1969 ABA Playoffs

1969 ABA playoffs

Tournament details
Dates	April 5 – May 7, 1969
Season	1968–69
Teams	8
Final positions
Champions	Oakland Oaks (1st title)
Runner-up	New Orleans Buccaneers
Semifinalists	Miami Floridians Indiana Pacers

The 1969 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1968–69 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Oakland Oaks defeating the Eastern Division champion Indiana Pacers, four games to one in the ABA Finals. Warren Jabali of the Oaks was named the Playoff MVP.

Notable events

The Oakland Oaks won the ABA championship after finishing with the league's best record during the regular season (60–18, .769). The Pittsburgh Pipers had accomplished the same feat the year prior.

Rick Barry, now eligible to play for the Oaks after being forced to sit out the previous season, averaged 34.0 points during the regular season. However, Barry only played 35 regular season games before injuring a knee and missing the playoffs.

The Oaks, like the Pittsburgh Pipers before them, did not play in the following season as the same team. The Oakland Oaks became the Washington Caps for the 1969–1970 ABA season; the Pittsburgh Pipers had become the Minnesota Pipers after winning the ABA championship the prior season.

The Oaks' 60–18 (.769) record in this season was the best in ABA history until the Kentucky Colonels finished the 1971–1972 season with a record of 68–16 (.810), a record that was never surpassed.

Warren Jabali of Oakland was the Most Valuable Player of the ABA playoffs.

Bracket

	Division Semifinals					Division Finals					ABA Finals
	1	Oakland Oaks	4
	3	Denver Rockets	3
						1	Oakland Oaks	4
	Western Division
						2	New Orleans Bucs	0
	4	Dallas Chaparrals	3
	2	New Orleans Buccaneers	4
											W1	Oakland Oaks	4
											E1	Indiana Pacers	1
	1	Indiana Pacers	4
	3	Kentucky Colonels	3
						1	Indiana Pacers	4
	Eastern Division
						2	Miami Floridians	1
	4	Minnesota Pipers	3
	2	Miami Floridians	4

Western Division

Champion: Oakland Oaks

Division Semifinals

(1) Oakland Oaks vs. (3) Denver Rockets: Oaks win series 4-3

• Game 1 @ Oakland: Oakland 129, Denver 99
• Game 2 @ Oakland: Denver 122, Oakland 119
• Game 3 @ Denver: Oakland 121, Denver 99
• Game 4 @ Denver: Denver 109, Oakland 108
• Game 5 @ Oakland: Oakland 128, Denver 118
• Game 6 @ Denver: Denver 126, Oakland 115
• Game 7 @ Oakland: Oakland 115, Denver 102

(2) New Orleans Buccaneers vs. (4) Dallas Chaparrals: Bucs win series 4-3

• Game 1 @ New Orleans: New Orleans 129, Dallas 106
• Game 2 @ New Orleans: New Orleans 122, Dallas 108
• Game 3 @ Dallas: Dallas 130, New Orleans 106
• Game 4 @ Dallas: New Orleans 114, Dallas 107
• Game 5 @ New Orleans: Dallas 123, New Orleans 112
• Game 6 @ Dallas: Dallas 136, New Orleans 118
• Game 7 @ New Orleans: New Orleans 101, Dallas 95

Division Finals

(1) Oakland Oaks vs. (2) New Orleans Buccaneers: Oaks win series 4-0

• Game 1 @ Oakland: Oakland 128, New Orleans 118
• Game 2 @ Oakland: Oakland 135, New Orleans 124
• Game 3 @ New Orleans: Oakland 113, New Orleans 107
• Game 4 @ New Orleans: Oakland 128, New Orleans 114

Eastern Division

Champion: Indiana Pacers

Division Semifinals

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (3) Kentucky Colonels: Pacers win series 4-3

• Game 1 @ Indiana: Kentucky 128, Indiana 118
• Game 2 @ Indiana: Indiana 120, Kentucky 115
• Game 3 @ Kentucky: Kentucky 130, Indiana 111
• Game 4 @ Kentucky: Kentucky 105, Indiana 104 (OT)
• Game 5 @ Indiana: Indiana 116, Kentucky 97
• Game 6 @ Kentucky: Indiana 107, Kentucky 89
• Game 7 @ Indiana: Indiana 120, Kentucky 111

