Wilt (23-21-3) & Jerry West (12-5-4) 1973 Finals Gm 5 vs. Knicks - Wilt's Last Game

[jongib369]

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/11-07-2014/tvq7CO.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3C0V5JcJ0

Wilt Chamberlain Game 5 Stats: 23 pts, 21 reb, 3 ast.
Jerry West Game 5 Stats: 12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast.

Wilt Chamberlain 1973 NBA Finals Averages: 11.6 ppg, 18.6 rpg, 3.8 apg.
Jerry West 1973 NBA Finals Averages: 21.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.6 apg.

[LAZERUSS]

In that game five, Chamberlain shot 9-16 from the field.
"Mr. Clutch" shot 5-17.

[Kawhi]

In that game five, Chamberlain shot 5-14 from the line.
''Mr. Clutch'' shot 2-3.

[Psileas]

In that game five, Chamberlain shot 5-14 from the line.
''Mr. Clutch'' shot 2-3.

What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to compare these performances and make even the slightest case for West? ROFL! Wilt wasn't a good FT shooter anyway, West was a good FG shooter and his missed FG's cost his team a lot more points than Wilt's FT's. Plus, 23/21/3 is light years ahead of 12/5/4.

[LAZERUSS]

What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to compare these performances and make even the slightest case for West? ROFL! Wilt wasn't a good FT shooter anyway, West was a good FG shooter and his missed FG's cost his team a lot more points than Wilt's FT's. Plus, 23/21/3 is light years ahead of 12/5/4.

Just a typical "Wilt-basher."

He obviously had a far greater impact than West did, but since his team lost, it was Wilt's fault.

Same with game seven of the '70 Finals. A one-legged Chamberlain was easily LA's best player (in fact, their only good player in that game), but since he didn't put up a 45-27 game, like he did in game six...well, he choked.

How often is it mentioned here that in the game after MJ hung 63 points, he scored 19 points, on 8-18 shooting? In a series sweeping loss. Or in the clinching loss in the first round the very next season, he shot 9-35 from the floor. Why couldn't a HEALTHY Jordan summon 63 point games every time he stepped on the floor? Yet, it was EXPECTED of even a HOBBLED Wilt. A 21-24 game was inexcusable.

[AintNoSunshine]

LOL this supposely all time great with a 12-5-4 in the fking finals

[LAZERUSS]

LOL this supposely all time great with a 12-5-4 in the fking finals

Two of the most overblown comments regarding Wilt's career, were that he was paired up with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.

The truth?

He joined a prime West, and a Baylor on a severe decline in the 68-69 season. Baylor had a good regular season, but completely blew chunks in that Finals. In fact, he had the lowest FG% of anyone on the entire Laker roster in that post-season.

Chamberlain's new coach in the 69-70 season (who replaced the disaster that was Butch Van Breda Kolff) immediately asked Wilt to become the focal point of the Laker offense. And Wilt responded by leading the league in scoring in his first nine games (32.2 ppg, on a .579 FG%, and with 20.6 rpg.) However, he blew out his knee, and then had major surgery. Still, he came back way ahead of schedule, and Baylor was now a decent "third wheel."

That was it for Baylor. Basically ONE full season, and two post-seasons (the second of which was with a Wilt at nowhere near 100%.) Elgin played two games in the 70-71 season (and obviously zero in the playoffs), and was forced to retire after nine games in the 71-72 season.

West played brilliantly in the '69 post-season. Too bad his FMVP was wasted by an incompetent coach, whose hatred for Wilt cost West, and the city of los Angeles their first ever title.

And with a Wilt at nowhere near 100% in the '70 post-season, West generally played well...albeit, a one-legged Chamberlain was still the Lakers best player in that post-season (and Finals.) And West was having another great Finals...until game seven. He was hurting, as well, but it is interesting that so many blame Wilt for that loss, when it was West who was just butchered by Walt Frazier. It got so bad that West couldn't even get the ball past half court. Frazier completely stifled West on the offensive end, and then torched whomever the Lakers threw at him on the defensive end, winding up with 36 points.

Guess what? That was IT for West. One brilliant post-season run, and another exceptional run, save for a game seven gag job.

After that...

In his 70-71 season, West was injured late in the season, and like Baylor, also missed the playoffs.

West had a very good '71-72 regular season, but then became mired in the worst shooting slump of his entire career in the post-season. He wound up shooting .376 overall, but was just horrific in the Finals (again just getting pulverized by Frazier), and shot an unfathomable, .325. West would have gone ringless in his career, had it not been for Chamberlain outplaying a peak KAJ in the WCF's (by virtually ALL accounts), and then his overwhelming dominance over the Knicks in the Finals.

And in Wilt's last post-season, West once again reduced to mediocrity by Frazier in the Finals. His last game with Wilt... 12 points on 5-17 shooting.


