The 1971-72 Chicago Bulls season marked a significant year in the franchise’s early history. Under the guidance of head coach Dick Motta, the Bulls demonstrated a solid performance in the NBA. The team finished the regular season with a 57-25 record, placing them second in the Midwest Division and earning them a spot in the playoffs. This season was notable for representing the Bulls’ best regular-season record at that time.
The roster was spearheaded by standout players such as Bob Love and Chet Walker, who were instrumental in the team’s success. Love, known for his scoring ability, averaged 25.8 points per game, while Walker contributed significantly with 22.0 points per game. Their offensive prowess was complemented by Jerry Sloan’s defensive tenacity, making the Bulls a well-rounded team on both ends of the court.
In the playoffs, the Bulls faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite their strong regular season, the Bulls were unable to overcome the Lakers, who were on their way to setting a record for the longest winning streak in NBA history. The Bulls lost the series 4-0, demonstrating the competitive gap between them and the eventual NBA champions. Although the season ended in disappointment, the 1971-72 campaign laid a foundation for future success and helped establish the Bulls as a competitive force in the league.
- Regular Season Record: 57-25
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference Semifinals: 0-4
Chicago Bulls Roster and Stats for 1971-72 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bob Love | 79 | 25.8 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 18.8 | 6.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chet Walker | 78 | 22.0 | 6.1 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 11.3 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jerry Sloan | 82 | 16.2 | 8.4 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 15.8 | 8.8 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Norm Van Lier | 69 | 12.1 | 4.3 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 14.0 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Weiss | 82 | 11.3 | 2.1 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 13.8 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Clifford Ray | 82 | 7.0 | 10.6 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 15.3 | 16.5 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Boerwinkle | 80 | 6.9 | 11.2 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Fox | 10 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Howard Porter | 67 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 4.8 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim King | 73 | 5.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Charlie Paulk | 7 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jimmy Collins | 19 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Kenny McIntosh | 43 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jackie Dinkins | 18 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Chicago Bulls in the 1972 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Los Angeles Lakers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 95-80 | |
| Mar 30, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 131-124 | |
| Apr 02, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 108-101 | |
| Apr 04, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 108-97 |
Chicago Bulls 1971-72 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1971-72 season for the Chicago Bulls.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 114-100 | |
| Oct 15, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 106-82 | |
| Oct 20, 1971 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 125-110 | |
| Oct 22, 1971 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 113-106 | |
| Oct 24, 1971 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 105-104 | |
| Oct 26, 1971 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 123-111 | |
| Oct 29, 1971 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 99-83 | |
| Nov 02, 1971 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 108-101 | |
| Nov 03, 1971 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 113-100 | |
| Nov 05, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-102 | |
| Nov 06, 1971 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 130-99 | |
| Nov 09, 1971 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 122-109 | |
| Nov 10, 1971 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 125-106 | |
| Nov 13, 1971 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 111-102 | |
| Nov 16, 1971 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 95-87 | |
| Nov 19, 1971 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 148-104 | |
| Nov 20, 1971 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 123-106 | |
| Nov 23, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 130-94 | |
| Nov 26, 1971 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 121-89 | |
| Nov 27, 1971 | @ New York Knicks | L 100-99 | |
| Nov 30, 1971 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 86-85 | |
| Dec 01, 1971 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 109-101 | |
| Dec 03, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | W 122-96 | |
| Dec 04, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 108-105 | |
| Dec 07, 1971 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 115-99 | |
| Dec 09, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 110-107 | |
| Dec 10, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 118-102 | |
| Dec 11, 1971 | @ Boston Celtics | W 115-99 | |
| Dec 14, 1971 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 116-108 | |
| Dec 17, 1971 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 109-98 | |
| Dec 19, 1971 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 119-101 | |
| Dec 21, 1971 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 127-92 | |
| Dec 23, 1971 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 117-108 | |
| Dec 25, 1971 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 109-88 | |
| Dec 26, 1971 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 103-102 | |
| Dec 28, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 116-105 | |
| Dec 30, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 117-92 | |
| Jan 04, 1972 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 112-108 | |
| Jan 05, 1972 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 139-107 | |
| Jan 07, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 104-94 | |
| Jan 08, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | W 113-108 | |
| Jan 09, 1972 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 108-104 | |
| Jan 11, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | W 116-91 | |
| Jan 12, 1972 | @ Boston Celtics | L 113-112 | |
| Jan 14, 1972 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-77 | |
| Jan 15, 1972 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 120-100 | |
| Jan 21, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 113-93 | |
| Jan 22, 1972 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 115-108 | |
| Jan 24, 1972 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 110-105 | |
| Jan 26, 1972 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 117-108 | |
| Jan 27, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 108-107 | |
| Jan 28, 1972 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 116-102 | |
| Jan 30, 1972 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 109-99 | |
| Feb 01, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 121-103 | |
| Feb 02, 1972 | @ Boston Celtics | L 124-100 | |
| Feb 04, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 110-108 | |
| Feb 05, 1972 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 130-96 | |
| Feb 06, 1972 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 119-94 | |
| Feb 08, 1972 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 114-90 | |
| Feb 11, 1972 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 102-91 | |
| Feb 12, 1972 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 117-106 | |
| Feb 13, 1972 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 107-88 | |
| Feb 17, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | L 102-99 | |
| Feb 18, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 122-97 | |
| Feb 19, 1972 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 104-97 | |
| Feb 20, 1972 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 103-100 | |
| Feb 22, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 119-88 | |
| Feb 25, 1972 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 115-107 | |
| Feb 26, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 107-106 | |
| Feb 27, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 123-118 | |
| Feb 29, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 116-92 | |
| Mar 03, 1972 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 112-103 | |
| Mar 05, 1972 | @ Houston Rockets | W 128-97 | |
| Mar 08, 1972 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 98-96 | |
| Mar 10, 1972 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 104-100 | |
| Mar 14, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 115-111 | |
| Mar 17, 1972 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 126-103 | |
| Mar 18, 1972 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-91 | |
| Mar 19, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 115-107 | |
| Mar 21, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 109-104 | |
| Mar 24, 1972 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 116-99 | |
| Mar 25, 1972 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 121-105 |