| @ San Francisco | L 98–111 |Spencer Haywood (23) | | | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena5,122 | 35–42 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 78 | March 14 | Baltimore | W 124–121 |Spencer Haywood (35) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion5,810 | 36–42 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 79 | March 18 | Milwaukee | W 122–121 |Don Smith (28) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion8,970 | 37–42 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 80 | March 19 | @ Portland | L 128–135 |Spencer Haywood (32) | | | Memorial Coliseum11,140 | 37–43 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 81 | March 20 | @ Phoenix | L 107–114 |Jake Ford, Gar Heard (17) | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum7,134 | 37–44 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 82 | March 21 | San Francisco | W 119–106 |Dick Snyder (23) | | | Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion7,634 | 38–44 Player statistics Statistics with the Seattle SuperSonics. Awards and records Lenny Wilkens was named Most Valuable Player at the 1971 NBA All-Star Game. Transactions Overview The Sonics signed Haywood as a free agent after he spent a season with the American Basketball Association's Denver Rockets, who signed Haywood after his sophomore year at the University of Detroit Mercy under a hardship clause. Because eligibility rules of the National Basketball Association at the time required a span of four years after high school graduation for a player to be picked by any team, a legal battle ensued, with the federal court ruling in favor of Haywood. Trades References Seattle Seattle SuperSonics seasons