1969–70 New York Knicks season

The 1969–70 New York Knicks season was the 24th season of NBA basketball in New York City. The Knicks had a then single-season NBA record 18 straight victories en route to 60–22 record, which was the best regular season record in the team's history. They set the record for the best start in the first 24 games of a season at 23–1 before the Golden State Warriors surpassed it in 2015. After defeating the Bullets in the Eastern Division semifinals and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Division finals, the Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games to capture their first NBA title.

1969–70 New York Knicks season
NBA champions
Division champions
Head coach	Red Holzman
General manager	Eddie Donovan
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Results
Record	60–22 (.732)
Place	Division: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finish	NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WOR–TV 9 (Bob Wolff) Manhattan Cable Television (Bob Wolff and Marty Glickman)
Radio	WHN–AM 1050 (Marv Albert)
< 1968–69 1970–71 >

The 1969–70 Knicks are considered to be among New York City's finest sporting championship teams, and are considered the greatest team in Knicks history and among the best in NBA history. Their journey was chronicled in various books and films, most recently in When the Garden was Eden for ESPN's 30 for 30 series.

NBA draft

Main article: 1969 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	11	John Warren	G/F	United States	St. John's
2	26	Bill Bunting	F/C	United States	North Carolina
3	40	Eddie Mast	G	United States	Temple
4	54	Elnardo Webster		United States	Saint Peter's College
5	68	Gene Littles		United States	High Point
6	82	Dwight Durante		United States	Catawba College
7	96	Chris Thomforde		United States	Princeton
8	110	Jim Healey		United States	Rockhurst
9	124	Roger Walaszak		United States	Columbia
10	138	Frank McLaughlin		United States	Fordham
11	152	Marvin Lewis		United States	Long Island University, Southampton Campus
12	165	Bill O'Rourke		United States	St. John Fisher College
13	177	James Wyatt		United States	Northwestern State
14	186	Rich Travis		United States	Oklahoma City

Roster

1969–70 New York Knicks roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SG 12 Barnett, Dick 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1936–10–02 Tennessee State C 17 Bowman, Nate 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1945–03–19 Wichita State SF 24 Bradley, Bill 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1943–07–28 Princeton PF 22 DeBusschere, Dave 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1940–10–16 Detroit Mercy PG 10 Frazier, Walt 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1945–03–29 Southern Illinois PF 20 Hosket, Bill Jr. 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1946–12–20 Ohio State PF 18 Jackson, Phil (IN) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1945-09-17 North Dakota SF 5 May, Don 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1946–01–03 Dayton C 19 Reed, Willis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1942–06–25 Grambling State SG 6 Riordan, Mike 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1945–07–09 Providence SF 33 Russell, Cazzie 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1944–06–07 Michigan SF 9 Stallworth, Dave 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1941–12–20 Wichita State SG 16 Warren, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1947–07–07 St. John's

Head coach Red Holzman Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster Last transaction: 1970–05–08

Pre season

Game log

1969–70 Pre Season Game Log
September/October Game Date Time Opponent Score Location Attendance Record

All times are EASTERN time

Regular season

Standings

Eastern Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB
x-New York Knicks	60	22	.732	–
x-Milwaukee Bucks	56	26	.683	4
x-Baltimore Bullets	50	32	.610	10
x-Philadelphia 76ers	42	40	.512	18
Cincinnati Royals	36	46	.439	24
Boston Celtics	34	48	.415	26
Detroit Pistons	31	51	.378	29

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1969–70 NBA records
Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	CHI	CIN	DET	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	SDR	SFW	SEA
Atlanta	—	2–4	6–0	5–2	3–3	3–3	4–3	3–3	4–2	3–3	2–4	4–2	5–2	4–2
Baltimore	4–2	—	5–2	5–1	4–3	5–2	4–2	3–3	1–5	3–4	3–3	6–0	2–4	5–1
Boston	0–6	2–5	—	3–3	3–3	4–3	2–4	1–6	4–3	2–4	2–4	4–2	5–1	2–4
Chicago	2–5	1–5	3–3	—	3–3	3–3	4–2	4–2	0–6	3–3	5–2	3–4	4–2	4–3
Cincinnati	3–3	3–4	3–3	3–3	—	4–2	2–4	2–5	2–5	4–3	3–3	4–2	2–4	1–5
Detroit	3–3	2–5	3–4	3–3	2–4	—	3–3	1–6	1–6	1–5	3–3	3–3	3–3	3–3
Los Angeles	3–4	2–4	4–2	2–4	4–2	3–3	—	3–3	2–4	4–2	3–4	5–2	5–2	6–0
Milwaukee	3–3	3–3	6–1	2–4	5–2	6–1	3–3	—	2–4	5–2	6–0	6–0	4–2	5–1
New York	2–4	5–1	3–4	6–0	5–2	6–1	4–2	4–2	—	5–2	6–0	5–1	5–1	4–2
Philadelphia	3–3	4–3	4–2	3–3	3–4	5–1	2–4	2–5	2–5	—	4–2	4–2	6–0	0–6
Phoenix	4–2	3–3	4–2	2–5	3–3	3–3	4–3	0–6	0–6	2–4	—	7–0	3–3	4–3
San Diego	2–4	0–6	2–4	4–3	2–4	3–3	2–5	0–6	1–5	2–4	0–7	—	5–2	4–2
San Francisco	2–5	4–2	1–5	2–4	4–2	3–3	2–5	2–4	1–5	0–6	3–3	2–5	—	3–4
Seattle	2–4	1–5	4–2	3–4	5–1	3–3	0–6	1–5	2–4	6–0	3–4	2–4	4–3	—

