The 1971-72 Denver Rockets, part of the American Basketball Association (ABA), had a challenging season with a 34-50 record. This placed them 5th in the Western Division, preventing them from making the playoffs. The team struggled with consistency throughout the season, which was reflected in their overall performance.
Spencer Haywood, a standout player from previous seasons, had departed for the NBA, leaving a significant gap in the roster. As a result, the Rockets had to rely more on players like Ralph Simpson and Larry Jones. Simpson, in particular, emerged as a key contributor, leading the team in scoring.
Despite their struggles, the Denver Rockets drew decent fan support at their home games at the Denver Auditorium Arena. This season highlighted the growing pains of the franchise, which would later undergo significant changes, including a rebranding to the Denver Nuggets in 1974.
- Regular Season Record: 34-50
- Playoff Result: Western Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Denver Rockets Roster and Stats for 1971-72 Season
POINTS
Ralph Simpson
27.4
REBOUNDS
Julius Keye
11.7
ASSISTS
Larry Brown
5.0
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Ralph Simpson | 84 | 27.4 | 4.7 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23.1 | 7 | 26.7 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Dave Robisch | 84 | 15.5 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7 | 19.6 | 14.1 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Byron Beck | 66 | 12.3 | 7.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 19.9 | 10.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 33.3 |
| Art Becker | 84 | 12.3 | 5.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Al Smith | 83 | 9.2 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 58.2 | 7 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 66.7 |
| Larry Brown | 76 | 9.1 | 2.2 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 41.7 | 7 | 9.3 | 1.4 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Chuck Williams | 84 | 8.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 6.4 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Frank Card | 73 | 7.7 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Marv Roberts | 68 | 7.7 | 4.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 3 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Julian Hammond | 25 | 6.5 | 4.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Julius Keye | 84 | 5.9 | 11.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 7 | 8.1 | 16.1 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
| Steve Mix | 1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dwight Waller | 2 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Steve Wilson | 9 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Denver Rockets in the 1972 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Indiana Pacers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 1972 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 102-96 | |
| Apr 01, 1972 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 106-105 | |
| Apr 04, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 122-120 | |
| Apr 06, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 112-96 | |
| Apr 08, 1972 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 91-79 | |
| Apr 09, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 106-99 | |
| Apr 13, 1972 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 91-89 |
Denver Rockets 1971-72 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1971-72 season for the Denver Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1971 | @ Utah Stars | L 135-121 | |
| Oct 15, 1971 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 115-104 | |
| Oct 16, 1971 | @ Pittsburgh Condors | L 140-136 | |
| Oct 19, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | W 122-117 | |
| Oct 23, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 100-96 | |
| Oct 26, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 115-100 | |
| Oct 29, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 119-111 | |
| Oct 30, 1971 | @ Kentucky Colonels | L 133-105 | |
| Oct 31, 1971 | @ Memphis Pros | L 117-106 | |
| Nov 02, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 133-114 | |
| Nov 09, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | W 106-96 | |
| Nov 11, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | W 112-106 | |
| Nov 13, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | W 97-92 | |
| Nov 16, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 111-108 | |
| Nov 17, 1971 | @ Carolina Cougars | L 113-101 | |
| Nov 19, 1971 | @ Virginia Squires | W 115-113 | |
| Nov 20, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 117-97 | |
| Nov 23, 1971 | @ Dallas Chaparrals | L 104-101 | |
| Nov 24, 1971 | @ The Floridians | L 133-129 | |
| Nov 26, 1971 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 110-96 | |
| Nov 27, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 128-109 | |
| Nov 30, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 106-91 | |
| Dec 04, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | W 109-106 | |
| Dec 05, 1971 | @ Pittsburgh Condors | W 118-114 | |
| Dec 07, 1971 | @ The Floridians | L 107-105 | |
| Dec 08, 1971 | @ Memphis Pros | L 109-91 | |
| Dec 10, 1971 | @ Utah Stars | L 110-102 | |
| Dec 11, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 130-125 | |
| Dec 14, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 119-118 | |
| Dec 17, 1971 | @ Utah Stars | L 136-109 | |
| Dec 18, 1971 | @ Memphis Pros | L 103-94 | |
| Dec 21, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 113-109 | |
| Dec 23, 1971 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 104-101 | |
| Dec 28, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 114-105 | |
| Dec 30, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | W 103-98 | |
| Dec 31, 1971 | @ Denver Rockets | L 108-91 | |
| Jan 02, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 103-84 | |
| Jan 04, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 106-103 | |
| Jan 07, 1972 | @ New York Nets | W 107-104 | |
| Jan 08, 1972 | @ Memphis Pros | L 134-122 | |
| Jan 11, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 114-99 | |
| Jan 12, 1972 | @ Dallas Chaparrals | L 107-102 | |
| Jan 13, 1972 | @ Pittsburgh Condors | L 118-116 | |
| Jan 15, 1972 | @ Virginia Squires | L 116-107 | |
| Jan 16, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 110-102 | |
| Jan 19, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 116-92 | |
| Jan 21, 1972 | @ Memphis Pros | W 110-98 | |
| Jan 22, 1972 | @ Dallas Chaparrals | L 94-93 | |
| Jan 23, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 130-123 | |
| Jan 27, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 99-98 | |
| Feb 01, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 117-108 | |
| Feb 02, 1972 | @ Utah Stars | W 122-116 | |
| Feb 04, 1972 | @ Dallas Chaparrals | L 118-102 | |
| Feb 05, 1972 | @ Kentucky Colonels | L 117-106 | |
| Feb 06, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 115-107 | |
| Feb 08, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 136-124 | |
| Feb 09, 1972 | @ Virginia Squires | L 124-111 | |
| Feb 11, 1972 | @ Carolina Cougars | L 110-105 | |
| Feb 12, 1972 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 133-111 | |
| Feb 13, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 124-123 | |
| Feb 15, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 125-124 | |
| Feb 20, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 146-123 | |
| Feb 22, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 121-105 | |
| Feb 24, 1972 | @ The Floridians | L 130-118 | |
| Feb 25, 1972 | @ New York Nets | L 124-116 | |
| Feb 27, 1972 | @ Carolina Cougars | W 113-105 | |
| Mar 01, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 138-125 | |
| Mar 04, 1972 | @ Utah Stars | L 136-130 | |
| Mar 05, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 137-129 | |
| Mar 07, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 116-108 | |
| Mar 09, 1972 | @ Memphis Pros | L 113-102 | |
| Mar 10, 1972 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 127-115 | |
| Mar 11, 1972 | @ New York Nets | L 132-114 | |
| Mar 12, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 105-100 | |
| Mar 14, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 123-106 | |
| Mar 16, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 131-121 | |
| Mar 17, 1972 | @ Dallas Chaparrals | W 91-87 | |
| Mar 19, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 125-113 | |
| Mar 21, 1972 | @ Utah Stars | L 132-120 | |
| Mar 22, 1972 | @ Dallas Chaparrals | L 105-96 | |
| Mar 24, 1972 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 93-92 | |
| Mar 25, 1972 | @ Kentucky Colonels | L 134-117 | |
| Mar 26, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | L 108-91 | |
| Mar 29, 1972 | @ Denver Rockets | W 112-109 |