1967–68 New Orleans Buccaneers season
| 1967–68 New Orleans Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Babe McCarthy |
| Arena | Loyola Field House |
| Results | |
| Record | 48–30 (.615) |
| Place | Division: 1st |
| Playoff finish | Lost in ABA Finals |
The 1967–68 New Orleans Buccaneers season was the 1st season of the ABA and of the Buccaneers. The Pipers finished first in the Western Division, going all the way to the ABA Finals.[1]
In the Western Division semifinals, the Bucs beat the Denver Rockets in five games. In the Division Finals, they won three straight over the Dallas Chaparrals to win the series in five games. In the ABA Finals, the Bucs and the Pittsburgh Pipers split the six games of the series (with a Game 6 loss at home) that set up a pivotal Game 7 in Pittsburgh. The Pipers won the game and the Finals 122–113.
Roster
- 24 Jesse Branson – Small forward
- 11 Larry Brown – Point guard
- 23 John Comeaux – Forward
- 31 John Dickson – Center
- 25 Gerald Govan – Center
- 15 Jimmy Jones – Shooting guard
- 22 Leland Mitchell – Shooting guard
- 34 Doug Moe – Small forward
- 32 Jackie Moreland – Power forward
- 12 Marlbert Pradd – Shooting guard
- 21 Red Robbins – Center
- 14 Red Stroud – Guard
- 23 Ron Widby – Forward
Final standings
Western Division
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Buccaneers | 48 | 30 | .615 | – |
| Dallas Chaparrals | 46 | 32 | .590 | 2 |
| Denver Rockets | 45 | 33 | .577 | 3 |
| Houston Mavericks | 29 | 49 | .372 | 19 |
| Anaheim Amigos | 25 | 53 | .321 | 23 |
| Oakland Oaks | 22 | 56 | .282 | 26 |
Playoffs
Western Division Semifinals[2]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | March 26 | New Orleans | 130–104 | 1–0 | 3,111 |
| 2 | March 27 | New Orleans | 105–93 | 2–0 | 3,622 |
| 3 | March 30 | Denver | 98–105 | 1–2 | 3,678 |
| 4 | March 31 | Denver | 100–108 | 2–2 | 3,485 |
| 5 | April 3 | New Orleans | 102–97 | 3–2 | 4,500 |
Western Division Finals
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 5 | New Orleans | 104–99 | 1–0 | 3,332 |
| 2 | April 9 | New Orleans | 109–112 | 1–1 | 5,287 |
| 3 | April 10 | Dallas | 110–107 | 2–1 | 4,825 |
| 4 | April 11 | Dallas | 119–103 | 3–1 | 3,623 |
| 5 | April 13 | New Orleans | 108–107 | 4–1 | 4,614 |
ABA Finals[2]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 18 | Pittsburgh | 112–120 | 0–1 | 2,665 |
| 2 | April 20 | Pittsburgh | 109–100 | 1–1 | 3,877 |
| 3 | April 24 | New Orleans | 109–101 | 2–1 | 6,300 |
| 4 | April 25 | New Orleans | 105–106 (OT) | 2–2 | 7,000 |
| 5 | April 27 | Pittsburgh | 111–108 | 3–2 | 3,347 |
| 6 | May 1 | New Orleans | 112–118 | 3–3 | 7,200 |
| 7 | May 4 | Pittsburgh | 113–122 | 3–4 | 11,457 |
Bucs lose series, 4–3
Awards, records, and honors
1968 ABA All-Star Game played on January 9, 1968
Brown (7-of-9 for 17 points) was named All–Star MVP.