Game log

1969–70 Game Log (60–22) (Home: 30–11; Road: 27–10; Neutral: 3–1)
October (9–1) (Home: 6–1; Road: 3–0) Game Date Time Opponent Score Location Attendance Record 1 October 14, 1969 Seattle 126–101 Madison Square Garden 1–0 2 October 15, 1969 @ Cincinnati 94–89 Cincinnati Gardens 2–0 3 October 17, 1969 @ Chicago 116–87 Chicago Stadium 3–0 4 October 18, 1969 Los Angeles 99–96 Madison Square Garden 4–0 5 October 21, 1969 Phoenix 140–116 Madison Square Garden 5–0 6 October 23, 1969 San Francisco 109–112 Madison Square Garden 5–1 7 October 24, 1969 @ Detroit 116–92 Cobo Center 6–1 8 October 25, 1969 Baltimore 128–99 Madison Square Garden 7–1 9 October 28, 1969 Atlanta 128–104 Madison Square Garden 8–1 10 October 30, 1969 San Diego 123–110 Madison Square Garden 9–1
November (14–1) (Home: 6–1; Road: 7–0; Neutral: 1–0) Game Date Time Opponent Score Location Attendance Record 11 November 1, 1969 Milwaukee 112–108 Madison Square Garden 10–1 12 November 3, 1969 @ Milwaukee 109–93 MECCA Arena 11–1 13 November 4, 1969 @ Phoenix 116–99 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12–1 14 November 7, 1969 @ San Diego 129–111 San Diego Sports Arena 13–1 15 November 9, 1969 @ Los Angeles 112–102 The Forum 14–1 16 November 11, 1969 @ San Francisco 116–103 Cow Palace 15–1 17 November 13, 1969 Chicago 114–99 Madison Square Garden 16–1 18 November 15, 1969 Boston 113–98 Madison Square Garden 17–1 19 November 18, 1969 Cincinnati 112–94 Madison Square Garden 18–1 20 November 21, 1969 @ Philadelphia 98–94 The Spectrum 19–1 21 November 22, 1969 Phoenix 128–114 Madison Square Garden 20–1 22 November 25, 1969 Los Angeles 103–96 Madison Square Garden 21–1 23 November 26, 1969 @ Atlanta 138–108 Alexander Memorial Coliseum 22–1 24 November 28, 1969 vs. Cincinnati (at Cleveland, OH) 106–105 Cleveland Arena 23–1 25 November 29, 1969 Detroit 98–110 Madison Square Garden 23–2
December (10–5) (Home: 5–3; Road: 4–2; Neutral: 1–0) Game Date Time Opponent Score Location Attendance Record 26 December 2, 1969 Seattle 129–109 Madison Square Garden 24–2 27 December 5, 1969 @ Baltimore 116–107 Baltimore Civic Center 25–2 28 December 6, 1969 Milwaukee 124–99 Madison Square Garden 26–2 29 December 9, 1969 Cincinnati 101–103 Madison Square Garden 26–3 30 December 10, 1969 @ Milwaukee 96–95 MECCA Arena 26–3 31 December 11, 1969 @ Seattle 105–112 Seattle Center Coliseum 27–4 32 December 13, 1969 Philadelphia 93–100 Madison Square Garden 27–5 33 December 16, 1969 Atlanta 124–125 (OT) Madison Square Garden 27–6 34 December 19, 1969 @ Chicago 108–99 Chicago Stadium 28–6 35 December 20, 1969 Baltimore 128–91 Madison Square Garden 29–6 36 December 25, 1969 Detroit 112–111 Madison Square Garden 30–6 37 December 26, 1969 @ Los Angeles 106–114 The Forum 30–7 38 December 27, 1969 vs. Seattle (at Vancouver, BC) 119–117 Pacific Coliseum 31–7 39 December 28, 1969 @ Phoenix 135–116 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 32–7 40 December 30, 1969 Chicago 116–96 Madison Square Garden 33–7
January (12–4) (Home: 4–1; Road: 7–3; Neutral: 1–0) Game Date Time Opponent Score Location Attendance Record 41 January 2, 1970 @ Milwaukee 105–118 MECCA Arena 33–8 42 January 3, 1970 Boston 104–111 Madison Square Garden 33–9 43 January 6, 1970 @ Baltimore 129–99 Baltimore Civic Center 34–9 44 January 7, 1970 @ San Francisco 99–94 Cow Palace 35–9 45 January 9, 1970 @ San Francisco 123–93 Cow Palace 36–9 46 January 10, 1970 @ San Diego 115–123 San Diego Sports Arena 36–10 47 January 12, 1970 vs. Phoenix (at Salt Lake City, UT) 130–114 Salt Palace Acord Arena 37–10 48 January 16, 1970 @ Detroit 104–102 Cobo Center 38–10 49 January 18, 1970 @ Boston 102–109 Boston Garden 38–11 50 January 23, 1970 @ Chicago 120–117 Chicago Stadium 39–11 51 January 24, 1970 San Diego 127–114 Madison Square Garden 40–11 52 January 25, 1970 @ Boston 102–96 Boston Garden 41–11 53 January 27, 1970 Boston 133–100 Madison Square Garden 41–11 54 January 29, 1970 Detroit 127–106 Madison Square Garden 43–11 55 January 30, 1970 @ Philadelphia 104–100 The Spectrum 44–11 56 January 31, 1970 Chicago 123–104 Madison Square Garden 45–11
February (9–4) (Home: 6–2; Road: 3–2) Game Date Time Opponent Score Location Attendance Record 57 February 1, 1970 @ Detroit 117–111 Cobo Center 46–11 58 February 3, 1970 San Francisco 118–98 Madison Square Garden 47–11 59 February 4, 1970 @ Atlanta 96–111 Alexander Memorial Coliseum 47–12 60 February 6, 1970 @ Cincinnati 135–92 Cincinnati Gardens 48–12 61 February 7, 1970 Cincinnati 121–114 Madison Square Garden 49–12 62 February 11, 1970 Boston 118–125 (OT) Madison Square Garden 49–13 63 February 13, 1970 @ Philadelphia 151–106 The Spectrum 50–13 64 February 14, 1970 Philadelphia 116–114 Madison Square Garden 51–13 65 February 17, 1970 Los Angeles 114–93 Madison Square Garden 52–13 66 February 21, 1970 Atlanta 106–122 Madison Square Garden 52–14 67 February 22, 1970 @ Baltimore 104–110 Baltimore Civic Center 52–15 68 February 24, 1970 Phoenix 121–105 Madison Square Garden 53–15 69 February 28, 1970 Baltimore 115–101 Madison Square Garden 54–15
March (6–7) (Home: 3–3; Road: 3–3; Neutral: 0–1) Game Date Time Opponent Score Location Attendance Record 70 March 3, 1970 San Francisco 115–100 Madison Square Garden 55–15 71 March 6, 1970 San Diego 107–103 Madison Square Garden 56–15 72 March 7, 1970 @ Philadelphia 111–104 The Spectrum 57–15 73 March 8, 1970 Philadelphia 116–133 Madison Square Garden 57–16 74 March 10, 1970 Seattle 117–99 Madison Square Garden 58–16 75 March 13, 1970 vs. Seattle (at Portland, OR) 103–115 Memorial Coliseum 58–17 76 March 14, 1970 @ San Diego 119–103 San Diego Sports Arena 59–17 77 March 15, 1970 @ Los Angeles 101–106 The Forum 59–18 78 March 17, 1970 @ Detroit 122–106 Cobo Center 60–18 79 March 18, 1970 Milwaukee 108–116 Madison Square Garden 60–19 80 March 20, 1970 @ Atlanta 102–110 Alexander Memorial Coliseum 60–20 81 March 21, 1970 Cincinnati 120–136 Madison Square Garden 60–21 82 March 22, 1970 @ Boston 112–115 Boston Garden 60–22
1969–70 Schedule

