The 1973-74 NBA season marked the sixth campaign for the Phoenix Suns since their inception. Under the stewardship of head coach John MacLeod, the Suns aimed to improve their performance in the competitive Western Conference. Despite a roster featuring promising talents like Dick Van Arsdale and Curtis Perry, the Suns struggled to find consistency throughout the season.
The Suns concluded the regular season with a 30-52 record, which placed them fourth in the Pacific Division. This performance was insufficient to secure a spot in the playoffs, marking the fifth consecutive season the team failed to advance to the postseason. The Suns’ offense averaged 103.4 points per game, while their defense allowed an average of 107.9 points per game, highlighting areas for improvement on both ends of the court.
One of the bright spots of the season was the individual performance of Charlie Scott, who emerged as the team’s leading scorer by contributing an impressive 25.4 points per game. Scott’s offensive prowess provided a glimpse of hope for the franchise’s future. Additionally, the Suns saw development in players like Neal Walk, who provided solid support in the frontcourt.
Despite the disappointing season outcome, the 1973-74 campaign served as a learning experience for the Phoenix Suns. The team looked forward to building a more competitive roster in the following seasons, aiming to break the cycle of missing the playoffs and fostering a winning culture in Phoenix.
- Regular Season Record: 30-52
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats for 1973-74 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Charlie Scott | 52 | 25.4 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dick Van Arsdale | 78 | 17.8 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Neal Walk | 82 | 16.8 | 10.2 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Keith Erickson | 66 | 14.6 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Connie Hawkins | 8 | 11.3 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Clem Haskins | 81 | 11.1 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Mike Bantom | 76 | 10.1 | 6.8 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Corky Calhoun | 77 | 8.2 | 5.3 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Gary Melchionni | 69 | 7.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bill Chamberlain | 28 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bob Christian | 81 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Lamar Green | 72 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jim Owens | 17 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Joe Reaves | 7 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
Phoenix Suns 1973-74 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1973-74 season for the Phoenix Suns.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 115-111 | |
| Oct 12, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 107-84 | |
| Oct 14, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 120-95 | |
| Oct 20, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 118-108 | |
| Oct 21, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 116-112 | |
| Oct 23, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 121-109 | |
| Oct 24, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 115-99 | |
| Oct 26, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 98-93 | |
| Oct 27, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-95 | |
| Oct 30, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 122-101 | |
| Nov 02, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 114-107 | |
| Nov 04, 1973 | @ Capital Bullets | L 102-99 | |
| Nov 07, 1973 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 122-115 | |
| Nov 09, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 122-107 | |
| Nov 13, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 116-108 | |
| Nov 15, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 116-94 | |
| Nov 17, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 130-110 | |
| Nov 20, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 127-100 | |
| Nov 21, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 107-104 | |
| Nov 23, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 99-94 | |
| Nov 27, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | L 125-111 | |
| Nov 29, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 119-99 | |
| Nov 30, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 107-99 | |
| Dec 01, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 121-109 | |
| Dec 04, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-103 | |
| Dec 05, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 103-97 | |
| Dec 07, 1973 | vs. Capital Bullets | W 114-92 | |
| Dec 09, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 117-106 | |
| Dec 11, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | L 105-97 | |
| Dec 13, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 119-108 | |
| Dec 15, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 121-120 | |
| Dec 16, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 113-109 | |
| Dec 18, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 133-117 | |
| Dec 19, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 101-98 | |
| Dec 22, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 121-112 | |
| Dec 25, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 135-100 | |
| Dec 27, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 111-100 | |
| Dec 28, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 119-107 | |
| Dec 29, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | L 120-108 | |
| Jan 02, 1974 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 116-113 | |
| Jan 04, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 122-97 | |
| Jan 05, 1974 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 118-109 | |
| Jan 06, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 120-116 | |
| Jan 09, 1974 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 105-101 | |
| Jan 11, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 117-100 | |
| Jan 13, 1974 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 123-112 | |
| Jan 17, 1974 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 127-120 | |
| Jan 19, 1974 | vs. New York Knicks | W 112-89 | |
| Jan 23, 1974 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 110-103 | |
| Jan 25, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 112-108 | |
| Jan 27, 1974 | vs. Capital Bullets | W 127-107 | |
| Jan 31, 1974 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 112-100 | |
| Feb 01, 1974 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 121-110 | |
| Feb 02, 1974 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 119-112 | |
| Feb 05, 1974 | @ New York Knicks | L 106-90 | |
| Feb 06, 1974 | @ Capital Bullets | L 109-101 | |
| Feb 08, 1974 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 99-94 | |
| Feb 10, 1974 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 121-105 | |
| Feb 12, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 113-104 | |
| Feb 14, 1974 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 107-99 | |
| Feb 16, 1974 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 124-123 | |
| Feb 17, 1974 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 112-100 | |
| Feb 19, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 130-96 | |
| Feb 22, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 119-104 | |
| Feb 23, 1974 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 119-107 | |
| Feb 24, 1974 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 101-97 | |
| Feb 26, 1974 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 120-100 | |
| Feb 27, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 107-95 | |
| Mar 01, 1974 | @ Houston Rockets | L 117-111 | |
| Mar 03, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 113-100 | |
| Mar 05, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 111-91 | |
| Mar 07, 1974 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 99-97 | |
| Mar 09, 1974 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-100 | |
| Mar 11, 1974 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 105-92 | |
| Mar 12, 1974 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 124-94 | |
| Mar 13, 1974 | @ Boston Celtics | L 104-97 | |
| Mar 15, 1974 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 108-101 | |
| Mar 17, 1974 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 133-108 | |
| Mar 20, 1974 | vs. New York Knicks | L 106-104 | |
| Mar 22, 1974 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 126-119 | |
| Mar 24, 1974 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 134-121 | |
| Mar 27, 1974 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 127-123 |