The 1973-74 Detroit Pistons season was marked by a mixed performance, finishing with a 52-30 record. Under the leadership of head coach Ray Scott, the Pistons improved significantly, achieving their best record since joining the NBA. This strong performance was enough to secure a second-place finish in the Midwest Division and a playoff berth.
Key players included Bob Lanier, who was instrumental with his outstanding performances throughout the season. The Pistons’ playoff run, however, was short-lived as they were eliminated in the first round by the Chicago Bulls in a tightly contested seven-game series. Despite the early exit, the season was seen as a step forward for the franchise, showcasing potential for future success.
- Regular Season Record: 52-30
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats for 1973-74 Season
POINTS
Bob Lanier
22.5
REBOUNDS
Bob Lanier
13.0
ASSISTS
Dave Bing
6.7
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bob Lanier | 81 | 22.5 | 13.0 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 7 | 26.3 | 15.3 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Dave Bing | 81 | 18.8 | 3.2 | 6.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7 | 18.9 | 3.7 | 6.0 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Curtis Rowe | 82 | 10.7 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7 | 8.3 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| Don Adams | 74 | 10.3 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| George Trapp | 82 | 9.3 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7 | 8.9 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Stu Lantz | 50 | 8.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 12.0 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Mengelt | 77 | 8.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 4 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Willie Norwood | 73 | 8.1 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Chris Ford | 82 | 7.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Jim Davis | 78 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 7 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Bob Nash | 35 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ben Kelso | 46 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Detroit Pistons in the 1974 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Chicago Bulls
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 97-88 | |
| Apr 01, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 108-103 | |
| Apr 05, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 84-83 | |
| Apr 07, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 102-87 | |
| Apr 09, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 98-94 | |
| Apr 11, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 92-88 | |
| Apr 13, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 96-94 |
Detroit Pistons 1973-74 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1973-74 season for the Detroit Pistons.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 09, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | L 101-100 | |
| Oct 12, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 122-105 | |
| Oct 13, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 101-94 | |
| Oct 14, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 95-83 | |
| Oct 19, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 96-94 | |
| Oct 20, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | W 107-104 | |
| Oct 24, 1973 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 115-99 | |
| Oct 26, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 94-92 | |
| Oct 27, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 111-98 | |
| Oct 28, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 115-93 | |
| Oct 31, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 114-107 | |
| Nov 02, 1973 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 114-107 | |
| Nov 03, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 123-115 | |
| Nov 08, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 129-115 | |
| Nov 10, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 102-97 | |
| Nov 14, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 111-108 | |
| Nov 16, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 125-98 | |
| Nov 17, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 98-94 | |
| Nov 18, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 104-102 | |
| Nov 21, 1973 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 107-104 | |
| Nov 24, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 114-112 | |
| Nov 28, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 96-91 | |
| Nov 30, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | L 110-95 | |
| Dec 01, 1973 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 121-109 | |
| Dec 02, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-108 | |
| Dec 04, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 112-93 | |
| Dec 06, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 110-108 | |
| Dec 08, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 106-91 | |
| Dec 09, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 86-80 | |
| Dec 12, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-96 | |
| Dec 14, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 96-93 | |
| Dec 15, 1973 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 99-89 | |
| Dec 16, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 105-104 | |
| Dec 19, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 89-87 | |
| Dec 21, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 107-104 | |
| Dec 22, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | L 99-88 | |
| Dec 26, 1973 | vs. New York Knicks | L 96-91 | |
| Dec 28, 1973 | vs. Capital Bullets | W 102-93 | |
| Dec 29, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 108-103 | |
| Dec 30, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 98-91 | |
| Jan 02, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 106-92 | |
| Jan 04, 1974 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 106-101 | |
| Jan 05, 1974 | @ Capital Bullets | L 93-90 | |
| Jan 09, 1974 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 123-94 | |
| Jan 11, 1974 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 106-96 | |
| Jan 12, 1974 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 117-112 | |
| Jan 18, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 113-95 | |
| Jan 20, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 105-79 | |
| Jan 23, 1974 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 121-95 | |
| Jan 25, 1974 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 93-89 | |
| Jan 26, 1974 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 94-83 | |
| Jan 27, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 109-91 | |
| Jan 30, 1974 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 111-96 | |
| Feb 01, 1974 | vs. New York Knicks | W 96-91 | |
| Feb 03, 1974 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 114-100 | |
| Feb 05, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 104-102 | |
| Feb 07, 1974 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 110-86 | |
| Feb 08, 1974 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 99-94 | |
| Feb 12, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 113-106 | |
| Feb 14, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 102-99 | |
| Feb 15, 1974 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 118-116 | |
| Feb 17, 1974 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 118-107 | |
| Feb 19, 1974 | @ Boston Celtics | L 107-97 | |
| Feb 20, 1974 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 112-110 | |
| Feb 22, 1974 | vs. Capital Bullets | W 84-83 | |
| Feb 23, 1974 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 119-107 | |
| Feb 24, 1974 | @ Capital Bullets | L 94-84 | |
| Feb 26, 1974 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 86-83 | |
| Feb 28, 1974 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 113-90 | |
| Mar 01, 1974 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 105-103 | |
| Mar 03, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 99-95 | |
| Mar 05, 1974 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 95-93 | |
| Mar 08, 1974 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 129-113 | |
| Mar 10, 1974 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 116-111 | |
| Mar 11, 1974 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 120-108 | |
| Mar 12, 1974 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 113-108 | |
| Mar 15, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 93-89 | |
| Mar 17, 1974 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 116-109 | |
| Mar 20, 1974 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 103-99 | |
| Mar 22, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 107-105 | |
| Mar 23, 1974 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 97-89 | |
| Mar 26, 1974 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 109-108 |