The 1972-73 Atlanta Hawks finished the NBA season with a record of 46-36, placing them second in the Central Division. The team was coached by Cotton Fitzsimmons, who was known for his strategic acumen. The Hawks were led on the court by star player Pete Maravich, who was pivotal in their offensive strategies. Maravich, alongside Lou Hudson, provided a potent scoring duo.
Despite their strong regular-season performance, the Hawks faced challenges in the playoffs. They met the Boston Celtics in the first round and were eliminated in six games, losing the series 4-2. The team’s performance highlighted both its potential and the areas needing improvement, particularly in defense and depth. This season marked a period of transition and set the groundwork for the future development of the franchise.
- Regular Season Record: 46-36
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference Semifinals: 2-4
Atlanta Hawks 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% |
| Lou Hudson | 75 | 27.0 | 6.2 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 29.7 | 7.8 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Pete Maravich | 79 | 26.1 | 4.4 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 26.2 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Walt Bellamy | 74 | 16.1 | 13.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 13.7 | 12.2 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Herm Gilliam | 76 | 14.0 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 11.8 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| George Trapp | 77 | 11.2 | 5.9 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Washington | 75 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 7.2 | 10.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Steve Bracey | 70 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 9.8 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Don Adams | 4 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jeff Halliburton | 24 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Don May | 32 | 4.5 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Christian | 55 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Wetzel | 28 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Tschogl | 10 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Eddie Mast | 42 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |

Atlanta Hawks in the 1973 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Boston Celtics
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 01, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 134-109 | |
| Apr 04, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 126-113 | |
| Apr 06, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | W 118-105 | |
| Apr 08, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 97-94 | |
| Apr 11, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-101 | |
| Apr 13, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 121-103 |

Atlanta Hawks 1972-73 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1972-73 season for the Atlanta Hawks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 120-109 | |
| Oct 13, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 115-98 | |
| Oct 15, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | W 109-101 | |
| Oct 17, 1972 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 119-115 | |
| Oct 20, 1972 | @ Houston Rockets | L 120-108 | |
| Oct 21, 1972 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 108-101 | |
| Oct 24, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 118-110 | |
| Oct 25, 1972 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 118-115 | |
| Oct 28, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 122-107 | |
| Oct 31, 1972 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 106-105 | |
| Nov 03, 1972 | @ Houston Rockets | W 114-108 | |
| Nov 04, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 128-120 | |
| Nov 07, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 109-107 | |
| Nov 09, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 101-99 | |
| Nov 11, 1972 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 111-102 | |
| Nov 14, 1972 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 114-105 | |
| Nov 18, 1972 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 126-122 | |
| Nov 19, 1972 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 109-98 | |
| Nov 21, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 113-110 | |
| Nov 23, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 110-97 | |
| Nov 25, 1972 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 100-99 | |
| Nov 26, 1972 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 108-96 | |
| Nov 29, 1972 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 109-98 | |
| Dec 01, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-109 | |
| Dec 02, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 106-103 | |
| Dec 05, 1972 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 122-121 | |
| Dec 07, 1972 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 94-89 | |
| Dec 08, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 134-115 | |
| Dec 10, 1972 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 130-115 | |
| Dec 12, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 114-93 | |
| Dec 13, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | W 121-120 | |
| Dec 16, 1972 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 100-94 | |
| Dec 19, 1972 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 119-102 | |
| Dec 22, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 110-109 | |
| Dec 23, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 124-112 | |
| Dec 26, 1972 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 115-96 | |
| Dec 27, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 121-120 | |
| Dec 28, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 112-111 | |
| Dec 30, 1972 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 120-110 | |
| Jan 02, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 100-90 | |
| Jan 03, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 105-97 | |
| Jan 05, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 126-108 | |
| Jan 06, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 116-111 | |
| Jan 09, 1973 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 120-114 | |
| Jan 11, 1973 | vs. New York Knicks | L 122-107 | |
| Jan 12, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 133-109 | |
| Jan 14, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 102-100 | |
| Jan 16, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 130-129 | |
| Jan 17, 1973 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 122-105 | |
| Jan 18, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | L 127-125 | |
| Jan 20, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 96-84 | |
| Jan 26, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 118-82 | |
| Jan 27, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 129-126 | |
| Jan 28, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | L 116-108 | |
| Jan 30, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 126-123 | |
| Feb 02, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | W 100-99 | |
| Feb 03, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 105-101 | |
| Feb 06, 1973 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 112-106 | |
| Feb 07, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 137-108 | |
| Feb 08, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 136-132 | |
| Feb 10, 1973 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 103-91 | |
| Feb 11, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 115-107 | |
| Feb 16, 1973 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 111-104 | |
| Feb 18, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 99-92 | |
| Feb 20, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 118-115 | |
| Feb 23, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 124-120 | |
| Feb 27, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 131-130 | |
| Mar 02, 1973 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 130-107 | |
| Mar 03, 1973 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 136-125 | |
| Mar 04, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 138-130 | |
| Mar 08, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 135-129 | |
| Mar 10, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 117-113 | |
| Mar 11, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | L 129-118 | |
| Mar 13, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 115-107 | |
| Mar 16, 1973 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 135-127 | |
| Mar 18, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 105-104 | |
| Mar 20, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-112 | |
| Mar 21, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | W 98-93 | |
| Mar 23, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 124-108 | |
| Mar 24, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 113-111 | |
| Mar 25, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 112-105 | |
| Mar 27, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 117-110 |
