1968 ABA playoffs

The 1968 ABA playoffs was the postseason tournament following the American Basketball Association's inaugural 1967–68 season, starting on March 23 and ending on May 4. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Pittsburgh Pipers defeating the Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers, four games to three in the ABA Finals.

Notable events

This was the first ABA championship.
The Pittsburgh Pipers won the ABA championship in the playoffs after posting the league's best record during the regular season. The Minnesota Muskies had the league's second best record, but they played in the Eastern Division with the Pipers.
None of the four teams that made it to the Division finals remained as they were during this season throughout the league's entire existence. The Pittsburgh Pipers spent the following season as the Minnesota Pipers, returned to play as the Pittsburgh Pipers the year after that, and then played two seasons as the Pittsburgh Condors before folding in 1972. After three seasons the New Orleans Buccaneers left town and became the Memphis Pros in 1970. The Minnesota Muskies spent the next two seasons as the Miami Floridians and then spent two seasons after that as The Floridians before folding in 1972. The Dallas Chaparrals eventually became the San Antonio Spurs, continuing to this day in the NBA.
The Kentucky Colonels won the last Eastern Division playoff berth in a one-game playoff over the New Jersey Americans by forfeit when the venue chosen by the Americans, Commack Arena, had an unplayable floor.
Connie Hawkins of the Pittsburgh Pipers was the Most Valuable Player of the ABA playoffs.

Bracket

* Division winner

Bold Series winner

Italic Team with home-court advantage

Division Semifinals

Eastern Division Semifinals

(1) Pittsburgh Pipers vs. (3) Indiana Pacers

Pittsburgh won 6–4 in the regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pipers and the Pacers.

(2) Minnesota Muskies vs. (4) Kentucky Colonels

A whopping crowd of less than 900 people saw Minnesota dominate the Colonels for most of the game, having led since breaking a 6-6 tie; they led 65-51 at halftime. The Muskies had a 15-point lead with four minutes remaining before the Colonels chipped it away to five with 1:30 to go before a missed three by Louie Dampier saw the Muskies close it out with late points.

Tied 5–5 in the regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Muskies and the Colonels.

Western Division Semifinals

(1) New Orleans Buccaneers vs. (3) Denver Rockets

Tied 5–5 in the regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Buccaneers and the Rockets.

(2) Dallas Chaparrals vs. (4) Houston Mavericks

In the very first ever ABA playoff game, Jerry Pettway missed a free throw attempt with ten seconds remaining as Dallas held on to win by one point.
Mavericks player-coach Slater Martin got into a shoving match near the end of the game and the police were called, but strangely enough, a foul was not called on Martin as the Chaparrals inched closer to a series victory.
Dallas rode a dominant second quarter to a series victory.

Dallas won 8–2 in the regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Chaparrals and the Mavericks.

Division Finals

Eastern Division Finals

(1) Pittsburgh Pipers vs. (2) Minnesota Muskies

Pittsburgh won 7–4 in the regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

Western Division Finals

(1) New Orleans Buccaneers vs. (2) Dallas Chaparrals

New Orleans won 6–4 in the regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Buccaneers and the Chaparrals.

ABA Finals: (W1) New Orleans Buccaneers vs. (E1) Pittsburgh Pipers

Series summary

Series results

, already named the league MVP, scored 39 points while Charlie Williams scored 26 as Pittsburgh led from the close of the first quarter to the end of the game.
Larry Brown and Jimmy Jones combined for 52 points while playing tight defense to counter Pittsburgh' fast break that saw Connie Hawkins make just one field goal in the first half on the way to an 18-point performance before fouling out late in the third quarter. The Buccaneers eventually pulled away by the last minutes of the third quarter.
Pittsburgh had ten-point leads at the end of each of the first three quarters, but New Orleans rallied late, with Jimmy Jones giving New Orleans the lead for good with a layup to make it 102-101 with 1:19 to go.
New Orleans led for most of the game before Pittsburgh took advantage of foul trouble to rally late to tie the game with three minutes to go before taking a 98–95 lead with 1:15 to go. Larry Brown knocked a 25-foot three-pointer with time expiring to force overtime. Charlie Williams was fouled with one second remaining and made a free throw to provide the Pipers a 106–105 victory.
Due to a torn knee tendon, Connie Hawkins missed the game for the Pipers. Pittsburgh actually led for most of the first three quarters, but the Buccaneers rallied late on the strength of Larry Brown, who scored 13 points in the final eight minutes, which included a free-throw shot with 2:09 to go to give the team a 102-101 lead that they would hold for the rest of the way.
Nursing a knee injury he suffered in Game 4 that saw him taped up extensively, Connie Hawkins led the way in scoring with 41 points to help the team overcome a 72-59 halftime deficit to send the series to a decisive Game 7.
Pittsburgh led by 12 points by halftime and road the hot hand of Charlie Williams for 35 points. Doug Moe rallied the Buccaneers from being down 20 in the third quarter to get within five points three times in the final minute of the game. Moe committed his fifth personal foul and then a double technical that ended the rally as Pittsburgh cruised to a 122-113 victory. This is the only professional basketball championship for the city of Pittsburgh. It is also the closest the city of New Orleans came to a pro championship until Super Bowl XLIV.
Connie Hawkins and Larry Brown would later join the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
In the summer, Minnesota-based lawyer Bill Erickson purchased a majority share of the team and moved the team to Minnesota. A contract dispute involving money requested for the move between the team and head coach Vince Cazzetta led to his resignation. He never coached a basketball game ever again, but he enjoyed the experience of having coached the team to victory, with him often wearing a championship ring in his later years; 37 years to the day of the Game 7 victory, Cazzetta passed away.
The trophy won by the Pipers is held on display at the Heinz History Center; despite their historical impact on the ABA, however, the team is not even mentioned at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series

Statistical leaders

Total leaders

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Minutes