1967–68 Philadelphia 76ers season

The 1967–68 season of the Philadelphia 76ers was the team's fifteenth season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its fifth season since moving from Syracuse, as well as its first season at its new home in South Philadelphia, the Spectrum. The 76ers finished the regular season with a record of 62–20, and for the third straight year had the best record in the entire NBA.

1967–68 Philadelphia 76ers season
Division champions
Head coachAlex Hannum
General managerJack Ramsay
Owner(s)Irv Kosloff
ArenaThe Spectrum
Results
Record62–20 (.756)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishEast Finals
(Eliminated 3–4)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWPHL-TV
RadioWCAU
< 1966–67 1968–69 >

Background

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During the playoffs, the Sixers eliminated the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, 4 games to 2. The series win proved costly, as Billy Cunningham, their sixth man, injured his non-shooting wrist and was out for the remainder of the playoffs.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sixers became the first team in NBA history to blow a 3–1 series lead as the team lost to the Boston Celtics in 7 games. What was so damaging about this series loss was that Games five and seven were at the Spectrum and Cunningham was not available. Instead, the team had the services of forward Johnny Green, who had been a four-time NBA All-Star during the 1960s and 1970s.

After the season, head coach Alex Hannum resigned to take a position in the ABA, and Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for guard Archie Clark, center Darrall Imhoff, and forward Jerry Chambers (who never played with the team).[1]

Philadelphia subsequently won only a single home playoff game from 1969 to 1971 (game six, 1971 playoffs vs. Baltimore), going 0–7 for the remaining home games from 1969 to 1971. It would be nine seasons before the team won a single post-season series.[2]

Offseason

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Regular season

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Season standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Philadelphia 76ers 62 20 .756 27–8 26–12 9–0 29–11
x-Boston Celtics 54 28 .659 8 28–9 21–16 5–3 24–16
x-New York Knicks 43 39 .524 19 20–17 21–16 2–6 19–21
x-Detroit Pistons 40 42 .488 22 21–11 12–23 7–8 15–25
Cincinnati Royals 39 43 .476 23 18–12 13–23 8–8 18–22
Baltimore Bullets 36 46 .439 26 17–19 12–23 7–4 15–25

Record vs. opponents

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1967-68 NBA Records
Team BAL BOS CHI CIN DET LAL NYK PHI SDR SFW SEA STL
Baltimore 3–5 2–5 5–3 4–4 3–4 3–5 0–8 7–0 2–5 5–2 2–5
Boston 5–3 5–2 3–5 6–2 4–3 6–2 4–4 7–0 4–3 6–1 4–3
Chicago 5–2 2–5 5–2 3–4 1–7 2–5 1–6 4–4 2–6 3–5 1–7
Cincinnati 3–5 5–3 2–5 4–4 1–6 3–5 3–5 7–0 4–3 6–1 1–6
Detroit 4–4 2–6 4–3 4–4 2–5 4–4 1–7 5–2 4–3 6–1 4–3
Los Angeles 4–3 3–4 7–1 6–1 5–2 4–3 2–5 7–1 4–4 4–4 6–2
New York 5–3 2–6 5–2 5–3 4–4 3–4 3–5 6–1 5–2 4–3 1–6
Philadelphia 8–0 4–4 6–1 5–3 7–1 5–2 5–3 6–1 4–3 7–0 5–2
San Diego 0–7 0–7 4–4 0–7 2–5 1–7 1–6 1–6 2–6 3–5 1–7
San Francisco 5–2 3–4 6–2 3–4 3–4 4–4 2–5 3–4 6–2 7–1 1–7
Seattle 2–5 1–6 5–3 1–6 1–6 4–4 3–4 0–7 5–3 1–7 0–8
St. Louis 5–2 3–4 7–1 6–1 3–4 2–6 6–1 2–5 7–1 7–1 8–0

Game log

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1967–68 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 18 Los Angeles 87–103 Billy Cunningham (20) 1–0
2 October 21 Detroit 111–116 Hal Greer (41) 2–0
3 October 24 N Detroit 124–102 Hal Greer (38) 3–0
4 October 25 New York 114–117 Hal Greer (33) 4–0
5 October 27 Seattle 115–132 Hal Greer (26) 5–0
6 October 28 @ Boston 95–104 Chet Walker (17) 5–1
7 November 1 Baltimore 111–136 Hal Greer (27) 6–1
8 November 4 San Francisco 110–117 Wali Jones (29) 7–1
9 November 7 @ San Diego 130–105 Hal Greer (30) 8–1
10 November 8 @ San Diego 129–114 Billy Cunningham (33) 9–1
11 November 10 @ San Francisco 104–123 Billy Cunningham (24) 9–2
12 November 11 @ Los Angeles 115–111 Hal Greer (36) 10–2
13 November 14 Cincinnati 102–122 Wilt Chamberlain (27) 11–2
14 November 15 @ Detroit 120–123 Hal Greer (39) 11–3
15 November 17 N St. Louis 117–125 Billy Cunningham (38) 12–3
16 November 18 Boston 116–111 Billy Cunningham (31) 12–4
17 November 22 @ St. Louis 113–115 Hal Greer (34) 12–5
18 November 23 San Diego 117–128 Wilt Chamberlain (31) 13–5
19 November 24 @ Chicago 122–104 Wilt Chamberlain (34) 14–5
20 November 25 Chicago 119–114 Hal Greer (37) 14–6
21 November 28 @ New York 110–108 Lucious Jackson (30) 15–6
22 November 29 San Francisco 113–95 Chet Walker (24) 15–7
23 December 1 N Seattle 109–133 Wilt Chamberlain (52) 16–7
24 December 2 Baltimore 121–130 Chamberlain, Greer (27) 17–7
25 December 5 Los Angeles 128–122 (OT) Wilt Chamberlain (31) 17–8
26 December 6 @ Cincinnati 108–107 Wilt Chamberlain (29) 18–8
27 December 8 New York 109–117 Wilt Chamberlain (26) 19–8
28 December 9 @ Baltimore 123–109 Billy Cunningham (33) 20–8
29 December 12 N Seattle 107–118 Hal Greer (38) 21–8
30 December 14 @ Boston 101–102 Hal Greer (20) 21–9
31 December 15 St. Louis 98–107 Wilt Chamberlain (23) 22–9
32 December 16 @ Chicago 143–123 Wilt Chamberlain (68) 23–9
33 December 17 @ Seattle 139–124 Wilt Chamberlain (47) 24–9
34 December 20 @ Seattle 160–122 Wilt Chamberlain (53) 25–9
35 December 25 @ Baltimore 108–105 Cunningham, Greer (27) 26–9
36 December 26 Cincinnati 121–126 Chet Walker (28) 27–9
37 December 27 @ New York 114–105 Hal Greer (28) 28–9
38 December 29 Boston 123–133 Billy Cunningham (36) 29–9
39 December 30 N Detroit 122–107 Wilt Chamberlain (30) 30–9
40 January 3 New York 129–115 Wilt Chamberlain (39) 30–10
41 January 5 Los Angeles 113–125 Wilt Chamberlain (35) 31–10
42 January 6 @ St. Louis 107–96 Lucious Jackson (27) 32–10
43 January 7 @ Cincinnati 118–134 Wilt Chamberlain (36) 32–11
44 January 10 St. Louis 134–122 Wilt Chamberlain (32) 32–12
45 January 12 Baltimore 116–133 Wilt Chamberlain (36) 33–12
46 January 13 @ Detroit 115–106 Wilt Chamberlain (27) 34–12
47 January 17 @ Los Angeles 116–125 Wali Jones (20) 34–13
48 January 19 @ San Francisco 120–131 Billy Cunningham (25) 34–14
49 January 20 @ Chicago 135–111 Hal Greer (26) 35–14
50 January 25 @ Detroit 123–108 Hal Greer (35) 36–14
51 January 26 Cincinnati 113–123 Hal Greer (36) 37–14
52 January 28 @ Boston 103–115 Wilt Chamberlain (19) 37–15
53 January 30 Boston 118–125 Hal Greer (27) 38–15
54 February 2 Detroit 121–131 Hal Greer (23) 39–15
55 February 3 @ Baltimore 133–121 Hal Greer (31) 40–15
56 February 4 San Francisco 117–141 Hal Greer (29) 41–15
57 February 7 N San Diego 103–125 Hal Greer (27) 42–15
58 February 9 Chicago 113–118 Hal Greer (35) 43–15
59 February 10 @ New York 97–115 Chet Walker (25) 43–16
60 February 11 N St. Louis 93–119 Billy Cunningham (23) 44–16
61 February 13 @ San Francisco 112–105 Hal Greer (30) 45–16
62 February 14 N Seattle 149–125 Wilt Chamberlain (35) 46–16
63 February 16 @ San Diego 124–108 Billy Cunningham (26) 47–16
64 February 17 @ Los Angeles 135–134 (2OT) Wilt Chamberlain (32) 48–16
65 February 18 @ San Diego 106–111 Wilt Chamberlain (34) 48–17
66 February 20 Seattle 108–140 Hal Greer (32) 49–17
67 February 23 Detroit 117–138 Wilt Chamberlain (31) 50–17
68 February 25 @ St. Louis 126–119 Hal Greer (32) 51–17
69 February 27 San Francisco 107–127 Wilt Chamberlain (33) 52–17
70 March 3 @ Boston 133–127 Hal Greer (43) 53–17
71 March 5 San Diego 103–134 Wilt Chamberlain (31) 54–17
72 March 6 @ Cincinnati 106–108 Wilt Chamberlain (22) 54–18
73 March 7 N Cincinnati 125–117 Wilt Chamberlain (38) 55–18
74 March 8 Boston 96–101 Hal Greer (27) 56–18
75 March 10 @ New York 119–108 Chamberlain, Greer (28) 57–18
76 March 12 N Chicago 139–115 Hal Greer (30) 58–18
77 March 13 New York 130–120 Hal Greer (28) 58–19
78 March 15 Baltimore 115–122 Hal Greer (29) 59–19
79 March 16 @ Chicago 144–122 Wilt Chamberlain (35) 60–19
80 March 18 Los Angeles 128–158 Wilt Chamberlain (53) 61–19
81 March 19 Cincinnati 131–130 (OT) Hal Greer (26) 61–20
82 March 20 @ Baltimore 137–119 Wilt Chamberlain (26) 62–20

Playoffs

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1968 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 March 22 New York W 118–110 Wilt Chamberlain (37) Wilt Chamberlain (29) Wilt Chamberlain (7) Spectrum
5,093
1–0
2 March 23 @ New York L 117–128 Chamberlain, Greer (24) Wilt Chamberlain (17) Wilt Chamberlain (8) Madison Square Garden III
15,911
1–1
3 March 27 New York W 138–132 (2OT) Chet Walker (32) Wilt Chamberlain (24) Wilt Chamberlain (8) Spectrum
6,951
2–1
4 March 30 @ New York L 98–107 Wilt Chamberlain (23) Wilt Chamberlain (27) Hal Greer (6) Madison Square Garden III
18,262
2–2
5 March 31 New York W 123–105 Hal Greer (38) Wilt Chamberlain (21) Chamberlain, Greer (7) Spectrum
6,979
3–2
6 April 1 @ New York W 113–97 Hal Greer (35) Wilt Chamberlain (27) Hal Greer (4) Madison Square Garden III
18,014
4–2
Division Finals: 3–4 (home: 1–3; road: 2–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 April 5 Boston L 118–127 Wilt Chamberlain (33) Wilt Chamberlain (25) Chamberlain, Jones (5) Spectrum
14,412
0–1
2 April 10 @ Boston W 115–106 Wali Jones (24) Wilt Chamberlain (19) Wilt Chamberlain (8) Boston Garden
14,780
1–1
3 April 11 Boston W 122–114 Hal Greer (31) Wilt Chamberlain (25) Hal Greer (9) Spectrum
15,102
2–1
4 April 14 @ Boston W 110–105 Hal Greer (28) Wilt Chamberlain (16) Wilt Chamberlain (8) Boston Garden
10,503
3–1
5 April 15 Boston L 104–122 Wilt Chamberlain (28) Wilt Chamberlain (30) Wilt Chamberlain (7) Spectrum
15,202
3–2
6 April 17 @ Boston L 106–114 Hal Greer (40) Wilt Chamberlain (27) Wilt Chamberlain (8) Boston Garden
14,780
3–3
7 April 19 Boston L 96–100 Hal Greer (22) Wilt Chamberlain (34) Chamberlain, Greer (5) Spectrum
15,202
3–4
1968 schedule

Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ Goldaper, Sam (July 10, 1968). "76ers, Citing Star's Demands, Confirm Chamberlain Trade". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Ferraro, Michael X.; Veneziano, John (2007). Numbelievable!. Chicago: Triumph Books. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-57243-990-0.