All times are EASTERN time

Playoffs

1970 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 March 26 Baltimore W 120–117 Willis Reed (30) Dave DeBusschere (24) Walt Frazier (8) Madison Square Garden 19,500 1–0 2 March 27 @ Baltimore W 106–99 Willis Reed (27) Willis Reed (17) Frazier, Barnett (6) Baltimore Civic Center 12,289 2–0 3 March 29 Baltimore L 113–127 Walt Frazier (24) Dave DeBusschere (10) Walt Frazier (5) Madison Square Garden 19,500 2–1 4 March 31 @ Baltimore L 92–102 Walt Frazier (25) Willis Reed (15) Walt Frazier (7) Baltimore Civic Center 12,289 2–2 5 April 2 Baltimore W 101–80 Willis Reed (36) Willis Reed (36) Walt Frazier (6) Madison Square Garden 19,500 3–2 6 April 5 @ Baltimore L 87–96 Walt Frazier (18) Willis Reed (16) Walt Frazier (5) Baltimore Civic Center 12,289 3–3 7 April 6 Baltimore W 127–114 DeBusschere, Barnett (28) Willis Reed (14) Walt Frazier (8) Madison Square Garden 19,500 4–3
Division Finals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 11 Milwaukee W 110–102 Willis Reed (24) Dave DeBusschere (10) Bill Bradley (6) Madison Square Garden 19,500 1–0 2 April 13 Milwaukee W 112–111 Willis Reed (36) Willis Reed (19) Walt Frazier (14) Madison Square Garden 19,500 2–0 3 April 17 @ Milwaukee L 96–101 Willis Reed (21) Reed, DeBusschere (10) Walt Frazier (7) Milwaukee Arena 10,746 2–1 4 April 19 @ Milwaukee W 117–105 Willis Reed (26) Walt Frazier (11) Dick Barnett (8) Milwaukee Arena 10,746 3–1 5 April 20 Milwaukee W 132–96 Willis Reed (32) Dave DeBusschere (11) Walt Frazier (6) Madison Square Garden 19,500 4–1
NBA Finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 24 Los Angeles W 124–112 Willis Reed (37) Reed, DeBusschere (16) Dick Barnett (9) Madison Square Garden 19,500 1–0 2 April 27 Los Angeles L 103–105 Willis Reed (29) Willis Reed (15) Walt Frazier (11) Madison Square Garden 19,500 1–1 3 April 29 @ Los Angeles W 111–108 (OT) Willis Reed (38) Willis Reed (17) Walt Frazier (7) The Forum 17,500 2–1 4 May 1 @ Los Angeles L 115–121 (OT) Dick Barnett (29) Dave Stallworth (13) Walt Frazier (11) The Forum 17,509 2–2 5 May 4 Los Angeles W 107–100 Walt Frazier (21) Cazzie Russell (8) Walt Frazier (12) Madison Square Garden 19,500 3–2 6 May 6 @ Los Angeles L 113–135 Dave DeBusschere (25) Dave DeBusschere (9) Dick Barnett (8) The Forum 17,509 3–3 7 May 8 Los Angeles W 113–99 Walt Frazier (36) Dave DeBusschere (7) Walt Frazier (19) Madison Square Garden 19,500 4–3
1970 schedule

