Doctor MJ wrote:As legendary as the Knick team was, they played 3 series this post-season, and the only one of those 3 where they had no real worry about getting beat was Kareem's Bucks who they beat in 5 games - a more lopsided result than in their regular season match up. By contrast, the supposedly inferior Bullets took the Knicks to 7 games in the previous round.
That because Willis Reed was utterly destroyed by Wes Unseld in Game 3 of the EDF Semifinals, and outplayed in Game 4 and Game 6, all losses. Here's my research I was doing on the series:
1969-70 Eastern Division SemfinalsGame 1: New York 120, Baltimore 117, 2OT. Frazier “made two key steals from Earl (“The Pearl”) Monroe in the overtime sessions to key victory” (
The Southeast Missourian, Mar. 27, 1970). Reed scored 30, Frazier had 16 points.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nG ... 65,2884470http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mv ... 21,3950603Game 2: New York 106, Baltimore 99 win. After Frazier injured his rib cage, Mike Riordan "on reserve National Guard duty earlier this week to assist in the postal strike, came through with an 11-point fourth period last night and held Earl Monroe to one point during that stretch as the New York Knicks defeated the host Baltimore Bullets, 106-99 to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Division playoff series” (
The Pittsburgh Press, Mar. 28, 1970). Reed scored 15 of his team-high 27 in the first half, and grabbed 17 rebounds. Frazier had 19 points and six assists. Jack Marin had 22, Gus Johnson had 20 points, and Wes Unseld had 21 rebounds and five assists (
Herald-Journal, Mar. 28, 1970).
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R1 ... 04,4070113Game 3: Baltimore 127, New York 113.
Wes Unseld scored 23 points and grabbed 34 rebounds in a 127-113 victory over New York, completely outplaying Willis Reed, who had 12 points and five rebounds, and outrebounding the entire Knicks team 34-30. Unseld led the Bullets to their first playoff victory since 1965.
Game 4: Baltimore 102, New York 92. “Earl Monroe, who tallied 39 points in the series opener, had another fine shooting performance with a 34-point effort despite the close guarding of, first, Walt Frazier and then Mike Riordan” (
The Bulletin, Apr. 1, 1970). “Monroe is as good an offensive player as there is in the game,” said Bullets’ coach Gene Shue. “No one can stop him. He can be controlled some but he cannot be stopped” (
Ocala Star-Banner, Apr. 1, 1970). Unseld had 24 rebounds.
Meanwhile, this year’s MVP the Knicks’ Willis Reed, has been sub-par in his last two battles with Unseld, and on Wednesday received a cortisone shot for his ailing left knee. Front-line sub Cazzie Russell of the Knicks also got a cortisone shot Wednesday.
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Game 5: New York 101, Baltimore 80. Willis Reed had 36 points and a club playoff record 36 rebounds to lead New York to a 101-80 win to take a 3-2 lead. Frazier had 16.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=At ... 350,453822Game 6: Baltimore 96, New York 87. Baltimore ties series at 3-3. Gus Johnson had 31 points (12-23 FG)—21 points in 21 minutes during one stretch—and 14 rebounds, and Monroe 29. The Knicks had five scorers in double figures, led by Frazier “the only New York starter who was not apparently off his game” (
Daytona Beach Mourning Journal, Apr. 6, 1970), with 18. DeBusschere held Johnson to 3-for-12 shooting in the first half, but got into foul trouble, only playing 24 minutes, “with the result that Johnson had considerably more latitude in the second half” (
The Milwaukee Journal, Apr. 5, 1970). “Willis Reed, who was named the NBA’s most valuable player and had 36 points and 36 rebounds in the fifth game, was held to 10 points here and was outrebounded by Wes Unseld, 24-16” (
The Milwaukee Journal, Apr. 5, 1970).
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L1 ... 26,3595988Game 7: New York 127, Baltimore 114. Dave DeBusschere and Barnett had 28 points apiece, Cazzie Russell had 18, Frazier had 15, and Reed had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Earl Monroe led Baltimore with a game-high 32 points, and averaged 28 points a game for the seven-game series (
The Pittsburg Press, Apr. 6, 1970). “Competing against that cat was like playing in a horror movie,” said Frazier. Gus Johnson scored 23, and Jack Marin scored 21. “Still, the Knicks’ victory was a workmanlike one, and was achieved despite the temporary absence of Reed, who sat out part of the third quarter with foul trouble” (
The Milwaukee Journal, Apr. 5, 1970). “He had warm praise for the ‘unselfishness’ of Walt Frazier for restrained individual shotmaking in favor of superior all-around play” (
St. Petersburg Times, Apr. 8, 1970).
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