NBA Playoffs: 10 Biggest Conference/Division Finals Upsets

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10. Boston Celtics over Philadelphia 76ers, 1968

The Philadelphia 76ers had the MVP in Wilt Chamberlain and they were the defending NBA champions, having set a single-season record in 1966-67 with 68 victories.

More than that, however, Chamberlain had finally broken through his personal nemesis, getting his first ring by taking down Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics for the first time. The 76ers win over the Celtics in the previous season’s Eastern Division Finals broke an unfathomable stretch of eight straight NBA titles by Boston.

Bill Russell once again got the best of Wilt Chamberlain in the 1968 Eastern Division Finals. (This photograph is a work for hire created prior to 1968 by a staff photographer at New York World-Telegram & Sun. It is part of a collection donated to the Library of Congress. Per the deed of gift, New York World-Telegram & Sun dedicated to the public all rights it held for the photographs in this collection upon its donation to the Library. Thus, there are no known restrictions on the usage of this photograph.) /

Russell’s Celtics were back for another shot at Wilt’s Sixers, this time with Russell serving a dual role as Boston’s center and head coach.

It was the Celtics who drew first blood in the series, with John Havlicek scoring 35 points, Sam Jones adding 28 and Bailey Howell tossing in 24 in a 127-118 win at Philadelphia’s new home arena, The Spectrum. Chamberlain had 33 for the 76ers, Chet Walker added 31 and Hal Greer had 27, but Philadelphia shot itself in the foot by going just 22-for-45 from the foul line. That Chamberlain was 5-for-11 was no shocker—he was one of the worst free-throw shooters in league history. But Walker was a 73 percent foul shooter during the regular season, so his 9-for-20 night at the line was particularly damaging.

The Sixers struck back at the Boston Garden in Game 2. Wali Jones scored 24 points in Philadelphia’s 115-106 win. The 76ers had seven players in double figures, offsetting Havlicek’s 28 points.

The next night the teams were back at The Spectrum for Game 3 and things went more according to form, with Philadelphia grabbing a 2-1 series lead with a 122-114 win. Greer scored 31 points, Chamberlain and Walker each had 23 and Wali Jones tossed in 20. Havlicek stayed hot with 29 points and Sam Jones added 20 for the Celtics.

Back at the Garden for Game 4, the 76ers grabbed the series by the throat with a 110-105 win and a 3-1 lead. Greer led Philadelphia with 28 points, with Luke Jackson, Walker and Chamberlain each scoring 22. Sam Jones had 25 for Boston and Russell added 24, as the 76ers finally solved Havlicek, holding him to just nine points.

With their backs against the wall the next night at The Spectrum, the Celtics responded as Sam Jones exploded for 37 points and Havlicek chipped in with 29 in Boston’s 122-104 blowout. Chamberlain scored 28 for the Sixers and Greer added 20 before fouling out.

In Game 6 at Boston Garden, the Celtics evened the series with a 114-106 victory. Havlicek led the way with 28 points, Howell had 22 and Sam Jones tossed in 20. Greer had a huge night for the 76ers in a losing cause with a game-high 40 points and Chamberlain had 20, but was 8-for-22 at the line.

That forced a decisive seventh game back at the Spectrum. Sam Jones scored 22 points and Havlicek had 21 as the Celtics completed a dramatic comeback from a 3-1 series deficit with a 100-96 win. Greer had 22 points for Philadelphia, but Chamberlain was limited to just 14 in the crushing loss.

The free-throw line blues doomed the 76ers. Despite attempting a whopping 65 shots from the line in the series, Philadelphia only made 11 more than the Celtics, shooting just 60.4 percent for the series. Chamberlain, a career 50.1 percent free-throw shooter, was the primary offender, going 39-for-92 in the series (42.4 percent).

The Celtics would go on to claim their ninth title in 10 years—their 10th in 12 seasons—by knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.