Season of National Basketball Association team the: New York Knicks
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1968β69 New York Knicks season was theββ23rd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished third in the Eastern Division with a 54β28 regular season record, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the "third straight year." In the first round of the playoffs, New York defeated the Baltimore Bullets in a four-game sweepββto earn a berth in the Eastern Division finals. The Knicks lost the division finals to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in six games. Willis Reed scored a team-best 21.1 points per game for the Knicks; Walt Frazier led the team with 7.9 assists per game. And Reed averaged 14.5 rebounds per game.
The Knicks selected Bill Hosket, "Jr." in the opening round of the 1968 NBA draft, and made a significant trade early in the season, acquiring Dave DeBusschere from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Walt Bellamy and Butch Komives. Author Harvey Araton called him "the player who would complete the championship puzzle in New York." After a 5β11 start to the season, New York went on a long winning streak, winning all. But 2 of 19 games in one stretch that included 13 straight home wins. After a two-game losing streak, the Knicks won 11 consecutive games from January 25 to February 15 to bring their record to 44β21. The Knicks had two four-game winning streaks during the rest of the season. And ended with a 54β28 record. This mark placed them third in the Eastern Conference; only the Bullets and Philadelphia 76ers had superior records. New York saw an increase in attendance during the regular season; after having six sellouts in their entire history, the Knicks played to capacity crowds in 14 games at Madison Square Garden.
New York faced the Bullets, who had won 57 games in the regular season and "held the number one seed in the Eastern Conference," in their first playoff round. The Knicks won the first two games by, over 10 points each, and a pair of closer victories in games three and four eliminated Baltimore. They held home court advantage for their series with the Celtics. But lost it with a 108β100 loss in the first game. After losing two of the next three games, New York won game five to force a sixth game. However, Boston's Sam Jones posted 29 points to help the Celtics to a 106β105 win that ended the Knicks' season.
NBA draftβ»
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.
Rosterβ»
1968β69 New York Knicks roster
Players
|
Coaches
|
Pos.
|
No.
|
Name
|
Height
|
Weight
|
DOB
|
From
|
SG
|
12
|
Barnett, Dick
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
190 lb (86 kg)
|
1936β10β02
|
Tennessee State
|
C
|
17
|
Bowman, Nate
|
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
|
230 lb (104 kg)
|
1945β03β19
|
Wichita State
|
SF
|
24
|
Bradley, Bill
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
205 lb (93 kg)
|
1943β07β28
|
Princeton
|
PF
|
22
|
DeBusschere, Dave
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
220 lb (100 kg)
|
1940β10β16
|
Detroit Mercy
|
PG
|
10
|
Frazier, Walt
