The 1972-73 NBA season marked the third season for the Cleveland Cavaliers since their inception in 1970. Under the guidance of head coach Bill Fitch, the Cavaliers continued their development as an expansion team in the league. Despite their efforts, the Cavaliers struggled throughout the season, finishing with a record of 32-50. This record placed them in the last position in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
Throughout the season, the Cavaliers faced challenges in both offense and defense. Their roster included players like Austin Carr, who was the first overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft, and Bingo Smith, a reliable scorer for the team. Carr led the team in scoring, averaging approximately 20.5 points per game. Despite individual talents, the Cavaliers’ overall team performance was inconsistent, contributing to their losing record.
Prominent games during the season included a victory against the Boston Celtics on November 18, 1972, which showcased the potential of the young Cavaliers squad. However, these highlights were few and far between, as the team struggled to find a winning rhythm. The Cavaliers also faced difficulties on the road, which compounded their challenges throughout the season.
Looking ahead, the 1972-73 season was part of the Cavaliers’ early years in the NBA, serving as a building block for future development. The experiences and lessons learned during this challenging season would eventually contribute to their growth and success in subsequent years.
- Regular Season Record: 32-50
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats for 1972-73 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Austin Carr | 82 | 20.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Lenny Wilkens | 75 | 20.5 | 4.6 | 8.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| John Johnson | 82 | 14.4 | 6.7 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Rick Roberson | 62 | 12.6 | 11.2 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dwight Davis | 81 | 9.4 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bingo Smith | 73 | 8.2 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Charlie Davis | 6 | 7.3 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Barry Clemens | 72 | 6.5 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jim Cleamons | 80 | 5.7 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Cornell Warner | 68 | 5.7 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| John Warren | 40 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Walt Wesley | 12 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bob Rule | 49 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Steve Patterson | 62 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dave Sorenson | 10 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Cleveland Cavaliers 1972-73 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1972-73 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 102-90 | |
| Oct 13, 1972 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 109-108 | |
| Oct 15, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 95-83 | |
| Oct 20, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | L 92-89 | |
| Oct 21, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 103-96 | |
| Oct 22, 1972 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-84 | |
| Oct 24, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 123-90 | |
| Oct 25, 1972 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 113-108 | |
| Oct 27, 1972 | @ Boston Celtics | L 123-97 | |
| Oct 29, 1972 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 115-97 | |
| Oct 31, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 126-116 | |
| Nov 03, 1972 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 124-97 | |
| Nov 04, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 108-98 | |
| Nov 05, 1972 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 107-106 | |
| Nov 08, 1972 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 107-99 | |
| Nov 10, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 118-88 | |
| Nov 12, 1972 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 113-107 | |
| Nov 14, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 100-91 | |
| Nov 17, 1972 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 115-96 | |
| Nov 19, 1972 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 109-98 | |
| Nov 21, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 98-88 | |
| Nov 25, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 103-90 | |
| Nov 26, 1972 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 105-102 | |
| Nov 28, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 107-84 | |
| Dec 01, 1972 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 114-113 | |
| Dec 03, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 105-103 | |
| Dec 05, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 103-100 | |
| Dec 08, 1972 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 96-87 | |
| Dec 09, 1972 | @ Boston Celtics | L 123-88 | |
| Dec 10, 1972 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 103-100 | |
| Dec 12, 1972 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 100-99 | |
| Dec 15, 1972 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 98-82 | |
| Dec 16, 1972 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 100-94 | |
| Dec 17, 1972 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 110-109 | |
| Dec 22, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | L 98-87 | |
| Dec 26, 1972 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 115-96 | |
| Dec 28, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 118-105 | |
| Dec 29, 1972 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 99-91 | |
| Jan 02, 1973 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 111-88 | |
| Jan 03, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 89-80 | |
| Jan 06, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 108-93 | |
| Jan 07, 1973 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 102-97 | |
| Jan 09, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 106-102 | |
| Jan 12, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 113-109 | |
| Jan 13, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | W 123-115 | |
| Jan 16, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 100-98 | |
| Jan 19, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | W 108-104 | |
| Jan 20, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 96-84 | |
| Jan 26, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 105-100 | |
| Jan 28, 1973 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 102-93 | |
| Jan 30, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 112-98 | |
| Jan 31, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 94-89 | |
| Feb 03, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | L 95-90 | |
| Feb 04, 1973 | vs. New York Knicks | L 114-97 | |
| Feb 06, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 110-105 | |
| Feb 08, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 136-132 | |
| Feb 09, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 103-97 | |
| Feb 11, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 115-107 | |
| Feb 13, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 103-90 | |
| Feb 16, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 100-92 | |
| Feb 17, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 106-104 | |
| Feb 18, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 122-98 | |
| Feb 20, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 118-100 | |
| Feb 23, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 121-102 | |
| Feb 25, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 105-92 | |
| Feb 27, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 99-95 | |
| Mar 02, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 106-92 | |
| Mar 04, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 127-84 | |
| Mar 06, 1973 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 110-102 | |
| Mar 07, 1973 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 118-100 | |
| Mar 10, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | L 131-116 | |
| Mar 13, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 115-107 | |
| Mar 16, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 114-99 | |
| Mar 17, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 114-97 | |
| Mar 18, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 102-101 | |
| Mar 20, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 131-105 | |
| Mar 21, 1973 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 112-109 | |
| Mar 23, 1973 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 106-104 | |
| Mar 24, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 120-116 | |
| Mar 25, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 112-105 | |
| Mar 27, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 121-105 | |
| Mar 28, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 131-119 |