1971 NBA playoffs

Eastern Conference semifinals ====(A1) New York Knicks vs. (C2) Atlanta Hawks==== This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. ====(C1) Baltimore Bullets vs. (A2) Philadelphia 76ers==== • Bailey Howell's final NBA game. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Western Conference semifinals ====(M1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (P2) San Francisco Warriors==== • All three Milwaukee home games in the series were not played at Milwaukee Arena due to scheduling conflicts. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. ====(P1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (M2) Chicago Bulls==== This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting. ==Conference finals==

Eastern Conference finals ====(A1) New York Knicks vs. (C1) Baltimore Bullets==== • The Bullets become the second team after the Boston Celtics in the 1969 Finals to win Game 7 on the road after the home team won each of the first six games. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings. Western Conference finals ====(M1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (P1) Los Angeles Lakers==== This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. ==NBA Finals: (M1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (C1) Baltimore Bullets==

• The Bucks win their first championship in only their third year of existence. This is also the last NBA Finals to date in which the series alternates in between the venues of the competing teams after every game as opposed to the customary 2–2–1–1–1 and 2–3–2 formats that have been used ever since (with the exception of 1975 and 1978 due to scheduling conflicts, which resulted in the use of a 1–2–2–1–1 format). This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. ==References==