(2) Miami Floridians vs. (4) Minnesota Pipers: Floridians win series 4-3

• Game 1 @ Miami: Miami 119, Minnesota 110
• Game 2 @ Miami: Minnesota 106, Miami 99
• Game 3 @ Minnesota: Minnesota 109, Miami 93
• Game 4 @ Minnesota: Miami 116, Minnesota 109
• Game 5 @ Miami: Miami 122, Minnesota 107
• Game 6 @ Minnesota: Minnesota 105, Miami 100
• Game 7 @ Miami: Miami 137, Minnesota 128

Division Finals

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (2) Miami Floridians: Pacers win series 4-1

• Game 1 @ Indiana: Indiana 126, Miami 110
• Game 2 @ Indiana: Indiana 131, Miami 116
• Game 3 @ Miami: Indiana 119, Miami 105
• Game 4 @ Miami: Miami 114, Indiana 110
• Game 5 @ Indiana: Indiana 127, Miami 105

ABA Finals: (1) Oakland Oaks vs. (1) Indiana Pacers

April 30

Box score

Indiana Pacers 85, Oakland Oaks 89
Scoring by quarter: 32–36, 28–28, 20–28, 34–31
Pts: Bob Netolicky 33 Rebs: Mel Daniels 18 Asts: Tom Thacker 4		Pts: Gary Bradds 40 Rebs: Gary Bradds 17 Asts: Larry Brown 9
Oakland leads series, 1–0

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 3,290

May 2

Box score

Indiana Pacers 150, Oakland Oaks 122
Scoring by quarter: 133–32, 40–18, 36–35, 41–37
Pts: Roger Brown 39 Rebs: Bob Netolicky 15 Asts: Bobby Hooper 7		Pts: Warren Jabali 31 Rebs: Warren Jabali 15 Asts: Larry Brown 5
Series tied, 1–1

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 4,171

May 3

Box score

Oakland Oaks 134, Indiana Pacers 126 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 33–27, 33–31, 26–30, Overtime: 16–8
Pts: Warren Jabali 37 Rebs: Ira Harge 22 Asts: Larry Brown 8		Pts: Brown, Daniels each Rebs: Bob Netolicky 19 Asts: Freddie Lewis 9
Oakland leads series, 2–1

Indiana State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 8,467

May 5

Box score

Oakland Oaks 144, Indiana Pacers 117
Scoring by quarter: 33–22, 36–37, 41–21, 34–37
Pts: Warren Jabali 30 Rebs: Gary Bradds 19 Asts: Larry Brown 7		Pts: John Fairchild 18 Rebs: Netolicky, Daniels 9 each Asts: Bobby Hooper 11
Oakland leads series, 3–1

Indiana State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 7,133

May 7

Box score

Indiana Pacers 131, Oakland Oaks 135 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 30–33, 30–31, 34–27, Overtime: 9–13
Pts: Freddie Lewis 33 Rebs: Mel Daniels 25 Asts: Freddie Lewis 7		Pts: Warren Jabali 39 Rebs: Ira Harge 14 Asts: Larry Brown 7
Oakland wins series, 4–1

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 6,340

Statistical leaders

Category	Total			Average
	Player	Team	Total	Player	Team	Avg.	Games played
Points	Warren Jabali	Oakland Oaks	460	Jimmy Jones	New Orleans Buccaneers	30.2	11
Rebounds	Mel Daniels	Indiana Pacers	237	Red Robbins	New Orleans Buccaneers	15.9	15
Assists	Larry Brown	Oakland Oaks	87	Larry Brown	Oakland Oaks	5.4	11

Total leaders

Points Warren Jabali - 460 Roger Brown - 459 Freddie Lewis - 409 Bob Netolicky - 383 Mel Daniels - 333 Rebounds Mel Daniels - 237 Bob Netolicky - 214 Warren Jabali - 207 Ira Harge - 192 Red Robbins - 175

Assists Larry Brown - 87 Freddie Lewis - 79 Tom Thacker - 69 Jimmy Jones - 59 Roger Brown - 57 Minutes Freddie Lewis - 727 Bob Netolicky - 702 Roger Brown - 668 Warren Jabali - 662 Doug Moe - 593

External links

• RememberTheABA.com page on 1969 ABA playoffs
• Basketball-Reference.com's 1969 ABA Playoffs page