<< 1972-73 Los Angeles Lakers | 1974-75 Los Angeles Lakers >>
By 1973-74, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor were retired and Jerry West was 35 years of age, meaning the Los Angeles Lakers had turned over to a completely new core. While it wasn’t quite the same, L.A. was still competitive, finishing first in the Pacific Division at 47-35.
However, this finish set them up with a first round matchup against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks did not make things easy for the Lakers, defeating them in five to move on to the next round. Abdul-Jabbar ended up leading his team to the NBA Finals, where they met the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics finished 56-26 and were hungry for a title after losing in 1973 with a 68-14 record. It took seven games, but the Celtics ultimately downed the Bucks and won their 12th NBA championship, once again doubling the second-highest total of six, held by the Lakers.
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NBA playoffs schedule and results
