1970–71 Philadelphia 76ers season
| Industry | Professional basketball team |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
| Products | Basketball team |
The 1970–71 Philadelphia 76ers season represented the franchise's 22nd campaign in the NBA and its eighth year based in Philadelphia. The squad enhanced their performance, finishing with a 47–35 record, but were narrowly defeated in the playoffs by the Baltimore Bullets, who proceeded to the Eastern Conference Finals. This season was notable as the last for forward Bailey Howell, who had been a significant player on two Celtics championship teams in 1968 and 1969.
During this season, the Sixers unveiled a new uniform design showcasing "Seventy Sixers" in a cursive script rather than the customary block letters spelling "PHILA." However, this style was only used briefly.
Draft selections
The following table details the team's draft picks up to the second round.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Al Henry | C | Template:USA | Template:College |
Standings
- z – secured division championship
- y – won division title
- x – qualified for playoffs
Game log
44 | January5 | San Francisco |97 -92 | Archie Clark (22) |25 -19 45 | January8 | Los Angeles |117 -123 | Archie Clark (29) |25 -20 46 | January9 | Phoenix |123 -112 | Archie Clark (33) |26 -20 47 | January10 | @ Boston |115 -107 | Billy Cunningham (31) |27 -20 48 | January14 | @ Chicago |103 -108 | Bailey Howell (22) |27 -21 49 | January15 | Chicago |99 -96 | Hal Greer (22) |28 -21 50 | January16 | Cleveland |115 -96 | Hal Greer (29) |29 -21 51 | January17 | @ San Diego |106 -105 | Bailey Howell (28) |30 -21 52 | January19 | @ Los Angeles |114 -134 | Archie Clark (38) |30 -22 53 | January22 | @ Phoenix |117 -116 | Billy Cunningham (31) |31 -22 54 | January24 | @ Seattle |145 -119 | Billy Cunningham (33) |32 -22 55 | January26 | Atlanta 129 -122 Hal Greer 33 -22 56 January29 Milwaukee 142 -118 Clark, Greer 33 -23 57 January30 @ New York 106 -105 Jim Washington 34 -23 58 January31 @ Boston 126 -132 Archie Clark 34 -24 59 February2 Boston 105 -108 Billy Cunningham 35 -24 60 February5 @ Chicago 102 -114 Archie Clark 35 -25 61 February6 @ Cincinnati 118 -109 Hal Greer 36 -25 62 February7 New York 127 -99 Archie Clark 37 -25 63 February12 @ Detroit109 –118 Billy Cunningham37 –26 64 February14 N Baltimore103 –112 Billy Cunningham37 –27 65 February17 N Milwaukee114 –119 Billy Cunningham37 –28 66 February19 @ Los Angeles118 –104 Jim Washington38 –28 67 February20 @ Portland118 –105 Archie Clark39 –28 68 February21 @ Seattle128 –135 Billy Cunningham39 –29 69 February23 Portland113 –119 Billy Cunningham40 –29 70 February26 Phoenix108 –94 Billy Cunningham40 –30 71 February28 Cincinnati121 –131 Billy Cunningham41 –30 72 March1 @ Milwaukee103 –127 Archie Clark41 –31 73 March2 San Diego111 –103 Billy Cunningham41 –32 74 March3 N Portland104 –120 Archie Clark42 –32 75 March5 New York116 –121 Billy Cunningham43 –32 76 March6 Detroit115 –121 Clark, Greer44 –32 77 March9 @ Cleveland124 –113 Billy Cunningham45 –32 78 March14 @ Atlanta101 –108 Archie Clark45 –33 79 March16 Atlanta130 –125Clark, Lucious JacksonJackson 26 45 –34 80 March19 Cincinnati127 –147 ArchieClark 24 46 –34 81 March20 @ Baltimore112 –124 BaileyHowell 28 46 –35 82 March21 Baltimore108 –120 HalGreer 23 47 –35| 1970–71 Game log | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | Top scorer | Record | |||||
| 1 | October 14 | Chicago | 110–107 | Billy Cunningham (24) | 1–0 | |||||
| 2 | October 16 | San Diego | 127–119 | Archie Clark (28) | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | October 17 | @ Cincinnati | 123–105 | Archie Clark (24) | 3–0 | |||||
| 4 | October 20 | @ Buffalo | 98–89 | Hal Greer (20) | 4–0 | |||||
| 5 | October 21 | Los Angeles | 117–141 | Billy Cunningham (22) | 4–1 | |||||
| 6 | October 23 | @ Los Angeles | 127–122 | Billy Cunningham (31) | 5–1 | |||||
| 7 | October 24 | @ San Diego | 111–116 | Billy Cunningham (33) | 5–2 | |||||
| 8 | October 28 | @ San Francisco | 111–108 | Billy Cunningham (27) | 6–2 | |||||
