The Short, Unhappy Pythagorean Life of the Pittsburgh Pipers 1967-1972

I've decided to expand this timeline to cover the last four years of the ABA after the Pipers folded. There are two seasons where the postseason played out exactly as it did in real life, and I'll document those two first. We begin with 1974-75 in the East:

Kentucky Colonels: 61-23 (+3)
New York Nets: 61-23 (+3)
Spirits of St. Louis: 31-53 (-1)
Memphis Sounds: 28-56 (+1)
Virginia Squires: 16-68 (+1)

Even the tie between the Colonels and the Nets for first place stays the same, as each team gains three games. The only team to drop a game is the third-place Spirits. The Colonels would beat the Nets 108-99 at Freedom Hall in Louisville on April 4 to take the division title despite a thirty-four point effort from the Nets' Julius "Dr. J" Erving.

Both semifinal series went five games, with the Colonels defeating the Sounds and the Spirits upsetting the Nets. The final also went five games, with the Colonels defeating the Spirits.

Now to the West:

Denver Nuggets: 59-25 (-6)
San Antonio Spurs: 53-31 (+2)
Indiana Pacers: 45-39 (0)
Utah Stars: 37-47 (-1)
San Diego Conquistadors: 28-56 (-3)

The Nuggets drop a division-high six games, but still take the crown by six games over the Spurs, who only improve by a pair. The Pacers stand pat, while both the Stars and Conquistadors drop games behind them. The Conquistadors' three-game slip means that they finish nine games behind the fourth-place stars and thirty-one games behind the Nuggets.

Both Western semifinal series went six games, with the Nuggets defeating the Stars and the Pacers upsetting the Spurs. The Pacers pulled another upset in the division finals, shocking the top-seeded Nuggets in seven games. Their magic ran out in the ABA Finals, however, as the Colonels defeated them in five games to claim their first ABA championship.

Next: We examine the ABA's final season, 1975-76.

Thoughts?
 
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Now let's look at the ABA's final season, 1975-76. The league is down to seven full-time teams; the San Diego Sails and Utah Stars folded during the season. The top five teams make the playoffs, and there are no divisions.

Denver Nuggets: 56-28 (-4)
New York Nets: 55-29 (0)
San Antonio Spurs: 52-32 (+2)
Kentucky Colonels: 44-40 (-2)
Indiana Pacers: 41-43 (+2)
Spirits of St. Louis: 34-50 (-1)
Virginia Squires: 19-64 (+4)
San Diego Sails: 4-7 (+1)
Utah Stars: 7-9 (+3)

Note: For a reason I haven't been able to find out, the Squires played only eighty-three games instead of the regulation eighty-four.

The Nuggets' four-game slide turns the race for the top seed into a dogfight, but the Nets can't quite catch them. None of the other races for seeding are close; the Spurs finish a strong third, the defending champion Colonels finish fourth, and the Pacers sneak in with an under. 500 mark. The biggest improvement belongs to the last-place Squires, who improve by four games but still finish fifteen games behind the Spirits and thirty-seven games behind the Nuggets.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Colonels defeated the Pacers in a best-of-three series. The semis saw a pair of seven-game series, as the Nets topped the Spurs and the Nuggets edged the Colonels. The Nets took the last ABA championship with a six-game victory over the Nuggets in the ABA Finals.

Next: To be determined.

Thoughts?
 
Now here are the standings for 1972-73. We begin in the East:

Kentucky Colonels: 58-26 (+2)
Carolina Cougars: 54-30 (-3)
Virginia Squires: 41-43 (-1)
Memphis Tams: 26-58 (+2)
New York Nets: 25-59 (-5)

There are a couple of changes. First, the Colonels add a pair to offset the Cougars' three-game drop and take the division title. Second, the Nets fall off by five games, which allows the Tams to improve by two and take the final playoff spot. The unaffected Squires drop a game and still finish third. This means that we'll have two totally different semifinal series, as the Tams will face the Colonels and the Squires will battle the Cougars. Both series will be best-of-seven.

