1968 NBA playoffs
| Dates | March 22–May 2, 1968 |
|---|
The 1968 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1967-68 season. 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, 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 76ers in 7. In the West, the Lakers swept the Warriors in 4 games.
It was the first time since 1954 that the top team in a division failed to make the Division Finals; from 1955–1966 the league gave the regular-season division champion a first-round bye.
Bracket
| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||
| 1 | St. Louis | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Western Division | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | L.A. Lakers | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Chicago | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | L.A. Lakers | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | L.A. Lakers | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | New York | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Eastern Division | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Detroit | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
Western Division
Champion: Los Angeles Lakers
Division Semifinals
(1) St. Louis Hawks vs. (3) San Francisco Warriors: Warriors win series 4-2
- Game 1 @ St. Louis (March 22): San Francisco 111, St. Louis 106
- Game 2 @ St. Louis (March 23): St. Louis 111, San Francisco 103
- Game 3 @ San Francisco (March 26): San Francisco 124, St. Louis 109
- Game 4 @ San Francisco (March 29): San Francisco 108, St. Louis 107 (Jeff Mullins hits the game-winner)
- Game 5 @ St. Louis (March 31): St. Louis 129, San Francisco 103
- Game 6 @ San Francisco (April 2): San Francisco 111, St. Louis 106
Last Playoff Meeting: 1967 Western Division Finals (San Francisco won 4-2)
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Chicago Bulls: Lakers win series 4-1
- Game 1 @ Los Angeles (March 24): Los Angeles 109, Chicago 101
- Game 2 @ Los Angeles (March 25): Los Angeles 111, Chicago 106
- Game 3 @ Chicago (March 27): Chicago 104, Los Angeles 98
- Game 4 @ Chicago (March 29): Los Angeles 93, Chicago 87
- Game 5 @ Los Angeles (March 31): Los Angeles 122, Chicago 99
This is the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and Bulls.
Division Finals
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) San Francisco Warriors: Lakers win series 4-0
- Game 1 @ Los Angeles (April 5): Los Angeles 133, San Francisco 105
- Game 2 @ Los Angeles (April 10): Los Angeles 115, San Francisco 112
- Game 3 @ San Francisco (April 11): Los Angeles 128, San Francisco 124
- Game 4 @ San Francisco (April 13): Los Angeles 106, San Francisco 100
Last Playoff Meeting: 1967 Western Division Semifinals (San Francisco won 3-0)
Eastern Division
Champion: Boston Celtics
Division Semifinals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (3) New York Knicks: 76ers win series 4-2
- Game 1 @ Philadelphia (March 22): Philadelphia 118, New York 110
- Game 2 @ New York (March 23): New York 128, Philadelphia 117
- Game 3 @ Philadelphia (March 27): Philadelphia 138, New York 132 (2OT)
- Game 4 @ New York (March 30): New York 107, Philadelphia 98
- Game 5 @ Philadelphia (March 31): Philadelphia 123, New York 105
- Game 6 @ New York (April 1): Philadelphia 113, New York 97
Last Playoff Meeting: 1959 Eastern Division Semifinals (Syracuse, the predecessor to Philadelphia, won 3-2)
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Detroit Pistons: Celtics win series 4-2
- Game 1 @ Boston (March 24): Boston 123, Detroit 116
- Game 2 @ Detroit (March 25): Detroit 126, Boston 116
- Game 3 @ Boston (March 27): Detroit 109, Boston 98
- Game 4 @ Detroit (March 28): Boston 135, Detroit 110
- Game 5 @ Boston (March 31): Boston 110, Detroit 96
- Game 6 @ Detroit (April 1): Boston 111, Detroit 103
This is the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Pistons.
Division Finals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Boston Celtics: Celtics win series 4-3
- Game 1 @ Philadelphia (April 5): Boston 127, Philadelphia 118
- Game 2 @ Boston (April 10): Philadelphia 115, Boston 106
- Game 3 @ Philadelphia (April 11): Philadelphia 122, Boston 114
- Game 4 @ Boston (April 14): Philadelphia 110, Boston 105
- Game 5 @ Philadelphia (April 15): Boston 122, Philadelphia 104
- Game 6 @ Boston (April 17): Boston 114, Philadelphia 106
- Game 7 @ Philadelphia (April 19): Boston 100, Philadelphia 96 (The Celtics become the first team in playoff history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit)
Last Playoff Meeting: 1967 Eastern Division Finals (Philadelphia won 4-1)
NBA Finals
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers: Celtics win series 4-2
- Game 1 @ Boston (April 21): Boston 107, Los Angeles 101
- Game 2 @ Boston (April 24): Los Angeles 123, Boston 113
- Game 3 @ Los Angeles (April 26): Boston 127, Los Angeles 119
- Game 4 @ Los Angeles (April 28): Los Angeles 118, Boston 105
- Game 5 @ Boston (April 30): Boston 120, Los Angeles 117 (OT)
- Game 6 @ Los Angeles (May 2): Boston 124, Los Angeles 109
Last Playoff Meeting: 1966 NBA Finals (Boston won 4-3)