The 1971–72 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the second season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 23–59 record, finishing last in the Central Division and 7th in the Eastern Conference. Rookie top pick Austin Carr was named to the All-Rookie team and John Johnson and Butch Beard were named All-Stars.

Offseason

Trades August 13: Forward Greg Howard obtained from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for undisclosed future draft choices and an undisclosed amount of cash.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Club team 1 1 Austin Carr SG/SF Notre Dame 2 18 Steve Patterson C UCLA 2 35 Willie Long PF/C New Mexico Note: This table only lists players drafted through the second round.

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Game log

October Record: 2–8; Home: 0–6; Road: 1–2; Neutral: 1–0

# Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 1 October 15 H Buffalo Braves L 109–111 (OT) 0–1 2 October 16 A Buffalo Braves W 93–89 1–1 3 October 17 H New York Knicks L 120–121 (OT) 1–2 4 October 19 A Milwaukee Bucks L 82–116 1–3 5 October 20 H San Francisco Warriors L 98–115 1–4 6 October 23 N Baltimore Bullets W 109–101 2–4 at College Park, Maryland 7 October 24 H Philadelphia 76ers L 93–111 2–5 8 October 27 A Philadelphia 76ers L 106–120 2–6 9 October 29 H Atlanta Hawks L 97–98 2–7 10 October 31 H Milwaukee Bucks L 102–118 2–8

November Record: 6–6; Home: 4–2; Road: 2–4 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 11 November 5 H Phoenix Suns L 87–107 2–9 12 November 7 H Portland Trail Blazers W 120–99 3–9 13 November 11 A Seattle SuperSonics L 91–110 3–10 14 November 12 A Portland Trail Blazers W 106–104 4–10 15 November 14 A Phoenix Suns L 105–119 4–11 16 November 16 A Los Angeles Lakers L 90–108 4–12 17 November 19 A Portland Trail Blazers L 105–118 4–13 18 November 21 H Boston Celtics L 105–128 4–14 19 November 23 H Baltimore Bullets W 104–102 5–14 20 November 26 H Cincinnati Royals W 128–114 6–14 21 November 27 A Atlanta Hawks W 103–95 7–14 22 November 28 H Philadelphia 76ers W 124–120 8–14

December Record: 7–10; Home: 5–4; Road: 1–6; Neutral: 1–0 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 23 December 1 H Houston Rockets W 116–106 9–14 24 December 3 A Buffalo Braves L 90–91 9–15 25 December 5 H Seattle SuperSonics L 91–99 9–16 26 December 7 A Chicago Bulls L 99–115 9–17 27 December 8 A Boston Celtics L 107–126 9–18 28 December 10 H Detroit Pistons W 112–111 10–18 29 December 11 A Cincinnati Royals L 95–103 10–19 30 December 12 H New York Knicks L 92–103 10–20 31 December 14 A Baltimore Bullets W 88–85 11–20 32 December 17 H Boston Celtics L 109–115 11–21 33 December 18 A New York Knicks L 84–104 11–22 34 December 19 H Chicago Bulls L 101–119 11–23 35 December 22 A Detroit Pistons L 94–104 11–24 36 December 23 H Atlanta Hawks W 115–110 12–24 37 December 26 H Baltimore Bullets W 108–102 13–24 38 December 28 H Portland Trail Blazers W 112–111 14–24 39 December 29 N Philadelphia 76ers W 103–102 15–24 at Hershey, Pennsylvania

January Record: 1–13; Home: 0–5; Road: 1–6; Neutral: 0–2 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 40 January 2 H Philadelphia 76ers L 119–148 15–25 41 January 5 H Los Angeles Lakers L 103–113 15–26 42 January 7 A Seattle SuperSonics L 111–125 15–27 43 January 8 A Portland Trail Blazers L 102–125 15–28 44 January 11 N San Francisco Warriors L 92–101 15–29 at Oakland, California 45 January 14 A Phoenix Suns L 107–117 15–30 46 January 15 A Houston Rockets L 109–112 15–31 47 January 16 N Cincinnati Royals L 108–128 15–32 at Las Cruces, New Mexico 48 January 21 A Milwaukee Bucks L 91–120 15–33 49 January 22 A Cincinnati Royals L 96–113 15–34 50 January 25 H San Francisco Warriors L 111–117 15–35 51 January 26 A Boston Celtics W 112–108 16–35 52 January 29 H Cincinnati Royals L 118–120 16–36 53 January 30 H Buffalo Braves L 98–99 16–37

February Record: 4–12; Home: 3–6; Road: 1–6 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 54 February 1 A Buffalo Braves W 104–99 17–37 55 February 2 A Detroit Pistons L 108–133 17–38 56 February 4 H Seattle SuperSonics L 112–118 17–39 57 February 5 A Atlanta Hawks L 117–120 17–40 58 February 6 H Buffalo Braves L 108–121 17–41 59 February 8 A Chicago Bulls L 90–114 17–42 60 February 9 H Milwaukee Bucks L 121–126 17–43 61 February 12 A New York Knicks L 91–106 17–44 62 February 13 H Detroit Pistons L 121–136 17–45 63 February 16 A Philadelphia 76ers L 116–121 17–46 64 February 18 H Cincinnati Royals W 133–109 18–46 65 February 19 A Cincinnati Royals L 92–112 18–47 66 February 20 H New York Knicks W 111–109 19–47 67 February 23 H Boston Celtics L 111–113 19–48 68 February 25 H Portland Trail Blazers W 113–104 20–48 69 February 27 H Phoenix Suns L 125–127 20–49

March Record: 3–10; Home: 1–5; Road: 2–4; Neutral: 0–1 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 70 March 1 A Boston Celtics L 105–115 20–50 71 March 4 A Houston Rockets W 130–123 21–50 72 March 7 N San Francisco Warriors L 112–119 21–51 at Oakland 73 March 10 A Los Angeles Lakers L 98–132 21–52 74 March 12 A Atlanta Hawks L 114–135 21–53 75 March 14 A Baltimore Bullets W 127–118 (OT) 22–53 76 March 16 H Baltimore Bullets L 101–105 22–54 77 March 18 H Chicago Bulls L 91–109 22–55 78 March 19 H Atlanta Hawks L 105–115 22–56 79 March 22 H Los Angeles Lakers W 124–120 23–56 80 March 24 H Houston Rockets L 119–127 23–57 81 March 25 A New York Knicks L 83–98 23–58 82 March 26 H Cincinnati Royals L 122–135 23–59

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 9 || October 29, 1971 || Atlanta | L 97–98

| Cleveland Arena3,442 | 2–7

|-style="background:#cfc;" | 21 || November 27, 1971 || @ Atlanta | W 103–95

| Alexander Memorial Coliseum5,101 | 7–14

|-style="background:#cfc;" | 36 || December 23, 1971 || Atlanta | W 115–110

| Cleveland Arena4,562 | 12–24

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 57 || February 5, 1972 || @ Atlanta | L 117–120

| Alexander Memorial Coliseum6,281 | 17–40

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 74 || March 12, 1972 || @ Atlanta | L 114–135

| Alexander Memorial Coliseum4,915 | 21–53 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 78 || March 19, 1972 || Atlanta | L 105–115

| Cleveland Arena8,049 | 22–56

Awards and honors Austin Carr, NBA All-Rookie Team First Team

References

Cleveland Cavaliers on Basketball Reference