The 1967–68 New York Knicks season was the 22nd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team also hosted the 1968 NBA All-Star Game at the old Madison Square Garden.
Walt Frazier joined the Knicks' roster in time for the 1967–68 season, having been selected by the team in the first round of the 1967 NBA draft. Bill Bradley also made his Knicks debut in 1967.Araton, p. 61. New York had an early season six-game losing streak and stood at 15–22 on December 27. The Knicks then replaced their head coach, hiring Red Holzman to fill the position.Araton, p. 69. To begin 1968, they won six consecutive games and reached 33–33 by mid-February. With a 28–17 record in Holzman's 45 games as coach, the Knicks reached the playoffs.Araton, p. 73. The Knicks and 76ers split the first four games of their playoff series, before Philadelphia won games five and six to end New York's season.
The season was also significant for the Knicks' move to the new Madison Square Garden. Their final game in the previous Garden was on February 10, a 115–97 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. They would then host their first game at the new Garden on February 14, a 114–102 win against the expansion San Diego Rockets.Hahn, p. 74.
In the regular season, the Knicks finished in third place in the Eastern Division with a 43–39 record, qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the second consecutive season. New York lost its opening round series to the 76ers, four games to two. Willis Reed scored 20.6 points per game and had 13.2 rebounds per game, leading the Knicks in both categories; Frazier had a team-high 4.1 assists per game.
Draft picks
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. Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 5 Walt Frazier G Southern Illinois 2 17 Phil Jackson F/C North Dakota 3 24 Gary Gregor F/C South Carolina 12 128 Mike Riordan F Providence
Regular season
Season standings
Game log 1967–68 game log # Date Opponent Score High points Record 1 October 17 San Francisco 122–124 Cazzie Russell (23) 1–0 2 October 18 @ Baltimore 98–121 Barnett, Reed (22) 1–1 3 October 21 Los Angeles 114–106 Willis Reed (30) 1–2 4 October 24 St. Louis 135–130 (OT) Willis Reed (32) 1–3 5 October 25 @ Philadelphia 114–117 Willis Reed (24) 1–4 6 October 28 Detroit 111–98 Willis Reed (27) 1–5 7 October 31 @ San Francisco 103–108 Dick Barnett (19) 1–6 8 November 1 @ Los Angeles 129–113 Willis Reed (53) 2–6 9 November 3 @ Seattle 134–100 Willis Reed (24) 3–6 10 November 4 @ San Diego 125–121 Barnett, Russell (23) 4–6 11 November 5 @ San Diego 115–107 Dick Barnett (22) 5–6 12 November 8 @ Detroit 108–110 Willis Reed (28) 5–7 13 November 9 Cincinnati 106–123 Walt Bellamy (30) 6–7 14 November 11 Boston 105–110 Cazzie Russell (24) 7–7 15 November 14 San Diego 109–122 Willis Reed (27) 8–7 16 November 15 N San Diego 122–108 Dick Barnett (18) 8–8 17 November 18 Baltimore 101–93 Cazzie Russell (20) 8–9 18 November 21 Chicago 123–125 (2OT) Walt Bellamy (26) 9–9 19 November 22 @ Cincinnati 122–123 Cazzie Russell (29) 9–10 20 November 23 N Chicago 96–106 Dick Barnett (26) 9–11 21 November 25 Seattle 110–111 Willis Reed (26) 10–11 22 November 28 Philadelphia 110–108 Dick Barnett (32) 10–12 23 November 29 @ Cincinnati 119–99 Willis Reed (18) 11–12 24 December 1 @ Chicago 100–102 Willis Reed (27) 11–13 25 December 2 Los Angeles 122–106 Willis Reed (23) 11–14 26 December 5 Baltimore 117–148 Walt Bellamy (28) 12–14 27 December 6 @ Boston 113–115 Reed, Russell (25) 12–15 28 December 8 @ Philadelphia 109–117 Dick Barnett (26) 12–16 29 December 9 Detroit 124–121 Dick Barnett (32) 12–17 30 December 12 St. Louis 145–142 (2OT) Barnett, Bellamy (25) 12–18 31 December 13 @ Detroit 117–129 Walt Bellamy (27) 12–19 32 December 16 San Diego 102–126 Walt Bellamy (31) 13–19 33 December 19 Cincinnati 118–133 Willis Reed (29) 14–19 34 December 20 @ Los Angeles 138–131 Willis Reed (33) 15–19 35 December 22 @ Seattle 108–120 Dick Barnett (20) 15–20 36 December 25 Boston 134–124 Walt Bellamy (30) 15–21 37 December 26 N Seattle 137–135 Willis Reed (28) 15–22 38 December 27 Philadelphia 114–105 Walt Bellamy (27) 15–23 39 December 29 Los Angeles 126–115 Dick Barnett (23) 15–24 40 January 2 Cincinnati 125–119 Dick Barnett (30) 15–25 41 January 3 @ Philadelphia 129–115 Barnett, Bellamy (30) 16–25 42 January 5 N Chicago 121–99 Dick Van Arsdale (30) 17–25 43 January 6 Detroit 101–118 Walt Bellamy (32) 18–25 44 January 8 @ Seattle 119–113 Walt Bellamy (27) 19–25 45 January 9 @ San Diego 118–105 Willis Reed (24) 20–25 46 January 10 @ Los Angeles 115–101 Willis Reed (30) 21–25 47 January 12 @ San Francisco 117–127 Barnett, Reed (30) 21–26 48 January 15 N Seattle 129–113 Bellamy, Russell (20) 21–27 49 January 17 @ Baltimore 111–109 Cazzie Russell (30) 22–27 50 January 19 @ Boston 114–120 Dick Barnett (31) 22–28 51 January 21 @ Detroit 115–103 Cazzie Russell (42) 23–28 52 January 25 @ Chicago 126–118 Cazzie Russell (31) 24–28 53 January 26 @ St. Louis 94–103 Cazzie Russell (31) 24–29 54 January 28 San Francisco 130–133 Cazzie Russell (26) 25–29 55 January 30 Baltimore 134–131 Dick Barnett (26) 25–30 56 January 31 @ Cincinnati 128–126 (OT) Walt Bellamy (23) 26–30 57 February 1 N Chicago 112–103 Walt Bellamy (25) 27–30 58 February 3 Boston 112–108 Dick Van Arsdale (23) 27–31 59 February 4 @ Boston 110–108 Walt Frazier (27) 28–31 60 February 6 St. Louis 100–121 Barnett, Bellamy (21) 29–31 61 February 7 @ Baltimore 114–111 Walt Bellamy (32) 30–31 62 February 9 @ St. Louis 111–121 Walt Bellamy (23) 30–32 63 February 10 Philadelphia 97–115 Walt Bellamy (24) 31–32 64 February 14 San Diego 102–114 Dick Barnett (26) 32–32 65 February 16 N Cincinnati 91–125 Willis Reed (16) 32–33 66 February 17 Seattle 111–134 Phil Jackson (24) 33–33 67 February 20 San Francisco 112–115 (OT) Dick Barnett (32) 34–33 68 February 24 Chicago 101–109 Cazzie Russell (22) 35–33 69 February 25 @ Detroit 124–115 Cazzie Russell (38) 36–33 70 February 27 St. Louis 108–102 Dick Barnett (22) 36–34 71 February 28 @ Baltimore 126–122 Willis Reed (28) 37–34 72 February 29 N St. Louis 105–102 (OT) Willis Reed (28) 37–35 73 March 2 Detroit 107–133 Cazzie Russell (30) 38–35 74 March 5 Boston 113–91 Dick Barnett (20) 38–36 75 March 6 @ Boston 91–103 Cazzie Russell (24) 38–37 76 March 10 Philadelphia 119–108 Willis Reed (22) 38–38 77 March 12 Baltimore 104–107 Willis Reed (30) 39–38 78 March 13 @ Philadelphia 130–120 Willis Reed (32) 40–38 79 March 15 @ Los Angeles 112–123 Willis Reed (26) 40–39 80 March 17 @ San Francisco 130–104 Walt Bellamy (26) 41–39 81 March 18 @ San Francisco 123–118 Willis Reed (29) 42–39 82 March 20 Cincinnati 106–108 Howard Komives (21) 43–39
Playoffs
| 1 | March 22 | @ Philadelphia | L 110–118 | Willis Reed (38) | Willis Reed (23) | Dick Van Arsdale (8) | Spectrum5,093 | 0–1 |- | 2 | March 23 | Philadelphia | W 128–117 | Walt Bellamy (26) | Walt Bellamy (17) | Walt Frazier (7) | Madison Square Garden IV15,911 | 1–1 |- | 3 | March 27 | @ Philadelphia | L 132–138 (2OT) | Cazzie Russell (40) | Walt Bellamy (19) | Walt Frazier (9) | Spectrum6,951 | 1–2 |- | 4 | March 30 | Philadelphia | W 107–98 | Walt Bellamy (28) | Walt Bellamy (13) | Howard Komives (8) | Madison Square Garden IV18,262 | 2–2 |- | 5 | March 31 | @ Philadelphia | L 105–123 | Cazzie Russell (31) | Walt Bellamy (10) | Howard Komives (5) | Spectrum6,979 | 2–3 |- | 6 | April 1 | Philadelphia | L 97–113 | Bellamy, Barnett (19) | Walt Bellamy (22) | Howard Komives (6) | Madison Square Garden IV18,014 | 2–4
Awards and records Willis Reed, All-NBA Second Team Walt Frazier, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team Phil Jackson, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team
References
Bibliography