The 1969-70 Phoenix Suns season marked the team’s second year in the NBA. Coached by Johnny Kerr, the Suns aimed to improve upon their inaugural season. The Suns played their home games at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum and were part of the Western Division.
Throughout the season, the Suns showed notable improvement. They finished with a record of 39-43, a significant upgrade from their 16-66 record in their first season. This improvement was largely due to the acquisition of key players such as Connie Hawkins, who played a crucial role in the team’s success. Hawkins was not only the team’s leading scorer but also earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team, solidifying his impact on the court.
Despite their losing record, the Suns managed to secure a spot in the playoffs, finishing fourth in the Western Division. This marked the first playoff appearance in the franchise’s history. In the playoffs, they faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Division Semifinals. The series was competitive, but the Suns were ultimately defeated 4-3 by the Lakers, ending their playoff run. This series gave fans a glimpse of the potential within the young franchise.
Overall, the 1969-70 season was a pivotal one for the Phoenix Suns, showcasing significant growth and laying the foundation for future success. The team’s performance set a positive trajectory for the franchise in the years to come.
- Regular Season Record: 39-43
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 3-4
Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats for 1969-70 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Connie Hawkins | 81 | 24.6 | 10.4 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 25.4 | 13.9 | 5.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Van Arsdale | 77 | 21.3 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 16.4 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gail Goodrich | 81 | 20.0 | 4.2 | 7.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 20.3 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Fox | 81 | 12.9 | 7.0 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 11.2 | 10.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Paul Silas | 78 | 12.8 | 11.7 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 16.1 | 15.9 | 4.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Snyder | 6 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jerry Chambers | 79 | 8.3 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 4.7 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Neal Walk | 82 | 8.2 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Art Harris | 76 | 7.8 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Lamar Green | 58 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Stan McKenzie | 58 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Neil Johnson | 28 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Phoenix Suns in the 1970 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Los Angeles Lakers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 128-112 | |
| Mar 29, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-101 | |
| Apr 02, 1970 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 112-98 | |
| Apr 04, 1970 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 112-102 | |
| Apr 05, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 138-121 | |
| Apr 07, 1970 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 104-93 | |
| Apr 09, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 129-94 |
Phoenix Suns 1969-70 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1969-70 season for the Phoenix Suns.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 1969 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 116-114 | |
| Oct 18, 1969 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 121-116 | |
| Oct 21, 1969 | @ New York Knicks | L 140-116 | |
| Oct 22, 1969 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 122-119 | |
| Oct 24, 1969 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 116-115 | |
| Oct 25, 1969 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 115-107 | |
| Oct 26, 1969 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 119-99 | |
| Oct 30, 1969 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 106-104 | |
| Nov 04, 1969 | vs. New York Knicks | L 116-99 | |
| Nov 07, 1969 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 122-120 | |
| Nov 09, 1969 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 140-129 | |
| Nov 13, 1969 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 124-110 | |
| Nov 14, 1969 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 127-112 | |
| Nov 15, 1969 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-111 | |
| Nov 16, 1969 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 139-118 | |
| Nov 18, 1969 | @ Boston Celtics | L 120-119 | |
| Nov 19, 1969 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 133-118 | |
| Nov 21, 1969 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 126-116 | |
| Nov 22, 1969 | @ New York Knicks | L 128-114 | |
| Nov 23, 1969 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 137-123 | |
| Nov 25, 1969 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 134-124 | |
| Nov 29, 1969 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 130-129 | |
| Nov 30, 1969 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 116-108 | |
| Dec 02, 1969 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 121-110 | |
| Dec 04, 1969 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 119-109 | |
| Dec 05, 1969 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 114-113 | |
| Dec 07, 1969 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 118-113 | |
| Dec 09, 1969 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 109-102 | |
| Dec 10, 1969 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 137-107 | |
| Dec 12, 1969 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 130-116 | |
| Dec 13, 1969 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 126-110 | |
| Dec 14, 1969 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 137-130 | |
| Dec 16, 1969 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 141-119 | |
| Dec 20, 1969 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 114-113 | |
| Dec 21, 1969 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 118-111 | |
| Dec 25, 1969 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 127-116 | |
| Dec 28, 1969 | vs. New York Knicks | L 135-116 | |
| Dec 30, 1969 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 134-121 | |
| Jan 02, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 121-120 | |
| Jan 03, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 114-109 | |
| Jan 04, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-112 | |
| Jan 06, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 128-124 | |
| Jan 08, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 152-123 | |
| Jan 09, 1970 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 120-116 | |
| Jan 10, 1970 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 119-117 | |
| Jan 11, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 125-118 | |
| Jan 12, 1970 | @ New York Knicks | L 130-114 | |
| Jan 15, 1970 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 124-115 | |
| Jan 17, 1970 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 134-131 | |
| Jan 18, 1970 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 134-133 | |
| Jan 22, 1970 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 129-120 | |
| Jan 23, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 138-132 | |
| Jan 24, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 109-99 | |
| Jan 25, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 118-106 | |
| Jan 29, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 111-102 | |
| Jan 30, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 125-116 | |
| Jan 31, 1970 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 107-106 | |
| Feb 01, 1970 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 105-103 | |
| Feb 03, 1970 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 131-123 | |
| Feb 06, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 122-117 | |
| Feb 07, 1970 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 121-117 | |
| Feb 10, 1970 | @ Boston Celtics | W 122-117 | |
| Feb 11, 1970 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 127-120 | |
| Feb 12, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 122-121 | |
| Feb 13, 1970 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 132-120 | |
| Feb 15, 1970 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 159-125 | |
| Feb 17, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 129-118 | |
| Feb 18, 1970 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 116-113 | |
| Feb 20, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 126-117 | |
| Feb 22, 1970 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 144-124 | |
| Feb 24, 1970 | @ New York Knicks | L 121-105 | |
| Feb 26, 1970 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 131-123 | |
| Feb 27, 1970 | @ Boston Celtics | W 134-125 | |
| Mar 01, 1970 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 109-98 | |
| Mar 03, 1970 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 123-111 | |
| Mar 06, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 107-97 | |
| Mar 08, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 130-119 | |
| Mar 15, 1970 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 126-111 | |
| Mar 17, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 133-121 | |
| Mar 19, 1970 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 127-123 | |
| Mar 20, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 127-104 | |
| Mar 22, 1970 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 130-129 |