1967–68 New York Knicks season
| 1967–68 New York Knicks season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
Dick McGuire Red Holzman |
| General manager | Eddie Donovan |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden III |
| Results | |
| Record | 43–39 (.524) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish |
East Division Semifinals (Eliminated 2–4) |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WOR |
| Radio | WHN |
The 1967–68 New York Knicks season was the 22nd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Knicks finished in second place in the Eastern Division with a 43–39 record, qualifying for the NBA Playoffs for the second consecutive season.[1] New York lost its opening round series to the Philadelphia 76ers, four games to two.[2] Willis Reed scored 20.6 points per game and had 13.2 rebounds per game, leading the Knicks in both categories; Frazier had a team-high 4.1 assists per game.[3]
Walt Frazier joined the Knicks' roster in time for the 1967–68 season, having been selected by the team in the first round of the 1967 NBA draft.[4] Bill Bradley also made his Knicks debut in 1967.[5] New York had an early season six-game losing streak and stood at 15–22 on December 27.[6] The Knicks then replaced their head coach, hiring Red Holzman to fill the position.[7] To begin 1968, they won six consecutive games and reached 33–33 by mid-February.[6] With a 28–17 record in Holzman's 45 games as coach, the Knicks reached the playoffs.[8] The Knicks and 76ers split the first four games of their playoff series, before Philadelphia won games five and six to end New York's season.[2]
Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.[4]
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Walt Frazier | G |  United States |
Southern Illinois |
| 2 | 17 | Phil Jackson | F/C | United States |
North Dakota |
| 3 | 24 | Gary Gregor | F/C | United States |
South Carolina |
| 12 | 128 | Mike Riordan | F | United States |
Providence |
Regular season
Season standings
| Eastern Division | 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
| 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 | — |
Playoffs
East Division Semifinals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (3) New York Knicks: 76ers win series 4–2
- Game 1 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 118, New York 110
- Game 2 @ New York: New York 128, Philadelphia 117
- Game 3 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 138, New York 132 (2OT)
- Game 4 @ New York: New York 107, Philadelphia 98
- Game 5 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 123, New York 105
- Game 6 @ New York: Philadelphia 113, New York 97
Awards and records
- Willis Reed, All-NBA Second Team[9]
- Walt Frazier, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team[10]
- Phil Jackson, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team[10]
References
- ↑ "New York Knickerbockers". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
- 1 2 "1968 NBA Playoff Summary". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
- ↑ "1967–68 New York Knicks Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
- 1 2 "1967 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- ↑ Araton, Harvey (2011). When the Garden Was Eden: Clyde, the Captain, Dollar Bill, and the Glory Days of the New York Knicks. New York City: HarperCollins. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-06-195623-2.
- 1 2 "1967–68 New York Knicks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
- ↑ Araton, p. 69.
- ↑ Araton, p. 73.
- ↑ "All-NBA & All-ABA Teams". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
- 1 2 "NBA & ABA All-Rookie Teams". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 27, 2013.