The 1972-73 Phoenix Suns season marked the franchise’s fifth year in the NBA. Under the guidance of head coach Butch Van Breda Kolff, the team aimed to improve on their previous performances. The Suns finished the season with a 38-44 record, placing them in the fifth position in the Western Conference. Despite a better showing compared to previous seasons, the Suns were unable to secure a playoff berth.
Throughout the season, Connie Hawkins emerged as a standout player for the Suns, showcasing his scoring and playmaking abilities. His contributions were crucial in several tightly contested games. Additionally, the Suns benefited from the consistent performances of Charlie Scott, who provided offensive firepower and agility on the court. Despite these individual successes, the team struggled to maintain consistency, particularly on the defensive end, which often led to their downfall in close matches.
The Suns played their home games at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where they had a slightly better home record compared to their performance on the road. The absence from the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year highlighted the need for further improvements in the roster and strategy. Nevertheless, the 1972-73 season served as a building block for the franchise, setting the stage for future successes as they continued to develop their young talent and refine their game plan.
- Regular Season Record: 38-44
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Phoenix Suns 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% |
| Charlie Scott | 81 | 25.3 | 4.3 | 6.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Neal Walk | 81 | 20.2 | 12.4 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dick Van Arsdale | 81 | 18.4 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Connie Hawkins | 75 | 16.0 | 8.5 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Clem Haskins | 77 | 10.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Gus Johnson | 21 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Mo Layton | 65 | 7.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Lamar Green | 80 | 6.7 | 9.2 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Corky Calhoun | 82 | 6.0 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Scott English | 29 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Walt Wesley | 45 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Paul Stovall | 25 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Phoenix Suns 1972-73 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1972-73 season for the Phoenix Suns.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1972 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 117-105 | |
| Oct 14, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 124-120 | |
| Oct 15, 1972 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 107-98 | |
| Oct 21, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 129-117 | |
| Oct 24, 1972 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 107-106 | |
| Oct 27, 1972 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 120-115 | |
| Oct 29, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 133-123 | |
| Nov 03, 1972 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 115-100 | |
| Nov 04, 1972 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 105-104 | |
| Nov 05, 1972 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 107-106 | |
| Nov 08, 1972 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 107-99 | |
| Nov 10, 1972 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 115-109 | |
| Nov 12, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 119-108 | |
| Nov 14, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 103-97 | |
| Nov 15, 1972 | @ Boston Celtics | L 113-94 | |
| Nov 17, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 117-106 | |
| Nov 18, 1972 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 126-122 | |
| Nov 21, 1972 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 101-96 | |
| Nov 23, 1972 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 128-122 | |
| Nov 25, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 116-109 | |
| Nov 26, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 112-107 | |
| Nov 28, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 110-102 | |
| Nov 29, 1972 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 109-98 | |
| Dec 01, 1972 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 115-106 | |
| Dec 03, 1972 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 119-101 | |
| Dec 05, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 108-97 | |
| Dec 06, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 114-105 | |
| Dec 07, 1972 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 117-102 | |
| Dec 09, 1972 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 116-97 | |
| Dec 10, 1972 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 110-102 | |
| Dec 13, 1972 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 105-100 | |
| Dec 17, 1972 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 112-102 | |
| Dec 19, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | W 117-84 | |
| Dec 22, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 118-110 | |
| Dec 25, 1972 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 115-108 | |
| Dec 26, 1972 | @ Houston Rockets | L 113-110 | |
| Dec 29, 1972 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 106-99 | |
| Dec 30, 1972 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 107-104 | |
| Jan 02, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 111-88 | |
| Jan 03, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 119-105 | |
| Jan 05, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 126-115 | |
| Jan 06, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 118-112 | |
| Jan 10, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 123-121 | |
| Jan 12, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 108-107 | |
| Jan 13, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 116-110 | |
| Jan 14, 1973 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 95-94 | |
| Jan 16, 1973 | vs. New York Knicks | L 102-101 | |
| Jan 18, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 119-96 | |
| Jan 20, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 124-104 | |
| Jan 25, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 112-109 | |
| Jan 26, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 120-116 | |
| Jan 27, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 117-109 | |
| Feb 01, 1973 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-106 | |
| Feb 03, 1973 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 132-123 | |
| Feb 06, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 126-111 | |
| Feb 07, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 113-107 | |
| Feb 08, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 125-112 | |
| Feb 10, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 126-121 | |
| Feb 14, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 124-107 | |
| Feb 16, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 111-104 | |
| Feb 17, 1973 | @ Houston Rockets | L 127-111 | |
| Feb 18, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 119-118 | |
| Feb 20, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 107-97 | |
| Feb 21, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 107-98 | |
| Feb 23, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 125-106 | |
| Feb 24, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 122-100 | |
| Feb 25, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 111-109 | |
| Feb 28, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 109-107 | |
| Mar 04, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 118-117 | |
| Mar 06, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 110-102 | |
| Mar 08, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 141-134 | |
| Mar 10, 1973 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 117-110 | |
| Mar 12, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 126-95 | |
| Mar 13, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | L 115-111 | |
| Mar 14, 1973 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 120-114 | |
| Mar 16, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 135-127 | |
| Mar 18, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 131-113 | |
| Mar 21, 1973 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 134-124 | |
| Mar 23, 1973 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 125-124 | |
| Mar 25, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 114-112 | |
| Mar 26, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 120-114 | |
| Mar 28, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 127-125 |