NBA team season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1972–73 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons ' 25th season in the NBA and 16th season in the city of Detroit .[ 1] 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).[ 1] 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.”[ 2]
Players
Coaches
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: February 5, 1973
z , y – division champions
x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents [ edit ]
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
—
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
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