1972-73 NBA Season Standings

The New York Knicks won the NBA championship despite finishing second in the East, beating a Lakers team that had won a record 33 straight games in the prior season and tied Milwaukee for the West's best record at 60-22. Boston's 68-14 mark remains one of the greatest regular seasons ever. The league had 17 teams in two conferences (Atlantic/Central in the East, Midwest/Pacific in the West).

Basketball: Standings ▾

Sourcing caveat: Milwaukee and Los Angeles tied for the league's best record at 60-22; Milwaukee is conventionally listed first. Despite the New York Knicks' better regular-season record, the era's rule guaranteeing both division winners the top two playoff seeds gave Central champion Baltimore the East's No. 2 seed over New York in the actual playoff bracket — a quirk not reflected in this win-percentage-sorted table. 17 teams total (8 East, 9 West).

Eastern Conference

SeedTeamWLPCTGB
1BCBoston Celtics6814.829-
2NYKNew York Knicks5725.69511.0
3BBBaltimore Bullets5230.63416.0
4AHAtlanta Hawks4636.56122.0
5HRHouston Rockets3349.40235.0
6CCCleveland Cavaliers3250.39036.0
7BBBuffalo Braves2161.25647.0
8P7Philadelphia 76ers973.11059.0

Western Conference

SeedTeamWLPCTGB
1MBMilwaukee Bucks6022.732-
2LALLos Angeles Lakers6022.732-
3CBChicago Bulls5131.6229.0
4GSWGolden State Warriors4735.57313.0
5DPDetroit Pistons4042.48820.0
6PSPhoenix Suns3844.46322.0
7KCOKansas City-Omaha Kings3646.43924.0
8SSSeattle SuperSonics2656.31734.0
9PTBPortland Trail Blazers2161.25639.0

Sources

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

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