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1968 NBA playoffs
Postseason tournament
Postseason tournament
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | NBA playoffs |
| year | 1968 |
| season | [1967–68](1967-68-nba-season) |
| dates | March 22–May 2, 1968 |
| num_teams | 8 |
| winners | Boston Celtics |
| count | 10 |
| second | Los Angeles Lakers |
| semifinal1 | San Francisco Warriors |
| semifinal2 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| prev_season | [1967](1967-nba-playoffs) |
| next_season | [1969](1969-nba-playoffs) |
The 1968 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the 1967–68 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics won their 10th NBA title, their first under player-coach Bill Russell after Red Auerbach's retirement.
In the Eastern Division Finals, the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3–1 series deficit to win, as they knocked off the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in seven games. In the West, the Lakers swept the San Francisco Warriors in four games.
It was the first time since 1954 that the top team in a division failed to make the Division Finals; from 1955 to 1966, the league gave the regular-season division champion a first-round bye. This year also marked a change in that the Division Semifinals were changed from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven.
Bracket
| RD1-group1=Eastern Division | RD1-group2=Western Division
| RD1-seed1=E1 | RD1-team1=Philadelphia* | RD1-score1=4 | RD1-seed2=E3 | RD1-team2=New York | RD1-score2=2
| RD1-seed3=E4 | RD1-team3=Detroit | RD1-score3=2 | RD1-seed4=E2 | RD1-team4=Boston | RD1-score4=4
| RD1-seed5=W1 | RD1-team5=St. Louis* | RD1-score5=2 | RD1-seed6=W3 | RD1-team6=San Francisco | RD1-score6=4
| RD1-seed7=W4 | RD1-team7=Chicago | RD1-score7=1 | RD1-seed8=W2 | RD1-team8=Los Angeles | RD1-score8=4
| RD2-seed1=E1 | RD2-team1=Philadelphia* | RD2-score1=3 | RD2-seed2=E2 | RD2-team2=Boston | RD2-score2=4
| RD2-seed3=W3 | RD2-team3=San Francisco | RD2-score3=0 | RD2-seed4=W2 | RD2-team4=Los Angeles | RD2-score4=4
| RD3-seed1=E2 | RD3-team1=Boston | RD3-score1=4 | RD3-seed2=W2 | RD3-team2=Los Angeles | RD3-score2=2 |* Division winner |Bold Series winner |Italic Team with home-court advantage in NBA Finals}}
Division Semifinals
Eastern Division Semifinals
(1) [[Philadelphia 76ers]] vs. (3) [[New York Knicks]]
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning three of the first five meetings as the Syracuse Nationals.
| Philadelphia/ Syracuse leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) [[Boston Celtics]] vs. (4) [[Detroit Pistons]]
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.
Western Division Semifinals
(1) [[St. Louis Hawks]] vs. (3) [[San Francisco Warriors]]
- Jeff Mullins hits the game-winner.
- Final game for the Hawks before moving to Atlanta.
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first two meetings.
| San Francisco leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) [[Los Angeles Lakers]] vs. (4) [[Chicago Bulls]]
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.
Division Finals
Eastern Division Finals
(1) [[Philadelphia 76ers]] vs. (2) [[Boston Celtics]]
- The Celtics become the first team in NBA playoff history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit.
This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning six of the first 11 meetings.
| Boston leads 6–5 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Division Finals
(2) [[Los Angeles Lakers]] vs. (3) [[San Francisco Warriors]]
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first meeting.
| San Francisco leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
NBA Finals: (E2) Boston Celtics vs. (W2) Los Angeles Lakers
Main article: 1968 NBA Finals
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first five meetings.
| Boston leads 5–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
References
References
- "Team Rivalry Finder — New York Knicks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Golden State Warriors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
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