1971–72 Virginia Squires season
The 1971–72 Virginia Squires season was the second season of the Virginia Squires in the American Basketball Association. This was the debut season of future Hall of Famer Julius Erving. In the first half of the season, the Squires were 26–16, with a season-high five-game losing streak and one five-game winning streak in that half. In the second half, they went 19–23. The Squires finished 2nd in points scored at 118.9 per game, but 9th in points allowed at 118.0 per game. Just before the season ended, Charlie Scott left the team and joined the NBA's Phoenix Suns, completing a trade with the Boston Celtics (who held his original draft rights) for Paul Silas. Scott set the all-time ABA individual single-season scoring record by averaging 34.6 points per game. In the playoffs, the Squires swept the Floridians (with Game 2 even being broadcast on CBS), but the Squires lost to the New York Nets in the Division Finals.[1] After the season, the Squires stopped playing in Roanoke, electing to focus on Norfolk, Hampton, and Richmond only.
| 1971–72 Virginia Squires season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Al Bianchi |
| Arena | Norfolk Scope Hampton Coliseum Richmond Coliseum Roanoke Civic Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 45–39 (.536) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost in Division Finals |
Roster
- 16 Bill Bunting – Small forward
- 42 Jim Eakins – Center
- 32 Julius Erving – Small forward
- 30 George Irvine – Small forward
- 24 Neil Johnson – Power forward
- 34 Mike Maloy – Power forward
- 15 Doug Moe – Small forward
- 21 Dana Pagett – Guard
- 33 Charlie Scott – Shooting guard
- 22 Ray Scott – Power forward
- 10 Adrian Smith – Shooting guard
- 35 Willie Sojourner – Center
- 14 Roland Taylor – PG
- 11 Bernie Williams – Shooting guard
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Team | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Colonels | 68 | 16 | .810 | – |
| Virginia Squires | 45 | 39 | .536 | 23 |
| New York Nets | 44 | 40 | .524 | 24 |
| The Floridians | 36 | 48 | .429 | 32 |
| Carolina Cougars | 35 | 49 | .417 | 33 |
| Pittsburgh Condors | 25 | 59 | .298 | 43 |
Playoffs
Eastern Division Semifinals[2]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 2 | Norfolk (Virginia) | 114–107 (OT) | 1–0 | 3,770 |
| 2 | April 4 | Hampton (Virginia) | 125–100 | 2–0 | 2,921 |
| 3 | April 6 | Florida | 118–113 | 3–0 | 2,965 |
| 4 | April 8 | Florida | 115–106 | 4–0 | 3,117 |
Squires win series, 4–0
Eastern Division Finals vs. New York Nets
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 13 | Richmond (Virginia) | 138–91 | 1–0 | 5,526 |
| 2 | April 15 | Norfolk (Virginia) | 115–106 | 2–0 | 10,410 |
| 3 | April 24 | New York | 117–119 | 2–1 | 11,893 |
| 4 | April 26 | New York | 107–118 | 2–2 | 11,164 |
| 5 | April 29 | Hampton (Virginia) | 116–107 | 3–2 | 6,309 |
| 6 | May 1 | New York | 136–146 | 3–3 | 11,152 |
| 7 | May 4 | Norfolk (Virginia) | 88–94 | 3–4 | 10,410 |
Squires lose series, 4–3
Awards and honors
1972 ABA All-Star Game selections (game played on January 29, 1972)
References
- https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/VIR/1972_games.html
- "1971–72 ABA Regular Season Standings". Remembertheaba.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2016-07-25.