1973-74 NBA
Expansion & ABA Rivalry
Boston Celtics won the title.
- Teams
- 17
- Teams in the rival league
- 10
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 107.8
- Points per team game
- 105.7
- League true shooting
- .503
- Share of shots from three
- No line
Award winners
- MVPKareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Rookie of the YearErnie DiGregorio
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 56 | 26 | 3.42 | Won title |
| New York Knicks | 49 | 33 | 2.42 | Lost conf. finals |
| Capital Bullets | 47 | 35 | 1.19 | Lost conf. finals |
| Buffalo Braves | 42 | 40 | -0.19 | Lost 2nd round |
| Atlanta Hawks | 35 | 47 | -1.47 | Missed playoffs |
| Houston Rockets | 32 | 50 | -0.34 | Missed playoffs |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 29 | 53 | -4.16 | Missed playoffs |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 25 | 57 | -5.94 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | 59 | 23 | 7.61 | Lost Finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 54 | 28 | 3.20 | Lost conf. finals |
| Detroit Pistons | 52 | 30 | 4.02 | Lost conf. finals |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 47 | 35 | 0.85 | Lost 2nd round |
| Golden State Warriors | 44 | 38 | 2.42 | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 36 | 46 | -2.29 | Missed playoffs |
| Kansas City-Omaha Kings | 33 | 49 | -3.24 | Missed playoffs |
| Phoenix Suns | 30 | 52 | -3.20 | Missed playoffs |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 27 | 55 | -4.30 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Three-point line | none |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | allowed (source pending) |
| Hand-checking | allowed |
| Zone defense | not permitted (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 10 seconds (source pending) |
| Shot clock | 24 seconds |
See how each rule changed over time on the rules timeline.
What changed this season
No league-wide rule or format changes recorded for this season.