1971 NBA Finals
| ||||||||||
| Dates | April 21–30 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP |
Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks) | |||||||||
| Television | ABC (U.S.) | |||||||||
| Announcers | Chris Schenkel and Jack Twyman | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers |
Bucks: Lew Alcindor (1995 as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) Oscar Robertson (1980) Bullets: Earl Monroe (1990) Wes Unseld (1988) | |||||||||
| Eastern Finals | Bullets defeat Knicks, 4–3 | |||||||||
| Western Finals | Bucks defeat Lakers, 4–1 | |||||||||
The 1971 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series played at the conclusion of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 25th anniversary season of 1970–71. The Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks, who were founded 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.
The Bucks were the first Western Conference champions to win the league's finals since the St. Louis Hawks did so in 1958.
This was the first NBA Finals not played in the state of California in 10 years. It would also 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.
The Bullets were forced to play Game 1 on a Wednesday night, just 48 hours after having defeated New York in Game 7 of the 1971 Eastern Conference Finals, then had to wait four days before playing Game 2. The series was the second (and last) time in NBA history that the teams alternated home games, the other being in 1956. Most other series were held in the 2-2-1-1-1 or 2-3-2 format. It was also the last NBA Championship Series completed before May 1.
The series was broadcast by ABC with Chris Schenkel and Jack Twyman providing the commentary.
As both the Bucks and Washington Wizards (the Bullets' successors) now play in the Eastern Conference, a rematch of this Finals is not possible.
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Score | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Wed. April 21 | Milwaukee | 98–88 | Baltimore |
| Game 2 | Sun. April 25 | Baltimore | 83–102 | Milwaukee |
| Game 3 | Wed. April 28 | Milwaukee | 107–99 | Baltimore |
| Game 4 | Fri. April 30 | Baltimore | 106–118 | Milwaukee |
Bucks win series 4–0