1973–74 Capital Bullets season

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1973–74 Capital Bullets season
Division champions
Head coachK. C. Jones
General managerBob Ferry
Owner(s)Abe Pollin
ArenaCapital Centre
Cole Field House (until Dec)
Results
Record47–35 (.573)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Central)
Conference: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finishConference Semifinals
(Lost to Knicks 3–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWDCA
RadioWTOP
(Frank Herzog)
< 1972–73 1974–75 >

The 1973–74 Capital Bullets season was the team's first in Washington, D.C. area, southeast from nearby Baltimore. Prior to the 1973–74 season, the Baltimore Bullets relocated to Landover, Maryland, a suburb east of Washington, and became the Capital Bullets.[1]

The Bullets finished with a 47–35 record and won the Central Division. Wes Unseld was limited to 56 games due to injuries. In the playoffs, the Bullets fell to the New York Knicks for the fifth time in six years, eliminated in seven games.[1] Following the season, the team was renamed as the Washington Bullets.

The new Capital Centre opened on December 2, 1973; the Bullets played their earlier home games this season at Cole Field House at the University of Maryland in College Park. They played several home games at Cole during their last seasons in Baltimore.[2][3]

Draft picks[]

Main article: 1973 NBA draft

Roster[]

Capital Bullets roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
G 45 Chenier, Phil 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) California
G 21 Clark, Archie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Minnesota
C 11 Hayes, Elvin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Houston
PF 22 Kozelko, Tom 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Toledo
G 15 Nelson, Louie 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Washington
PG 10 Porter, Kevin 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Saint Francis (PA)
SG 6 Riordan, Mike 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Providence
F 41 Unseld, Wes 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Louisville
F 12 Weatherspoon, Nick 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 197 lb (89 kg) Illinois
C 44 Wesley, Walt 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Kansas
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season[]

Season standings[]

Central Division
W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Capital Bullets 47 35 .573 – 31–10 15–25 1–0 14–8
Atlanta Hawks 35 47 .427 12 23–18 12–25 0–4 13–9
Houston Rockets 32 50 .390 15 18–23 13–25 1–2 9–13
Cleveland Cavaliers 29 53 .354 18 18–23 11–28 0–2 8–14
# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics 56 26 .683 –
2 x-New York Knicks 49 33 .598 7
3 y-Capital Bullets 47 35 .573 9
4 x-Buffalo Braves 42 40 .512 14
5 Atlanta Hawks 35 47 .427 21
6 Houston Rockets 32 50 .390 24
7 Cleveland Cavaliers 29 53 .354 27
8 Philadelphia 76ers 25 57 .305 31



Record vs. opponents[]

1973–74 NBA records
Team ATL BOS BUF CAP CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCO LAL MIL NYK PHI PHO POR SEA
Atlanta — 1–5 2–4 4–4 1–3 4–3 0–4 1–3 5–2 1–3 4–0 1–3 1–5 3–3 1–3 2–2 4–0
Boston 5–1 — 5–2 2–4 2–2 4–2 3–1 3–1 4–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 5–2 7–1 3–1 4–0 2–2
Buffalo 4–2 2–5 — 3–3 1–3 5–1 1–3 1–3 4–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 4–4 6–1 3–1 3–1 2–2
Capital 4–4 4–2 3–3 — 1–3 6–1 2–2 3–1 4–3 3–1 2–2 1–3 3–3 4–2 2–2 3–1 2–2
Chicago 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 — 4–0 5–2 4–2 4–0 5–2 1–5 3–3 2–2 3–1 4–2 4–2 4–2
Cleveland 3–4 2–4 1–5 1–6 0–4 — 2–2 0–4 4–4 0–4 3–1 0–4 1–5 5–1 1–3 4–0 2–2
Detroit 4–0 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–5 2–2 — 5–1 3–1 4–2 4–2 3–4 1–3 2–2 6–0 5–1 5–1
Golden State 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–4 4–0 1–5 — 4–0 3–3 4–2 3–3 1–3 3–1 5–2 3–4 3–3
Houston 2–5 2–4 2–4 3–4 0–4 4–4 1–3 0–4 — 2–2 2–2 0–4 4–2 4–2 2–2 3–1 1–3
Kansas City-Omaha 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–5 4–0 2–4 3–3 2–2 — 1–5 0–7 1–3 1–3 4–2 4–2 2–4
Los Angeles 0–4 2–2 4–0 2–2 5–1 1–3 2–4 2–4 2–2 5–1 — 4–2 2–2 4–0 4–2 4–3 4–3
Milwaukee 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–3 4–0 4–3 3–3 4–0 7–0 2–4 — 2–2 4–0 5–1 6–0 4–2
New York 5–1 2–5 4–4 3–3 2–2 5–1 3–1 3–1 2–4 3–1 2–2 2–2 — 4–3 3–1 2–2 4–0
Philadelphia 3–3 1–7 1–6 2–4 1–3 1–5 2–2 1–3 2–4 3–1 0–4 0–4 3–4 — 3–1 2–2 0–4
Phoenix 3–1 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–4 3–1 0–6 2–5 2–2 2–4 2–4 1–5 1–3 1–3 — 3–3 4–3
Portland 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–4 0–4 1–5 4–3 1–3 2–4 3–4 0–6 2–2 2–2 3–3 — 3–3
Seattle 0–4 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–4 2–2 1–5 3–3 3–1 4–2 3–4 2–4 0–4 4–0 3–4 3–3 —

Playoffs[]

1974 playoff game log
Conference Semifinals: 3–4 (Home: 2–1; Road: 1–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 29 @ New York L 91–102 Elvin Hayes (40) Elvin Hayes (14) Hayes, Porter (4) Madison Square Garden
19,694 		0–1
2 March 31 New York W 99–87 Phil Chenier (35) Elvin Hayes (21) Kevin Porter (7) Capital Centre
16,522 		1–1
3 April 2 @ New York W 88–79 Kevin Porter (22) Elvin Hayes (13) Kevin Porter (5) Madison Square Garden
19,694 		2–1
4 April 5 New York L 93–101 (OT) Hayes, Porter (20) Elvin Hayes (17) Kevin Porter (7) Capital Centre
19,035 		2–2
5 April 7 @ New York L 105–106 Elvin Hayes (27) Wes Unseld (12) Wes Unseld (8) Madison Square Garden
19,694 		2–3
6 April 10 New York W 109–92 Elvin Hayes (31) Elvin Hayes (23) Wes Unseld (5) Capital Centre
19,025 		3–3
7 April 12 @ New York L 81–91 Phil Chenier (21) Phil Chenier (14) Elvin Hayes (5) Madison Square Garden
19,694 		3–4
1974 schedule

Awards and honors[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Washington Wizards (1963–Present)
  2. ^ "Yule-conscious Bullets facing crowded schedule". Baltimore Afro-American. December 26, 1970. p. 16.
  3. ^ "Bullets set 8 games at College Park". Baltimore Afro-American. July 24, 1971. p. D9.
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