| 9 | October 30 | Baltimore | 110–123 | Archie Clark (24) | 6–3 | |||||
| 10 | October31 | Boston | 102–133 | Billy Cunningham (19) | 6–4 | |||||
| 11 | November2 | Cleveland | 141–87 | Archie Clark (21) | 7–4 | |||||
| 12 | November4 | @ Boston | 113–115 | Billy Cunningham (25) | 7–5 | |||||
| 13 | November6 | Atlanta | 118–112 | Billy Cunningham (38) | 8–5 | |||||
| 14 | November7 | Seattle | 134–128 | Bailey Howell (27) | 9–5 | |||||
| 15 | November10 | @ Atlanta | 104–109 | Hal Greer (25) | 9–6 | |||||
| 16 | November11 | @ Baltimore | 119–107 | Archie Clark (30) | 10–6 | |||||
| 17 | November13 | Buffalo | 119–111 | Cunningham, Greer, Howell (20) | 11–6 | |||||
| 18 | November14 | @ New York | 94–126 | Billy Cunningham (18) | 11–7 | |||||
| 19 | November17 | @ Detroit | 113–91 | Archie Clark (24) | 12–7 | |||||
| 20 | November18 | New York | 113–106 | Billy Cunningham (29) | 13–7 | |||||
| 21 | November20 | Detroit | 120–112 | Hal Greer (31) | 13–8 | |||||
| 22 | November21 | Phoenix | 125-119 | Billy Cunningham(34) | 13-9 | |||||
| 23 | November22 | @ Atlanta | 115-125 | Cunningham, Greer(26) | 13-10 | |||||
| 24 | November24 | San Francisco | 104-96 | Archie Clark(26) | 13-11 | |||||
| 25 | November25 | N Buffalo | 99-92 | Billy Cunningham(27) | 14-11 | |||||
| 26 | November27 | Cincinnati | 113-109 | Billy Cunningham(22) | 14-12 | |||||
| 27 | November30 | Baltimore | 104-98 | Billy Cunningham(19) | 15-12 | |||||
| 28 | December1 | @ Chicago | 91-107 | Dennis Awtrey(17) | 15-13 | |||||
| 29 | December4 | @ Milwaukee | (OT)122-128 | Billy Cunningham(33) | 15-14 | |||||
| 30 | December5 | @ Cincinnati | 131-106 | Archie Clark(29) | 16-14 | |||||
| 31 | December8 | Seattle | 107-104 | Billy Cunningham(27) | 16-15 | |||||
| 32 | December11 | San Francisco | 102-101 | Clark, Cunningham(18) | 16-16 | |||||
| 33 | December12 | @ New York | 101-118 | Archie Clark(21) | 16-17 | |||||
| 34 | December15 | San Diego | 122-98 | Jim Washington(20) | 17-17 | |||||
| 35 | December17 | @ Seattle | 125-117 | Archie Clark(29) | 18-17 | |||||
| 36 | December19 | @ San Francisco | 108-99 | Hal Greer(33) | 19-17 | |||||
| 37 | December20 | @ Portland | (OT)134-132 | Cunningham, Greer(31) | 20-17 | |||||
| 38 | December22 | @ Phoenix | (OT)133-129 | Archie Clark(26) | 21-17 | |||||
| 39 | December25 | Detroit | 105-100 | Hal Greer(28) | 22-17 | |||||
| 40 | December27 | @ Cleveland | 114-101 | Clark, Cunningham(25) | 22-18 | |||||
| 41 | December29 | @ Buffalo | 124-113 | Archie Clark(35) | 23-18 | |||||
| 42 | December30 | Milwaukee | 119-107 | Billy Cunningham(35) | 24-18 | |||||
| January2 | Boston |120 -125 | Billy Cunningham (29) |24 -19 | ||||||||||
Playoffs
| 1 | March 24 | @ Baltimore | W 126–112 | Hal Greer (30 points) | Luke Jackson (13 rebounds) | Archie Clark (7 assists) | Baltimore Civic Center 6,707 attendees |
1–0 series lead |
| 2 | March 26 | Baltimore | L 107–119 | Archie Clark (26 points) | Billy Cunningham (11 rebounds) | Archie Clark (6 assists) | Spectrum 10,369 spectators |
Series tied 1–1 |
| 3 | March 28 | @ Baltimore | L 103–111 | Hal Greer (30 points) | Billy Cunningham (19 rebounds) | Billy Cunningham (10 assists) | Baltimore Civic Center 5,589 fans present |
Trailing series 1–2 |
| 4 | March 30 | Baltimore | L 105–120 | Archie Clark (24 points) | Billy Cunningham (17 rebounds) | Billy Cunningham (8 assists) | Spectrum 8,909 attendees |
Down in series 1–3 |
| 5 | April 1 | @ Baltimore | W 104–103 | Billy Cunningham (32 points) | Billy Cunningham (20 rebounds) | Hal Greer (6 assists) | Baltimore Civic Center 10,998 spectators |
Narrowing series to 2–3 |
| 6 | April 3 | Baltimore | W 98–94 | Billy Cunningham (33 points) | Billy Cunningham (16 rebounds) | Billy Cunningham (5 assists) | Spectrum 7,059 fans in attendance |
Evening series at 3–3 |
| 7 | April 4 | @ Baltimore | L 120–128 | Archie Clark (37 points) | Billy Cunningham (19 rebounds) | Clark, Hal Greer (5 assists each) | Baltimore Civic Center 6,662 attendees |
Series concluded at 3–4 |
Awards and records
- Billy Cunningham, selected to the All-NBA First Team