1961–62 Boston Celtics season
Appearance
1961–62 Boston Celtics season | |
---|---|
NBA champions | |
Division champions | |
Head coach | Red Auerbach |
Arena | Boston Garden |
Results | |
Record | 60–20 (.750) |
Place | Division: 1st (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–3) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WHDH-TV |
Radio | WHDH |
The 1961–62 NBA season was the Celtics' 16th season in the NBA. The Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to claim their fifth NBA Championship. They set new records with the most games won and the first NBA team to post 60 wins. Three years later, the Celtics would break this record with 62 wins in 1964–65 season.
Offseason
[edit]NBA draft
[edit]The 1961 NBA draft took place on March 27, 1961.
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 | Gary Phillips | Guard | ![]() |
Houston |
2 | 17 | Al Butler | Guard | ![]() |
Niagara |
Roster
[edit].
Regular season
[edit]Season standings
[edit]W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
x-Boston Celtics | 60 | 20 | .750 | – | 23–5 | 26–12 | 11–3 | 26–10 |
x-Philadelphia Warriors | 49 | 31 | .613 | 11 | 18–11 | 19–19 | 12–1 | 18–18 |
x-Syracuse Nationals | 41 | 39 | .513 | 19 | 18–10 | 11–19 | 12–10 | 17–19 |
New York Knicks | 29 | 51 | .363 | 31 | 19–15 | 2–23 | 8–13 | 11–25 |
Record vs. opponents
[edit]1961-62 NBA Records | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | BOS | CHI | CIN | DET | LAL | NYK | PHI | STL | SYR |
Boston | — | 9–1 | 7–1 | 5–3 | 6–3 | 8–4 | 8–4 | 7–2 | 10–2 |
Chicago | 1–9 | — | 1–9 | 3–7 | 2–8 | 6–4 | 0–10 | 4–6 | 1–9 |
Cincinnati | 1–7 | 9–1 | — | 6–6 | 5–7 | 5–4 | 3–5 | 9–3 | 5–4 |
Detroit | 3–5 | 7–3 | 6–6 | — | 4–8 | 5–4 | 1–7 | 7–5 | 4–5 |
Los Angeles | 3–6 | 8–2 | 7–5 | 8–4 | — | 6–2 | 6–3 | 10–2 | 6–2 |
New York | 4–8 | 4–6 | 4–5 | 4–5 | 2–6 | — | 4–8 | 4–4 | 3–9 |
Philadelphia | 4–8 | 10–0 | 5–3 | 7–1 | 3–6 | 8–4 | — | 6–3 | 6–6 |
St. Louis | 2–7 | 6–4 | 3–9 | 5–7 | 2–10 | 4–4 | 3–6 | — | 4–4 |
Syracuse | 2–10 | 9–1 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 2–6 | 9–3 | 6–6 | 4–4 | — |
Game log
[edit]1961–62 Game log | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
1 | October 21 | Detroit | 102–137 | Tom Heinsohn (26) | 1–0 | |||||
2 | October 28 | New York | 102–132 | Tom Heinsohn (19) | 2–0 | |||||
3 | November 3 | @ Philadelphia | 112–98 | Bob Cousy (27) | 3–0 | |||||
4 | November 4 | Syracuse | 107–127 | Bob Cousy (23) | 4–0 | |||||
5 | November 9 | N Detroit | 116–110 | Bill Russell (28) | 4–1 | |||||
6 | November 11 | Philadelphia | 125–128 | Bill Russell (28) | 5–1 | |||||
7 | November 12 | @ Chicago | 112–96 | Bill Russell (28) | 6–1 | |||||
8 | November 14 | @ St. Louis | 119–117 | Bill Russell (35) | 7–1 | |||||
9 | November 16 | @ Cincinnati | 127–121 | Tom Heinsohn (29) | 8–1 | |||||
10 | November 17 | @ New York | 104–100 | Bill Russell (25) | 9–1 | |||||
11 | November 18 | Los Angeles | 103–101 | Tom Heinsohn (26) | 9–2 | |||||
12 | November 22 | St. Louis | 121–141 | Heinsohn, Sanders (22) | 10–2 | |||||
13 | November 23 | @ Philadelphia | 119–106 | Tom Heinsohn (31) | 11–2 | |||||
14 | November 25 | New York | 96–116 | Frank Ramsey (26) | 12–2 | |||||
15 | November 26 | @ Detroit | 107–101 | Sam Jones (28) | 13–2 | |||||
16 | November 28 | N Detroit | 108–116 | Bob Cousy (27) | 14–2 | |||||
