“The 1971 NBA Finals was the played at the conclusion of the NBA’s Silver Anniversary season of 1970-71. The Western Conference Champion Milwaukee Bucks, who were born just three years earlier, swept the Eastern Conference Champion Baltimore Bullets in four games. Baltimore had dethroned the 1969-70 NBA Champion New York Knicks to get to their only NBA Finals appearance (as a Baltimore based franchise). This would be the last time that both participants were playing in their first NBA Finals until the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat got together in the 2006 NBA Finals.”
From Ginoong Kamote
The Milwaukee Bucks playing the Bullets for some reason down at Cole Fieldhouse, down in College Park Maryland, which is like 40 miles from Baltimore. Normally the Bullets played their home games at the Baltimore Civic Arena, which is in downtown Baltimore.
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| Source:NBA-TV with highlights of the 1971 NBA Finals. |
The Bullets never seemed to be able to get into sync either offensively or defensively against the Bucks in the whole 71 NBA Finals. The Bullets were either getting stopped and turning the ball over, or giving up big buckets to the Bucks.
The Bucks big three especially of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and Bob Dandridge and the only question about the Bucks would be, who was a bigger part of the big three: Kareem or Oscar. because you could make a good case they are the two best players who’ve ever played, as well as the best center and point guard of all-time.
The Bullets were really on defense all four games of this series. Because the Bucks were doing what they wanted to do really the whole time. They knew who get to the ball to and when on offense and who to stop on defense: “Let Oscar run the show and hit Kareem deep in the post.” Where the Bullets had no one who could handle him. And when the Bullets spend too much attention either trying to defend Kareem or Oscar, because there wasn’t really much they could do against, the opened up things for Dandridge.