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	Games Played	Games Started	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Willis Reed	81		3089	702	351	1126	161	1755
Walt Frazier	77		3040	600	409	465	629	1609
Dick Barnett	82		2772	494	232	221	298	1220
Dave DeBusschere	79		2627	488	176	790	194	1152
Bill Bradley	67		2098	413	145	239	268	971
Cazzie Russell	78		1563	385	124	236	135	894
Dave Stallworth	82		1375	239	161	323	139	639
Mike Riordan	81		1677	255	114	194	201	624
Nate Bowman	81		744	98	41	257	46	237
Bill Hosket	36		235	46	26	63	17	118
John Warren	44		272	44	24	40	30	112
Don May	37		238	39	18	52	17	96
Knicks	82		19730	3803	1821	4006	2135	9427

New York Knicks statistics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Dick Barnett	82		33.8	6.0		2.8	2.7	3.6			14.9
Nate Bowman	81		9.2	1.2		0.5	3.2	0.6			2.9
Bill Bradley	67		31.3	6.2		2.2	10.0	2.5			14.5
Dave DeBusschere	79		33.3	6.2		2.2	10.0	2.5			14.6
Walt Frazier	77		39.5	7.8		5.3	6.0	8.2			20.9
Bill Hosket	36		6.5	1.3		0.7	1.8	0.5			3.3
Don May	37		6.5	1.1		0.5	1.4	0.5			2.6
Willis Reed	81		38.1	8.7		4.3	13.9	2.0			21.7
Mike Riordan	81		20.7	3.1		1.4	2.4	2.5			7.7
Cazzie Russell	78		20.0	4.9		1.6	3.0	1.7			11.5
Dave Stallworth	82		16.8	2.9		2.0	3.9	1.7			7.8
John Warren	44		6.2	1.0		0.5	0.9	0.7			2.5
New York Knicks	82		240.6	46.4		22.2	48.9	26.0			115.0

Opponents

Vs. Atlanta

Regular-season series

New York lost 2–4 in the regular-season series

October 28, 1969 Recap Atlanta Hawks 104, New York Knicks 128 Madison Square Garden, New York City November 26, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 138, Atlanta Hawks 108 Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta December 16, 1969 Recap Atlanta Hawks 125, New York Knicks 124 (OT) Madison Square Garden, New York City February 4, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 96, Atlanta Hawks 111 Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta February 21, 1970 Recap Atlanta Hawks 122, New York Knicks 106 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 20, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 102, Atlanta Hawks 110 Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	293	282	130			694
Hawks	6	293	279	122			680

Vs. Baltimore

Regular-season series

New York won 5–1 in the regular-season series

October 25, 1969 Recap Baltimore Bullets 99, New York Knicks 128 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 5, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 116, Baltimore Bullets 107 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore December 20, 1969 Recap Baltimore Bullets 91, New York Knicks 128 Madison Square Garden, New York City January 6, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 129, Baltimore Bullets 99 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore February 22, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 104, Baltimore Bullets 110 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore February 28, 1970 Recap Baltimore Bullets 101, New York Knicks 115 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	254	127			710
Bullets	6	288	236	135			607

Vs. Boston

Regular-season series

New York lost 3–4 in the regular-season series

November 15, 1969 Recap Boston Celtics 98, New York Knicks 113 Madison Square Garden, New York City January 3, 1970 Recap Boston Celtics 111, New York Knicks 104 Madison Square Garden, New York City January 18, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 102, Boston Celtics 109 Boston Garden, Boston January 25, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 102, Boston Celtics 96 Boston Garden, Boston January 27, 1970 Recap Boston Celtics 100, New York Knicks 133 Madison Square Garden, New York City February 11, 1970 Recap Boston Celtics 125, New York Knicks 118 (OT) Madison Square Garden, New York City March 22, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 112, Boston Celtics 115 Boston Garden, Boston

