1966–67 Boston Celtics season

The 1966–67 NBA season was the Boston Celtics' 21st season in the NBA. The Celtics finished the season with a 60–21 record, the second best in the league. However, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals 4 games to 1, thus ending their 8-year streak.^[1]

1966–67 Boston Celtics season
Head coach	Bill Russell
General manager	Red Auerbach
Arena	Boston Garden
Results
Record	60–21 (.741)
Place	Division: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East Division finals (lost to 76ers 1–4)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	WKBG-TV
Radio	WHDH
< 1965–66 1967–68 >

This marked the first of three seasons Bill Russell coached the club—while still a player—stepping in for Red Auerbach who would focus on his expanded role as general manager (he was already the de facto GM by that point).

Draft picks

Main article: 1966 NBA draft

This table only displays picks through the second round.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	8	Jim Barnett	SF/SG	United States	Oregon
2	18	Leon Clark	SF/PF	United States	Wyoming

Roster

Boston Celtics roster

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Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From SG 11 Jim Barnett 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1944-07-07 Oregon C 28 Wayne Embry 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1937-03-26 Miami (OH) SF 17 John Havlicek 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 1940-04-08 Ohio State PF 18 Bailey Howell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1937-01-20 Mississippi State PG 25 K. C. Jones 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1932-05-25 San Francisco SG 24 Sam Jones 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 1933-06-24 North Carolina Central PF 26 Toby Kimball 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1942-09-07 Connecticut SF 19 Don Nelson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1940-05-15 Iowa C 6 Bill Russell 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1934-02-12 San Francisco SF 16 Satch Sanders 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1938-11-08 NYU PG 20 Larry Siegfried 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1939-05-22 Ohio State F 12 Ron Watts 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1943-05-21 Wake Forest

Head coach Bill Russell Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Eastern Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Philadelphia 76ers	68	13	.840	–	28–2	26–8	14–3	28–8
x-Boston Celtics	60	21	.741	8	27–4	25–11	8–6	30–6
x-Cincinnati Royals	39	42	.481	29	20–11	12–24	7–7	14–22
x-New York Knicks	36	45	.444	32	20–15	9–24	7–6	11–25
Baltimore Bullets	20	61	.247	48	12–20	3–30	5–11	7–29

Record vs. opponents

1966-67 NBA Records
Team	BAL	BOS	CHI	CIN	DET	LAL	NYK	PHI	SFW	STL
Baltimore	—	1–8	3–6	3–6	2–7	2–7	2–7	1–8	2–7	4–5
Boston	8–1	—	8–1	8–1	6–3	5–4	9–0	5–4	6–3	5–4
Chicago	6–3	1–8	—	5–4	4–5	6–3	3–6	1–8	3–6	4–5
Cincinnati	6–3	1–8	4–5	—	7–2	3–6	6–3	1–8	5–4	6–3
Detroit	7–2	3–6	5–4	2–7	—	5–4	4–5	0–9	2–7	2–7
Los Angeles	7–2	4–5	3–6	6–3	4–5	—	4–5	1–8	3–6	4–5
New York	7–2	0–9	6–3	3–6	5–4	5–4	—	1–8	5–4	4–5
Philadelphia	8–1	4–5	8–1	8–1	9–0	8–1	8–1	—	7–2	8–1
San Francisco	7–2	3–6	6–3	4–5	7–2	6–3	4–5	2–7	—	5–4
St. Louis	5–4	4–5	5–4	3–6	7–2	5–4	5–4	1–8	4–5	—

