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Actual Result: Wilt wins the title; the Sixers knock off the Celtics in the East Finals, ending their run, and then beat Wilt's old Warrior team in the Finals.
MVP: Wilt Chamberlain
East Semis: Boston Celtics d. New York Knicks (3-1)
Philadelphia 76ers d. Cincinnati Royals (3-1)
West Semis: San Francisco Warriors d. Los Angeles Lakers (3-0)
St Louis Hawks d. Chicago Bulls (3-0)
Simulation: Wilt won in both '64 and '65, last year featured the greatest NBA Finals ever with a 7th game buzzer beater to win the Lakers their 6th title. The Lakers are gone, knocked out in the West Semis by the Warriors, who will face the Hawks. In the East - of course it's Celtics v Sixers for the third year in a row.
East Semis (April) Philadelphia 76ers (68-13) v. Boston Celtics (60-21)
West Semis (March/April) San Francisco Warriors (44-37) v. St Louis Hawks (39-42)
East Semis Game One (Philly) Sixers 148 Celtics 128
Philly with the easy game one win. 35 pts and 11 rebounds for Hal Greer, 33 points and 28 rebounds for Wilt Chamberlain. 25 for Wali Jones. Sam Jones scored 34 in the loss. 24 for John Havlicek, 19 rebounds for Bill Russell.
East Semis Game Two (Boston) Sixers 137 Celtics 105
The Sixers blow the Celtics out again; A ridiculous triple double for Wilt, 35 pts, 26 rebounds, 10 assists. 21 for Chet Walker, Hal Greer, and Billy Cunningham. No Celtic scored more than 15 pts. Russell double double.
East Semis Game Three (Philly) Sixers 149 Celtics 133
Philly goes up 3-0 as Wilt drops the hammer on the Celtics. 29 pts, 26 boards for the Dipper. Wali Jones scored 24. 22 pts and 11 rebounds for Luke Jackson. 20 for Chet Walker. John Havlicek scores 24 with 12 rebounds. 23 for Larry Siegfried. 20 rebound game for Bill Russell.
East Semis Game Four (Boston) Sixers 140 Celtics 135
Philly sweeps the Celtics and returns to the NBA Finals they won 2 years prior. 37 pts, 21 rebounds for the series MVP, Wilt Chamberlain. 26 pts, 13 rebounds for Luke Jackson. 25 each for Chet Walker and Hal Greer. 33 for Havlicek in the loss.
West Semis Game One (San Francisco) Warriors 128 Hawks 115
Very different looking Warriors team than the one that won the NBA Title three years prior. 2nd year player Rick Barry scored 29, Nate Thurmond was with that Warriors team, he took over at center when Wilt was dealt away, he gets 22 boards. Bill Bridges goes 20-15 for the Hawks, 21 for Lou Hudson, 20 for Lenny Wilkens and Joe Caldwell.
West Semis Game Two (San Francisco) Hawks 142 Warriors 137
The Hawks get game 2 and head to St Louis with the series tied at 1. 32 points, 20 rebounds for Zelmo Beaty. 27 for Richie Guerin. 20 points, 20 rebounds for Bill Bridges. 22 for Joe Caldwell. 20 for Lenny Wilkens. Rick Barry scores 44. 26-17 for Thurmond. 20-11 for Jeff Mullins.
West Semis Game Three (St Louis) Warriors 132 Hawks 125
The Warriors take a 2-1 lead. 45 points and 15 rebounds for Barry, just unstoppable. 31 for Jeff Mullins. Double/double for Nate Thurmond and Jim King. Lou Hudson scores 24 for the Hawks, 20-12 for Zelmo Beaty, 22 for Richie Guerin, 20-17 for Bill Bridges.
West Semis Game Four (St Louis) Warriors 121 Hawks 97
The Warriors move a game away from returning to the NBA Finals, and as happened in the real world, squaring off with their former superstar Wilt Chamberlain. Jeff Mullins leads the way here with 31. 20 for Jim King, a double/double for Thurmond in a quiet night for Rick Barry. Lou Hudson had 24 in the loss. Double/double for Zelmo Beaty and Bill Bridges.
West Semis Game Five (San Francisco) Warriors 137 Hawks 114
The simulation matches the real world, it's Warriors/Sixers - the old Philly team v the new Philly team, in the NBA Finals. 43 points for series MVP Rick Barry. 21 and 21 for Thurmond. Lenny Wilkens had 20 in the loss.
NBA FINALS (April) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS v. SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS
The Philadelphia Warriors were the first BAA Champs, the Syracuse Nationals lost the first NBA Finals. The Warriors lost the BAA Finals in '48, won the whole thing in '56. The Nationals lost the Finals in '52 and '54 before winning in '59. The Warriors moved to San Francisco, taking with them perhaps the greatest talent in the history of the sport, Wilt Chamberlain - and they won the NBA Title in '64. The Nationals moved to Philadelphia, becoming the 76ers, and engineered a midseason trade in '65 to bring Chamberlain back home - and then they won the NBA Title that season. They square off here, as happened in the real world, in the 1967 NBA Finals.
76ERS
HC-Alex Hannum
C Wilt Chamberlain (30) MVP, 1st Team All NBA
PF Luke Jackson (25)
SF Chet Walker (26) All Star
PG Wali Jones (24)
SG Hal Greer (30) 2nd Team All NBA
WARRIORS
HC-Bill Sharman
C Nate Thurmond (25) 2nd MVP
PF Tom Meschery (28)
SF Rick Barry (22) 5th MVP, 1st Team All NBA
PG Jeff Mullins (24)
SG Jim King (25)
NBA Finals Game 1 (Philly) Warriors 133 Sixers 122
The Warriors take game 1 on the road. Rick Barry scores 28 - Nate Thurmond, going head to head against his old teammate Wilt, scores 25 with 22 boards. 26 pts for Jeff Mullins. Wilt and Thurmond were 1-2 in the MVP vote this season, he will spend 11 of his 14 NBA seasons with the Warriors. 40 and 17 for Wilt. 21 for Chet Walker.
NBA Finals Game 2 (Philly) Sixers 131 Warriors 125
The series is tied and heading to San Francisco. Wilt triple doubles, 23 pts, 23 rebounds, a dozen assists. 25 points for Hal Greer, Luke Jackson double/double. Rick Barry scores 37 in the loss. Double/double for Thurmond.
NBA Finals Game 3 (San Francisco) Sixers 129 Warriors 111
Philly takes the 2-1 lead. 29 for Hal Greer, he was a rookie on that Nationals team that won it all in '59, 8 years later he's led the Sixers in scoring two straight games. 26 and 25 for Wilt. 22 and 10 for Chet Walker. Rick Barry scores 27 in the loss. Double/double for Thurmond.
NBA Finals Game 4 (San Francisco) Sixers 137 Warriors 127
The Sixers take both games in the Bay, it's now 3-1 with the series headed to Philly for game 5. 46 points and 29 rebounds for Wilt, he's a game from an unprecedented third Finals MVP. 24 for Greer, 20 for Wali Jones. Rick Barry does all he can in the loss, 37 pts. Clyde Lee goes 20-14 and Nate Thurmond double/doubles.
NBA Finals Game 5 (Philly) Warriors 129 Sixers 108
The Warriors had to win game 5 and they do, its now 3-2 Philly. 33 for Barry; after this series, Rick Barry will leave the Warriors for five seasons as he heads to the ABA. 24 and 11 for Jeff Mullins, 20-20 for Thurmond. Wilt goes 32 and 17 in the loss. Double/double for Chet Walker.
NBA Finals Game 6 (San Francisco) Sixers 134 Warriors 124
The Sixers take all 3 games in San Francisco and win the NBA Championship, their second in 3 years. Wilt Chamberlain is the NBA's first 3 time Finals MVP, he gets his second triple double of the series, 31 pts, 25 rebounds, 13 assists. 26 for Hal Greer, 25 for Wali Jones and a double/double for Luke Jackson. 32 for Barry in the defeat.
NBA Finals History
1947 (BAA): Philadelphia Warriors d. Chicago Stags (4-1)
1948 (BAA): Baltimore Bullets d. Philadelphia Warriors (4-2)
1949 (BAA): Minneapolis Lakers d. Washington Capitols (4-2)
1950: Minneapolis Lakers d. Syracuse Nationals (4-2)
1951: Rochester Royals d. New York Knicks (4-3)
1952: Rochester Royals d. Syracuse Nationals (4-3) - MVP: Jack Coleman (PF 27 yrs)
1953: Boston Celtics d. Minneapolis Lakers (4-3) - MVP: Bob Cousy (PG, 24)Back
1954: Minneapolis Lakers d. Syracuse Nationals (4-2) - MVP: George Mikan (C, 29)
1955: Minneapolis Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-3) - MVP: Clyde Lovellette (C, 25)
1956: Philadelphia Warriors d. St Louis Hawks (4-0) - MVP: Neil Johnston (C, 26)
1957: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-2) - MVP Bob Pettit (C, 24)
1958: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-1) - MVP Bob Cousy (PG, 29)
1959: Syracuse Nationals d. Minneapolis Lakers (4-1) - MVP Dolph Schayes (PF, 30)
1950s Playoffs All NBA
1st Team
C George Mikan (Lakers)
F Bob Pettit (Hawks) - Playoff Player of the Decade
F Dolph Schayes (Nationals)
G Bob Cousy (Lakers)
G Bill Sharman (Lakers)
2nd Team
C Bill Russell (Lakers)
F Neil Johnston (Warriors)
F Clyde Lovellette (Lakers)
G Slater Martin (Lakers/Hawks)
G Paul Seymour (Nationals)
1960: St Louis Hawks d. Boston Celtics (4-2) - MVP Bob Pettit (PF, 27)
1961: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-0) - MVP Bill Russell (C, 26)
1962: Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-2) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 27)
1963: Cincinnati Royals d. Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) MVP Oscar Robertson (PG, 24)
1964: San Francisco Warriors d. Cincinnati Royals (4-3) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 27)
1965 Philadelphia 76ers d. Los Angeles Lakers (4-3) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 28)
1966 Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-3) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 31)
1967 Philadelphia 76ers d. San Francisco Warriors (4-2) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 30)