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	7	341	302	180			784
Celtics	7	341	281	192			754

Vs. Chicago

Regular-season series

New York won 6–0 in the regular-season series

October 17, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 116, Chicago Bulls 87 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois November 13, 1969 Recap Chicago Bulls 99, New York Knicks 114 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 19, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 108, Chicago Bulls 99 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois December 30, 1969 Recap Chicago Bulls 96, New York Knicks 116 Madison Square Garden, New York City January 23, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 120, Chicago Bulls 117 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois January 31, 1970 Recap Chicago Bulls 104, New York Knicks 123 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	292	113			697
Bulls	6	288	223	156			602

Vs. Cincinnati

Regular-season series

New York won 5–2 in the regular-season series

October 15, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 94, Cincinnati Royals 89 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio November 18, 1969 Recap Cincinnati Royals 94, New York Knicks 112 Madison Square Garden, New York City November 28, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 106, Cincinnati Royals 105 Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio December 9, 1969 Recap Cincinnati Royals 103, New York Knicks 101 Madison Square Garden, New York City February 6, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 135, Cincinnati Royals 92 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati February 7, 1970 Recap Cincinnati Royals 114, New York Knicks 121 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 21, 1970 Recap Cincinnati Royals 136, New York Knicks 120 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	7	336	313	163			789
Royals	7	336	271	171			713

Vs. Detroit

Regular-season series

New York won 6–1 in the regular-season series

October 24, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 116, Detroit Pistons 92 Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan November 29, 1969 Recap Detroit Pistons 110, New York Knicks 98 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 25, 1969 Recap Detroit Pistons 111, New York Knicks 112 Madison Square Garden, New York City January 16, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 104, Detroit Pistons 102 Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan January 29, 1970 Recap Detroit Pistons 106, New York Knicks 127 Madison Square Garden, New York City February 1, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 117, Detroit Pistons 111 Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan March 17, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 122, Detroit Pistons 106 Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	7	336	317	162			796
Pistons	7	336	290	158			738

Vs. Los Angeles

Regular-season series

New York won 4–2 in the regular-season series

October 18, 1969 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 96, New York Knicks 99 Madison Square Garden, New York City November 9, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 112, Los Angeles Lakers 102 The Forum, Inglewood, California November 25, 1969 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 96, New York Knicks 103 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 26, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 106, Los Angeles Lakers 114 The Forum, Inglewood, California February 17, 1970 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 93, New York Knicks 114 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 15, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 101, Los Angeles Lakers 106 The Forum, Inglewood, California

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	254	127			635
Lakers	6	288	236	135			607

Vs. Milwaukee

Regular-season series

New York won 4–2 in the regular-season series

November 1, 1969 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 108, New York Knicks 112 Madison Square Garden, New York City November 3, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 109, Milwaukee Bucks 93 MECCA Arena, Milwaukee December 6, 1969 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 99, New York Knicks 124 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 10, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 96, Milwaukee Bucks 95 MECCA Arena, Milwaukee January 2, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 105, Milwaukee Bucks 118 MECCA Arena, Milwaukee March 18, 1970 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 116, New York Knicks 108 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	277	100			654
Bucks	6	288	252	125			629

Vs. Philadelphia

Regular-season series

New York won 5–2 in the regular-season series

November 21, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 98, Philadelphia 76ers 94 Spectrum, Philadelphia December 13, 1969 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 100, New York Knicks 93 Madison Square Garden, New York City January 30, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 104, Philadelphia 76ers 100 Spectrum, Philadelphia February 13, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 151, Philadelphia 76ers 106 Spectrum, Philadelphia February 14, 1970 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 114, New York Knicks 116 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 7, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 111, Philadelphia 76ers 104 Spectrum, Philadelphia March 8, 1970 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 133, New York Knicks 116 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	7	336	309	178			789
76ers	7	336	294	163			751

Vs. Phoenix

Regular-season series

New York won 6–0 in the regular-season series

October 21, 1969 Recap Phoenix Suns 116, New York Knicks 140 Madison Square Garden, New York City November 4, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 116, Phoenix Suns 99 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona November 22, 1969 Recap Phoenix Suns 114, New York Knicks 128 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 28, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 135, Phoenix Suns 116 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona January 12, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 130, Phoenix Suns 114 Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City February 24, 1970 Recap Phoenix Suns 105, New York Knicks 121 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	310	150			770
Suns	6	288	246	172			664

Vs. San Diego

Regular-season series

New York won 5–1 in the regular-season series

October 30, 1969 Recap San Diego Rockets 110, New York Knicks 123 Madison Square Garden, New York City November 7, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 129, San Diego Rockets 111 San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California January 10, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 115, San Diego Rockets 123 San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California January 24, 1970 Recap San Diego Rockets 114, New York Knicks 127 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 6, 1970 Recap San Diego Rockets 103, New York Knicks 107 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 14, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 119, San Diego Rockets 103 San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	294	132			720
Rockets	6	288	232	200			664