So, Chamberlain basically never played with even a good Baylor (in fact, he was an awful Baylor in the post-season), and he had West for ONE brilliant entire post-season run, and another exceptional one, save for a game seven in the Finals. After that...mediocre.

[Stringer Bell]

1969 Finals: West wins Finals MVP in a losing effort, putting up monster numbers with a hurt hamstring. Chamberlain sits on the bench in the crucial last few mins. West makes no excuses and doesn't say anything about Wilt.

1970 Finals: West plays with injured fingers and is outscored in game 7 by Frazier 36 to 28. Says "it doesn't matter if my fingers were hurt, I didn't get the job done". Chamberlain can't dominate a crippled Willis Reed, so he throws West under the table and talks about how Frazier "kicked Jerry's ass like always".

Their big game performances and their personalities in a nutshell.

[LAZERUSS]

1969 Finals: West wins Finals MVP in a losing effort, putting up monster numbers with a hurt hamstring. Chamberlain sits on the bench in the crucial last few mins. West makes no excuses and doesn't say anything about Wilt.

1970 Finals: West plays with injured fingers and is outscored in game 7 by Frazier 36 to 28. Says "it doesn't matter if my fingers were hurt, I didn't get the job done". Chamberlain can't dominate a crippled Willis Reed, so he throws West under the table and talks about how Frazier "kicked Jerry's ass like always".

Their big game performances and their personalities in a nutshell.

CONTEXT my friend.

Why did Chamberlain make that [accurate] comment? Because it was WILT who was being ripped by the media. Chamberlain made that comment in his first autobiography in 1974. Here was the excerpt (on page 236)...


"Walt Frazier, is a superb clutch player. He whipped Jerry's ass that night---as he often does. Walt got 36 points and 19 assists (an all-time playoff record!), and he must have stolen the ball right out of Jerry's hands five or six times in the first half alone. But the papers somehow forgot to mention who won that particular duel; all they talked about was how poor, crippled Willis Reed "beat" Wilt Chamberlain."



BTW, "Chamberlain sits on the bench in the crucial last few minutes" is also taken out of CONTEXT. Wilt had ASKED to go back in with about three minutes left...but was DENIED by his incompetent coach.

And BIG GAME performances? I'll give West game seven of the '69 Finals. After that...all Wilt. It was a one-legged Wilt who engineered LA's comeback from a 3-1 first round series deficit in the '70 post-season, and it was WILT who put up a must win game six in the '70 Finals of 45-27. And Chamberlain was the ONLY Laker to play well in that game seven.

From that point on, it was ALL Chamberlain. West didn't even play in the '71 post-season, but Chamberlain carried that team...without both Baylor and West, past the Bulls, and then outplayed a peak Kareem in the WCF's...albeit in a series loss. Wilt also outplayed a peak KAJ in the clinching game six win in the '72 WCFs (he outplayed him in the entire series as well.) And while West was brutalized by Frazier in the Finals, Chamberlain overwhelmed the Knicks in the entire series, and then put up a brilliant clinching game five (BTW, with one badly sprained wrist, and the other fractured...so please don't give me West's excuses about his fingers.)

And again, it was Chamberlain who dominated Thurmond in the '73 WCF's...the same Thurmond that reduced a peak Kareem to a worthless shot-jacker in the previous series. And with zero help from West, Chamberlain was easily LA's best player in that game five clinching loss to NY in the Finals.

[swagga]

CONTEXT my friend.

Why did Chamberlain make that [accurate] comment? Because it was WILT who was being ripped by the media.

BTW, "Chamberlain sits on the bench in the crucial last few minutes" is also taken out of CONTEXT. Wilt had ASKED to go back in with about three minutes left...but was DENIED by his incompetent coach.

And BIG GAME performances? I'll give West game seven of the '69 Finals. After that...all Wilt. It was a one-legged Wilt who engineered LA's comeback from a 3-1 first round series deficit in the '70 post-season, and it was WILT who put up a must win game six in the '70 Finals of 45-27. And Chamberlain was the ONLY Laker to play well in that game seven.

From that point on, it was ALL Chamberlain. West didn't even play in the '71 post-season, but Chamberlain carried that team...without both Baylor and West, past the Bulls, and then outplayed a peak Kareem in the WCF's...albeit in a series loss. Wilt also outplayed a peak KAJ in the clinching game six win in the '72 WCFs (he outplayed him in the entire series as well.) And while West was brutalized by Frazier in the Finals, Chamberlain overwhelmed the Knicks in the entire series, and then put up a brilliant clinching game five (BTW, with one badly sprained wrist, and the other fractured...so please don't give me West's excuses about his fingers.)

