They won the first game behind Jerry West's 53 points,[62] and had a 3–2 lead after five.[63] Boston won the series in seven games however,[64] and earned their 11th NBA Championship in 13 seasons.[65] West was named the first-ever Finals MVP; this remains the only time that a member of the losing team has won the award.[66] In 1970, West won his first scoring title at 31.2 ppg, the team returned to the finals, and for the first time in 16 years, they did not have to face the Celtics; instead playing the New York Knicks, who defeated them 4–3.[67][68] The next season the Lakers were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks, led by future Laker Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in the Western Conference Finals.[69]