1970–71 NBA season

1970–71 NBA season
League	National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
TV partner/s	ABC
Regular season
Season MVP	Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee)
Top scorer	Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee)
Playoffs
Eastern champions	Baltimore Bullets
Eastern runners-up	New York Knicks
Western champions	Milwaukee Bucks
Western runners-up	Los Angeles Lakers
Finals
Finals champions	Milwaukee Bucks
Runners-up	Baltimore Bullets
Finals MVP	Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee)
NBA seasons
← 1969–70	1971–72 →

The 1970–71 NBA season was the 25th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Milwaukee Bucks winning the NBA championship, beating the Baltimore Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals.

Notable occurrences

• The NBA expands to 17 teams as the Portland Trail Blazers, the Buffalo Braves, and the Cleveland Cavaliers begin play. For the first time, the league is divided into Conferences (East and West), each with two divisions.
• The 1971 NBA All-Star Game was played at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California, with the West beating the East 108-107. Lenny Wilkens of the Seattle SuperSonics wins the game's MVP Award.
• In only their third year of existence, the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA Championship.

Final standings

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division Team W L PCT. GB New York Knicks 52 30 .634 - Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 5 Boston Celtics 44 38 .537 8 Buffalo Braves 22 60 .268 30

Central Division Team W L PCT. GB Baltimore Bullets 42 40 .512 - Atlanta Hawks 36 46 .439 6 Cincinnati Royals 33 49 .402 9 Cleveland Cavaliers 15 67 .183 27

Western Conference

Midwest Division Team W L PCT. GB Milwaukee Bucks C 66 16 .805 - Chicago Bulls 51 31 .622 15 Phoenix Suns 48 34 .585 18 Detroit Pistons 45 37 .549 21

Pacific Division Team W L PCT. GB Los Angeles Lakers 48 34 .585 - San Francisco Warriors 41 41 .500 7 San Diego Rockets 40 42 .488 8 Seattle SuperSonics 38 44 .463 10 Portland Trail Blazers 29 53 .354 19

C - NBA Champions

Statistics leaders

Category	Player	Team	Stat
Points per game	Lew Alcindor	Milwaukee Bucks	31.7
Rebounds per game	Wilt Chamberlain	Los Angeles Lakers	18.2
Assists per game	Norm Van Lier	Chicago Bulls	10.1
FG%	Johnny Green	Cincinnati Royals	.587
FT%	Chet Walker	Chicago Bulls	.859

NBA awards

• Most Valuable Player: Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks
• Rookies of the Year: Geoff Petrie, Portland Trail Blazers and Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics
• Coach of the Year: Dick Motta, Chicago Bulls
• All–NBA First Team:
  • Dave Bing, Detroit Pistons
  • Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers
  • Billy Cunningham, Philadelphia 76ers
  • Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks
  • John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
• All–NBA Rookie Team:
  • Geoff Petrie, Portland Trail Blazers
  • Bob Lanier, Detroit Pistons
  • Calvin Murphy, San Diego Rockets
  • Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics
  • Pete Maravich, Atlanta Hawks
• NBA All–Defensive Team:
• First Team:
  • Dave DeBusschere, New York Knicks
  • Gus Johnson, Baltimore Bullets
  • Nate Thurmond, San Francisco Warriors
  • Walt Frazier, New York Knicks
  • Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers
• Second Team:
  • John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
  • Paul Silas, Phoenix Suns
  • Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks
  • Jerry Sloan, Chicago Bulls
  • Norm Van Lier, Cincinnati Royals