This article needs additional citations for
verification. (June 2015) |
1967β68 Pittsburgh Pipers season | |
---|---|
Division champions | |
Head coach | Vince Cazzetta |
Arena | Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
Results | |
Record | 54–24 (.692) |
Place | Division: 1st |
Playoff finish | Won ABA Championship |
The 1967β68 Pittsburgh Pipers season was the 1st season of the ABA. The Pipers finished first in the Eastern Division and won their first and only ABA title. [1]
In the Eastern Division semifinals, the Pipers swept the Indiana Pacers in three games. In the Eastern Division Finals, the Pipers eliminated the Minnesota Muskies, in five games. The Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers appeared in the ABA Championships for the first time and were defeated by the Pipers in seven games. The Pipers would soon move to Minnesota for the next season, only to return a year later. Plaguing injuries nagged the team for the rest of their brief tenure in Pittsburgh, as they would disband in 1972, only four years after winning the title. The Pipers hold a legacy as the first ABA champion along with Pittsburgh's only professional basketball champion.
Bold indicates player was on final roster when team won championship.
Western Division | W | L | PCT. | GB |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh Pipers | 54 | 24 | .692 | β |
Minnesota Muskies | 45 | 39 | .641 | 4 |
Indiana Pacers | 38 | 40 | .487 | 16 |
Kentucky Colonels | 36 | 46 | .462 | 18 |
New Jersey Americans | 36 | 46 | .462 | 18 |
1967-68 ABA Records | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ANA | DAL | DEN | HOU | IND | KEN | MIN | NJA | NOB | OAK | PIT |
Anaheim | β | 2β8 | 3β7 | 6β3 | 2β4 | 0β6 | 1β5 | 2β4 | 2β7 | 6β4 | 1β5 |
Dallas | 8β2 | β | 4β5 | 8β2 | 3β3 | 5β1 | 2β4 | 3β3 | 4β6 | 7β2 | 2β4 |
Denver | 7β3 | 5β4 | β | 6β3 | 4β2 | 2β4 | 2β4 | 5β1 | 5β5 | 7β3 | 2β4 |
Houston | 3β6 | 2β8 | 3β6 | β | 3β3 | 3β3 | 3β3 | 3β3 | 0β10 | 7β3 | 2β4 |
Indiana | 4β2 | 3β3 | 2β4 | 3β3 | β | 6β5 | 3β8 | 6β4 | 3β3 | 4β2 | 4β6 |
Kentucky | 6β0 | 1β5 | 4β2 | 3β3 | 5β6 | β | 5β5 | 4β7 | 2β4 | 3β3 | 3β7 |
Minnesota | 5β1 | 4β2 | 4β2 | 3β3 | 8β3 | 5β5 | β | 7β3 | 5β1 | 5β1 | 4β7 |
New Jersey | 4β2 | 3β3 | 1β5 | 3β3 | 4β6 | 7β4 | 3β7 | β | 3β3 | 5β1 | 3β8 |
New Orleans | 7β2 | 6β4 | 5β5 | 10β0 | 3β3 | 4β2 | 1β5 | 3β3 | β | 6β3 | 3β3 |
Oakland | 4β6 | 2β7 | 3β7 | 3β7 | 2β4 | 3β3 | 1β5 | 1β5 | 3β6 | β | 0β6 |
Pittsburgh | 5β1 | 4β2 | 4β2 | 4β2 | 6β4 | 7β3 | 7β4 | 8β3 | 3β3 | 6β0 | β |
Eastern Division Semifinals [3]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | March 25 | Pittsburgh | 146β127 | 1β0 | 2,189 |
2 | March 26 | Pittsburgh | 121β108 | 2β0 | 3,684 |
3 | March 27 | Indiana | 133β114 | 3β0 | 3,141 |
Pipers win series, 3β0
Division Finals [3]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | April 4 | Pittsburgh | 125β117 | 1β0 | 3,159 |
2 | April 6 | Pittsburgh | 123β137 | 1β1 | 2,123 |
3 | April 10 | Minnesota | 107β99 | 2β1 | 8,357 |
4 | April 13 | Minnesota | 117β108 | 3β1 | 3,787 |
5 | April 14 | Pittsburgh | 114β105 | 4β1 | 3,350 |
Pipers win series, 4β1
ABA Finals [3]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | April 18 | Pittsburgh | 120β112 | 1β0 | 2,665 |
2 | April 20 | Pittsburgh | 100β109 | 1β1 | 3,877 |
3 | April 24 | New Orleans | 101β109 | 1β2 | 6,300 |
4 | April 25 | New Orleans | 106β105 (OT) | 2β2 | 7,000 |
5 | April 27 | Pittsburgh | 108β111 | 2β3 | 3,347 |
6 | May 1 | New Orleans | 118β112 | 3β3 | 7,200 |
7 | May 4 | Pittsburgh | 122β113 | 4β3 | 11,457 |
Pipers win series, 4β3
In six out of the 15 playoff games he played, Hawkins was the lead scorer. As such, he was named Playoffs MVP. Hawkins would be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. As it turned out, this would be his only championship.
This article needs additional citations for
verification. (June 2015) |
1967β68 Pittsburgh Pipers season | |
---|---|
Division champions | |
Head coach | Vince Cazzetta |
Arena | Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
Results | |
Record | 54–24 (.692) |
Place | Division: 1st |
Playoff finish | Won ABA Championship |
The 1967β68 Pittsburgh Pipers season was the 1st season of the ABA. The Pipers finished first in the Eastern Division and won their first and only ABA title. [1]
In the Eastern Division semifinals, the Pipers swept the Indiana Pacers in three games. In the Eastern Division Finals, the Pipers eliminated the Minnesota Muskies, in five games. The Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers appeared in the ABA Championships for the first time and were defeated by the Pipers in seven games. The Pipers would soon move to Minnesota for the next season, only to return a year later. Plaguing injuries nagged the team for the rest of their brief tenure in Pittsburgh, as they would disband in 1972, only four years after winning the title. The Pipers hold a legacy as the first ABA champion along with Pittsburgh's only professional basketball champion.
Bold indicates player was on final roster when team won championship.
Western Division | W | L | PCT. | GB |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh Pipers | 54 | 24 | .692 | β |
Minnesota Muskies | 45 | 39 | .641 | 4 |
Indiana Pacers | 38 | 40 | .487 | 16 |
Kentucky Colonels | 36 | 46 | .462 | 18 |
New Jersey Americans | 36 | 46 | .462 | 18 |
1967-68 ABA Records | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ANA | DAL | DEN | HOU | IND | KEN | MIN | NJA | NOB | OAK | PIT |
Anaheim | β | 2β8 | 3β7 | 6β3 | 2β4 | 0β6 | 1β5 | 2β4 | 2β7 | 6β4 | 1β5 |
Dallas | 8β2 | β | 4β5 | 8β2 | 3β3 | 5β1 | 2β4 | 3β3 | 4β6 | 7β2 | 2β4 |
Denver | 7β3 | 5β4 | β | 6β3 | 4β2 | 2β4 | 2β4 | 5β1 | 5β5 | 7β3 | 2β4 |
Houston | 3β6 | 2β8 | 3β6 | β | 3β3 | 3β3 | 3β3 | 3β3 | 0β10 | 7β3 | 2β4 |
Indiana | 4β2 | 3β3 | 2β4 | 3β3 | β | 6β5 | 3β8 | 6β4 | 3β3 | 4β2 | 4β6 |
Kentucky | 6β0 | 1β5 | 4β2 | 3β3 | 5β6 | β | 5β5 | 4β7 | 2β4 | 3β3 | 3β7 |
Minnesota | 5β1 | 4β2 | 4β2 | 3β3 | 8β3 | 5β5 | β | 7β3 | 5β1 | 5β1 | 4β7 |
New Jersey | 4β2 | 3β3 | 1β5 | 3β3 | 4β6 | 7β4 | 3β7 | β | 3β3 | 5β1 | 3β8 |
New Orleans | 7β2 | 6β4 | 5β5 | 10β0 | 3β3 | 4β2 | 1β5 | 3β3 | β | 6β3 | 3β3 |
Oakland | 4β6 | 2β7 | 3β7 | 3β7 | 2β4 | 3β3 | 1β5 | 1β5 | 3β6 | β | 0β6 |
Pittsburgh | 5β1 | 4β2 | 4β2 | 4β2 | 6β4 | 7β3 | 7β4 | 8β3 | 3β3 | 6β0 | β |
Eastern Division Semifinals [3]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | March 25 | Pittsburgh | 146β127 | 1β0 | 2,189 |
2 | March 26 | Pittsburgh | 121β108 | 2β0 | 3,684 |
3 | March 27 | Indiana | 133β114 | 3β0 | 3,141 |
Pipers win series, 3β0
Division Finals [3]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | April 4 | Pittsburgh | 125β117 | 1β0 | 3,159 |
2 | April 6 | Pittsburgh | 123β137 | 1β1 | 2,123 |
3 | April 10 | Minnesota | 107β99 | 2β1 | 8,357 |
4 | April 13 | Minnesota | 117β108 | 3β1 | 3,787 |
5 | April 14 | Pittsburgh | 114β105 | 4β1 | 3,350 |
Pipers win series, 4β1
ABA Finals [3]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | April 18 | Pittsburgh | 120β112 | 1β0 | 2,665 |
2 | April 20 | Pittsburgh | 100β109 | 1β1 | 3,877 |
3 | April 24 | New Orleans | 101β109 | 1β2 | 6,300 |
4 | April 25 | New Orleans | 106β105 (OT) | 2β2 | 7,000 |
5 | April 27 | Pittsburgh | 108β111 | 2β3 | 3,347 |
6 | May 1 | New Orleans | 118β112 | 3β3 | 7,200 |
7 | May 4 | Pittsburgh | 122β113 | 4β3 | 11,457 |
Pipers win series, 4β3
In six out of the 15 playoff games he played, Hawkins was the lead scorer. As such, he was named Playoffs MVP. Hawkins would be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. As it turned out, this would be his only championship.