Game log

1966–67 game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 15	San Francisco	113–121	Sam Jones (29)	1–0
2	October 21	Baltimore	91–111	John Havlicek (28)	2–0
3	October 22	@ New York	126–97	Sam Jones (27)	3–0
4	October 27	N Chicago	100–123	Bailey Howell (28)	4–0
5	October 29	@ Philadelphia	96–138	Larry Siegfried (24)	4–1
6	November 2	Los Angeles	108–133	John Havlicek (27)	5–1
7	November 3	N Chicago	108–137	Bailey Howell (21)	6–1
8	November 5	Philadelphia	87–105	Havlicek, S. Jones (29)	7–1
9	November 8	@ Chicago	112–101	Bailey Howell (25)	8–1
10	November 10	@ Cincinnati	113–112 (OT)	Bailey Howell (27)	9–1
11	November 11	New York	106–111	Bill Russell (21)	10–1
12	November 12	@ St. Louis	92–115	Havlicek, Howell (14)	10–2
13	November 18	Baltimore	119–143	Sam Jones (27)	11–2
14	November 19	@ Baltimore	147–125	John Havlicek (32)	12–2
15	November 23	St. Louis	103–123	John Havlicek (34)	13–2
16	November 24	@ St. Louis	101–78	Larry Siegfried (24)	14–2
17	November 25	@ Detroit	105–107	Bailey Howell (29)	14–3
18	November 26	Cincinnati	87–118	Don Nelson (24)	15–3
19	November 29	N Detroit	104–100	Bailey Howell (23)	15–4
20	December 2	Detroit	119–116	John Havlicek (32)	15–5
21	December 3	@ New York	120–109	Sam Jones (31)	16–5
22	December 6	N Detroit	111–130	Bailey Howell (26)	17–5
23	December 7	Cincinnati	91–119	John Havlicek (32)	18–5
24	December 9	@ Cincinnati	117–99	Sam Jones (31)	19–5
25	December 10	Chicago	110–125	Sam Jones (25)	20–5
26	December 11	Philadelphia	103–117	John Havlicek (34)	21–5
27	December 15	N St. Louis	116–114	Howell, Russell (22)	21–6
28	December 17	@ San Francisco	118–110	Havlicek, S. Jones (30)	22–6
29	December 18	@ Los Angeles	125–127	John Havlicek (27)	22–7
30	December 20	N Detroit	113–116 (OT)	John Havlicek (32)	23–7
31	December 23	St. Louis	103–114	Sam Jones (32)	24–7
32	December 26	Los Angeles	106–121	John Havlicek (25)	25–7
33	December 28	@ Philadelphia	108–113	Sam Jones (22)	25–8
34	December 29	@ St. Louis	112–110	John Havlicek (21)	26–8
35	December 30	@ Chicago	110–106	Sam Jones (33)	27–8
36	January 1	@ Los Angeles	110–111	Sam Jones (28)	27–9
37	January 3	@ San Francisco	126–121 (OT)	Sam Jones (31)	28–9
38	January 6	@ Los Angeles	99–102	Sam Jones (22)	28–10
39	January 7	@ San Francisco	108–110	Bailey Howell (24)	28–11
40	January 13	Chicago	102–122	Larry Siegfried (24)	29–11
41	January 14	@ Baltimore	115–106	Larry Siegfried (25)	30–11
42	January 15	Philadelphia	110–95	Havlicek, S. Jones (21)	30–12
43	January 17	@ Chicago	109–101	Bailey Howell (30)	31–12
44	January 18	@ Cincinnati	119–106	John Havlicek (20)	32–12
45	January 20	Baltimore	117–129	John Havlicek (33)	33–12
46	January 22	Los Angeles	120–121 (OT)	Sam Jones (31)	34–12
47	January 24	@ Philadelphia	118–106	Sam Jones (38)	35–12
48	January 25	@ Detroit	112–105	Sam Jones (30)	36–12
49	January 27	Detroit	106–112	Sam Jones (26)	37–12
50	January 28	@ New York	114–112	Bailey Howell (25)	38–12
51	January 29	New York	106–141	Bailey Howell (32)	39–12
52	January 30	N San Francisco	108–121	Sam Jones (32)	40–12
53	February 1	@ Baltimore	111–107	Sam Jones (29)	41–12
54	February 3	St. Louis	131–113	John Havlicek (27)	41–13
55	February 5	Cincinnati	121–137	Sam Jones (26)	42–13
56	February 7	N Cincinnati	123–138	Bailey Howell (28)	43–13
57	February 9	N Baltimore	124–128	Bailey Howell (26)	43–14
58	February 10	San Francisco	136–137 (2OT)	John Havlicek (28)	44–14
59	February 12	Philadelphia	112–113	John Havlicek (33)	45–14
60	February 14	N San Francisco	128–122	John Havlicek (32)	45–15
61	February 15	@ Los Angeles	114–124	John Havlicek (24)	45–16
62	February 17	@ Los Angeles	120–119	Larry Siegfried (32)	46–16
63	February 18	N San Francisco	130–124	John Havlicek (29)	46–17
64	February 21	@ New York	143–114	Sam Jones (27)	47–17
65	February 22	@ Baltimore	135–120	Sam Jones (42)	48–17
66	February 23	New York	117–122	Howell, Siegfried (28)	49–17
67	February 26	@ St. Louis	130–119	Sam Jones (39)	50–17
68	March 1	San Francisco	125–137	John Havlicek (36)	51–17
69	March 2	N Chicago	108–114	Sam Jones (33)	52–17
70	March 3	Cincinnati	104–111	Larry Siegfried (29)	53–17
71	March 5	Los Angeles	105–130	Sam Jones (22)	54–17
72	March 6	N Detroit	103–127	Bailey Howell (38)	55–17
73	March 7	@ Chicago	114–117	Larry Siegfried (24)	55–18
74	March 8	Philadelphia	115–113 (OT)	Sam Jones (20)	55–19
75	March 11	@ Philadelphia	116–114	Sam Jones (26)	56–19
76	March 12	Baltimore	118–123	Bailey Howell (30)	57–19
77	March 13	N St. Louis	123–122	Bailey Howell (24)	57–20
78	March 15	@ Cincinnati	108–112	John Havlicek (30)	57–21
79	March 16	@ Detroit	132–109	Bailey Howell (37)	58–21
80	March 18	@ New York	140–123	Bailey Howell (34)	59–21
81	March 19	New York	113–124	Sam Jones (29)	60–21

