The 1970-71 Phoenix Suns season marked the franchise’s third year in the NBA. The team, coached by Cotton Fitzsimmons, continued to build on its previous seasons, aiming for a stronger presence in the Western Conference. The Suns ended the regular season with a 48-34 record, which was a significant improvement over their previous campaigns.
Key players for the Suns during this season included the dynamic shooting guard Dick Van Arsdale and forward Connie Hawkins. Van Arsdale, known for his scoring prowess, averaged over 21 points per game, while Hawkins, a versatile forward, contributed with his all-around play, averaging close to 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Suns’ lineup was further bolstered by the presence of Neal Walk, who provided solid rebounding and interior defense.
Despite their strong regular-season performance, the Suns faced stiff competition in the playoffs. They entered the postseason with optimism, but their journey was cut short in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Suns were matched against the Los Angeles Lakers, a formidable team led by Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Phoenix was ultimately defeated in a hard-fought series, losing four games to three.
The 1970-71 season was a stepping stone for the Phoenix Suns, demonstrating their potential in the league. It set the stage for future success and cemented their reputation as a competitive team in the NBA’s Western Conference.
- Regular Season Record: 48-34
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Phoenix Suns 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% |
| Dick Van Arsdale | 81 | 21.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Connie Hawkins | 71 | 20.9 | 9.1 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Clem Haskins | 82 | 17.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Neal Walk | 82 | 12.9 | 8.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Paul Silas | 81 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Mel Counts | 80 | 11.0 | 6.3 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Art Harris | 56 | 8.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Lamar Green | 68 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Fred Taylor | 54 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| John Wetzel | 70 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Greg Howard | 44 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Joe Thomas | 39 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Phoenix Suns 1970-71 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1970-71 season for the Phoenix Suns.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 1970 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 119-100 | |
| Oct 17, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 110-107 | |
| Oct 20, 1970 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 115-114 | |
| Oct 21, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 110-106 | |
| Oct 23, 1970 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 108-104 | |
| Oct 25, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 117-98 | |
| Oct 28, 1970 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 118-105 | |
| Oct 30, 1970 | @ Boston Celtics | L 127-112 | |
| Oct 31, 1970 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 106-103 | |
| Nov 02, 1970 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 110-102 | |
| Nov 04, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 133-115 | |
| Nov 06, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 105-102 | |
| Nov 07, 1970 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 107-100 | |
| Nov 08, 1970 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 125-105 | |
| Nov 11, 1970 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 114-100 | |
| Nov 13, 1970 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 115-109 | |
| Nov 15, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 108-104 | |
| Nov 17, 1970 | @ New York Knicks | L 103-100 | |
| Nov 19, 1970 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 112-110 | |
| Nov 20, 1970 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 121-110 | |
| Nov 21, 1970 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 125-119 | |
| Nov 22, 1970 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 114-99 | |
| Nov 24, 1970 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 112-106 | |
| Nov 26, 1970 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 126-115 | |
| Nov 27, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 116-105 | |
| Nov 28, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | L 117-116 | |
| Dec 02, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 126-112 | |
| Dec 04, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 126-121 | |
| Dec 05, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 105-100 | |
| Dec 06, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 108-102 | |
| Dec 08, 1970 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 121-112 | |
| Dec 11, 1970 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 110-104 | |
| Dec 12, 1970 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 113-111 | |
| Dec 15, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 129-123 | |
| Dec 17, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 117-114 | |
| Dec 19, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 135-131 | |
| Dec 20, 1970 | vs. New York Knicks | L 133-118 | |
| Dec 22, 1970 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 133-129 | |
| Dec 25, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 127-115 | |
| Dec 26, 1970 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 115-103 | |
| Dec 27, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 128-110 | |
| Dec 30, 1970 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 132-114 | |
| Jan 02, 1971 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 122-116 | |
| Jan 03, 1971 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 102-81 | |
| Jan 08, 1971 | @ Boston Celtics | L 122-114 | |
| Jan 09, 1971 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 123-112 | |
| Jan 10, 1971 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 116-105 | |
| Jan 14, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | W 107-88 | |
| Jan 16, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 117-100 | |
| Jan 18, 1971 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 118-99 | |
| Jan 20, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 126-114 | |
| Jan 22, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 117-116 | |
| Jan 24, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 113-112 | |
| Jan 26, 1971 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 114-82 | |
| Jan 28, 1971 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 118-112 | |
| Jan 29, 1971 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 131-122 | |
| Jan 30, 1971 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 134-116 | |
| Feb 04, 1971 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 117-105 | |
| Feb 06, 1971 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 119-91 | |
| Feb 08, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 118-94 | |
| Feb 09, 1971 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 120-115 | |
| Feb 12, 1971 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 114-105 | |
| Feb 13, 1971 | @ New York Knicks | L 114-97 | |
| Feb 14, 1971 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 108-97 | |
| Feb 16, 1971 | @ Boston Celtics | W 119-116 | |
| Feb 17, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 133-117 | |
| Feb 19, 1971 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 116-112 | |
| Feb 21, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 125-97 | |
| Feb 26, 1971 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 108-94 | |
| Feb 27, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 124-117 | |
| Mar 03, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 115-90 | |
| Mar 07, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 117-108 | |
| Mar 09, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 114-108 | |
| Mar 10, 1971 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 139-98 | |
| Mar 12, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 116-92 | |
| Mar 13, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 111-99 | |
| Mar 14, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 125-113 | |
| Mar 16, 1971 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 119-111 | |
| Mar 18, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | L 131-123 | |
| Mar 19, 1971 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 111-106 | |
| Mar 20, 1971 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 114-107 | |
| Mar 21, 1971 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 132-114 |