Just a Little Light

Following a Game 1 win in the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, the Celtics were thoroughly outplayed by Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers, losing three straight to the team that snapped their championship streak the year before. Game 5 in Philadelphia looked bleak as the Sixers led at halftime, 57-56. However, Bill Russell and the Celtics roared back and outscored the 76ers by 19 in the second half to stay alive, winning the game 122-104. Russell scored eight points, grabbed 24 rebounds and, most importantly, kept Chamberlain in check. “It was our best defensive game of the season,” according to Russell. The Celtics would win the final two games at Boston Garden and advance to the 1968 NBA Finals, where the World Champions defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.