Vs. San Francisco

Regular-season series

New York won 5–1 in the regular-season series

October 23, 1969 Recap San Francisco Warriors 112, New York Knicks 109 Madison Square Garden, New York City November 11, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 116, San Francisco Warriors 103 Cow Palace, San Francisco January 7, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 99, San Francisco Warriors 94 Cow Palace, San Francisco January 9, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 123, San Francisco Warriors 93 Cow Palace, San Francisco February 3, 1970 Recap San Francisco Warriors 98, New York Knicks 118 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 3, 1970 Recap San Francisco Warriors 100, New York Knicks 115 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	274	132			680
Warriors	6	288	228	144			600

Vs. Seattle

Regular-season series

New York won 4–2 in the regular-season series

October 14, 1969 Recap Seattle SuperSonics 101, New York Knicks 126 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 2, 1969 Recap Seattle SuperSonics 109, New York Knicks 129 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 11, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 105, Seattle SuperSonics 112 Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle December 27, 1969 Recap New York Knicks 119, Seattle SuperSonics 117 Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia March 10, 1970 Recap Seattle SuperSonics 99, New York Knicks 117 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 13, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 103, Seattle SuperSonics 115 Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	6	288	283	133			699
SuperSonics	6	288	240	173			653

Total

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Opponents	82	19730	3308	2062			8682

New York Knicks statistics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
New York Knicks	82		240.6	40.3		25.1					105.9

Playoffs

Player	Games Played	Games Started	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Willis Reed	18		732	178	351	70	51	426
Dick Barnett	19		714	131	59	39	64	321
Dave DeBusschere	19		701	130	45	220	46	305
Walt Frazier	19		834	118	68	149	156	304
Bill Bradley	19		616	100	35	72	60	235
Cazzie Russell	19		306	80	18	47	16	178
Dave Stallworth	19		275	61	15	77	20	137
Mike Riordan	19		296	53	25	46	27	131
Nate Bowman	18		128	18	7	44	6	43
Bill Hosket	5		29	4	3	5	2	11
Don May	2		7	2	0	3	2	4
John Warren	10		22	2	0	3	2	4
Knicks	19		4660	877	345	950	450	2099

New York Knicks statistics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Dick Barnett	19		37.6	6.9		3.1	2.1	3.4			16.9
Nate Bowman	18		7.1	1.0		0.4	2.4	0.3			2.4
Bill Bradley	19		32.4	5.3		1.8	3.8	3.2			12.4
Dave DeBusschere	19		36.9	6.8		2.4	11.6	2.4			16.1
Walt Frazier	19		43.9	6.2		3.6	7.8	8.2			16.0
Bill Hosket	5		5.8	0.8		0.6	1.0	0.4			2.2
Don May	10		3.5	1.0		0.0	0.0	0.0			2.0
Willis Reed	18		40.7	9.9		3.9	13.8	2.8			23.7
Mike Riordan	19		15.6	2.8		1.3	2.4	1.4			6.9
Cazzie Russell	19		16.1	4.2		0.9	2.5	0.8			9.4
Dave Stallworth	19		14.5	3.2		0.8	4.1	1.1			7.2
John Warren	2		2.2	0.2		0.0	0.3	0.2			0.4
New York Knicks	19		256.3	48.3		18.8	51.8	24.2			115.6

Opponents

1970 NBA Eastern Division Semifinals: vs. Baltimore

Regular-season series

New York won 4–3 in the 1970 NBA Eastern Division Semifinals

March 26, 1970 Recap Baltimore Bullets 117, New York Knicks 120 (2OT) Madison Square Garden, New York City March 27, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 106, Baltimore Bullets 99 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore March 29, 1970 Recap Baltimore Bullets 127, New York Knicks 113 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 31, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 92, Baltimore Bullets 102 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland April 2, 1970 Recap Baltimore Bullets 80, New York Knicks 101 Madison Square Garden, New York City April 5, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 87, Baltimore Bullets 96 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore April 6, 1970 Recap Baltimore Bullets 114, New York Knicks 127 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	7	346	307	137			746
Bullets	7	346	286	163			735

1970 NBA Eastern Division Finals: vs. Milwaukee

Regular-season series

New York won 4–1 in the 1970 NBA Eastern Division Finals

April 11, 1970 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 102, New York Knicks 110 Madison Square Garden, New York City April 13, 1970 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 111, New York Knicks 112 Madison Square Garden, New York City April 17, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 96, Milwaukee Bucks 101 MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin April 19, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 117, Milwaukee Bucks 105 MECCA Arena, Milwaukee April 20, 1970 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 106, New York Knicks 132 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	5	240	238	91			567
Bucks	5	240	208	99			515

1970 NBA Finals vs. Los Angeles

1970 NBA Finals

New York won 4–3 in the 1970 NBA Finals

April 24, 1970 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 112, New York Knicks 124 Madison Square Garden, New York City April 27, 1970 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 105, New York Knicks 103 Madison Square Garden, New York City April 29, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 111, Los Angeles Lakers 108 (OT) The Forum, Inglewood, California May 1, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 115, Los Angeles Lakers 121 (OT) The Forum, Inglewood, California May 4, 1970 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 100, New York Knicks 107 Madison Square Garden, New York City May 6, 1970 Recap New York Knicks 113, Los Angeles Lakers 135 The Forum, Inglewood, California May 8, 1970 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 99, New York Knicks 113 Madison Square Garden, New York City

