The 1970-71 Boston Celtics season marked a period of transition for the franchise, as they were in the process of rebuilding after the retirement of legendary center Bill Russell. Under the leadership of head coach Tom Heinsohn, the Celtics aimed to integrate fresh talent into their roster, with hopes of returning to their former glory. The team finished with a 44-38 record, securing second place in the Atlantic Division.
Key players during this season included John Havlicek, who emerged as the team’s leader, averaging 28.9 points per game and providing veteran leadership. Alongside Havlicek, second-year player Jo Jo White became a significant contributor, showcasing his skills as a dependable guard. The team also benefited from the presence of forward Don Chaney and rookie Dave Cowens, who was beginning to make his mark as a strong presence in the paint.
Despite their efforts, the Celtics struggled to regain their championship form. They qualified for the playoffs but were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the New York Knicks, who defeated them in five games. This season was critical in setting the foundation for future success, as the team continued to develop its younger players and adjust its strategy. The 1970-71 season was a stepping stone towards rebuilding the Celtics into a competitive force in the NBA once again.
- Regular Season Record: 44-38
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Boston Celtics 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% |
| John Havlicek | 81 | 28.9 | 9.0 | 7.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jo Jo White | 75 | 21.3 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dave Cowens | 81 | 17.0 | 14.9 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Don Nelson | 82 | 13.9 | 6.6 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Don Chaney | 81 | 11.5 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Steve Kuberski | 82 | 9.3 | 6.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Rich Johnson | 1 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Hank Finkel | 80 | 6.5 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bill Dinwiddie | 61 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Art Williams | 74 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Rex Morgan | 34 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Garfield Smith | 37 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tom Sanders | 17 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Willie Williams | 16 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Boston Celtics 1970-71 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1970-71 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1970 | @ New York Knicks | L 114-107 | |
| Oct 15, 1970 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 119-100 | |
| Oct 17, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 126-114 | |
| Oct 18, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 133-115 | |
| Oct 21, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 121-118 | |
| Oct 23, 1970 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 131-126 | |
| Oct 24, 1970 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 113-109 | |
| Oct 28, 1970 | vs. New York Knicks | L 126-89 | |
| Oct 30, 1970 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 127-112 | |
| Oct 31, 1970 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 133-102 | |
| Nov 04, 1970 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 115-113 | |
| Nov 06, 1970 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 116-94 | |
| Nov 07, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 140-122 | |
| Nov 11, 1970 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 123-113 | |
| Nov 13, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 116-114 | |
| Nov 14, 1970 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 122-101 | |
| Nov 18, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 90-89 | |
| Nov 20, 1970 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 116-112 | |
| Nov 21, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 110-107 | |
| Nov 25, 1970 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 122-115 | |
| Nov 27, 1970 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 153-107 | |
| Nov 28, 1970 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 121-98 | |
| Nov 30, 1970 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 109-106 | |
| Dec 01, 1970 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 117-116 | |
| Dec 02, 1970 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-111 | |
| Dec 04, 1970 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 118-107 | |
| Dec 05, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 101-97 | |
| Dec 08, 1970 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 122-102 | |
| Dec 09, 1970 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 136-121 | |
| Dec 11, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 121-118 | |
| Dec 17, 1970 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 102-93 | |
| Dec 18, 1970 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 124-114 | |
| Dec 19, 1970 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 134-128 | |
| Dec 22, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 138-108 | |
| Dec 25, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 123-113 | |
| Dec 26, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 124-117 | |
| Dec 27, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 135-123 | |
| Dec 29, 1970 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 110-108 | |
| Dec 31, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 144-106 | |
| Jan 02, 1971 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 125-120 | |
| Jan 03, 1971 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 140-128 | |
| Jan 05, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 124-120 | |
| Jan 06, 1971 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 137-112 | |
| Jan 08, 1971 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 122-114 | |
| Jan 10, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 115-107 | |
| Jan 15, 1971 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 134-123 | |
| Jan 16, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 121-118 | |
| Jan 17, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 120-113 | |
| Jan 20, 1971 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 142-112 | |
| Jan 22, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 136-117 | |
| Jan 23, 1971 | @ New York Knicks | L 128-107 | |
| Jan 24, 1971 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 121-110 | |
| Jan 25, 1971 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 117-116 | |
| Jan 27, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 132-129 | |
| Jan 29, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | L 118-111 | |
| Jan 31, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 132-126 | |
| Feb 02, 1971 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 108-105 | |
| Feb 03, 1971 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 134-115 | |
| Feb 05, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 114-110 | |
| Feb 07, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 104-96 | |
| Feb 09, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 90-88 | |
| Feb 10, 1971 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 114-102 | |
| Feb 12, 1971 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 113-109 | |
| Feb 14, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 110-108 | |
| Feb 16, 1971 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 119-116 | |
| Feb 17, 1971 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 129-99 | |
| Feb 19, 1971 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 116-112 | |
| Feb 20, 1971 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 128-118 | |
| Feb 21, 1971 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 124-116 | |
| Feb 24, 1971 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 116-96 | |
| Feb 26, 1971 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 136-129 | |
| Feb 28, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 111-99 | |
| Mar 03, 1971 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 128-113 | |
| Mar 06, 1971 | @ New York Knicks | L 112-104 | |
| Mar 07, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | L 116-110 | |
| Mar 09, 1971 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 134-112 | |
| Mar 11, 1971 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 115-91 | |
| Mar 12, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 124-108 | |
| Mar 14, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 117-104 | |
| Mar 17, 1971 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 112-104 | |
| Mar 19, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 125-117 | |
| Mar 21, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 135-110 |