1971 NBA Playoffs
| 1971 NBA playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 1970–71 | ||||
| Teams | 8 | ||||
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The 1971 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1970–71 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Baltimore Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals.
Led by Finals MVP and the previous season's Rookie of the Year Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson, the Bucks became the fastest expansion team in NBA history to win the championship (a record that they still hold as of 2016[update]), and did so in dominating fashion, finishing 12-2 in the playoffs with a postseason average point differential of 14.5.
The playoff format changed from the previous 2-division format. There were now 4, with each division qualifying its champion and second-place team. In the Conference Semifinals, the champion of each division played the 2nd place team in the other, with the divisional champion having home-court advantage. The two winners then played for the conference championship.
This was the first NBA Finals appearance for the Bullets, and their only trip to the championship round in Baltimore; they made 3 more appearances (winning one title) later in the decade.
The 1971 Playoffs was the last for the San Francisco Warriors under that moniker; the following season, symbolizing their already-established home base of Oakland, they changed their name to the Golden State Warriors.
Champion: Milwaukee Bucks
Conference Semifinals
(M1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (P2) San Francisco Warriors: Bucks win series 4-1
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