Now to the West:

Utah Stars: 56-28 (+1)
Denver Rockets: 50-34 (+3)
Indiana Pacers: 48-36 (-3)
San Diego Conquistadors: 31-53 (+1)
Dallas Chaparrals: 31-53 (+3)

The Stars add a game to make their margin of victory six over the Rockets, who add three to take second place while the Pacers shed three. Meanwhile, a one-game improvement by the Conquistadors and a three-game bump by the Chaps means a tie for fourth, which in turn means that a one-game playoff will be needed to determine the West's fourth and final postseason berth.

We go to the season series to determine home-court advantage, and the Conquistadors take it six games to five. This means that the playoff will take place at Peterson Gym on the campus of San Diego State University on Saturday, April 1. The winner of that game will take on the Stars in a best-of-seven semifinal series.

The Pacers defeated the Rockets in five games to claim the other semifinal series.

Next: The standings for 1973-74.

Thoughts?
 
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Here are the standings for 1973-74. We begin in the East:

New York Nets: 56-28 (+1)
Kentucky Colonels: 53-31 (0)
Carolina Cougars: 51-33 (+4)
Virginia Squires: 29-55 (+1)
Memphis Tams: 24-60 (+3)

The Nets add a game to increase their margin of victory over the frozen Colonels to three. The Cougars improve by four and the Squires by one, but their playoff positions aren't affected. The last-place Tams also improve by three, but still finish five games out of a playoff spot and thirty-two games behind the Nets.

The playoffs happened just as they did in real life. In the semifinals, the Colonels swept the Cougars in four straight, while the Nets took five games to eliminate the Squires. The Nets then swept the Colonels in the Eastern finals to earn a berth in the ABA Finals.

Now let's look at the West:

San Antonio Spurs: 45-39 (0)
Indiana Pacers: 44-40 (-2)
Utah Stars: 43-41 (-8)
Denver Rockets: 41-43 (+4)
San Diego Conquistadors: 36-48 (-1)

The big story here is the eight-game death spiral by the real-life champion Stars, which knocks them all the way down to third place. The Pacers' two-game slide means that the Spurs move all the way up from third to first despite having the same record. In other news, the Rockets improve by four to take the final Western playoff spot from the Conquistadors, who drop a game and finish last in their only year under coach Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain.

In one semifinal, the Stars defeated the Pacers in seven games. They advance to the Western Division finals, where they'll take on the winner of the other semifinal between the Rockets and the Spurs, which will open at the HemisFair Arena in San Antonio on Saturday, March 30.

Next: To be determined.

Thoughts?
 
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Now it's time for the one-game playoff to determine the final Western Division playoff spot in 1972-73. The date is Saturday, April 1:

Conquistadors 121, Chaparrals 114

Power forward Stew Johnson led the way for the home squad with twenty-three points and nine rebounds. Center Gene Moore added a double-double with seventeen points and thirteen boards, while shooting guard Larry Miller scored twelve of his eighteen points from the free throw line, making all but one of his foul shots. Center Bob Netolicky, small forward Rich Jones, and shooting guard Steve "Snapper" Jones each scored twenty-four points in a losing cause for the Chaps, with Rich pulling down eleven boards and all three shooting at least fifty percent from the floor.

The Stars swept the Conquistadors in four games in their semifinal series, but the Pacers defeated the Stars in six games in the Western finals to claim a spot in the ABA Finals against the Eastern champion.

Next: To be determined.

Thoughts?
 
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Now it's time for Game 1 of the 1973-74 Western Division finals. The date is Saturday, March 30:

Spurs 102, Rockets 94 (SA leads series 1-0)

The Spurs were outplayed most of the way, but outscored the Rockets 34-16 in the final quarter, including an 18-2 run over the final 5:56, to take the win. Center Sven Nater led the home squad with twenty-four points and twelve rebounds, while power forward Bob Netolicky added eighteen points on seven of eleven shooting. The Rockets got seventeen points from small forward Ralph Simpson, while center Dave Robisch, power forward Marv Roberts, and reserve forward Willie Long had fourteen points apiece, with Robisch shooting five of nine from the floor. Power forward Julius Keye pulled down twelve rebounds, but could only score a single point.

Game 2 of this series will be tomorrow night at the HemisFair Arena.

