The 1973–74 New York Knicks season was the 28th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks entered the season as the defending NBA champions, having defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1973 NBA Finals in five games to win their second championship. In the regular season, the Knicks finished in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 49–33 record, and qualified for the NBA Playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.
New York opened the 1974 playoffs against the Capital Bullets. With a 4–3 series victory, the Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where they faced the Boston Celtics. The Celtics, who later won the NBA Finals, defeated the Knicks in five games, ending New York's title defense.
Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league. Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 14 Mel Davis F St. John's 2 28 Pat McFarland F/G Saint Joseph's 3 49 Allie McGuire F Marquette 4 66 George Karl G North Carolina 5 83 Dennis Bell F Drake
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot
Game log 1973–74 game log # Date Opponent Score High points Record 1 October 9 Detroit 100–101 Walt Frazier (27) 1–0 2 October 13 Houston 86–85 Dave DeBusschere (24) 1–1 3 October 16 Buffalo 91–117 Dave DeBusschere (28) 2–1 4 October 19 @ Cleveland 92–90 Dave DeBusschere (24) 3–1 5 October 20 Chicago 85–69 Walt Frazier (18) 3–2 6 October 23 Capital 101–84 Dave DeBusschere (18) 3–3 7 October 26 @ Boston 101–113 Walt Frazier (21) 3–4 8 October 27 Philadelphia 90–96 Willis Reed (23) 4–4 9 October 31 @ Houston 102–91 Dave DeBusschere (21) 5–4 10 November 2 @ Los Angeles 106–91 Walt Frazier (44) 6–4 11 November 3 @ Portland 100–107 Dave DeBusschere (23) 6–5 12 November 4 @ Seattle 111–106 Walt Frazier (24) 7–5 13 November 8 Boston 94–84 Walt Frazier (18) 7–6 14 November 9 @ Philadelphia 91–94 Walt Frazier (33) 7–7 15 November 10 Cleveland 90–100 Walt Frazier (24) 8–7 16 November 13 Seattle 102–104 Walt Frazier (26) 9–7 17 November 15 Buffalo 86–97 Bradley, Frazier (22) 10–7 18 November 17 Milwaukee 93–100 Dave DeBusschere (26) 11–7 19 November 20 Los Angeles 89–105 Bill Bradley (29) 12–7 20 November 22 @ Milwaukee 91–107 Walt Frazier (30) 12–8 21 November 24 Golden State 107–99 Walt Frazier (34) 12–9 22 November 25 @ Capital 81–109 Willis Reed (16) 12–10 23 November 28 Houston 114–106 Walt Frazier (26) 12–11 24 November 30 @ Chicago 97–115 Frazier, Jackson (15) 12–12 25 December 1 Cleveland 99–119 Phil Jackson (30) 13–12 26 December 4 Portland 100–113 Walt Frazier (27) 14–12 27 December 5 @ Boston 97–119 Walt Frazier (25) 14–13 28 December 7 @ Buffalo 113–108 Dave DeBusschere (41) 15–13 29 December 8 Atlanta 100–117 Walt Frazier (25) 16–13 30 December 11 Phoenix 97–105 Dave DeBusschere (28) 17–13 31 December 15 Kansas City–Omaha 107–116 Dave DeBusschere (25) 18–13 32 December 17 @ Houston 109–97 Walt Frazier (29) 19–13 33 December 19 @ Atlanta 105–107 Bill Bradley (25) 19–14 34 December 21 @ Buffalo 115–117 Walt Frazier (26) 19–15 35 December 22 Detroit 88–99 Dave DeBusschere (25) 20–15 36 December 25 Capital 102–100 Walt Frazier (27) 20–16 37 December 26 @ Detroit 96–91 Dave DeBusschere (23) 21–16 38 December 29 Philadelphia 92–112 Bill Bradley (21) 22–16 39 December 30 @ Kansas City–Omaha 102–85 Dave DeBusschere (34) 23–16 40 January 1 Atlanta 89–99 Phil Jackson (23) 24–16 41 January 2 @ Capital 92–81 Walt Frazier (25) 25–16 42 January 4 @ Philadelphia 75–78 Henry Bibby (14) 25–17 43 January 5 Buffalo 111–110 Bill Bradley (24) 25–18 44 January 8 @ Chicago 108–80 Dave DeBusschere (31) 26–18 45 January 11 @ Seattle 107–98 Bill Bradley (20) 27–18 46 January 12 @ Golden State 96–80 Bill Bradley (20) 28–18 47 January 18 @ Houston 90–96 Walt Frazier (19) 28–19 48 January 19 @ Phoenix 89–112 Dave DeBusschere (25) 28–20 49 January 22 Houston 108–93 Walt Frazier (30) 28–21 50 January 26 Philadelphia 98–122 Walt Frazier (23) 29–21 51 January 27 @ Atlanta 111–89 Walt Frazier (27) 30–21 52 January 29 Boston 83–104 Walt Frazier (23) 31–21 53 January 30 @ Kansas City–Omaha 108–88 Dave DeBusschere (19) 32–21 54 February 1 @ Detroit 91–96 DeBusschere, Monroe (16) 32–22 55 February 2 Cleveland 87–103 Walt Frazier (21) 33–22 56 February 5 Phoenix 90–106 Earl Monroe (23) 34–22 57 February 8 @ Boston 97–125 John Gianelli (15) 34–23 58 February 9 Buffalo 103–100 (OT) Earl Monroe (24) 34–24 59 February 12 @ Buffalo 100–93 Phil Jackson (24) 35–24 60 February 13 Chicago 80–89 Walt Frazier (24) 36–24 61 February 16 Golden State 107–117 Walt Frazier (31) 37–24 62 February 17 @ Milwaukee 86–97 Earl Monroe (20) 37–25 63 February 19 Portland 116–119 (OT) Walt Frazier (32) 38–25 64 February 21 N Buffalo 97–119 Walt Frazier (17) 38–26 65 February 22 @ Cleveland 117–110 Walt Frazier (25) 39–26 66 February 23 Atlanta 90–98 Bradley, Frazier (21) 40–26 67 February 26 Capital 71–85 Walt Frazier (21) 41–26 68 March 1 @ Capital 112–103 Dave DeBusschere (28) 42–26 69 March 2 Boston 104–88 Dave DeBusschere (21) 42–27 70 March 3 @ Boston 108–102 (OT) Dave DeBusschere (26) 43–27 71 March 5 Seattle 106–111 Walt Frazier (25) 44–27 72 March 6 @ Atlanta 96–94 Frazier, Monroe (20) 45–27 73 March 9 Milwaukee 75–88 DeBusschere, Monroe (20) 46–27 74 March 10 @ Philadelphia 108–109 Walt Frazier (25) 46–28 75 March 12 Los Angeles 109–102 Earl Monroe (20) 46–29 76 March 14 @ Golden State 107–95 Dave DeBusschere (30) 47–29 77 March 15 @ Portland 105–107 Phil Jackson (23) 47–30 78 March 17 @ Los Angeles 114–126 John Gianelli (25) 47–31 79 March 20 @ Phoenix 106–104 (OT) Bill Bradley (31) 48–31 80 March 23 Kansas City–Omaha 107–106 Earl Monroe (20) 48–32 81 March 24 @ Cleveland 92–114 Dave DeBusschere (20) 48–33 82 March 26 Philadelphia 90–117 Henry Bibby (21) 49–33
Playoffs
| 1 | March 29 | Capital | W 102–91 | Walt Frazier (20) | Walt Frazier (12) | Dave DeBusschere (7) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 1–0 |- | 2 | March 31 | @ Capital | L 87–99 | Dave DeBusschere (20) | Dave DeBusschere (10) | Jerry Lucas (5) | Capital Centre16,522 | 1–1 |- | 3 | April 2 | Capital | L 79–88 | Walt Frazier (20) | Dave DeBusschere (12) | DeBusschere, Meminger (5) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 1–2 |- | 4 | April 5 | @ Capital | W 101–93 (OT) | Earl Monroe (23) | Walt Frazier (11) | Walt Frazier (6) | Capital Centre19,035 | 2–2 |- | 5 | April 7 | Capital | W 106–105 | Walt Frazier (38) | Dave DeBusschere (8) | Walt Frazier (4) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 3–2 |- | 6 | April 10 | @ Capital | L 92–109 | Walt Frazier (25) | Phil Jackson (8) | Walt Frazier (10) | Capital Centre19,025 | 3–3 |- | 7 | April 12 | Capital | W 91–81 | Earl Monroe (20) | DeBusschere, Gianelli (15) | Dave DeBusschere (7) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 4–3
| 1 | April 14 | @ Boston | L 88–113 | Walt Frazier (16) | Dave DeBusschere (10) | Meminger, Bibby (3) | Boston Garden14,101 | 0–1 |- | 2 | April 16 | Boston | L 99–111 | Bill Bradley (20) | Dave DeBusschere (9) | Walt Frazier (4) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 0–2 |- | 3 | April 19 | @ Boston | W 103–100 | Walt Frazier (38) | Frazier, Gianelli (10) | Walt Frazier (4) | Boston Garden15,320 | 1–2 |- | 4 | April 21 | Boston | L 91–98 | Walt Frazier (25) | John Gianelli (9) | Earl Monroe (5) | Madison Square Garden19,694 | 1–3 |- | 5 | April 24 | @ Boston | L 94–105 | Phil Jackson (27) | Phil Jackson (9) | Walt Frazier (6) | Boston Garden15,320 | 1–4
Player statistics
Season
Playoffs
Awards and records Walt Frazier, All-NBA First Team Walt Frazier, NBA All-Defensive First Team Dave DeBusschere, NBA All-Defensive First Team
References
External links 1973–74 New York Knickerbockers Statistics