The 1973 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...
's
1972-1973 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
defeating the Eastern Division champion
Kentucky Colonels, four games to three in the
ABA Finals
The American Basketball Association (ABA) Finals were the championship series of the ABA, a professional basketball league, in which two teams played each other for the title. The ABA was formed in the fall of 1967, and the first ABA Finals were ...
.
Notable events
The teams with the three best records in the ABA that year failed to win the championship. The
Carolina Cougars had the league's best record at 57-27 (.679), one game ahead of the
Kentucky Colonels (56-28, .667) in the Eastern Division. The
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.
History prior to moving t ...
won the Western Division with a record of 55-29 (.655), four games ahead of the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
, who won the league championship after posting a regular season record of 51-33 (.607).
Remember the ABA: 1972-73 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results
The Pacers became the first team to win a third ABA championship.
The Colonels became the first team to lose two separate ABA championship series. The series also marked the second time in three years that the Colonels lost the ABA finals 4 games to 3; the same happened at the end of the 1971 ABA Playoffs against the Utah Stars
The Utah Stars were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.
History prior to moving t ...
.
Two years after the 1973 finals the Colonels and Pacers would meet again at the end of the 1975 ABA Playoffs with the Colonels winning the championship series.
The Pacers' George McGinnis was the Most Valuable Player of the ABA playoffs.
Western Division
Champion: Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
Division Semifinals
(1) Utah Stars
The Utah Stars were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.
History prior to moving t ...
vs. (4) San Diego Conquistadors:
''Stars win series 4-0''
*Game 1 @ Utah: Utah 107, San Diego 93
*Game 2 @ Utah: Utah 103, San Diego 92
*Game 3 @ San Diego: Utah 97, San Diego 96
*Game 4 @ San Diego: Utah 120, San Diego 98
(2) Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
vs. (3) Denver Rockets:
''Pacers win series 4-1''
*Game 1 @ Indiana: Indiana 114, Denver 91
*Game 2 @ Indiana: Indiana 106, Denver 93
*Game 3 @ Denver: Denver 105, Indiana 94
*Game 4 @ Denver: Indiana 97, Denver 95
*Game 5 @ Indiana: Indiana 121, Denver 107
Division Finals
(1) Utah Stars
The Utah Stars were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.
History prior to moving t ...
vs. (2) Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
:
''Pacers win series 4-2''
*Game 1 @ Utah: Utah 124, Indiana 107
*Game 2 @ Utah: Indiana 116, Utah 110
*Game 3 @ Indiana: Indiana 118, Utah 108
*Game 4 @ Indiana: Utah 104, Indiana 103
*Game 5 @ Utah: Indiana 104, Utah 102
*Game 6 @ Indiana: Indiana 107, Utah 98
Eastern Division
Champion: Kentucky Colonels
Division Semifinals
(1) Carolina Cougars vs. (4) New York Nets:
''Cougars win series 4-1''
*Game 1 @ Carolina: Carolina 104, New York 96
*Game 2 @ Carolina: New York 114, Carolina 111
*Game 3 @ New York: Carolina 101, New York 91
*Game 4 @ New York: Carolina 112, New York 108
*Game 5 @ Carolina: Carolina 136, New York 113
(2) Kentucky Colonels vs. (3) Virginia Squires:
''Colonels win series 4-1''
*Game 1 @ Kentucky: Kentucky 129, Virginia 101
*Game 2 @ Kentucky: Virginia 109, Kentucky 94
*Game 3 @ Virginia: Kentucky 115, Virginia 113
*Game 4 @ Virginia: Kentucky 108, Virginia 90
*Game 5 @ Kentucky: Kentucky 114, Virginia 103
Division Finals
(1) Carolina Cougars vs. (2) Kentucky Colonels:
''Colonels win series 4-3''
*Game 1 @ Carolina: Kentucky 113, Carolina 103
*Game 2 @ Carolina: Carolina 125, Kentucky 105
*Game 3 @ Kentucky: Kentucky 108, Carolina 94
*Game 4 @ Kentucky: Carolina 102, Kentucky 91
*Game 5 @ Carolina: Carolina 112, Kentucky 107
*Game 6 @ Kentucky: Kentucky 119, Carolina 100
*Game 7 @ Carolina: Kentucky 107, Carolina 96
ABA Finals
(2) Kentucky Colonels VS. (2) Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
:
''Pacers win series 4-3''
*Game 1 (Apr 28) @ Kentucky: Indiana 111, Kentucky 107
*Game 2 (Apr 30) @ Kentucky: Kentucky 114, Indiana 102
*Game 3 (May 3) @ Indiana: Kentucky 92, Indiana 88
*Game 4 (May 5) @ Indiana: Indiana 90, Kentucky 86
*Game 5 (May 8) @ Kentucky: Indiana 89, Kentucky 86
*Game 6 (May 10) @ Indiana: Kentucky 109, Indiana 93
*Game 7 (May 12) @ Kentucky: Indiana 88, Kentucky 81
References
External links
RememberTheABA.com page on 1973 ABA playoffs
{{Indiana Pacers 1972–73 ABA Champions
Playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
American Basketball Association playoffs