The 1974-75 Chicago Bulls season marked the franchise’s ninth year in the NBA. Under the guidance of head coach Dick Motta, the Bulls finished the regular season with a solid record of 47 wins and 35 losses. This performance placed them in third position in the Midwest Division and qualified them for the playoffs, showcasing a strong defensive approach that was a hallmark of Motta’s coaching style.
Center Nate Thurmond, acquired from the Golden State Warriors, played a pivotal role during the season. His presence bolstered the team’s defense and rebounding capabilities. Bob Love led the team in scoring, averaging 22 points per game, while Norm Van Lier contributed significantly with his playmaking and defensive skills. The team’s balanced attack was a key factor in their successful regular season campaign.
In the playoffs, the Bulls advanced to the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in a hard-fought best-of-three series and overcoming the Milwaukee Bucks in a seven-game series in the Conference Semifinals. However, their postseason run ended in the Conference Finals when they faced the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors, who went on to win the NBA Championship, defeated the Bulls in a seven-game series.
The 1974-75 season is remembered as a significant chapter in Bulls history, marked by their strong playoff performance and their defensive prowess which laid the groundwork for future success. Despite falling short of the NBA Finals, the season showcased the team’s potential and resilience.
- Regular Season Record: 47-35
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4-2, Eastern Conference Finals: 3-4
Chicago Bulls Roster and Stats for 1974-75 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bob Love | 61 | 22.0 | 6.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 13 | 25.8 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Chet Walker | 76 | 19.2 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 13 | 17.5 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Norm Van Lier | 70 | 15.0 | 4.7 | 5.8 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 13 | 15.1 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Jerry Sloan | 78 | 12.2 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 13 | 13.1 | 7.4 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rick Adelman | 12 | 9.5 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| John Block | 50 | 8.1 | 4.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 4 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nate Thurmond | 80 | 7.9 | 11.3 | 4.1 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 13 | 3.5 | 6.7 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Rowland Garrett | 70 | 7.6 | 3.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 12 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Matt Guokas | 82 | 7.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 13 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Bill Hewitt | 18 | 7.0 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Bobby Wilson | 48 | 5.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Boerwinkle | 80 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 13 | 8.2 | 12.7 | 4.2 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Mickey Johnson | 38 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Leon Benbow | 39 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Chicago Bulls in the 1975 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings
In the 1975 NBA Playoffs, the Chicago Bulls faced the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Despite a strong start, the Bulls were unable to overcome the eventual NBA champions, losing the series in seven games. This marked a significant moment in Bulls history, showcasing their potential in a fiercely competitive playoff environment.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 09, 1975 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 95-89 | |
| Apr 13, 1975 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 102-95 | |
| Apr 16, 1975 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 93-90 | |
| Apr 18, 1975 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 104-100 | |
| Apr 20, 1975 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 104-77 | |
| Apr 23, 1975 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 101-89 |
1975 Conference Championship vs. Golden State Warriors
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 107-89 | |
| Apr 30, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 90-89 | |
| May 04, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 108-101 | |
| May 06, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 111-106 | |
| May 08, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 89-79 | |
| May 11, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 86-72 | |
| May 14, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 83-79 |
Chicago Bulls 1974-75 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1974-75 season for the Chicago Bulls.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1974 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 120-115 | |
| Oct 19, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 87-70 | |
| Oct 22, 1974 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 92-90 | |
| Oct 23, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 99-98 | |
| Oct 25, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 112-91 | |
| Oct 26, 1974 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 105-104 | |
| Oct 29, 1974 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 96-80 | |
| Oct 30, 1974 | @ Boston Celtics | W 105-104 | |
| Nov 02, 1974 | @ New York Knicks | W 95-90 | |
| Nov 03, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 86-79 | |
| Nov 06, 1974 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 105-90 | |
| Nov 09, 1974 | @ Washington Bullets | L 96-89 | |
| Nov 12, 1974 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 88-79 | |
| Nov 14, 1974 | @ Houston Rockets | L 105-96 | |
| Nov 15, 1974 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 102-95 | |
| Nov 17, 1974 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 96-76 | |
| Nov 19, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 98-92 | |
| Nov 22, 1974 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 93-89 | |
| Nov 24, 1974 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 91-89 | |
| Nov 26, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 93-90 | |
| Nov 30, 1974 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 101-99 | |
| Dec 03, 1974 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 96-91 | |
| Dec 06, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 99-96 | |
| Dec 10, 1974 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 107-89 | |
| Dec 13, 1974 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 109-76 | |
| Dec 17, 1974 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 87-84 | |
| Dec 19, 1974 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 88-80 | |
| Dec 20, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 96-73 | |
| Dec 21, 1974 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 87-74 | |
| Dec 23, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 97-87 | |
| Dec 26, 1974 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 92-91 | |
| Dec 27, 1974 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 105-93 | |
| Dec 28, 1974 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 79-70 | |
| Dec 30, 1974 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 86-81 | |
| Jan 03, 1975 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 126-99 | |
| Jan 04, 1975 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 100-88 | |
| Jan 05, 1975 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 96-95 | |
| Jan 07, 1975 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 106-97 | |
| Jan 10, 1975 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 116-113 | |
| Jan 11, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 114-105 | |
| Jan 12, 1975 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 127-123 | |
| Jan 17, 1975 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 115-105 | |
| Jan 18, 1975 | vs. New York Knicks | L 104-91 | |
| Jan 21, 1975 | @ New York Knicks | W 97-94 | |
| Jan 24, 1975 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 86-81 | |
| Jan 25, 1975 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 116-96 | |
| Jan 26, 1975 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 102-93 | |
| Jan 28, 1975 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 125-97 | |
| Jan 31, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 127-103 | |
| Feb 02, 1975 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 97-80 | |
| Feb 04, 1975 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 102-90 | |
| Feb 07, 1975 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 95-83 | |
| Feb 09, 1975 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 109-97 | |
| Feb 11, 1975 | vs. New York Knicks | W 101-84 | |
| Feb 12, 1975 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 103-93 | |
| Feb 14, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 105-87 | |
| Feb 16, 1975 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 114-109 | |
| Feb 18, 1975 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 128-105 | |
| Feb 21, 1975 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 96-85 | |
| Feb 25, 1975 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 120-105 | |
| Feb 27, 1975 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 111-91 | |
| Feb 28, 1975 | @ Houston Rockets | L 102-87 | |
| Mar 01, 1975 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 95-94 | |
| Mar 04, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 117-102 | |
| Mar 06, 1975 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 88-65 | |
| Mar 07, 1975 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 89-87 | |
| Mar 08, 1975 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 88-82 | |
| Mar 11, 1975 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 121-115 | |
| Mar 14, 1975 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 97-94 | |
| Mar 16, 1975 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 103-90 | |
| Mar 18, 1975 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 111-96 | |
| Mar 20, 1975 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 87-83 | |
| Mar 21, 1975 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 104-98 | |
| Mar 23, 1975 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 103-101 | |
| Mar 25, 1975 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 112-94 | |
| Mar 27, 1975 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 86-83 | |
| Mar 28, 1975 | @ Boston Celtics | L 97-92 | |
| Mar 30, 1975 | @ Washington Bullets | L 94-82 | |
| Apr 01, 1975 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 98-93 | |
| Apr 02, 1975 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 97-89 | |
| Apr 04, 1975 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 111-87 | |
| Apr 06, 1975 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 112-100 |