Playoffs

1967 playoff game log
Division semifinals: 3–1 (home: 1–1; road: 2–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 March 21 New York W 140–110 Sam Jones (38) Bill Russell (23) Bill Russell (8) Boston Garden 8,632 1–0 2 March 25 @ New York W 115–108 Sam Jones (26) Bill Russell (18) Larry Siegfried (8) Madison Square Garden III 10,009 2–0 3 March 26 New York L 112–123 John Havlicek (29) Bill Russell (24) K. C. Jones (5) Boston Garden 10,738 2–1 4 March 28 @ New York W 118–109 Sam Jones (51) Bill Russell (16) K. C. Jones (7) Madison Square Garden III 17,173 3–1
Division finals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 March 31 @ Philadelphia L 113–127 Sam Jones (24) Bill Russell (15) Sam Jones (12) Philadelphia Convention Hall 9,239 0–1 2 April 2 Philadelphia L 102–107 John Havlicek (26) Bill Russell (24) K. C. Jones (7) Boston Garden 13,909 0–2 3 April 5 @ Philadelphia L 104–115 John Havlicek (33) Bill Russell (29) Bill Russell (9) Philadelphia Convention Hall 13,007 0–3 4 April 9 Philadelphia W 121–117 Sam Jones (32) Bill Russell (28) Larry Siegfried (11) Boston Garden 13,909 1–3 5 April 11 @ Philadelphia L 116–140 John Havlicek (38) Bill Russell (21) Larry Siegfried (8) Philadelphia Convention Hall 13,007 1–4
1967 schedule

Awards and records

• Bill Russell, All-NBA Second Team
• Sam Jones, All-NBA Second Team