Next: Game 2 between the Spurs and Rockets.

Thoughts?
 
Now here's the action for Sunday, March 31:

Spurs 108, Rockets 102 (SA leads series 2-0)

The Spurs started slowly once again, and trailed 65-54 at the half. But they turned things round in the second half, outscoring the visitors 54-37. Sven Nater was the leader for the Spurs once more, contributing thirty-two points on fourteen of twenty shooting and snaring fifteen rebounds. Bob Netolicky and power forward Rich Jones were next in line with thirteen points apiece. Dave Robisch shot nine of fifteen for the Rockets and finished with a team-high eighteen points, and Ralph Simpson contributed sixteen more, while Julius Keye led the team in boards with eleven.

As was the case last night, the Spurs relied on a closing kick to cement their comeback, scoring twelve of the game's last fourteen points. Nater's thunderous two-handed slam with 2:10 remaining brought down the house and put the Spurs ahead to stay.

The series shifts to the Denver Auditorium Arena for Game 3 on Tuesday, April 2.

Next: We look at Game 3.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Tuesday, April 2:

Spurs 123, Rockets 115 (SA leads series 3-0)

The Rockets led at halftime for the third game in a row, and this game was tied at ninety-seven after three quarters, but the Spurs once again had the edge in the final period. Sven Nater was eight of fifteen from the floor and nine of twelve at the free throw line for a total of twenty-five points, and he also had nineteen rebounds. Rob Jones and point guard Joe Hamilton each checked in with sixteen points of their own for the visitors, with Hamilton hitting eight of his ten free throws and Jones sinking all four of his. Ralph Simpson led the way for Denver with twenty-one points, while center Mike Green came off the bench to shoot seven of eleven from the floor on his way to seventeen points.

Future NBA coaching mainstay George Karl hit back-to-back jumpers in the opening moments of the final period to put the Spurs in front for good, one from thirteen feet and the other from fifteen. He finished the game with a dozen points on six of eleven shooting.

The Spurs can sweep the series with a win tomorrow night in Game 4 here at the Auditorium Arena.

Next: We look at Game 4.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Wednesday, April 3:

Spurs 116, Rockets 103 (SA sweeps series 4-0)

The Spurs put away the Rockets and will now face the top-seeded Stars in the division finals. Joe Hamilton and Rich Jones each finished with twenty points, and Hamilton added ten rebounds while Jones was ten for fourteen from the floor. Bob Netolicky added nineteen points, while point guard James Silas contributed sixteen. Sven Nater was held to just eight points, but was a dynamo on the glass, leading all rebounders with twenty-one. Steve "Snapper" Jones led the home quad with sixteen points, while Dave Robisch notched a double-double with fifteen points and twelve rebounds.

The Rockets played tough again, staying within one point at halftime and trailing by only four after three quarters.

The Western finals will begin a week from today at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Next: Game 1 of the Western finals.

Thoughts?
 
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Here's the action for Wednesday, April 10:

Stars 113, Spurs 84 (Utah leads series 1-0)

The Stars had their way with the upstart Spurs from start to finish in Game 1. Small forward Willie Wise led the way with twenty-two points, while point guard Jimmy Jones was nine for thirteen in field goals on his way to twenty-one and shooting guard Ron Boone checked in with twenty on the strength of his ten for eleven night at the charity stripe. Center Gerald Govan led the squad in rebounds with twelve. Bob Netolicky was San Antonio's top scorer with seventeen points. while Rich Jones and Sven Nater each racked up a double-double. Jones scored eleven points and pulled down eleven boards, while Nater had ten points and ten rebounds.

The game's first five and a half minutes told the tale, as the Stars led 19-6 before the Spurs could convert a regulation basket on Netolicky's tip-in with 6:37 to play in the opening period. The Stars led 39-16 after twelve minutes and never looked back.

Game 2 will be played tomorrow night at the Salt Palace.

Next: We look at Game 2.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Thursday, April 11:

Stars 108, Spurs 88 (Utah leads series 2-0)

The Stars rolled once more before a sellout crowd at the Salt Palace. Willie Wise led the scoring with nineteen points, and Jimmy Jones contributed seventeen, while Gerald Govan and power forward Zelmo Beaty each had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds apiece. James Silas was San Antonio's leading scorer with seventeen points, while Sven Nater finished with thirteen points on five of eight from the floor and also pulled down seventeen boards.

