The 1972-73 Chicago Bulls season marked a pivotal moment in the franchise’s history, as the team delivered a strong performance in the regular season. Under the leadership of head coach Dick Motta, the Bulls finished with a 51-31 record, securing a second-place finish in the Midwest Division. This successful run highlighted the Bulls’ continued emergence as a competitive force in the NBA during the early 1970s.
The Bulls were anchored by a solid roster that featured stalwart players such as Jerry Sloan and Chet Walker. Sloan, known for his defensive tenacity, provided leadership and grit, while Walker excelled on the offensive end, leading the team in scoring with an average of 20.5 points per game. The team’s balanced approach and emphasis on defense were key factors contributing to their winning record.
In the postseason, the Bulls faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite their strong regular-season performance, the Bulls were unable to advance, as they fell to the Lakers in a tightly contested series that ended 4-3 in favor of Los Angeles. This playoff exit highlighted the areas for improvement for the Bulls, particularly in terms of depth and experience, as they aimed to build on their success in future seasons.
The 1972-73 season remains a significant chapter in the Chicago Bulls’ history, showcasing their growth and potential as a formidable team in the NBA during that era.
- Regular Season Record: 51-31
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Chicago Bulls Roster and Stats for 1972-73 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bob Love | 82 | 23.1 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 23.7 | 9.6 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chet Walker | 79 | 19.9 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 16.7 | 8.9 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Norm Van Lier | 80 | 13.9 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 14.4 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gar Heard | 78 | 10.3 | 5.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jerry Sloan | 69 | 10.1 | 6.9 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 14.9 | 8.4 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Weiss | 82 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 12.0 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Clifford Ray | 73 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kenny McIntosh | 3 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Howard Porter | 43 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dennis Awtrey | 79 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 9.0 | 11.0 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim King | 65 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Boerwinkle | 8 | 3.8 | 6.8 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rowland Garrett | 35 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Frank Russell | 23 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Chicago Bulls in the 1973 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Los Angeles Lakers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 107-104 | |
| Apr 01, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 108-93 | |
| Apr 06, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 96-86 | |
| Apr 08, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 98-94 | |
| Apr 10, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 123-102 | |
| Apr 13, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 101-93 | |
| Apr 15, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 95-92 |
Chicago Bulls 1972-73 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1972-73 season for the Chicago Bulls.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 95-89 | |
| Oct 13, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 100-91 | |
| Oct 14, 1972 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 96-88 | |
| Oct 21, 1972 | @ Houston Rockets | W 130-97 | |
| Oct 22, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 104-99 | |
| Oct 24, 1972 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 107-106 | |
| Oct 26, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 94-93 | |
| Oct 27, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 118-95 | |
| Oct 29, 1972 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 95-94 | |
| Oct 31, 1972 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 104-95 | |
| Nov 03, 1972 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 115-100 | |
| Nov 04, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 101-99 | |
| Nov 11, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 111-106 | |
| Nov 14, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 97-80 | |
| Nov 17, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 109-96 | |
| Nov 18, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 95-79 | |
| Nov 21, 1972 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 113-105 | |
| Nov 24, 1972 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 100-96 | |
| Nov 25, 1972 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 100-99 | |
| Nov 28, 1972 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 92-91 | |
| Nov 29, 1972 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 105-97 | |
| Dec 01, 1972 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 106-97 | |
| Dec 02, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 89-80 | |
| Dec 05, 1972 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 130-108 | |
| Dec 07, 1972 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 94-89 | |
| Dec 08, 1972 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 118-102 | |
| Dec 09, 1972 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 105-94 | |
| Dec 12, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 106-105 | |
| Dec 15, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | W 90-86 | |
| Dec 16, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 97-83 | |
| Dec 19, 1972 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 109-100 | |
| Dec 22, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 127-97 | |
| Dec 23, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 127-109 | |
| Dec 25, 1972 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 115-108 | |
| Dec 26, 1972 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 117-103 | |
| Dec 29, 1972 | @ Boston Celtics | W 106-99 | |
| Dec 30, 1972 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 99-92 | |
| Jan 02, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 100-90 | |
| Jan 04, 1973 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 111-97 | |
| Jan 05, 1973 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 126-115 | |
| Jan 07, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 119-96 | |
| Jan 09, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 126-110 | |
| Jan 10, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 102-100 | |
| Jan 12, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 109-97 | |
| Jan 14, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 100-95 | |
| Jan 16, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 100-89 | |
| Jan 19, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 115-80 | |
| Jan 20, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 112-92 | |
| Jan 26, 1973 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 110-100 | |
| Jan 28, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 110-105 | |
| Jan 30, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 95-92 | |
| Feb 02, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 118-104 | |
| Feb 04, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 121-99 | |
| Feb 06, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 114-107 | |
| Feb 09, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 103-97 | |
| Feb 10, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 102-101 | |
| Feb 11, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 101-96 | |
| Feb 13, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 105-101 | |
| Feb 14, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | W 100-98 | |
| Feb 16, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 100-92 | |
| Feb 18, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | W 110-99 | |
| Feb 20, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 103-89 | |
| Feb 23, 1973 | vs. New York Knicks | W 84-83 | |
| Feb 24, 1973 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 122-100 | |
| Feb 25, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 88-85 | |
| Feb 27, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 125-110 | |
| Mar 02, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 108-88 | |
| Mar 03, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 117-116 | |
| Mar 04, 1973 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 118-117 | |
| Mar 06, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 96-88 | |
| Mar 08, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 112-102 | |
| Mar 09, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 104-84 | |
| Mar 10, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 105-99 | |
| Mar 13, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 104-89 | |
| Mar 16, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 99-91 | |
| Mar 17, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 99-97 | |
| Mar 18, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 119-107 | |
| Mar 20, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 123-109 | |
| Mar 21, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 106-105 | |
| Mar 24, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 113-111 | |
| Mar 25, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 112-105 | |
| Mar 27, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 121-105 |