The 1973–74 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons ' 26th season in the NBA and 17th season in the city of Detroit . The team played at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit.
The Pistons finished with a 52-30 (.634) record, 3rd place in the Midwest Division, only their second winning season since moving to Detroit in 1957. The team was led by guard Dave Bing (18.8 ppg, 6.9 apg, NBA All-Star) and center Bob Lanier (22.5 ppg, 13.3 rpg, NBA All-Star and NBA All-Star Game MVP).[ 1] [ 2] Pistons coach Ray Scott was recognized as the NBA Coach of the Year , the first black coach in the league to win the award.[ 3] [ 4] It wouldn't be until 1991 when Don Chaney won the award that another black coach was so honored.[ 5]
Detroit advanced to the 1974 NBA Playoffs , the team's first playoff appearance since the 1967-68 Detroit Pistons season , losing the Western Conference semi-finals 4–3 to the Chicago Bulls , dropping the deciding 7th game 96–94 in Chicago.[ 1] In the 7th game at Chicago Stadium , after a furious Detroit rally, Dennis Awtrey of the Bulls tipped an inbounds pass by Bing with 3 seconds remaining and Norm Van Lier dribbled out the clock to preserve the Chicago victory.[ 6]
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
SF
10
Adams, Don
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1947-11-27
Northwestern
PG
21
Bing, Dave
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1943-11-24
Syracuse
C
20
Davis, Jim
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1941-12-18
Colorado
SG
42
Ford, Chris
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1949-01-11
Villanova
SG
30
Kelso, Ben
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1949-04-11
Central Michigan
C
16
Lanier, Bob
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
250 lb (113 kg)
1948-09-10
St. Bonaventure
SG
22
Lantz, Stu
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1946-07-13
Nebraska
SG
15
Mengelt, John
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1949-10-16
Auburn
SF
33
Nash, Bob
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1950-08-24
Hawaiʻi
SF
8
Norwood, Willie
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1947-08-08
Alcorn State
PF
18
Rowe, Curtis
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1949-07-02
UCLA
PF
31
Trapp, George
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1948-07-11
Long Beach State
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: October 8, 1973
Record vs. opponents
edit
1973–74 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BOS
BUF
CAP
CHI
CLE
DET
GSW
HOU
KCO
LAL
MIL
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SEA
Atlanta
—
1–5
2–4
4–4
1–3
4–3
0–4
1–3
5–2
1–3
4–0
1–3
1–5
3–3
1–3
2–2
4–0
Boston
5–1
—
5–2
2–4
2–2
4–2
3–1
3–1
4–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
5–2
7–1
3–1
4–0
2–2
Buffalo
4–2
2–5
—
3–3
1–3
5–1
1–3
1–3
4–2
2–2
0–4
1–3
4–4
6–1
3–1
3–1
2–2
Capital
4–4
4–2
3–3
—
1–3
6–1
2–2
3–1
4–3
3–1
2–2
1–3
3–3
4–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
Chicago
3–1
2–2
3–1
3–1
—
4–0
5–2
4–2
4–0
5–2
1–5
3–3
2–2
3–1
4–2
4–2
4–2
Cleveland
3–4
2–4
1–5
1–6
0–4
—
2–2
0–4
4–4
0–4
3–1
0–4
1–5
5–1
1–3
4–0
2–2
Detroit
4–0
1–3
3–1
2–2
2–5
2–2
—
5–1
3–1
4–2
4–2
3–4
1–3
2–2
6–0
5–1
5–1
Golden State
3–1
1–3
3–1
1–3
2–4
4–0
1–5
—
4–0
3–3
4–2
3–3
1–3
3–1
5–2
3–4
3–3
Houston
2–5
2–4
2–4
3–4
0–4
4–4
1–3
0–4
—
2–2
2–2
0–4
4–2
4–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
Kansas City-Omaha
3–1
1–3
2–2
1–3
2–5
4–0
2–4
3–3
2–2
—
1–5
0–7
1–3
1–3
4–2
4–2
2–4
Los Angeles
0–4
2–2
4–0
2–2
5–1
1–3
2–4
2–4
2–2
5–1
—
4–2
2–2
4–0
4–2
4–3
4–3
Milwaukee
3–1
2–2
3–1
3–1
3–3
4–0
4–3
3–3
4–0
7–0
2–4
—
2–2
4–0
5–1
6–0
4–2
New York
5–1
2–5
4–4
3–3
2–2
5–1
3–1
3–1
2–4
3–1
2–2
2–2
—
4–3
3–1
2–2
4–0
Philadelphia
3–3
1–7
1–6
2–4
1–3
1–5
2–2
1–3
2–4
3–1
0–4
0–4
3–4
—
3–1
2–2
0–4
Phoenix
3–1
1–3
1–3
2–2
2–4
3–1
0–6
2–5
2–2
2–4
2–4
1–5
1–3
1–3
—
3–3
4–3
Portland
2–2
0–4
1–3
1–3
2–4
0–4
1–5
4–3
1–3
2–4
3–4
0–6
2–2
2–2
3–3
—
3–3
Seattle
0–4
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–4
2–2
1–5
3–3
3–1
4–2
3–4
2–4
0–4
4–0
3–4
3–3
—
1973–74 game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 9
@ New York
100–101
Bob Lanier (29)
0–1
2
October 12
Atlanta
105–122
Bob Lanier (20)
1–1
3
October 13
@ Chicago
94–101
Bob Lanier (22)
1–2
4
October 14
@ Cleveland
95–83
Bob Lanier (20)
2–2
5
October 19
Milwaukee
96–94
Bob Lanier (28)
2–3
6
October 20
@ Houston
107–104
Bob Lanier (33)
3–3
7
October 24
@ Phoenix
115–99
Bob Lanier (23)
4–3
8
October 26
@ Los Angeles
92–94
Curtis Rowe (18)
4–4
9
October 27
@ Portland
111–98
Bob Lanier (32)
5–4
10
October 28
@ Seattle
115–93
Bing , Mengelt (21)
6–4
11
October 31
Seattle
107–114
Dave Bing (26)
7–4
12
November 2
Phoenix
107–114
Chris Ford (24)
8–4
13
November 3
@ Milwaukee
115–123 (OT)
Bob Lanier (28)
8–5
14
November 8
@ Atlanta
129–115
Don Adams (23)
9–5
15
November 10
N Boston
97–102
Bob Lanier (29)
9–6
16
November 14
Portland
111–108
Bob Lanier (41)
9–7
17
November 16
Kansas City–Omaha
98–125
Willie Norwood (15)
10–7
18
November 17
@ Buffalo
98–94
Bob Lanier (30)
11–7
19
November 18
Chicago
104–102
Bob Lanier (27)
11–8
20
November 21
Phoenix
104–107
Bob Lanier (29)
12–8
21
November 24
@ Chicago
112–114 (OT)
Bob Lanier (32)
12–9
22
November 28
Cleveland
96–91
Bing, Lanier (23)
12–10
23
November 30
@ Houston
95–110
Bob Lanier (19)
12–11
24
December 1
@ Phoenix
121–109
John Mengelt (30)
13–11
25
December 2
@ Los Angeles
114–108
Dave Bing (27)
14–11
26
December 4
@ Golden State
112–93
Dave Bing (27)
15–11
27
December 6
@ Seattle
110–108
Dave Bing (33)
16–11
28
December 8
Portland
91–106
Bob Lanier (28)
17–11
29
December 9
@ Kansas City–Omaha
86–80
Adams, Bing (19)
18–11
30
December 12
Los Angeles
96–114
Bob Lanier (33)
19–11
31
December 14
Philadelphia
96–93
Dave Bing (26)
19–12
32
December 15
@ Philadelphia
99–89
Bob Lanier (24)
20–12
33
December 16
@ Kansas City–Omaha
104–105
Dave Bing (22)
20–13
34
December 19
Chicago
87–89
Bob Lanier (30)
21–13
35
December 21
Golden State
104–107
George Trapp (21)
22–13
36
December 22
@ New York
88–99
Bob Lanier (35)
22–14
37
December 26
New York
96–91
Dave Bing (22)
22–15
38
December 28
Capital
93–102
Bob Lanier (30)
23–15
39
December 29
@ Chicago
103–108
Willie Norwood (29)
23–16
40
December 30
@ Milwaukee
98–91
Dave Bing (22)
24–16
41
January 2
Milwaukee
92–106
Bob Lanier (34)
25–16
42
January 4
Boston
101–106
Bob Lanier (29)
26–16
43
January 5
@ Capital
90–93
Dave Bing (21)
26–17
44
January 9
Los Angeles
94–123
Bob Lanier (32)
27–17
45
January 11
@ Cleveland
106–96
Curtis Rowe (28)
28–17
46
January 12
Cleveland
117–112 (OT)
Bob Lanier (32)
28–18
47
January 18
Chicago
95–113
Bob Lanier (32)
29–18
48
January 20
Kansas City–Omaha
79–105
George Trapp (21)
30–18
49
January 23
Portland
95–121
Curtis Rowe (20)
31–18
50
January 25
Houston
89–93
Bob Lanier (26)
32–18
51
January 26
Seattle
83–94
Bob Lanier (27)
33–18
52
January 27
@ Chicago
91–109
Bob Lanier (20)
33–19
53
January 30
Buffalo
96–111
Bob Lanier (36)
34–19
54
February 1
New York
91–96
Dave Bing (18)
35–19
55
February 3
@ Seattle
114–100
Bob Lanier (25)
36–19
56
February 5
@ Portland
104–102
Willie Norwood (27)
37–19
57
February 7
@ Golden State
110–86
Willie Norwood (27)
38–19
58
February 8
@ Phoenix
99–94
Bob Lanier (24)
39–19
59
February 12
Kansas City–Omaha
106–113
Willie Norwood (27)
40–19
60
February 14
Milwaukee
102–99
Dave Bing (19)
40–20
61
February 15
@ Buffalo
116–118
Bob Lanier (45)
40–21
62
February 17
@ Philadelphia
118–107
Bob Lanier (27)
41–21
63
February 19
@ Boston
97–107
Dave Bing (21)
41–22
64
February 20
Los Angeles
110–112
Bob Lanier (29)
42–22
65
February 22
Capital
83–84
Bob Lanier (24)
43–22
66
February 23
Phoenix
107–119
Bob Lanier (25)
44–22
67
February 24
@ Capital
84–94
Dave Bing (18)
44–23
68
February 26
Boston
86–83
Dave Bing (22)
44–24
69
February 28
@ Milwaukee
90–113
George Trapp (17)
44–25
70
March 1
Seattle
105–103
John Mengelt (24)
44–26
71
March 3
@ Portland
99–95
Bob Lanier (30)
45–26
72
March 5
@ Golden State
95–93
Dave Bing (23)
46–26
73
March 8
@ Los Angeles
113–129
Curtis Rowe (24)
46–27
74
March 10
@ Atlanta
116–111
Bob Lanier (31)
47–27
75
March 11
Golden State
120–108
Willie Norwood (19)
47–28
76
March 12
Golden State
108–113
Dave Bing (28)
48–28
77
March 15
Milwaukee
89–93
Don Adams (21)
49–28
78
March 17
Buffalo
109–116
Bing, Lanier (23)
50–28
79
March 20
Houston
99–103
Dave Bing (18)
51–28
80
March 22
@ Kansas City–Omaha
105–107
George Trapp (18)
51–29
81
March 23
Philadelphia
97–89
Dave Bing (27)
51–30
82
March 26
Atlanta
108–109
Bob Lanier (25)
52–30
1974 playoff game log
Conference semifinals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Series
1
March 30
@ Chicago
W 97–88
Bob Lanier (27)
Lanier , Rowe (13)
Don Adams (6)
Chicago Stadium 10,711
1–0
2
April 1
Chicago
L 103–108
Bob Lanier (38)
Bob Lanier (19)
Dave Bing (7)
Cobo Arena 11,499
1–1
3
April 5
@ Chicago
L 83–84
Dave Bing (23)
Bob Lanier (16)
Lanier , Rowe (2)
Chicago Stadium 17,634
1–2
4
April 7
Chicago
W 102–87
Bob Lanier (26)
Bob Lanier (18)
Dave Bing (8)
Cobo Arena 11,287
2–2
5
April 9
@ Chicago
L 94–98
Bob Lanier (23)
Bob Lanier (17)
Dave Bing (6)
Chicago Stadium 14,236
2–3
6
April 11
Chicago
W 92–88
Bob Lanier (28)
Bob Lanier (14)
Dave Bing (10)
Cobo Arena 11,134
3–3
7
April 13
@ Chicago
L 94–96
Stu Lantz (25)
Lanier , Rowe (10)
Stu Lantz (5)
Chicago Stadium 13,133
3–4
1974 schedule