And again, it was Chamberlain who dominated Thurmond in the '73 WCF's...the same Thurmond that reduced a peak Kareem to a worthless shot-jacker in the previous series. And with zero help from West, Chamberlain was easily LA's best player in that game five clinching loss to NY in the Finals.

wilt choked bro, take it easy.

[LAZERUSS]

wilt choked bro, take it easy.

As he often did in his "must win" and "close out" games...


Wilt actually played in 37 "elimination games",...games where either his team faced elimination, or could have clinched the series:

1. W: 53-22-2, 24-42 FG/FGA

2. W: 50-35-2, 22-42

3. L: 26-24-0, 8-18

4. L: 33-23-1, 13-29

5. W: 56-35-1, 22-48

6. W: 32-21-1, 12-29

7. L: 22-22-3, 7-15

8. W: 39-30-?, 19-29

9. L: 30-27-2, 12-28

10. W: 38-26-5, 14-22, 10 blks (Triple-Double)

11. W: 30-26-4, 13-22, 13 blks (Triple-Double)

12. L: 30-32-2, 12-15

13. L: 46-34-?, 19-34

14. W: 18-27-9, 7-14

15. W: 29-36-13, 10-16, 7 blks (Triple-Double)

16. W: 24-23-4, 8-13

17. W: 25-27-3, 10-19

18. L: 28-30-7, 11-21

19. L: 20-27-8, 6-21

20. L: 14-34-5, 4-9

21. W: 11-25-1, 5-9

22. W: 16-29-3, 5-11, 16 blks (Triple-Double)

23. L: 8-18-4, 1-5

24. L: 18-27-3, 7-8

25. W: 36-14-3, 12-20

26. W: 12-26-11, 4-11, 11 blks (Quad-Double)

27. W: 30-27-6, 11-18, 11 blks (Triple-Double)

28. W: 45-27-3, 20-27

29. L: 21-24-4, 10-16

30. W: 25-19-9, 7-12

31. L: 23-12-4, 10-21

32. W: 8-31-8, 4-6

33. W: 20-24-2, 8-12, 10 blks (Triple-Double)

34. W: 24-29-4, 10-14, 8 blks

35. W: 21-28-4, 10-17, 8 blks

36. W: 5-22-7, 2-2

37. L: 23-21-3, 9-16


W-L : 24-13

Here were Wilt's averages in those 37 games:

29.5 ppg

26.1 rpg

4.2 apg (missing one game)

.546 FG% (in post-seasons that shot about .440 on average in that span.)

Keep in mind that 24 of those 37 games came after his "scoring seasons" (59-60 thru 65-66)

[jongib369]

As he often did in his "must win" and "close out" games...


Wilt actually played in 37 "elimination games",...games where either his team faced elimination, or could have clinched the series:

1. W: 53-22-2, 24-42 FG/FGA

2. W: 50-35-2, 22-42

3. L: 26-24-0, 8-18

4. L: 33-23-1, 13-29

5. W: 56-35-1, 22-48

6. W: 32-21-1, 12-29

7. L: 22-22-3, 7-15

8. W: 39-30-?, 19-29

9. L: 30-27-2, 12-28

10. W: 38-26-5, 14-22, 10 blks (Triple-Double)

11. W: 30-26-4, 13-22, 13 blks (Triple-Double)

12. L: 30-32-2, 12-15

13. L: 46-34-?, 19-34

14. W: 18-27-9, 7-14

15. W: 29-36-13, 10-16, 7 blks (Triple-Double)

16. W: 24-23-4, 8-13

17. W: 25-27-3, 10-19

18. L: 28-30-7, 11-21

19. L: 20-27-8, 6-21

20. L: 14-34-5, 4-9

21. W: 11-25-1, 5-9

22. W: 16-29-3, 5-11, 16 blks (Triple-Double)

23. L: 8-18-4, 1-5

24. L: 18-27-3, 7-8

25. W: 36-14-3, 12-20

26. W: 12-26-11, 4-11, 11 blks (Quad-Double)

27. W: 30-27-6, 11-18, 11 blks (Triple-Double)

28. W: 45-27-3, 20-27

29. L: 21-24-4, 10-16

30. W: 25-19-9, 7-12

31. L: 23-12-4, 10-21

32. W: 8-31-8, 4-6

33. W: 20-24-2, 8-12, 10 blks (Triple-Double)

34. W: 24-29-4, 10-14, 8 blks

35. W: 21-28-4, 10-17, 8 blks

36. W: 5-22-7, 2-2

37. L: 23-21-3, 9-16


W-L : 24-13

Here were Wilt's averages in those 37 games:

29.5 ppg

26.1 rpg

4.2 apg (missing one game)

.546 FG% (in post-seasons that shot about .440 on average in that span.)

Keep in mind that 24 of those 37 games came after his "scoring seasons" (59-60 thru 65-66)

:applause: