"Coach Lenny" Wilkens win # 1000
Lenny Wilkens won his 1000th game as an NBA coach. Lenny is the NBA's winningest coach. He won it , ironically against the Cleveland Cavaliers..who he coached for 7 years before coming to Atlanta. Lenny is the USA "Dream Team 3" coach, and players all over the NBA put on a show for him whenever the Hawks are in town. Former Cav Craig Ehlo played a pivital part in the game, and it seems fitting, Ehlo being with Wilkens teams for 10 years now. The game was close through the first half. The Cavaliers only scored 8 points in the 3rd quarter and never challenged the Hawks from then on.
" I am just relieved..to get it over with.." said Wilkens to "Iron Man" Steve Holman in a post game interview. "Now we need to concentrate on 1001!", he followed. The win puts the Hawks just a game behind Cleveland for 3rd place in the Central division. The following is a season-by season breakdown of "Coach Lenny's" career up to this year.
ATLANTA -- How does the best get even better? Lenny Wilkens found a way Friday night.
| Win# | Date | Team and Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 1-9-72 | Seattle vs. Boston | 125-119 |
| 200 | 11-13-77 | Seattle vs. New Orleans | 117-83 |
| 300 | 11-23-79 | Seattle vs. Portland | 94-90 |
| 400 | 1-6-82 | Seattle vs. Dallas | 107-100 |
| 500 | 1-18-1984 | Seattle vs. Dallas | 114-107 |
| 600 | 1-12-1988 | Cleveland vs. New York | 119-111 |
| 700 | 1-26-1990 | Cleveland vs. Minnesota | 85-84 |
| 800 | 3-15-92 | Cleveland vs. Denver | 100-91 |
| 900 | 2-2-94 | Atlanta vs. Orlando | 118-99 |
| 938 | 12-29-94 | Atlanta vs. San Antonio | 127-121 |
| 939 | 1-6-95 | Atlanta vs. Washington | 112-90 |
| 1000 | 3-1-96 | Atlanta vs. Cleveland | 74-68 |
Already the winningset coach in NBA history, Wilkens registered his 1,000th career victory as Mookie Blaylock scored 18 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 74-68 triumph over the Cleveland Cavailers. Wilkens, who has coached 23 seasons, improved his career record to 1,000-838 (.544). In his third season with the Hawks, Wilkens' overall record is 131-89 (.594). Steve Smith scored 15 points, Stacey Augmon added 12 before leaving with a sprained ankle and Grant Long grabbed 15 rebounds for the Hawks, who pulled within one game of the Cavaliers for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Chris Mills scored 26 points and Michael Cage pulled down 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which had its three-game winning streak snapped and played without both members of its starting backcourt. Both Bobby Phills and Terrell Brandon sat out the game with injuries.
"I had three goals when I came to Atlanta -- (Hawks owner) Stan Kasten will probably remember this -- I told him the three goals were, one, to break Red's (Auerbach's) record (for wins); two, to get 1,000 wins; and three, to get this team to the point where they can contend for an NBA championship." Last season, Wilkens passed Auerbach for most coaching victories with his 939th win. Wilkens also holds the distinction of having participated in more games as a player and/or coach than anyone else in league history. "It's a tremendous milestone in his career and as he continues to go on, he may get to a number that I don't know if anybody's going to be able to catch someday," said Cleveland coach Mike Fratello, who took over in Cleveland for Wilkens. Wilkens has led his teams to the playoffs in 13 of his last 17 seasons, including an NBA championship with the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics. Wilkens also coached four All-Star teams and was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990. He will coach the United States Olympic team this summer. "Nobody else has won 1,000," said Hawks swingman Craig Ehlo, a Wilkens favorite who followed the coach from Cleveland. "And that's why I say 1,000 is nothing. He'll probably win 1,200 or so, probably more than that." Mills made a 3-pointer to draw the Cavaliers within 47-46 late in the third quarter before the Hawks scored the last 10 points of the third. Blaylock ignited the run with a 3-pointer, Long made a layup, Christian Laettner hit a jumper and Blaylock nailed another 3-pointer for a 57-46 lead entering the fourth quarter. Atlanta allowed a franchise-low eight points in the third quarter as Cleveland shot just 2-of-12 from the field. "I think we all miss not having Terrell and Bobby, but we have to execute better," said Danny Ferry, who was held to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting. "I had good looks tonight. For example, they were switching up what they were doing, whether it was switching or showing different matchups. I had some good looks but it just wouldn't drop for me." "Cleveland is the type of team that would walk the ball up the court and be real patient and use the clock," Wilkens said of the Cavs. "It's real frustrating to our team sometimes. That's what they want. They want you to get anxious so you start doing crazy things. With us, it works just the opposite. We lose the energy we need to play." Smith scored six points as the Hawks took a 23-18 advantage into the second quarter, but the Cavaliers came from behind to take a 38-37 halftime lead behind Mills' 11 points. The Hawks have won four of their last five home games against the Cavaliers.
| SEASON | TEAM | REGULAR SEASON | POSTSEASON | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-1970 | Seattle | 36 46 .439 | - - - | |
| 1970-1971 | Seattle | 38 44 .463 | - - - | |
| 1971-1972 | Seattle | 47 35 .573 | - - - | |
| 1974-1975 | Portland | 38 44 .463 | - - - | |
| 1975-1976 | Portland | 37 45 .451 | - - - | |
| 1977-1978 | Seattle | 42 18 .700 | 13 9 .591 | |
| 1978-1979 | Seattle | 52 30 .634 | 12 5 .706 | |
| 1979-1980 | Seattle | 56 26 .683 | 7 8 .467 | |
| 1980-1981 | Seattle | 34 48 .415 | - - - | |
| 1981-1982 | Seattle | 52 30 .634 | 3 5 .375 | |
| 1982-1983 | Seattle | 48 34 .585 | 0 2 .000 | |
| 1983-1984 | Seattle | 42 40 .512 | 2 3 .400 | |
| 1984-1985 | Seattle | 31 51 .378 | - - - | |
| 1986-1987 | Cleveland | 31 51 .378 | - - - | |
| 1987-1988 | Cleveland | 42 40 .512 | 2 3 .400 | |
| 1988-1989 | Cleveland | 57 25 .695 | 2 3 .400 | |
| 1989-1990 | Cleveland | 42 40 .512 | 2 3 .400 | |
| 1990-1991 | Cleveland | 33 49 .402 | - - - | |
| 1991-1992 | Cleveland | 57 25 .695 | 9 8 .529 | |
| 1992-1993 | Cleveland | 54 28 .659 | 3 6 .333 | |
| 1993-1994 | Atlanta | 57 25 .695 | 5 6 .455 | |
| 1994-1995 | Atlanta | 42 40 .512 | 0 3 .000 | |
| 1995-1996 | Atlanta | 32 26 .550 | ||
| Career | 1000 842 .543 | 60 64 .484 | ||
| NBA Championships in bold |