The series now returns to San Antonio's HemisFair Arena for Game 3 on Saturday night.

Next: We look at Game 3.

Thoughts?
 
Now here's the action for Saturday, April 13:

Spurs 118, Stars 113 (OT; SA leads series 2-1)

Sven Nater scored eight of the Spurs' thirteen overtime points, including the go-ahead one-hander with 3:34 left, to bring the Spurs back into the series in front of a frenzied sellout crowd at the HemisFair Arena. Nater finished his evening with a double-double of nineteen points and thirteen rebounds, and Rich Jones followed suit, scoring twenty-six points on twelve of twenty-one shooting and adding eleven boards of his own. Bob Netolicky also pulled down eleven rebounds to go with his nine points. Willie Wise was the Stars' leading scorer in a losing cause with twenty-six points and just missed a double-double with nine boards. while Ron Boone added seventeen points and Zelmo Beaty notched a double-double of his own with twelve points and fourteen rebounds.

The Spurs trailed 89-81 after Wise made two free throws with 10:12 left in regulation, but slowly whittled away at the lead throughout the period until James Silas' bank shot with 1:13 to play knotted the game at 101. The game went to overtime tied at 105 thanks to Jones' jumper from the right wing with thirty seconds left. Nater had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his jumper from the left wing with one second left was an airball.

The series continues tomorrow afternoon here in San Antonio with Game 4.

Next: We look at Game 4.

Thoughts?
 
Now here's the action for Sunday, April 14:

Stars 126, Spurs 106 (Utah leads series 3-1)

The Stars coasted to victory in front of another San Antonio sellout crowd. Zelmo Beaty hit six of his nine field goals and eight of his nine free throws to total twenty points and lead the Stars in scoring. Ron Boone added nineteen points of nine of thirteen from the floor, and Willie Wise contributed nineteen of his own. Boone led the team in rebounds with nine, and Wise had the most assists with eight. Rich Jones was the leading Spurs scorer with twenty points, and Sven Nater continued his fabulous postseason with a double-double of sixteen points and sixteen rebounds. Reserve power forward Coby Dietrick was next with fifteen points.

The series goes back to the Salt Palace for Game 5 on Tuesday night. With a win, the Stars will earn a berth in the ABA Finals opposite the Eastern Division champion New York Nets.

Next: We look at Game 5.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the action for Tuesday, April 16:

Stars 119, Spurs 114 (Utah wins series 4-1)

The Stars were down by nine points at the half, but rallied to dominate the second half and eliminate the Spurs. Willie Wise led the way; he was eight of sixteen from the floor and sank eleven of his twelve free throws for a total of twenty-seven points and also pulled down ten rebounds. Gerald Gowan also contributed a double-double with ten points and twelve boards, while Jimmy Jones hit on eleven of his thirteen field goal attempts as part of a twenty-six point evening. The Spurs' Sven Nater concluded a fine postseason by scoring twenty-two points on nine of thirteen shooting and adding fourteen rebounds. Rich Jones added nineteen points in a losing cause.

The Spurs had the lead as late as the 11:02 mark of the fourth quarter before the Stars took over for good, opening a pair of nine-point leads. But the Spurs refused to quit, patiently whittling the lead down to three at 117-144 on Joe Hamilton's three-pointer with seven seconds left. But Wise sank two free throws with three seconds left to put the game on ice once and for all.

The Stars would go on to face the Nets in the ABA Finals, where they fell in five games. This makes back-to-back ABA titles for the Nets (we've already covered 1975-76).

Next: We go backward in time to begin the Eastern Division playoffs for 1972-73.

Thoughts?
 
