1969 NBA playoffs

The 1969 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1968–69 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.

1969 NBA playoffs
DatesMarch 26–May 5, 1969
Season1968–69
Teams8
ChampionsBoston Celtics (11th title)
Runners-upLos Angeles Lakers (12th finals appearance)
Semifinalists
← 1968 1970 →

Despite finishing in 4th place, the Celtics won their second straight NBA title, marking their 11th overall as their era of 1960s dominance drew to a close. They upset Philadelphia and New York on the way to the Finals. Out west, the San Francisco Warriors stunned the Lakers by winning the first 2 in L.A., and Bay Area fans were thinking of avenging the prior year's sweep by the Lakers with a sweep of their own. But the Lakers won 4 straight to win the series in 6.

This year marked the debut of the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award; it was awarded to Jerry West of the Lakers, which marks the only time so far that the trophy has been given to a player on the losing team.

The Celtics were the first team seeded below third in their conference or division and win the NBA championship. It would not happen again until the 1995 NBA playoffs.[1]

The second-year San Diego Rockets made their first playoff appearance; the next time they appeared was in 1975 as the Houston Rockets.

Bracket
  Division Semifinals Division Finals NBA Finals
                           
  1 L.A. Lakers 4  
3 San Francisco 2  
  1 L.A. Lakers 4  
Western Division
    2 Atlanta 1  
4 San Diego 2
  2 Atlanta 4  
    W1 L.A. Lakers 3
  E4 Boston 4
  1 Baltimore 0  
3 New York 4  
3 New York 2
Eastern Division
    4 Boston 4  
4 Boston 4
  2 Philadelphia 1  

Western Division

Champion: Los Angeles Lakers

Division Semifinals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) San Francisco Warriors: Lakers win series 4-2

  • Game 1 @ Los Angeles (March 26): San Francisco 99, Los Angeles 94
  • Game 2 @ Los Angeles (March 28): San Francisco 107, Los Angeles 101
  • Game 3 @ San Francisco (March 31): Los Angeles 115, San Francisco 98
  • Game 4 @ San Francisco (April 2): Los Angeles 103, San Francisco 88
  • Game 5 @ Los Angeles (April 4): Los Angeles 103, San Francisco 98
  • Game 6 @ San Francisco (April 5): Los Angeles 118, San Francisco 78 (The Lakers become the first team to win a playoff series after losing the first 2 games at home)

(2) Atlanta Hawks vs. (4) San Diego Rockets: Hawks win series 4-2

  • Game 1 @ Atlanta (March 27): Atlanta 107, San Diego 98
  • Game 2 @ Atlanta (March 29): Atlanta 116, San Diego 114
  • Game 3 @ San Diego (April 1): San Diego 104, Atlanta 97
  • Game 4 @ San Diego (April 4): San Diego 114, Atlanta 112
  • Game 5 @ Atlanta (April 6): Atlanta 112, San Diego 101
  • Game 6 @ San Diego (April 7): Atlanta 108, San Diego 106

Division Finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Atlanta Hawks: Lakers win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ Los Angeles (April 11): Los Angeles 95, Atlanta 93
  • Game 2 @ Los Angeles (April 13): Los Angeles 104, Atlanta 102
  • Game 3 @ Atlanta (April 15): Atlanta 99, Los Angeles 86
  • Game 4 @ Atlanta (April 17): Los Angeles 100, Atlanta 85
  • Game 5 @ Los Angeles (April 20): Los Angeles 104, Atlanta 96

Eastern Division

Champion: Boston Celtics

Division Semifinals

(1) Baltimore Bullets vs. (3) New York Knicks: Knicks win series 4-0

  • Game 1 @ Baltimore (March 27): New York 113, Baltimore 101
  • Game 2 @ New York (March 29): New York 107, Baltimore 91
  • Game 3 @ Baltimore (March 30): New York 119, Baltimore 116
  • Game 4 @ New York (April 2): New York 115, Baltimore 108

(2) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (4) Boston Celtics: Celtics win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ Philadelphia (March 26): Boston 114, Philadelphia 100
  • Game 2 @ Boston (March 28): Boston 134, Philadelphia 103
  • Game 3 @ Philadelphia (March 30): Boston 125, Philadelphia 118
  • Game 4 @ Boston (April 1): Philadelphia 119, Boston 116
  • Game 5 @ Philadelphia (April 4): Boston 93, Philadelphia 90

Division Finals

(3) New York Knicks vs. (4) Boston Celtics: Celtics win series 4-2

  • Game 1 @ New York (April 6): Boston 108, New York 100
  • Game 2 @ Boston (April 9): Boston 112, New York 97
  • Game 3 @ New York (April 10): New York 101, Boston 91
  • Game 4 @ Boston (April 13): Boston 97, New York 96
  • Game 5 @ New York (April 14): New York 112, Boston 104
  • Game 6 @ Boston (April 18): Boston 106, New York 105 (John Havlicek hits the series-winning shot)

NBA Finals
Main article: 1969 NBA Finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Boston Celtics: Celtics win series 4-3

  • Game 1 @ Los Angeles (April 23): Los Angeles 120, Boston 118
  • Game 2 @ Los Angeles (April 25): Los Angeles 118, Boston 112
  • Game 3 @ Boston (April 27): Boston 111, Los Angeles 105
  • Game 4 @ Boston (April 29): Boston 89, Los Angeles 88 (Sam Jones hits the game-winner)
  • Game 5 @ Los Angeles (May 1): Los Angeles 117, Boston 104
  • Game 6 @ Boston (May 3): Boston 99, Los Angeles 90
  • Game 7 @ Los Angeles (May 5): Boston 108, Los Angeles 106 (Bill Russell and Sam Jones’ final NBA game; Celtics become the first team to come back from a 2-0 series deficit in the NBA Finals)

In Game 7, Don Nelson hit a foul-line jumper which dropped through the basket after hitting the back rim and bouncing several feet straight up. The shot gave the Celtics a 105-102 lead after the Lakers cut their lead to 103-102.

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See also

References
  1. Exner, Rich. "What history says about a No. 4 seed like the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals". cleveland.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
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