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
200 lb (91 kg)
|
1945β03β29
|
Southern Illinois
|
PF
|
20
|
Hosket, Bill, Jr.
|
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
|
225 lb (102 kg)
|
1946β12β20
|
Ohio State
|
PF
|
18
|
Jackson, Phil
|
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
|
220 lb (100 kg)
|
1945-09-17
|
North Dakota
|
SF
|
5
|
May, Don
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
200 lb (91 kg)
|
1946β01β03
|
Dayton
|
C
|
19
|
Reed, Willis
|
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
|
235 lb (107 kg)
|
1942β06β25
|
Grambling State
|
SG
|
6
|
Riordan, Mike
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
200 lb (91 kg)
|
1945β07β09
|
Providence
|
SF
|
33
|
Russell, Cazzie
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
218 lb (99 kg)
|
1944β06β07
|
Michigan
|
SF
|
9
|
Stallworth, Dave
|
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
|
200 lb (91 kg)
|
1941β12β20
|
Wichita State
|
|
- Head coach
- Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
Injured
|
Regular seasonβ»
Season standingsβ»
- x β clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponentsβ»
1968β69 NBA records
|
Team
|
ATL
|
BAL
|
BOS
|
CHI
|
CIN
|
DET
|
LAL
|
MIL
|
NYK
|
PHI
|
PHO
|
SDR
|
SFW
|
SEA
|
Atlanta
|
β |
2β4 |
3β3 |
6β1 |
4β2 |
6β0 |
3β4 |
4β2 |
2β4 |
1β5 |
6β0 |
3β4 |
4β3 |
4β2
|
Baltimore
|
4β2 |
β |
5β2 |
6β0 |
4β3 |
7β0 |
3β3 |
5β1 |
3β4 |
2β4 |
6β0 |
5β1 |
3β3 |
4β2
|
Boston
|
3β3 |
2β5 |
β |
4β2 |
5β2 |
5β1 |
2β4 |
5β1 |
1β6 |
5β2 |
6β0 |
4β2 |
3β3 |
3β3
|
Chicago
|
1β6 |
0β6 |
2β4 |
β |
1β5 |
3β3 |
3β4 |
5β1 |
2β4 |
1β5 |
4β2 |
3β3 |
4β3 |
4β3
|
Cincinnati
|
2β4 |
3β4 |
2β5 |
5β1 |
β |
3β4 |
2β4 |
5β1 |
4β2 |
3β4 |
4β2 |
2β4 |
3β3 |
3β3
|
Detroit
|
0β6 |
0β7 |
1β5 |
3β3 |
4β3 |
β |
3β3 |
2β4 |
3β4 |
3β4 |
4β2 |
3β3 |
2β4 |
4β2
|
Los Angeles
|
4β3 |
3β3 |
4β2 |
4β3 |
4β2 |
3β3 |
β |
5β1 |
5β1 |
1β5 |
6β0 |
7β0 |
4β3 |
5β1
|
Milwaukee
|
2β4 |
1β5 |
1β5 |
1β5 |
1β5 |
4β2 |
1β5 |
β |
0β6 |
0β6 |
6β2 |
4β2 |
3β3 |
3β5
|
New York
|
4β2 |
4β3 |
6β1 |
4β2 |
2β4 |
4β3 |
1β5 |
6β0 |
β |
4β3 |
5β1 |
3β3 |
5β1 |
6β0
|
Philadelphia
|
5β1 |
4β2 |
2β5 |
5β1 |
4β3 |
4β3 |
5β1 |
6β0 |
3β4 |
β |
5β1 |
4β2 |
2β4 |
6β0
|
Phoenix
|
0β6 |
0β6 |
0β6 |
2β4 |
2β4 |
2β4 |
0β6 |
2β6 |
1β5 |
1β5 |
β |
1β7 |
2β4 |
3β3
|
San Diego
|
4β3 |
1β5 |
2β4 |
3β3 |
4β2 |
3β3 |
0β7 |
2β4 |
3β3 |
2β4 |
7β1 |
β |
3β3 |
3β3
|
San Francisco
|
3β4 |
3β3 |
3β3 |
3β4 |
3β3 |
4β2 |
3β4 |
3β3 |
1β5 |
4β2 |
4β2 |
3β3 |
β |
4β3
|
Seattle
|
2β4 |
2β4 |
3β3 |
3β4 |
3β3 |
2β4 |
1β5 |
5β3 |
0β6 |
0β6 |
3β3 |
3β3 |
3β4 |
β
|
Game logβ»
1968β69 game log
|
# |
Date |
Opponent |
Score |
High points |
Record
|
1 |
October 15 |
Chicago |
100β96 |
Cazzie Russell (29) |
0β1
|
2 |
October 19 |
Los Angeles |
118β96 |
Walt Bellamy (22) |
0β2
|
3 |
October 22 |
Philadelphia |
114β117 |
Cazzie Russell (27) |
1β2
|
4 |
October 23 |
@ Milwaukee |
114β112 |
Willis Reed (23) |
2β2
|
5 |
October 24 |
@ Phoenix |
92β109 |
Willis Reed (24) |
2β3
|
6 |
October 26 |
Cincinnati |
92β98 |
Cazzie Russell (26) |
3β3
|
7 |
October 29 |
San Francisco |
97β110 |
Cazzie Russell (24) |
4β3
|
8 |
October 30 |
@ Cincinnati |
