TODAY’S SPORTSTAT: Bucks, Budenholzer hone in on 60-win season
By JERRY TAPP
With a league-best 48-15 record and 19 games left to play in the regular
season, the Milwaukee Bucks have a legitimate chance to win 60 games in
a season for only the fifth time in franchise history.
The Bucks won 60 or more in 1970-71 (66 wins), 1971-72 (63 wins), 1972-73 (60 wins) and in 1980-81 (60 wins). To reach the 60-win milestone this season, the Bucks would have to win at least 12 of their remaining 20 games.
Getting 60 wins this season would also be a big deal for Bucks coach Mike
Budenholzer. Back in 2014-15, Coach Bud won 60 games in his second
season at the helm of the Atlanta Hawks. A 60-win season with the Bucks
would make Budenholzer only the seventh coach in NBA history to win 60
or more games in a season with two or more different franchises.
Hall of Famer coach Pat Riley holds the league record with 60-win seasons
with three different franchises. He won 60 with the Lakers, Miami and the
Knicks.
Here is a look at the six coaches who have won 60 or more games in a
season with two or more franchises.
K.C. Jones: Boston (1984, 1985, 1986)… Washington (1975)
Phil Jackson: Chicago (1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998) … L.A. Lakers
(2000, 2009)
Don Nelson: Dallas (2003) … Milwaukee (1981)
Mike D’Antoni: Houston (2018), Phoenix (2005, 2007)
Pat Riley: (L.A. Lakers (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990) … Miami (1997) …
N.Y. Knicks (1993)
Rick Adelman: Portland (1991) … Sacramento (2002)
A total of 32 NBA coaches have won 60 or more games in a season with at
least one team. If Budenholzer can add a second 60-win season with the
Bucks to his resume, it would make him the 21st coach in NBA history to
have multiple 60-win seasons in a career.
The 20 NBA coaches who have won 60 or more games in two or more
seasons are: Rick Adelman, Red Auerbach, Mike Brown, Larry Costello,
Billy Cunningham, Mike D’Antoni, Bill Fitch, Alex Hannum, Tom Heinsohn,
Phil Jackson, Avery Johnson, K.C. Jones, George Karl, Steve Kerr, Don
Nelson, Greg Popovich, Pat Riley, Doc Rivers, Bill Sharman, Jerry Sloan.
For the record, there have four head coaches who have won 60 or more
games in four different seasons; Phil Jackson and Pat Riley did it seven
times, Greg Popovich has done is six times, and K.C. Jones did it four
times.
Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp
