1972–73 Portland Trail Blazers season explained

The 1972–73 season was the third season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).^[1] After finishing the previous season at 18–64, the Blazers earned the first overall selection in the 1972 NBA draft, and infamously picked LaRue Martin over future Hall-of-Famer Bob McAdoo. LaRue would average seven points per game over a four-season NBA career.The Blazers finished at 21–61, a marginal three-game improvement from the previous season.

Draft picks

See main article: 1972 NBA draft. Note: This is not a complete list; only the first two rounds are covered, as well as any other picks by the franchise who played at least one NBA game.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	1	LaRue Martin	C		Loyola (Illinois)
2	14	Bob Davis	F		Weber State
2	26	Dave Twardzik	G		Old Dominion
2	30	Ollie Johnson	F		Temple
3	31	Lloyd Neal	F/C		Tennessee State

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1972–73 NBA Records
width=100	Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CLE	DET	GSW	HOU	KCO	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SEA
Atlanta	–	3–4	1–5	5–1	2–2	3–4	2–2	1–3	4–4	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–3	6–0	3–1	4–0	3–1
Baltimore	4–3	–	1–5	5–1	0–4	8–0	2–2	3–1	5–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–3	5–1	2–2	4–0	4–0
Boston	5–1	5–1	–	7–0	3–1	5–1	3–1	3–1	5–1	3–1	4–0	2–2	4–4	7–0	4–0	4–0	4–0
Buffalo	1–5	1–5	0–7	–	2–2	1–5	1–3	0–4	1–5	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–6	7–1	1–3	2–2	2–2
Chicago	2–2	4–0	1–3	2–2	–	3–1	3–4	3–3	4–0	5–2	1–5	2–4	3–1	4–0	4–2	5–1	5–1
Cleveland	4–3	0–8	1–5	5–1	1–3	–	1–3	1–3	4–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–6	6–0	1–3	1–3	3–1
Detroit	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	4–3	3–1	–	2–4	1–3	3–3	1–5	2–5	1–3	3–1	4–2	6–0	2–4
Golden State	3–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	3–3	3–1	4–2	–	3–1	4–2	3–4	1–5	2–2	4–0	2–4	5–1	4–3
Houston	4–4	2–5	1–5	5–1	0–4	3–4	3–1	1–3	–	0–4	1–3	1–3	1–5	5–1	2–2	2–2	2–2
Kansas City-Omaha	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–5	2–2	3–3	2–4	4–0	–	1–5	1–6	0–4	3–1	3–3	4–2	4–2
Los Angeles	1–3	3–1	0–4	4–0	5–1	3–1	5–1	4–3	3–1	5–1	–	3–3	2–2	4–0	6–1	6–0	6–0
Milwaukee	3–1	2–2	2–2	4–0	4–2	3–1	5–2	5–1	3–1	6–1	3–3	–	2–2	3–1	5–1	5–1	5–1
New York	3–3	3–3	4–4	6–1	1–3	6–0	3–1	2–2	5–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	–	6–1	3–1	3–1	4–0
Philadelphia	0–6	1–5	0–7	1–7	0–4	0–6	1–3	0–4	1–5	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–6	–	0–4	1–3	1–3
Phoenix	1–3	2–2	0–4	3–1	2–4	3–1	2–4	4–2	2–2	3–3	1–6	1–5	1–3	4–0	–	5–2	4–2
Portland	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–5	3–1	0–6	1–5	2–2	2–4	0–6	1–5	1–3	3–1	2–5	–	3–4
Seattle	1–3	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–5	1–3	4–2	3–4	2–2	2–4	0–6	1–5	0–4	3–1	2–4	4–3	—

