March 1972 in the NBA
A pair of tight playoff races take shape in the NBA, while the field appears to be mostly set in the ABA.
Editor’s note: This is a fictional account of the history of the NBA beginning in 1966–67. This narrative was created by playing Fast Break Pro Basketball 3. For an introduction to this dynasty, visit: https://medium.com/historical-sports-gaming/re-writing-nba-history-an-introduction-483db0ebc720
AROUND THE NBA — MARCH 1972
Eastern Conference Playoff Race: There’s two races to keep an eye on in the East. The battle for the Atlantic Division title is tight, with the Knicks holding a slim lead over the 76ers. The two teams will face each other in round one barring something crazy happening, but the division race will decide home court in the series. Cincinnati has won the Central and is on the verge of clinching the №1 seed. They will face Atlanta or Baltimore in round one. The Bullets struggled in March and saw their playoff prospects dim as a result. The Hawks have a 3.5 game lead, but do play Baltimore twice in the final month.
Western Conference Playoff Race: Golden State is a win away from clinching the Pacific Division and the №1 seed with it. Detroit is the heavy favorite to take the Central and the №2 seed, sporting a 7.5 game lead with 11 to play. Once its mathematically eliminated from the division race, the Rockets will be locked into the №3 seed and a likely series with Detroit. That just leaves the final playoff spot. The race is not as close as it was last month as the Suns went on a tear in March, stretching their lead to 3.5 games over Milwaukee. Officially, only the Lakers are mathematically eliminated, but the teams in the best position to challenge Phoenix are the Bucks, followed by Chicago and Seattle.
60+ POINT GAMES THIS MONTH:
Elvin Hayes, C, Houston — For the second time all season, Elvin Hayes put up a 70-point game on March 18 in a tight, 140–137 Rockets win over Chicago at the Hofheinz Pavilion. Hayes shot a ridiculous 26-for-40 from the field and also had nine blocks on defense. It wasn’t Hayes’ only big game either. He also scored 62 points on March 5 in a 147–134 Houston victory at Detroit.
Julius Erving (PF) Cleveland —Erving is making his case for the Rookie of the Year award and a big game against Baltimore on March 28 is a big notch in his favor. Erving scored 60 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 117–100 victory over the Bullets.
25+ REBOUND GAMES THIS MONTH
Nate Thurmond, C, Golden State — The NBA’s leading rebounder ran circles around the Knicks’ Walt Bellamy in a Warriors’ 115–99 win over New York art Madison Square Garden on March 21. Thurmond grabbed 26 boards in the game.
NEW SINGLE-GAME RECORDS SET THIS MONTH:
Elvin Hayes, C, Houston —Hayes’ huge month continued on March 26 in a 107–84 Rockets win over the Sonics in Seattle. Hayes blocked 14 shots in the game to set a new NBA single-game record. He also did it while only playing 35 minutes and sitting most of the fourth quarter of the blowout.
Lou Hudson (SF) Chicago —For the second time this year, Bulls fans got to see one of their own record 11 steals in a game. Hudson tied the single-game NBA record set by Norm Van Lier two months earlier in a 117–109 Chicago loss to Seattle on March 21.
MILESTONES REACHED THIS MONTH\
Jerry Lucas (PF) Cincinnati —A Royal for his entire career, Jerry Lucas came down with 10 rebounds in Cincinnati’s 115–96 win at Buffalo on March 7 to join the NBA’s 10,000 rebound club. Lucas is one of just six players in league history with 10,000 or more rebounds.
PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Player of the Month — Elvin Hayes, C, Houston— What else can be said about the Rockets’ face? Hayes’ big month can be best described above, but in addition to the big games, he snagged 14.6 rebounds per game in March as he led the Rockets to wins in 13 of their 16 March games.
Rookie of the Month — Julius Erving (SF) Cleveland —Erving may have missed the first two months, but he may well leap over Portland’s Artis Gilmore for Rookie of the Year honors. Erving averaged 44.2 points and 11.6 rebounds in March. Not only that, he also helped Cleveland win four games in a month for the first time ever!
NBA League Leaders
Points — Elvin Hayes, Houston — 43.2
Rebounds — Nate Thurmond, Golden State — 16.0
Assists — Al Smith, Cincinnati — 6.7
Steals — Rick Barry, Golden State — 3.2
Blocks — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Phoenix — 5.5
AROUND THE ABA — MARCH 1972
East Division Playoff Race: We know the East’s four playoff games as Carolina, Miami, New York and Pittsburgh will be in the postseason. The Cougars will likely take the №1 seed, but the remaining positions are up for grabs. The Condors continued their outstanding second half into March and are now neck and neck with the Nets for the №2 seed. Miami was a solid 10–6 in March, but made up no ground in the month. They’re also still in play for the №2 seed, however, trailing Pittsburgh by just two games. In a strange schedule quirk, while Pittsburgh and Miami have three games remaining against one another, the Nets do not play either the Condors or Floridians the rest of the season.
West Division Playoff Race: Just like in the East, the West’s four playoff teams are decided thanks to Dallas being so bad. Denver is in the driver’s seat for the №1 seed, with only Memphis in striking distance. Similarly, the Pros have a sizeable lead for the №2 seed and home court in a likely first round series with Utah. There’s very little at stake in the West other than those two marginal races. The Pacers could mathematically catch the Stars for the №3 slot, but it’s unlikely at 8.5 games back with 11 to play.
55+ POINT GAMES THIS MONTH — None
20+ REBOUND GAMES THIS MONTH
Errol Palmer (PF) Carolina — Palmer, a marginal rebounder most games, had a strangely outstanding game on March 5 against Memphis when he snagged 23 boards for the Cougars, while teammate Jim Fox had only six. Even stranger, the Cougars dropped the game, 106–96.
Jim Fox, C, Carolina — Fox got his big rebounding game on March 15 against the Nets on Long Island. Fox matched Palmer’s big game from 10 days prior with 10 rebounds of his own (Palmer had only seven in the game). This time, the Cougars won, 125–114.
NEW SINGLE-GAME RECORDS SET THIS MONTH:
Walt Frazier (SF) Pittsburgh —The ABA’s newest star and the catalyst behind Pittsburgh’s second half turnaround, Frazier went crazy on March 28 against Miami at Civic Arena when he set a new ABA single-game record with 19 assists. Frazier also scored 29 points in a 140–129 Condors win.
MILESTONES REACHED THIS MONTH
Larry Brown (PG) New York —In the same game on March 15 when Carolina’s Jim Fox got 23 rebounds, a little bit of ABA history was made as Larry Brown of the Nets dished off his 3,000th career assist in the league to become the first player in league history to reach that plateau.
PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Player of the Month —Bob Netolicky (PF) Utah — Netolicky’s numbers for the season are a little down across the board from last year, but it doesn’t matter a whole lot. Netolicky averaged 31.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in March to stretch his lead a bit over New York’s Bob Rule in the scoring race.
ABA League Leaders
Points — Bob Netolicky, Utah — 31.1
Rebounds — Jim Washington, Virginia — 10.0
Assists — Nate Archibald, Carolina — 9.5
Steals — Freddie Lewis, Pittsburgh — 2.5
Blocks — Ron Taylor, Indiana — 1.8