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We begin our look at the 1972-73 Eastern Division playoffs by examining the action for Friday, March 30:

Colonels 136, Tams 118 (KY leads series 1-0)

The Colonels looked as you'd expect a top seed to look in their victory over the Tams at Freedom Hall in Louisville. Seven different players scored in double figures, led by Louie Dampier's twenty-three points on ten of sixteen shooting. Center Artis Gilmore notched a double-double with nineteen points and thirteen rebounds, and power forward Dan Issel added fourteen points and eighteen boards. Shooting guard Johnny Neumann was the Tams' leading scorer with twenty-two points on ten of seventeen from the floor, while center Randy Denton checked in with nineteen points and fourteen boards. Six different Tams scored in double figures, which made thirteen between the two teams.

Game 2 of this series will be tomorrow night at Freedom Hall.

Cougars 135, Squires 123 (CAR leads series 1-0)

The Cougars outscored the Squires by thirteen in the final period to take a hard-fought Game 1 win at the Greensboro Coliseum. Small forward Joe Caldwell was their leading scorer with twenty-six points on ten of seventeen field goals, while point guard Mack Calvin was eight of twelve from the floor and hit all nine of his free throws for twenty-five points. Goose Ligon had nineteen points and eighteen rebounds for Virginia, but as is usually the case when he plays, Dr. J was the big story. Julius Erving ripped the Coogs for forty-five points in a losing cause, making fourteen of his twenty-three field goals (including a three-pointer) and sixteen of his twenty-three free throws. He also added thirteen rebounds.

The Cougars finished the game on a 12-2 run over the final 2:58. Caldwell scored eight of the points, including six in a row at one point.

Both teams in this series have more than one home court, so this series will be a traveling road show of sorts. Tomorrow night's Game 2 stop: the Charlotte Coliseum.

Next: We look at the action for March 31.

Thoughts?
 
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Now let's look at the action for Saturday, March 31:

Colonels 121, Tams 99 (KY leads series 2-0)

The Colonels rolled to another victory against the overmatched Tams at Freedom Hall. This night belonged to Dan Issel, who scored thirty-one points and pulled down eleven rebounds. He finished thirteen of twenty-three for the floor and made five of his six free throws. Artis Gilmore had an off night by his standards, but still scored fifteen points and led all rebounders with twenty. Johnny Neumann had twenty points for Memphis, while Randy Denton notched his second double-double in a row with thirteen points and thirteen rebounds. The Colonels slipped just a bit; only six of their players scored in double figures.

Game 3 will be at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis on Monday night.

Squires 133, Cougars 131 (series tied 1-1)

Julius Erving did it all for the Squires again, scoring forty-seven points on eighteen of thirty-two shooting and hitting eleven of his thirteen free throws. But his two biggest points were his last; it was his jumper from the left wing that beat the buzzer and capped the Squires' comeback from eight points down with 3:46 remaining. Goose Ligon was his main assistant, scoring seventeen points on six of ten from the floor. Mack Calvin led the Coogs with twenty-four points, while center Tom Owens came off the bench to score twenty. He hit seven of his nine field goal attempts and was six of seven from the free throw line.

The Doctor finished off his evening by scoring the last six Squires points in the final minute despite being double-teamed wherever he went and having to avoid several blatant foul attempts.

After stops in Greensboro and Charlotte, the series will reconvene for Game 3 on Monday night at The Scope in Norfolk, Virginia.

Next: We look at the action for Monday, April 2.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Monday, April 2:

Colonels 128, Tams 117 (KY leads series 3-0)

The Tams led by thirteen at halftime and four at the end of three quarters, but the Colonels outscored them 25-10 in the final period to win going away. Three Colonels had double-doubles: Artis Gilmore led the way with thirty points on twelve of sixteen from the floor and pulled down nineteen rebounds, Dan Issel added seventeen points and fourteen boards, and Louie Dampier checked in with twenty-two points and dished out twelve assists. The Tams got a double-double of their own from Randy Denton, who scored twenty-three points and added sixteen rebounds. Point guard George Thompson also scored twenty-three points.

The Colonels took over the game by scoring fourteen consecutive points in a span covering four minutes and four seconds at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. Eight of them came at the free throw line, as undisciplined play came back to haunt the overmatched home squad.

The Colonels can sweep the series with a win tomorrow night in Game 4 at the Mid-South Coliseum.