114β118 |
Willis Reed (21) |
4β4
|
9 |
November 1 |
Baltimore |
119β103 |
Howard Komives (24) |
4β5
|
10 |
November 2 |
@ Detroit |
104β112 |
Willis Reed (34) |
4β6
|
11 |
November 3 |
@ Seattle |
122β108 |
Cazzie Russell (35) |
5β6
|
12 |
November 5 |
@ San Diego |
109β113 |
Cazzie Russell (26) |
5β7
|
13 |
November 6 |
@ San Francisco |
93β94 |
Cazzie Russell (18) |
5β8
|
14 |
November 8 |
@ Los Angeles |
100β102 |
Barnett, Reed (22) |
5β9
|
15 |
November 10 |
@ Los Angeles |
109β130 |
Dick Barnett (26) |
5β10
|
16 |
November 14 |
Cincinnati |
110β101 |
Cazzie Russell (28) |
5β11
|
17 |
November 16 |
Chicago |
97β119 |
Cazzie Russell (24) |
6β11
|
18 |
November 19 |
San Diego |
113β107 |
Dick Barnett (22) |
6β12
|
19 |
November 20 |
@ Atlanta |
106β111 |
Dick Barnett (26) |
6β13
|
20 |
November 22 |
N Chicago |
114β107 |
Cazzie Russell (23) |
7β13
|
21 |
November 23 |
Boston |
100β111 |
Walt Bellamy (29) |
8β13
|
22 |
November 26 |
Los Angeles |
100β104 |
Walt Frazier (21) |
9β13
|
23 |
November 27 |
@ Boston |
117β131 |
Walt Bellamy (22) |
9β14
|
24 |
November 30 |
Detroit |
108β120 |
Walt Bellamy (32) |
10β14
|
25 |
December 3 |
Atlanta |
93β126 |
Dick Barnett (24) |
11β14
|
26 |
December 4 |
@ Atlanta |
121β113 |
Cazzie Russell (26) |
12β14
|
27 |
December 7 |
Milwaukee |
113β119 |
Cazzie Russell (26) |
13β14
|
28 |
December 8 |
N Cincinnati |
115β120 |
Dick Barnett (27) |
13β15
|
29 |
December 10 |
Phoenix |
106β111 |
Willis Reed (35) |
14β15
|
30 |
December 11 |
@ Baltimore |
110β118 |
Dick Barnett (31) |
14β16
|
31 |
December 13 |
@ Chicago |
94β83 |
Dick Barnett (22) |
15β16
|
32 |
December 14 |
San Diego |
105β112 |
Cazzie Russell (25) |
16β16
|
33 |
December 15 |
@ Philadelphia |
104β110 |
Cazzie Russell (25) |
16β17
|
34 |
December 17 |
San Francisco |
99β114 |
Walt Bellamy (24) |
17β17
|
35 |
December 18 |
@ Boston |
104β98 |
Barnett, Reed (24) |
18β17
|
36 |
December 20 |
@ Detroit |
135β87 |
Dave DeBusschere (21) |
19β17
|
37 |
December 21 |
Seattle |
105β131 |
Cazzie Russell (27) |
20β17
|
38 |
December 25 |
Philadelphia |
109β110 |
Willis Reed (25) |
21β17
|
39 |
December 27 |
@ San Diego |
111β109 |
Russell, Reed (23) |
22β17
|
40 |
December 28 |
@ Seattle |
111β108 |
Willis Reed (26) |
23β17
|
41 |
December 29 |
N Seattle |
112β120 |
Willis Reed (34) |
24β17
|
42 |
December 31 |
Baltimore |
110β121 |
Willis Reed (39) |
25β17
|
43 |
January 4 |
Detroit |
103β111 |
Cazzie Russell (23) |
26β17
|
44 |
January 7 |
@ Chicago |
101β102 |
Willis Reed (28) |
26β18
|
45 |
January 8 |
@ Milwaukee |
115β101 |
Willis Reed (25) |
27β18
|
46 |
January 9 |
@ Phoenix |
134β120 |
Willis Reed (34) |
28β18
|
47 |
January 11 |
@ San Francisco |
85β77 |
Willis Reed (22) |
29β18
|
48 |
January 12 |
@ San Diego |
105β102 |
Willis Reed (36) |
30β18
|
49 |
January 17 |
N Seattle |
94β114 |
Walt Frazier (27) |
31β18
|
50 |
January 18 |
N Milwaukee |
117β109 |
Cazzie Russell (41) |
32β18
|
51 |
January 19 |
@ Atlanta |
96β100 |
Walt Frazier (25) |
32β19
|
52 |
January 21 |
Seattle |
106β113 |
Willis Reed (27) |
33β19
|
53 |
January 22 |
@ Philadelphia |
137β140 (2OT) |
Willis Reed (37) |
33β20
|
54 |
January 24 |
