1969-70 NBA Finals
April 24, 1970 – May 8, 1970
1969-70 NBA Finals result: NYKNew York Knicks def. LALLos Angeles Lakers, 4-3, April 24, 1970 – May 8, 1970.
Result
| Team | Series | |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | NYKNew York Knicks | 4-3 |
| Runner-up | LALLos Angeles Lakers |
Games
| Game | Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | April 24, 1970 | NYKNew York Knicks 124–112 Los Angeles Lakers | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York |
| Game 2 | April 27, 1970 | LALLos Angeles Lakers 105–103 New York Knicks | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York |
| Game 3 | April 29, 1970 | NYKNew York Knicks 111–108 Los Angeles Lakers | The Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Game 4 | May 1, 1970 | LALLos Angeles Lakers 121–115 New York Knicks | The Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Game 5 | May 4, 1970 | NYKNew York Knicks 107–100 Los Angeles Lakers | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York |
| Game 6 | May 6, 1970 | LALLos Angeles Lakers 135–113 New York Knicks | The Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Game 7 | May 8, 1970 | NYKNew York Knicks 113–99 Los Angeles Lakers | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York |
Finals MVP
Willis Reed. Reed won Finals MVP as the Knicks' captain and center, famously playing through injury in the decisive Game 7.
Series context
The 1969-70 NBA Finals delivered the New York Knicks their first championship in franchise history and produced one of the most enduring moments in American sports lore. New York, coached by Red Holzman, had built a deep, defensively disciplined roster around center Willis Reed, point guard Walt Frazier, forwards Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley, and sharpshooter Dick Barnett. The Lakers again featured the trio of Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain, though Chamberlain had missed most of the regular season recovering from a knee injury and was still working his way back to full strength during the playoffs. The series opened with New York winning Game 1 handily, 124-112, before Los Angeles evened things in Game 2. Game 3 became legendary when Jerry West sank a roughly 60-foot buzzer-beater at the end of regulation to tie the score at 102-102, a shot that would have been a game-winning three-pointer had the arc existed in the NBA at that time; the Knicks went on to win that overtime contest 111-108, a result West's heroics ultimately could not overturn. Los Angeles evened the series again by taking Game 4. New York restored its edge with a Game 5 win, but Los Angeles routed the Knicks in Game 6, 135-113, setting up a decisive Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. Reed had suffered a severe thigh muscle tear in Game 5 and was not expected to play, but he limped out of the tunnel for pregame warmups, an appearance that electrified the Garden crowd and reportedly stunned the Lakers. Reed scored the game's first two baskets before his mobility limited him for the rest of the contest, but his mere presence galvanized his teammates, and Walt Frazier delivered a virtuoso performance of 36 points and 19 assists to power New York to a 113-99 victory and the title. Willis Reed was named Finals MVP for his leadership and iconic Game 7 appearance, adding to the regular-season and All-Star Game MVP awards he had already won that year, an unprecedented sweep of all three honors in a single season. The 1970 Finals were among the first NBA Finals broadcast in their entirety on national television, though a local blackout initially prevented New York City viewers from watching Game 7 live. The championship remains a defining moment in Knicks history and one of the most referenced examples of inspirational leadership in professional sports. New York's dominance was rooted in the regular season as well: the Knicks went 60-22, the best record in the league, while the Lakers finished a distant second in their division at 46-36, meaning New York held home-court advantage throughout the series. Reed's Game 7 impact went well beyond his mere presence; after scoring the game's first two baskets, he stayed on the floor to guard Chamberlain, holding the Lakers' center to just 2-for-9 shooting from the field before finally leaving the game with 3:05 remaining in the first half, by which point New York already led 61-37. ESPN later ranked that Game 7 the ninth-greatest game of the 20th century. The 1970 Finals aired in full on ABC, making it the first NBA championship series broadcast nationally in its entirety, though the New York City blackout meant local fans had to wait for an 11:30 p.m. replay to watch Reed's entrance and Frazier's historic performance.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
← Basketball · Champions list · All-time records · Season standings · All competitions · Teams · Players