17 | November 30 | N Cincinnati | 133–130 | Tom Heinsohn (31) | 14–3 | |||||
18 | December 1 | Chicago | 121–140 | Bill Russell (26) | 15–3 | |||||
19 | December 3 | @ Cincinnati | 119–96 | Bill Russell (23) | 16–3 | |||||
20 | December 6 | N Cincinnati | 102–103 | Bill Russell (28) | 17–3 | |||||
21 | December 8 | Syracuse | 111–123 | Tom Heinsohn (30) | 18–3 | |||||
22 | December 9 | @ Syracuse | 106–102 | Sam Jones (30) | 19–3 | |||||
23 | December 13 | Philadelphia | 113–123 | Sam Jones (35) | 20–3 | |||||
24 | December 14 | N Chicago | 108–123 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 21–3 | |||||
25 | December 16 | St. Louis | 113–130 | Bill Russell (25) | 22–3 | |||||
26 | December 17 | @ New York | 117–109 | Sam Jones (30) | 23–3 | |||||
27 | December 19 | @ Los Angeles | 101–104 | Sam Jones (26) | 23–4 | |||||
28 | December 21 | N New York | 103–122 | Satch Sanders (23) | 24–4 | |||||
29 | December 23 | New York | 111–122 | Bill Russell (31) | 25–4 | |||||
30 | December 25 | @ Syracuse | 127–122 | Tom Heinsohn (45) | 26–4 | |||||
31 | December 26 | Los Angeles | 117–129 | Bob Cousy (26) | 27–4 | |||||
32 | December 28 | @ St. Louis | 117–109 | Sam Jones (26) | 28–4 | |||||
33 | December 29 | @ New York | 100–110 | Bob Cousy (20) | 28–5 | |||||
34 | December 30 | @ Philadelphia | 116–111 | Sam Jones (36) | 29–5 | |||||
35 | January 2 | N St. Louis | 99–136 | Tom Heinsohn (25) | 30–5 | |||||
36 | January 3 | @ Detroit | 103–112 | Tom Heinsohn (23) | 30–6 | |||||
37 | January 5 | @ Cincinnati | 124–103 | Tom Heinsohn (31) | 31–6 | |||||
38 | January 7 | @ Los Angeles | 118–95 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 32–6 | |||||
39 | January 10 | @ Chicago | 90–103 | Bob Cousy (21) | 32–7 | |||||
40 | January 12 | Cincinnati | 125–141 | Tom Heinsohn (32) | 33–7 | |||||
41 | January 13 | N Syracuse | 127–117 | Tom Heinsohn (23) | 33–8 | |||||
42 | January 14 | Philadelphia | 136–145 | Sam Jones (30) | 34–8 | |||||
43 | January 17 | @ Detroit | 126–116 | Sam Jones (33) | 35–8 | |||||
44 | January 19 | Syracuse | 103–128 | Bill Russell (24) | 36–8 | |||||
45 | January 20 | @ Syracuse | 107–101 | Bill Russell (24) | 37–8 | |||||
46 | January 21 | Detroit | 124–120 | Tom Heinsohn (43) | 37–9 | |||||
47 | January 23 | N Los Angeles | 103–118 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 38–9 | |||||
48 | January 24 | St. Louis | 135–123 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 38–10 | |||||
49 | January 26 | @ New York | 121–129 | Frank Ramsey (38) | 38–11 | |||||
50 | January 27 | @ Philadelphia | 106–131 | Satch Sanders (24) | 38–12 | |||||
51 | January 28 | Philadelphia | 133–129 (OT) | Tom Heinsohn (31) | 38–13 | |||||
52 | January 31 | @ Chicago | 122–115 | Bob Cousy (27) | 39–13 | |||||
53 | February 1 | N Los Angeles | 115–130 | Sam Jones (22) | 40–13 | |||||
54 | February 2 | Cincinnati | 124–143 | Tom Heinsohn (24) | 41–13 | |||||
55 | February 4 | New York | 114–130 | Frank Ramsey (24) | 42–13 | |||||
56 | February 5 | @ Chicago | 127–111 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 43–13 | |||||
57 | February 6 | @ St. Louis | 129–114 | Heinsohn, S. Jones (24) | 44–13 | |||||
58 | February 8 | @ Syracuse | 110–122 | Sam Jones (26) | 44–14 | |||||
59 | February 9 | Philadelphia | 126–124 | Heinsohn, S. