Lex Nihil Novi - Five Celtics Combine for more than 100, as 1972-73 Celtics Move to 29-6

December 30, 1972







bob



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From Wiki....

The bottom fell out in the 1972–73 season. For all intents and purposes, the season ended when Cunningham bolted to the ABA, leaving the Sixers with a roster of Greer and little else. The 76ers lost their first 15 games of the season, and a few months later set a then-record 20-game losing streak in a single season. Their record following the 20-game losing streak was 4–58, and the team at that point had just lost 34 of 35 games. The 76ers finished the season with a 9–73 record, leading the skeptical Philadelphia press to call them the "Nine and 73-ers". Under Coach Roy Rubin the 76ers went 4-47. As it turned out, it was his first and last NBA coaching job. He was succeeded by player-coach Kevin Loughery, who went 5-26 the rest of the way. The 76ers finished an NBA-record 59 games behind the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics. The nine wins by the 1972–73 squad is the fourth fewest in NBA history, and remains the fewest for a full 82 game season. The 73 losses, although threatened several times, remains the all-time low-water mark for any NBA franchise. The 76ers' 0.110 winning percentage was a record worst at the time, and is still the second lowest in NBA history. This record was broken by the 2011-2012 Charlotte Bobcats which was shortened due to a lockout. (That Bobcats team finished 7-59, for a .106 winning percentage.) Only six seasons earlier, the 76ers had set the NBA record for most wins in a season. The 76ers of 1972-73 is considered to be the worst team that ever played in NBA history.

MY NOTE: No wonder they threw snowballs at Santa
beat

Those 76ers came close to pulling off a miracle victory in losing by only 10 points; and the Celtics had to make a late run (winning the 4th quarter by 7) to prevent the miracle from being realized. Greer didn't play. There were a couple of peripheral players (Mad Dog Carter and Kevin Loughery). Captain Von Trapp was recruited from the Family Singers of that name, scored a dozen points, and offered a memorable rendition of "Edelweiss." at halftime.

The five Celts who scored in double figures were all impact players in their primes. They should have been able to handle Philly playing 4 on 5 with no difficulty.

Sam