On This Date in Sports May 12, 1974: Celtics Rise Again
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The Boston Celtics are champions again, winning for the first time since the retirement of Bill Russell as they beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-87 in Game 7 at the Mecca. John Havlicek is named NBA Finals MVP, averaging 26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. The teams alternated wins and losses over the seven-game series, Dave Cowens also averaged 22.7 ppg to overcome the 32.6 ppg from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
After winning 11 championships in a 13-year stretch it did not take the Boston Celtics long to get back to the NBA. In the 1972/73 season, they won a franchise record 68 games, however, an injury to John Havlicek in the playoffs led to Boston losing to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the 1973/74 season, the Celtics again were one of the top teams in the NBA recording a record of 56-26 the top mark in the Eastern Conference under coach Tom Heinsohn. In the playoffs, the Celtics ran off the Buffalo Braves in six games, while they needed just five games to take down the defending champion Knicks.
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The Milwaukee Bucks emerged after the Celtics dynasty ended. They were helped by the drafting of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to win an NBA Championship in their third season as an expansion team. Under coach Larry Costello the Bucks were the best team in the NBA at 59-23. In the first round, they bounced the Los Angeles Lakers in five games and swept the Chicago Bulls in the Western Conference Finals. While the path to the NBA Finals was easy, it came with a heavy toll, as point guard Lucius Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury.
In Game 1 of the NBA Finals at the Milwaukee Arena better known as the Mecca, the Bucks clearly missed Allen as the Celtics defense pressured Oscar Robertson into several turnovers. The Celtics would win the game 98-83 as John Havlicek scored 28 points while Dave Cowens and Jo-Jo White each had 19, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 35 in a losing effort. Kareem scored 36 points, with 14 rebounds in Game 2, while Bob Dandridge had 24 as the Bucks evened the series 105-96.
Dave Cowens coming off a poor performance in Game 2, scored 30 points in Game 3 as the Celtics beat the Bucks 95-83 at the Boston Garden. In Game 4 it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scoring 34 points with 14 rebounds that proved to be the difference maker as the Bucks won 97-89. Back in Milwaukee for Game 5, the Bucks again got a monster game from Kareem, with 37 points and 11 rebounds. However, John Havlicek and Dave Cowens each had 28 points as the Celtics stunned the Bucks 96-87 to regain control of the series.
Looking to close out their 12th NBA Championship, the Celtics returned home and found themselves in the hardest battle of the series as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and John Havlicek was in a personal duel as the game went into overtime. Havlicek had 36 points, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is 34. Mickey Davis put Milwaukee in front 100-99 with 24 seconds left in overtime. Havlicek hit a beautiful rainbow shot over Kareem with seven seconds left to put the Celtics in front. However, Kareem answered with a skyhook with two seconds left to give the Bucks a 102-101 win to send the series back to Milwaukee for Game 7.
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In Game 7 the Celtics changed their defensive focus to double and triple team, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, limiting the Bucks big man to 26 points. Dave Cowen meanwhile had 28 while John Havlicek and Jo-Jo White had 16 points. It was the fifth time in seven games that the road team won a game in the series as Havlicek was named NBA Finals MVP.