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Knicks	7	346	332	122			786
Lakers	7	346	302	176			780

Total

Team	Games Played	Minutes Played	Field Goals	Free Throws	Rebounds	Assists	Points
Opponents	19	922	796	438			2030

New York Knicks statistics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
New York Knicks	19		48.5	41.9		23.1					106.8

Media

Local TV

Date	Opponent	Channel
October 15, 1969	@ Cincinnati	WOR-TV
October 17, 1969	@ Chicago	WOR-TV
October 24, 1969	@ Detroit	WOR-TV
November 3, 1969	@ Milwaukee	WOR-TV
November 26, 1969	@ Atlanta	WOR-TV
December 5, 1969	@ Baltimore	WOR-TV
December 10, 1969	@ Milwaukee	WOR-TV
January 6, 1970	@ Baltimore	WOR-TV
February 4, 1970	@ Atlanta	WOR-TV
March 20, 1970	@ Atlanta	WOR-TV
March 27, 1970	@ Baltimore	WOR-TV
March 31, 1970	@ Baltimore	WOR-TV
April 17, 1970	@ Milwaukee	WOR-TV

Some New York Knicks TV Games never aired on WOR-TV because of broadcast conflict with the New York Rangers (NHL).

Local Cable TV

Date	Opponent	Cable TV
October 14, 1969	Seattle	Manhattan Cable Television
October 18, 1969	Los Angeles	Manhattan Cable Television
October 21, 1969	Phoenix	Manhattan Cable Television
October 23, 1969	San Francisco	Manhattan Cable Television
October 25, 1969	Baltimore	Manhattan Cable Television
October 28, 1969	Atlanta	Manhattan Cable Television
October 30, 1969	San Diego	Manhattan Cable Television
November 1, 1969	Milwaukee	Manhattan Cable Television
November 22, 1969	Phoenix	Manhattan Cable Television
December 6, 1969	Milwaukee	Manhattan Cable Television
December 16, 1969	Atlanta	Manhattan Cable Television
December 20, 1969	Baltimore	Manhattan Cable Television
February 21, 1970	Atlanta	Manhattan Cable Television
February 24, 1970	Phoenix	Manhattan Cable Television
February 28, 1970	Baltimore	Manhattan Cable Television
March 18, 1970	Milwaukee	Manhattan Cable Television
March 26, 1970	Baltimore	Manhattan Cable Television
April 2, 1970	Baltimore	Manhattan Cable Television
April 6, 1970	Baltimore	Manhattan Cable Television
April 13, 1970	Milwaukee	Manhattan Cable Television
April 20, 1970	Milwaukee	Manhattan Cable Television

National TV

Date	Opponent	Network	Play-by-play	Color analyst
January 2, 1970	@ Milwaukee	ABC
February 22, 1970	@ Baltimore	ABC
March 29, 1970	Baltimore	ABC
April 5, 1970	@ Baltimore	ABC
April 11, 1970	Milwaukee	ABC
April 19, 1970	@ Milwaukee	ABC
April 24, 1970	Los Angeles	ABC	Chris Schenkel	Jack Twyman
April 27, 1970	Los Angeles	ABC	Chris Schenkel	Jack Twyman
April 29, 1970	@ Los Angeles	ABC	Chris Schenkel	Jack Twyman
May 1, 1970	@ Los Angeles	ABC	Chris Schenkel	Jack Twyman
May 4, 1970	Los Angeles	ABC	Chris Schenkel	Jack Twyman
May 6, 1970	@ Los Angeles	ABC	Chris Schenkel	Jack Twyman
May 8, 1970	Los Angeles	ABC	Chris Schenkel	Jack Twyman

Local Radio

Date	Opponent	Flagship station
October 14, 1969	Seattle	WHN
October 17, 1969	@ Chicago	WHN
October 18, 1969	Los Angeles	WHN
October 21, 1969	Phoenix	WHN
October 23, 1969	San Francisco	WHN
October 24, 1969	@ Detroit	WHN
October 25, 1969	Baltimore	WHN
October 28, 1969	Atlanta	WHN
October 30, 1969	San Diego	WHN
November 1, 1969	Milwaukee	WHN
November 3, 1969	@ Milwaukee	WHN
December 5, 1969	@ Baltimore	WHN
December 6, 1969	Milwaukee	WHN
December 16, 1969	Atlanta	WHN
December 20, 1969	Baltimore	WHN
January 2, 1970	@ Milwaukee	WHN
January 6, 1970	@ Baltimore	WHN
February 21, 1970	Atlanta	WHN
February 22, 1970	@ Baltimore	WHN
February 28, 1970	Baltimore	WHN
March 18, 1970	Milwaukee	WHN
March 20, 1970	@ Atlanta	WHN
March 26, 1970	Baltimore	WHN
March 27, 1970	@ Baltimore	WHN
March 29, 1970	Baltimore	WHN
March 31, 1970	@ Baltimore	WHN
April 2, 1970	Baltimore	WHN
April 6, 1970	Baltimore	WHN
April 11, 1970	Milwaukee	WHN
April 13, 1970	Milwaukee	WHN
April 17, 1970	@ Milwaukee	WHN
April 19, 1970	@ Milwaukee	WHN
April 20, 1970	Milwaukee	WHN
April 24, 1970	Los Angeles	WHN
April 27, 1970	Los Angeles	WHN
April 29, 1970	@ Los Angeles	WHN
May 1, 1970	@ Los Angeles	WHN
May 4, 1970	Los Angeles	WHN
May 6, 1970	@ Los Angeles	WHN
May 8, 1970	Los Angeles	WHN

