| 1970–71 The Floridians season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
Harold Blitman (18-30) Bob Bass (19-17) |
| Owner(s) | James Edwin Doyle |
| Arena |
Miami Beach Convention Center Curtis Hixon Hall Bayfront Arena Jacksonville Coliseum West Palm Beach Auditorium |
| Results | |
| Record | 37–47 (.440) |
| Place | Division: 4th ( Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost in Division Semifinals |
The 1970–71 The Floridians season was the third season of American Basketball Association in Florida and first as The Floridians, after two seasons as the Miami Floridians. In an attempt to appeal to the entire regional, game were played in five cities: Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach. New head owner Ned Doyle decided to get rid of the entire team, except the coach. The Floridians finished 9th in points scored at 114.0 per game, but 5th in points allowed at 115.6 per game. The team's biggest losing streak was 6, which happened less than a month after the season began, though a 5-game winning streak followed that. But by the first half of the season, they were 17–25, and Blitman was fired after they had lost their fifth straight game on January 14 to make them 18–30. One day later, Bob Bass was hired by the team after resigning from Texas Tech. The next day, he won his first game, versus the Utah Stars. A seven-game winning streak near the end of the season helped clinch a playoff spot for the team, with the key win being versus the Pittsburgh Condors on March 28, the penultimate game of the season played in Jacksonville, beating them 130–117 to eliminate Pittsburgh. In the Semifinals, they overcame a 2–0 hole to tie the series up, but the Kentucky Colonels won the next two games to win the series. [1]
Roster
- 24 Charles Beasley - Shooting guard
- 12 Clarence Brookins - Forward
- 21 Mack Calvin - Point guard
- 21/44 Warren Davis - Power forward
- 15 Ronald Franz - Small forward
- 51 Carl Fuller - Center
- 41 Ira Harge - Center
- 12 Rich Johnson - Center
- 32 Larry Jones - Shooting guard
- 11 Ron Nelson - Shooting guard
- 52 Rich Niemann - Center
- 10 Fran O'Hanlon - Guard
- 31 Sam Robinson - Small forward
- 22 Dennis Stewart - Forward
- 12 Al Tucker - Power forward
- 14 Trooper Washington - Power forward
- 22 Greg Wittman - Power forward
- 20 Lonnie Wright - Shooting guard
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Squires * | 55 | 29 | .655 | - |
| Kentucky Colonels * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 11.0 |
| New York Nets * | 40 | 44 | .476 | 15.0 |
| The Floridians * | 37 | 47 | .440 | 18.0 |
| Pittsburgh Condors | 36 | 48 | .429 | 19.0 |
| Carolina Cougars | 34 | 50 | .405 | 21.0 |
Playoffs
Eastern Division Semifinals [2]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 2 | Kentucky | 112–116 | 0–1 | 3,182 |
| 2 | April 4 | Kentucky | 110–120 | 0–2 | 3,881 |
| 3 | April 6 | Florida | 120–102 | 1–2 | 4,126 |
| 4 | April 8 | Florida | 129–117 | 2–2 | 4,268 |
| 5 | April 10 | Kentucky | 101–118 | 2–3 | 4,996 |
| 6 | April 12 | Florida | 103–112 | 2–4 | 4,478 |
The Floridians lose series, 4–2
Awards and honors
1971 ABA All-Star Game selections (game played on January 23, 1971)
References
- ^ "1970-71 The Floridians Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1970-71 ABA Regular Season Standings". Remembertheaba.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2016.