The 1969–70 ABA season was the Rockets' third season. They ended up with a 51-33 record. Out of the 11 teams that played in the ABA that season the Rockets had the highest rating in simple rating system and offensive rating. This was their first playoff series win. They would not win another playoff series until 1975.
1969–70 Denver Rockets season | |
---|---|
Division champions | |
Head coach | John McLendon Joe Belmont |
Arena | Denver Auditorium Arena |
Results | |
Record | 51–33 (.607) |
Place | Division: 1st (Western) |
Playoff finish | ABA Western Division finals (lost to Stars 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Roster
editNo. | Player | Position | Height | Weight | Birth Date | Experience (years) | College |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 | Cliff Anderson | SG | 6-2 | 200 | September 7, 1944 | 2 | Saint Joseph's University |
40 | Byron Beck | C | 6-9 | 225 | January 25, 1945 | 2 | University of Denver |
23 | Jeffrey Congdon | PG | 6-1 | 180 | October 17, 1943 | 2 | Brigham Young University |
22 | Julian Hammond | SF | 6-5 | 205 | May 27, 1943 | 2 | University of Tulsa |
24 | Spencer Haywood | PF | 6-8 | 225 | April 22, 1949 | R | University of Detroit Mercy |
32 | Larry Jones | SG | 6-2 | 180 | September 22, 1942 | 3 | University of Toledo |
52 | Julius Keye | C | 6-10 | 200 | September 5, 1946 | R | Alcorn State University |
19 | Lonnie Lynn | SF | 6-7 | 215 | May 24, 1943 | R | Wilberforce University |
34 | Walter Piatkowski | PF | 6-8 | 220 | June 11, 1945 | 1 | Bowling Green State University |
11 | Floyd Theard | PG | 6-1 | 170 | September 5, 1944 | R | Kentucky State University |
50 | Dwight Waller | F | 6-6 | 220 | October 5, 1945 | 1 | Tennessee State University |
44 | Ben Warley | SF | 6-5 | 200 | September 4, 1936 | 7 | Tennessee State University |
54 | Greg Wittman | PF | 6-8 | 210 | May 10, 1947 | R | Western Carolina University |
42 | Lonnie Wright | SG | 6-2 | 205 | January 23, 1944 | 2 | Colorado State University |
Season standings
editEastern Division
editEastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB |
---|---|---|---|---|
Indiana Pacers * | 59 | 25 | .702 | - |
Kentucky Colonels * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 14.0 |
Carolina Cougars * | 42 | 42 | .500 | 17.0 |
New York Nets * | 39 | 45 | .464 | 20.0 |
Pittsburgh Pipers | 29 | 55 | .345 | 30.0 |
Miami Floridians | 23 | 61 | .274 | 36.0 |
Western Division
editWestern Division | W | L | PCT | GB |
---|---|---|---|---|
Denver Rockets * | 51 | 33 | .607 | - |
Dallas Chaparrals * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 6.0 |
Washington Capitols * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 7.0 |
Los Angeles Stars * | 43 | 41 | .512 | 8.0 |
New Orleans Buccaneers | 42 | 42 | .500 | 9.0 |
Asterisk Denotes playoff team
Game log
editStatistics
editRk | Player | Age | G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | TOV | PF | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Spencer Haywood | 20 | 84 | 45.3 | 11.7 | 23.8 | .493 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 11.7 | 23.7 | .496 | 6.5 | 8.4 | .776 | 6.3 | 13.1 | 19.5 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 30.0 |
2 | Larry Jones | 27 | 75 | 40.4 | 8.3 | 19.2 | .434 | 0.5 | 2.2 | .248 | 7.8 | 17.0 | .458 | 7.7 | 9.8 | .791 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 24.9 |
3 | Byron Beck | 25 | 79 | 31.1 | 5.6 | 10.6 | .523 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 5.6 | 10.6 | .524 | 1.7 | 2.2 | .787 | 3.2 | 6.5 | 9.7 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 12.9 |
4 | Jeffrey Congdon | 26 | 83 | 29.7 | 3.6 | 9.3 | .386 | 0.8 | 2.1 | .354 | 2.8 | 7.2 | .395 | 1.8 | 2.3 | .786 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 5.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 9.8 |
5 | Lonnie Wright | 26 | 79 | 28.3 | 5.0 | 12.1 | .413 | 0.7 | 2.4 | .280 | 4.3 | 9.6 | .447 | 1.5 | 2.2 | .691 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 12.2 |
6 | Julian Hammond | 26 | 69 | 26.8 | 4.8 | 9.6 | .498 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 4.8 | 9.6 | .499 | 2.4 | 3.5 | .695 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 12.0 |
7 | Julius Keye | 23 | 77 | 21.3 | 3.2 | 8.0 | .396 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 3.2 | 7.9 | .401 | 1.5 | 2.5 | .601 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 6.9 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 7.9 |
8 | Walter Piatkowski | 24 | 74 | 17.6 | 2.9 | 7.2 | .402 | 0.1 | 0.7 | .220 | 2.8 | 6.6 | .421 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .768 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 7.0 |
9 | Floyd Theard | 25 | 25 | 16.2 | 1.6 | 4.5 | .345 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.6 | 4.5 | .348 | 0.7 | 1.1 | .643 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.8 |
10 | Dwight Waller | 24 | 7 | 12.4 | 1.4 | 3.4 | .417 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 1.4 | 3.3 | .435 | 1.3 | 2.7 | .474 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 4.1 |
11 | Lonnie Lynn | 26 | 12 | 11.7 | 1.7 | 3.8 | .435 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 3.8 | .435 | 0.7 | 1.0 | .667 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 4.0 | |
12 | Ben Warley | 33 | 42 | 11.3 | 1.4 | 4.0 | .353 | 0.4 | 1.4 | .259 | 1.1 | 2.7 | .402 | 1.4 | 1.8 | .763 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 4.6 |
13 | Greg Wittman | 22 | 50 | 9.1 | 1.6 | 4.1 | .392 | 0.1 | 0.3 | .235 | 1.5 | 3.7 | .406 | 0.6 | 1.2 | .542 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 3.9 |
14 | Cliff Anderson | 25 | 3 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | .500 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.3 | .500 | 0.7 | 2.0 | .333 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
Playoffs
editWestern Division semifinals vs. Washington Capitals[2]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | April 17 | Denver | 130–111 | 1–0 | 9,822 |
2 | April 18 | Denver | 143–133 | 2–0 | 9,889 |
3 | April 19 | Washington | 120–125 | 2–1 | 1,748 |
4 | April 22 | Washington | 114–131 | 2–2 | 5,497 |
5 | April 23 | Denver | 132–110 | 3–2 | 7,141 |
6 | April 25 | Washington | 111–116 | 3–3 | 3,186 |
7 | April 28 | Denver | 143–119 | 4–3 | 9,893 |
Rockets win series, 4–3
Division finals
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | April 30 | Denver | 123–113 (OT) | 1–0 | 7,071 |
2 | May 1 | Denver | 105–114 | 1–1 | 7,187 |
3 | May 4 | Los Angeles | 113–119 | 1–2 | 4,468 |
4 | May 5 | Los Angeles | 110–114 | 1–3 | 3,432 |
5 | May 9 | Denver | 107–109 | 1–4 | 6,401 |
Rockets lose series, 4–1
Awards and records
edit- ABA All-Star: Larry Jones, Spencer Haywood[3]
- ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player: Spencer Haywood
- ABA Most Valuable Player: Spencer Haywood
- ABA Coach of the Year Award: Joe Belmont
- ABA All-League Team: Spencer Haywood, Larry Jones[4]
- Spencer Haywood: 986 field goals (Nuggets single-season franchise record)
Transactions
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2014) |
References
edit- ^ 1969-70 ABA Season Summary | Basketball-Reference.com
- ^ "Remember the ABA: 1969-70 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results".
- ^ basketball-reference.com. "1970 ABA All-Star Game". Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
- ^ Remember the ABA: Year-to-Year Postseason Awards Archived December 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine