The 1970-71 Los Angeles Lakers season was a significant campaign in the franchise’s history. The team was led by the legendary duo of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, two of the NBA’s most iconic figures. The Lakers finished the regular season with a strong 48-34 record, placing them second in the Pacific Division. This performance secured them a spot in the Western Conference playoffs, marking another opportunity for the team to vie for an NBA championship.
Throughout the season, the Lakers demonstrated their offensive prowess, with Jerry West averaging 26.9 points and 9.5 assists per game, showcasing his dual-threat capability. Meanwhile, Wilt Chamberlain’s dominance on the boards was evident as he averaged 18.2 rebounds per game, anchoring the team’s defense. The team also benefited from contributions by players like Gail Goodrich and Happy Hairston, adding depth to the roster.
In the playoffs, the Lakers faced the Chicago Bulls in the Western Conference Semifinals, defeating them in a tightly contested series that went the full seven games. However, the Lakers’ championship aspirations were halted in the Western Conference Finals by the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. The Bucks defeated the Lakers in five games, ending Los Angeles’s season. Despite falling short of a title, the 1970-71 Lakers season was a display of high-level performance and set the foundation for future successes.
- Regular Season Record: 48-34
- Playoff Result: Western Conference Semifinals: 4-3, Western Conference Finals: 1-4
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1970-71 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Jerry West | 69 | 26.9 | 4.6 | 9.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 82 | 20.7 | 18.1 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 18.3 | 20.2 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Happy Hairston | 80 | 18.6 | 9.8 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 17.0 | 9.1 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gail Goodrich | 79 | 17.5 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 25.4 | 3.2 | 7.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Keith Erickson | 73 | 11.3 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 15.6 | 5.6 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Elgin Baylor | 2 | 10.0 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jim McMillian | 81 | 8.4 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 15.1 | 5.4 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Willie McCarter | 76 | 7.1 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Tresvant | 8 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Rick Roberson | 65 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Pat Riley | 54 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 9.4 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Fred Hetzel | 59 | 4.8 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Earnie Killum | 4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Los Angeles Lakers in the 1971 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Chicago Bulls
In the 1971 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Milwaukee Bucks in the Western Conference Finals, which was technically the second round due to the playoff structure at the time. Despite having a strong roster led by Jerry West, the Lakers were overpowered by the Bucks, who featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson, ultimately losing the series 4-1. This series highlighted the dominance of the Bucks' duo and marked a challenging end to the Lakers' season.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 100-99 | |
| Mar 26, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 105-95 | |
| Mar 28, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 106-98 | |
| Mar 30, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 112-102 | |
| Apr 01, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 115-89 | |
| Apr 04, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 113-99 | |
| Apr 06, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 109-98 |
1971 Conference Championship vs. Milwaukee Bucks
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 09, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 106-85 | |
| Apr 11, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 91-73 | |
| Apr 14, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 118-107 | |
| Apr 16, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 117-94 | |
| Apr 18, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 116-98 |
Los Angeles Lakers 1970-71 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1970-71 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 106-102 | |
| Oct 17, 1970 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 118-116 | |
| Oct 20, 1970 | @ New York Knicks | L 115-100 | |
| Oct 21, 1970 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 141-117 | |
| Oct 23, 1970 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 127-122 | |
| Oct 25, 1970 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 123-96 | |
| Oct 30, 1970 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 104-90 | |
| Nov 03, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 128-108 | |
| Nov 06, 1970 | vs. New York Knicks | W 106-104 | |
| Nov 08, 1970 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 124-105 | |
| Nov 10, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 118-96 | |
| Nov 11, 1970 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 117-115 | |
| Nov 13, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 122-109 | |
| Nov 17, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 116-105 | |
| Nov 19, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-110 | |
| Nov 20, 1970 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 117-100 | |
| Nov 22, 1970 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 149-124 | |
| Nov 27, 1970 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 116-105 | |
| Nov 28, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 92-88 | |
| Nov 29, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 130-112 | |
| Dec 01, 1970 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 97-93 | |
| Dec 02, 1970 | @ Boston Celtics | L 114-111 | |
| Dec 04, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 123-101 | |
| Dec 05, 1970 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 119-116 | |
| Dec 06, 1970 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 131-120 | |
| Dec 08, 1970 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 121-112 | |
| Dec 11, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 126-118 | |
| Dec 13, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 103-100 | |
| Dec 15, 1970 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 113-111 | |
| Dec 16, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 118-102 | |
| Dec 19, 1970 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 116-104 | |
| Dec 21, 1970 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 113-88 | |
| Dec 22, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 119-115 | |
| Dec 25, 1970 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 123-113 | |
| Dec 27, 1970 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 128-110 | |
| Dec 29, 1970 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 126-117 | |
| Dec 30, 1970 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 132-114 | |
| Jan 01, 1971 | vs. San Diego Rockets | L 117-106 | |
| Jan 02, 1971 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 109-108 | |
| Jan 05, 1971 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 146-112 | |
| Jan 07, 1971 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 110-105 | |
| Jan 08, 1971 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 123-117 | |
| Jan 10, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 118-109 | |
| Jan 14, 1971 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 126-120 | |
| Jan 16, 1971 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 127-123 | |
| Jan 19, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 134-114 | |
| Jan 22, 1971 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 130-110 | |
| Jan 24, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 142-131 | |
| Jan 26, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 136-111 | |
| Jan 28, 1971 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 118-112 | |
| Jan 29, 1971 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 122-115 | |
| Jan 30, 1971 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 87-85 | |
| Jan 31, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 133-120 | |
| Feb 02, 1971 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 133-105 | |
| Feb 05, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 116-93 | |
| Feb 06, 1971 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 115-108 | |
| Feb 07, 1971 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 119-104 | |
| Feb 09, 1971 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 116-111 | |
| Feb 11, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 122-88 | |
| Feb 12, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 107-88 | |
| Feb 14, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 125-113 | |
| Feb 16, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | W 130-115 | |
| Feb 18, 1971 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 136-114 | |
| Feb 19, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 118-104 | |
| Feb 21, 1971 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 124-116 | |
| Feb 23, 1971 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 114-107 | |
| Feb 24, 1971 | @ Boston Celtics | L 116-96 | |
| Feb 26, 1971 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 145-121 | |
| Feb 27, 1971 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 112-107 | |
| Feb 28, 1971 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 107-90 | |
| Mar 02, 1971 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 131-118 | |
| Mar 03, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 112-97 | |
| Mar 05, 1971 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 105-104 | |
| Mar 06, 1971 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 121-109 | |
| Mar 07, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 117-108 | |
| Mar 09, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 107-95 | |
| Mar 12, 1971 | vs. Buffalo Braves | L 116-109 | |
| Mar 14, 1971 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 110-100 | |
| Mar 16, 1971 | @ New York Knicks | L 115-82 | |
| Mar 17, 1971 | @ Boston Celtics | L 112-104 | |
| Mar 19, 1971 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 111-106 | |
| Mar 21, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | W 101-98 |