@ Detroit |
106β107 |
Dick Barnett (34) |
33β21
|
55 |
January 25 |
Milwaukee |
96β113 |
Willis Reed (29) |
34β21
|
56 |
January 28 |
Philadelphia |
88β121 |
Willis Reed (30) |
35β21
|
57 |
January 30 |
@ Baltimore |
109β106 |
Walt Frazier (28) |
36β21
|
58 |
February 1 |
Boston |
82β109 |
Bill Bradley (28) |
37β21
|
59 |
February 2 |
@ Boston |
95β94 |
Dick Barnett (24) |
38β21
|
60 |
February 4 |
Atlanta |
97β122 |
Bill Bradley (25) |
39β21
|
61 |
February 5 |
@ Milwaukee |
111β102 |
Willis Reed (24) |
40β21
|
62 |
February 7 |
@ Chicago |
105β98 |
Willis Reed (31) |
41β21
|
63 |
February 8 |
Baltimore |
100β106 |
Dick Barnett (32) |
42β21
|
64 |
February 12 |
Phoenix |
105β112 |
Willis Reed (28) |
43β21
|
65 |
February 15 |
San Francisco |
92β98 |
Walt Frazier (24) |
44β21
|
66 |
February 18 |
Los Angeles |
113β109 |
Walt Frazier (30) |
44β22
|
67 |
February 19 |
@ Cincinnati |
100β110 |
Walt Frazier (27) |
44β23
|
68 |
February 22 |
San Diego |
108β104 |
Walt Frazier (30) |
44β24
|
69 |
February 25 |
Atlanta |
101β122 |
Willis Reed (33) |
45β24
|
70 |
February 26 |
@ Boston |
92β88 |
Walt Frazier (28) |
46β24
|
71 |
March 1 |
Boston |
96β115 |
Willis Reed (30) |
47β24
|
72 |
March 4 |
Detroit |
99β102 |
Dave DeBusschere (21) |
48β24
|
73 |
March 5 |
@ Detroit |
120β128 |
Dave DeBusschere (26) |
48β25
|
74 |
March 7 |
N Phoenix |
87β119 |
Bradley, Frazier (24) |
49β25
|
75 |
March 9 |
@ Philadelphia |
101β110 |
Willis Reed (27) |
49β26
|
76 |
March 11 |
Philadelphia |
101β121 |
Dave DeBusschere (38) |
50β26
|
77 |
March 12 |
@ Baltimore |
110β111 |
Dick Barnett (28) |
50β27
|
78 |
March 15 |
Cincinnati |
108β121 |
Willis Reed (36) |
51β27
|
79 |
March 19 |
Baltimore |
100β104 |
Willis Reed (37) |
52β27
|
80 |
March 21 |
@ Phoenix |
139β104 |
DeBusschere, Frazier (24) |
53β27
|
81 |
March 22 |
@ San Francisco |
117β90 |
Dick Barnett (35) |
54β27
|
82 |
March 23 |
@ Los Angeles |
111β128 |
Willis Reed (26) |
54β28
|
Playoffsβ»
1969 playoff game log
|
Division semifinals: 4β0 (home: 2β0; road: 2β0)
|
Division finals: 2β4 (home: 2β1; road: 0β3)
|
1969 schedule
|
Awards and recordsβ»
Referencesβ»
- ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 331. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 330. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ "New York Knickerbockers Franchise Index". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on April 24, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ "1968β69 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ "1968β69 New York Knicks Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ "1968 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ Araton, pp. 87β88.
- ^ Araton, pp. 86, 90.
- ^ "1968β69 New York Knicks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ Araton, pp. 95, 104.
- ^ Araton, p. 95.
- ^ Araton, pp. 97β98.
- ^ "1968 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
- ^ "All-NBA & All-ABA Teams". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- ^ "NBA & ABA All-Defensive Teams". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
Bibliographyβ»
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