1971–72 Virginia Squires season

The 1971–72 Virginia Squires season was the second season of the Virginia Squires in the American Basketball Association. This was the debut season of future Hall of Famer Julius Erving. In the first half of the season, the Squires were 26–16, with a season-high five-game losing streak and one five-game winning streak in that half. In the second half, they went 19–23. The Squires finished 2nd in points scored at 118.9 per game, but 9th in points allowed at 118.0 per game. Just before the season ended, Charlie Scott left the team and joined the NBA's Phoenix Suns, completing a trade with the Boston Celtics (who held his original draft rights) for Paul Silas. Scott set the all-time ABA individual single-season scoring record by averaging 34.6 points per game. In the playoffs, the Squires swept the Floridians (with Game 2 even being broadcast on CBS), but the Squires lost to the New York Nets in the Division Finals.[1] After the season, the Squires stopped playing in Roanoke, electing to focus on Norfolk, Hampton, and Richmond only.

1971–72 Virginia Squires season
Head coachAl Bianchi
ArenaNorfolk Scope
Hampton Coliseum
Richmond Coliseum
Roanoke Civic Center
Results
Record45–39 (.536)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finishLost in Division Finals

Roster

Final standings

Eastern Division
TeamWL%GB
Kentucky Colonels6816.810-
Virginia Squires4539.53623
New York Nets4440.52424
The Floridians3648.42932
Carolina Cougars3549.41733
Pittsburgh Condors2559.29843

Playoffs

Eastern Division Semifinals[2]

GameDateLocationScoreRecordAttendance
1April 2Norfolk (Virginia)114–107 (OT)1–03,770
2April 4Hampton (Virginia)125–1002–02,921
3April 6Florida118–1133–02,965
4April 8Florida115–1064–03,117

Squires win series, 4–0

Eastern Division Finals vs. New York Nets

GameDateLocationScoreRecordAttendance
1April 13Richmond (Virginia)138–911–05,526
2April 15Norfolk (Virginia)115–1062–010,410
3April 24New York117–1192–111,893
4April 26New York107–1182–211,164
5April 29Hampton (Virginia)116–1073–26,309
6May 1New York136–1463–311,152
7May 4Norfolk (Virginia)88–943–410,410

Squires lose series, 4–3

Awards and honors

1972 ABA All-Star Game selections (game played on January 29, 1972)

References
  1. https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/VIR/1972_games.html
  2. "1971-72 ABA Regular Season Standings". Remembertheaba.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
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