Some New York Knicks radio games never aired on WHN because of broadcast conflict with the New York Rangers (NHL).

National Radio

Date	Opponent	Network	Play-by-play	Color analyst
April 24, 1970	Los Angeles	Mutual	Bob Wolff
April 27, 1970	Los Angeles	Mutual	Bob Wolff
April 29, 1970	@ Los Angeles	Mutual	Bob Wolff
May 1, 1970	@ Los Angeles	Mutual	Bob Wolff
May 4, 1970	Los Angeles	Mutual	Bob Wolff
May 6, 1970	@ Los Angeles	Mutual	Bob Wolff
May 8, 1970	Los Angeles	Mutual	Bob Wolff

Public Address Announcer

Madison Square Garden PA Announcer
John Condon

Transactions

Transactions listed are from July 1, 1969, to June 30, 1970.

1970 NBA Expansion Draft

May 11, 1970

To Buffalo Braves Bill Hosket Don May To Cleveland Cavaliers John Warren

Trades

June 20, 1970

To Buffalo Braves Nate Bowman Mike Silliman for cash

Awards and records

Player/Coach	Award
Willis Reed	NBA Most Valuable Player Award
	NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
	All-NBA First Team
	NBA All-Defensive First Team
Walt Frazier	All-NBA First Team
	NBA All-Defensive First Team
Dave DeBusschere	NBA All-Defensive First Team
Red Holzman	NBA Coach of the Year Award

20th NBA All-Star Game

Main article: 1970 NBA All-Star Game

New York Knicks NBA All-Star representatives at the 1970 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at The Spectrum.

Player	Team	Position	Minutes	Points	Field Goals	FGA	Free Throws	FTA	Rebounds	Assists	Personal Fouls
Dave DeBusschere	(Eastern Conference All-Stars)	F	14	10	5	10	0	0	7	2	1
Walt Frazier	(Eastern Conference All-Stars)	G, Starter	24	7	3	7	1	2	3	4	2
Willis Reed MVP	(Eastern Conference All-Stars)	C, Starter	30	21	9	18	3	3	11	0	6

Coach	Team
Red Holzman	(Eastern Conference All-Stars) Head Coach

NBA finals

Without question, the defining moment in the series occurred in Game 7, where an injured Reed limped onto the court right before the start of the game.

On a re-creation of that moment, Marv Albert described it: "Here comes Willis! The crowd is going wild! Willis passes the scorers table, he grabs a basketball. The Lakers have stopped (shooting), the Lakers are watching Willis!"

He scored the game's first two baskets and proceeded not to score for the remainder of the game. Contrary to popular lore, he did not sit out after his first two baskets, but remained on the floor for 27 minutes. Despite his lack of scoring after his first four points, Reed's heroics inspired the team, and they won the game by a score of 113–99. The entire starting line up for the 69–70 Knicks had their jerseys retired by the New York Knicks. The jerseys of Walt Frazier (#10), Willis Reed (#19), Dave DeBusschere (#22), Bill Bradley (#24), and Dick Barnett (#12) all hang from the rafters at Madison Square Garden. Reed walking on to the court was voted the greatest moment in Madison Square Garden history.

Game	Date	Result	Site	Series
Game 1	April 24 (Fri.)	New York Knicks 124, Los Angeles Lakers 112	@ New York	Knicks lead, 1 game to 0
Game 2	April 27 (Mon.)	Los Angeles Lakes 105, New York Knicks 103	@ New York	Series tied, 1 game each
Game 3	April 29 (Wed.)	New York Knicks 111, Los Angeles Lakers 108	@ Los Angeles	Knicks lead, 2 games to 1
Game 4	May 1 (Fri.)	Los Angeles Lakers 121, New York Knicks 105	@ Los Angeles	Series tied, 2 games each
Game 5	May 4 (Mon.)	New York Knicks 107, Los Angeles Lakers 100	@ New York	Knicks lead, 3 games to 2
Game 6	May 6 (Wed.)	Los Angeles Lakers 135, New York Knicks 113	@ Los Angeles	Series tied, 3 games each
Game 7	May 8 (Fri.)	New York Knicks 113, Los Angeles Lakers 99	@ New York	Knicks win, 4 games to 3

Knicks win series 4–3

References

• Knicks on Database Basketball
• Knicks on Basketball Reference
• https://www.nba.com/in-season-tournament/2023