Cougars 132, Squires 119 (CAR leads series 2-1)

The Coogs used balanced scoring and a stifling defense to turn back the Squires. Eight different Cougars scored in double figures, led by Snapper Jones with eighteen points and center Mike Lewis with seventeen. As for the defense, it held Julius Erving to only twenty-four points, although he also pulled down nine rebounds. Goose Ligon was next in line with twenty-two points.

Interestingly, no one had a double-double, although Dr. J came the closest for the Squires. Lewis and Tom Owens each pulled down nine boards for Carolina, and Owens finished with eleven points.

The series moves to the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia for tomorrow night's Game 4.

Next: We look at both Game 4s.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Tuesday, April 3:

Colonels 111, Tams 105 (KY sweeps series 4-0)

This game was a little closer than the others, but the Colonels fought off the scrappy Tams and earned the series sweep. Shooting guard Rick Mount led the way with twenty-eight points, and Dan Issel added twenty-five on ten of eighteen shooting and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Artis Gilmore didn't miss the double-double; he scored twenty points on seven of thirteen from the floor and pulled down twenty-one rebounds. Johnny Neumann paced the Tams, shooing ten of seventeen for twenty-seven points. George Thompson added twenty-three, and Randy Denton notched a double-double with thirteen points and thirteen rebounds.

The Tams led 84-78 after three quarters, but Mount's jumper capped a Kentucky comeback and put them in front to stay at 94-93 with 6:21 left in regulation.5 betwe

The Colonels will face the winner of the Squires-Cougars series in the Eastern Division finals.

Squires 117, Cougars 108 (OT; series tied 2-2)

The Squires evened he series by outlasting the Coogs at the Richmond Coliseum. As usual, they couldn't have done it without The Doctor, as Julius Erving scored thirty-two points and added a dozen rebounds. Center Jim Eakins also notched a double-double with thirteen points and seventeen boards. Shooting guard Mike Barr also totaled thirteen points. Joe Caldwell was Carolina's leading scorer with twenty-six points on eleven of nineteen from the floor, and Mack Calvin added twenty-one points.

Erving's finger roll with twenty-eight seconds left tied the game at 101, and his jumper at the buzzer came within inches of falling. He made up for it by scoring the first two points of the overtime by hitting two free throws, and the home squad never trailed in the extra session, where Eakins scored six of his thirteen points.

The series will be contested in its fifth different venue on Thursday night, as we head to the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Next: Game 5 between the Squires and the Cougars.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Thursday, April 5:

Cougars 116, Squires 106 (CAR leads series 3-2)

The Coogs turned back the Squires before a packed house at Raleigh's Dorton Arena. Power forward Billy Cunningham led the way off the bench with nineteen points on eight of fifteen shooting and added ten rebounds. Tom Owens backed him up with sixteen points on eight of fourteen from the floor. Jim Eakins had a double-double of his own in a losing cause, hitting ten of his seventeen shots to score twenty-three points and adding thirteen boards. The Coogs finally figured Dr. J out, as he was held to just fifteen points, though he too managed a double-double by snagging eleven rebounds. Point guard Fatty Taylor contributed eighteen points for Virginia.

The Cougars can take the series and advance to the Eastern Division finals with a victory in Game 6 on Saturday night. The Squires will host the game at the series' sixth different venue, the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.

Next: We look at Game 6.

Thoughts?
 
Now here's the action for Saturday, April 7:

Squires 109, Cougars 99 (series tied 3-3)

This series will go to the seven-game limit, as the Squires prevailed tonight before another sellout crowd at the Hampton Coliseum. Julius Erving had a subpar shooting night, hitting just twelve of his thirty-five attempts, but that was still good enough for a game-high twenty-five points, and he also snagged thirteen rebounds. Jim Eakins was much more accurate, hitting nine of fourteen from the floor for twenty-one points, and he also notched a double-double with twelve boards. Joe Caldwell (seven of fourteen shooting) and Mack Calvin (seven of thirteen shooting) led the Coogs with sixteen points apiece, while Snapper Jones managed fifteen.

Game 7 will take place on Monday night at the only arena that will host two games in this series: the Greensboro Coliseum.

Next: We look at Game 7.

Thoughts?
 
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