Game log

1972–73 Game log
	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 13		92–84	Sidney Wicks (26)	0–1
2	October 14		124–120	Geoff Petrie (30)	0–2
3	October 17		108–111	Sidney Wicks (33)	1–2
4	October 20		104–126	Adelman, Dischinger (16)	1–3
5	October 21		104–97	Sidney Wicks (28)	1–4
6	October 22	@ Seattle	119–120 (OT)	Geoff Petrie (29)	1–5
7	October 24		118–110	Sidney Wicks (31)	1–6
8	October 27		118–95	Geoff Petrie (30)	1–7
9	October 29		119–111	Sidney Wicks (31)	1–8
10	November 2	@ Golden State	104–118	Sidney Wicks (30)	1–9
11	November 4	Los Angeles	134–120	Petrie, Wicks (26)	1–10
12	November 6		111–95	Sidney Wicks (21)	1–11
13	November 12		100–102	Lloyd Neal (29)	1–12
14	November 14		91–100	Sidney Wicks (27)	3–11
15	November 17	Golden State	97–105	Petrie, Wicks (25)	4–11
16	November 18	Seattle	102–100	Sidney Wicks (27)	4–12
17	November 21	@ New York	80–108	Ollie Johnson (17)	4–13
18	November 22		107–126	Sidney Wicks (23)	4–14
19	November 25		117–106	Sidney Wicks (30)	5–14
20	November 26	@ Cleveland	105–102	Geoff Petrie (27)	6–14
21	November 28	@ Detroit	116–120	Geoff Petrie (39)	6–15
22	November 29	@ Kansas City–Omaha	102–110	Geoff Petrie (23)	6–16
23	December 2	Atlanta	106–103	Geoff Petrie (30)	6–17
24	December 5	@ Atlanta	121–122	Geoff Petrie (39)	6–18
25	December 6		102–115	Geoff Petrie (36)	6–19
26	December 8		108–114	Geoff Petrie (34)	6–20
27	December 9	@ Phoenix	97–116	Charlie Davis (20)	6–21
28	December 10	@ Los Angeles	101–137	Geoff Petrie (18)	6–22
29	December 12	Milwaukee	115–94	Charlie Davis (17)	6–23
30	December 15	@ Seattle	96–95	Geoff Petrie (29)	7–23
31	December 16	Boston	123–116	Geoff Petrie (38)	7–24
32	December 18	@ Kansas City–Omaha	95–113	Sidney Wicks (23)	7–25
33	December 19	@ Chicago	109–100	Sidney Wicks (31)	8–25
34	December 20	@ Milwaukee	104–123	Sidney Wicks (32)	8–26
35	December 22	Chicago	127–97	Geoff Petrie (24)	8–27
36	December 25	Seattle	113–116	Sidney Wicks (38)	9–27
37	December 26	@ Los Angeles	92–116	Sidney Wicks (17)	9–28
38	December 29	@ Phoenix	99–106	Sidney Wicks (32)	9–29
39	December 30	Phoenix	107–104	Sidney Wicks (33)	9–30
40	January 2	Kansas City–Omaha	87–104	Sidney Wicks (23)	10–30
41	January 4	@ Golden State	83–108	Sidney Wicks (22)	10–31
42	January 5	Philadelphia	102–135	Geoff Petrie (29)	11–31
43	January 7	Detroit	101–96	Geoff Petrie (35)	11–32
44	January 9	Baltimore	105–93	Geoff Petrie (30)	11–33
45	January 12		100–120	Sidney Wicks (25)	11–34
46	January 15	@ Detroit	101–112	Sidney Wicks (29)	11–35
47	January 16	@ Chicago	89–100	Geoff Petrie (21)	11–36
48	January 17	@ Boston	99–117	Geoff Petrie (20)	11–37
49	January 19	@ Milwaukee	105–108	Sidney Wicks (31)	11–38
50	January 20	@ Houston	130–115	Geoff Petrie (51)	12–38
51	January 26	Phoenix	120–116	Sidney Wicks (33)	12–39
52	January 27	@ Phoenix	117–109	Geoff Petrie (33)	13–39
53	January 30	Houston	123–120	Sidney Wicks (28)	13–40
54	February 3	Kansas City–Omaha	105–97	Sidney Wicks (26)	13–41
55	February 6	Seattle	118–117	Sidney Wicks (31)	13–42
56	February 8	@ Golden State	111–123	Geoff Petrie (42)	13–43
57	February 9	Philadelphia	105–116	Lloyd Neal (33)	14–43
58	February 11	Baltimore	102–97	Geoff Petrie (30)	14–44
59	February 13	Buffalo	100–120	Geoff Petrie (25)	15–44
60	February 16	Boston	112–105	Geoff Petrie (31)	15–45
61	February 17	Los Angeles	110–103	Geoff Petrie (27)	15–46
62	February 18	@ Phoenix	119–118	Geoff Petrie (23)	16–46
63	February 20	@ New York	106–110	Sidney Wicks (31)	16–47
64	February 23	@ Cleveland	102–121	Geoff Petrie (22)	16–48
65	February 24	@ Baltimore	110–128	Sidney Wicks (25)	16–49
66	February 25	N Philadelphia	111–115	Sidney Wicks (30)	16–50
67	February 27	Chicago	125–110	Geoff Petrie (26)	16–51
68	March 2	Cleveland	92–106	Sidney Wicks (29)	17–51
69	March 4	Detroit	113–109	Neal, Petrie (24)	17–52
70	March 6	Los Angeles	114–102	Sidney Wicks (26)	17–53
71	March 8	@ Atlanta	129–135	Geoff Petrie (22)	17–54
72	March 9	@ Milwaukee	96–116	Steele, Wicks (14)	17–55
73	March 10	@ Buffalo	101–106	Sidney Wicks (33)	17–56
74	March 13	Golden State	109–101	Geoff Petrie (33)	17–57
75	March 16	Houston	128–141	Geoff Petrie (51)	18–57
76	March 18	New York	96–99	Geoff Petrie (34)	19–57
77	March 19	@ Kansas City–Omaha	105–106	Sidney Wicks (26)	19–58
78	March 20	@ Chicago	109–123	Geoff Petrie (32)	19–59
79	March 21	@ Detroit	109–122	Sidney Wicks (27)	19–60
80	March 23	@ Seattle	118–112	Geoff Petrie (41)	20–60
81	March 25	Buffalo	107–113 (OT)	Geoff Petrie (39)	21–60
82	March 26	Milwaukee	118–99	Geoff Petrie (29)	21–61

Awards and honors

• Sidney Wicks, NBA All-Star
• Lloyd Neal, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

Transactions

• July 31, 1972 – Traded a second round pick in the 1973 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward Fred Foster, who was traded again that day by the Trail Blazers to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for guard-forward Terry Dischinger.
• September 11, 1972 – Waived forwards Ron Knight and Jim Marsh and received a second round pick in the 1974 NBA Draft from the Philadelphia 76ers as compensation for signing veteran free agent forward Gary Gregor.
• September 19, 1972 – Waived guard Charlie Yelverton
• October 2, 1972 – Traded center Dale Schlueter to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard Dave Wohl.
• October 10, 1972 – Claimed forward Bill Turner off waivers from the Golden State Warriors.
• October 24, 1972 – Traded a third round pick in the 1974 NBA draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for guard Charlie Davis.
• October 27, 1972 – Traded guard-forward Stan McKenzie (basketball) to the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard-forward Greg Smith
• November 13, 1972 – Waived forward Bill Turner
• December 6, 1972 – Waived guard Dave Wohl, who was claimed by the Buffalo Braves
• April 24, 1973 – Traded a first round and third round pick in the 1973 NBA Draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for forward John Johnson and forward-center Rick Roberson and a first-round pick in the 1973 NBA Draft.
• June 21, 1973 – Guard-forward Terry Dischinger retired
• June 27, 1973 – Signed free agent guard Bernie Fryer

Transactions from Sports Reference^[2]

Notes and References

1. https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/1973.html 1972–73 Portland Trail Blazers
2. Web site: 1972–73 Portland Trail Blazers Transactions. Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. 25 October 2014.