is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'4" guard/forward from Holy Cross High School and Providence College, Riordan played 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks and Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets...
was assigned to guard Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
, who had killed the Bullets in the series up to that point by averaging 35 points a game. Riordan played Barry very physical, arousing the ire of Warriors' coach Al Attles
Al Attles
Alvin A. "Al" Attles Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He is a graduate of Weequahic High School in Newark and North Carolina A&T State University...
. Midway through the first quarter, Barry went on a drive to the basket and was fouled hard from behind by Riordan. Barry reacted with a shove, but Attles bolted onto the court and initiated a fight of his own with Riordan, thereby protecting his star player from an ejection and getting ejected himself.
After the brawl, Barry immediately went on a scoring tear, but had to endure boos and taunts from the Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
crowd. His performance, along with the Warriors' pressure defense, brought them back and guard Butch Beard
Butch Beard
Alfred "Butch" Beard Jr. is a former National Basketball Association player and head coach. He was the head coach at Morgan State University until he stepped down in March 2006. Butch Beard played college basketball at the University of Louisville...
scored the last seven points of the game, including two free throws to make the final score 96-95.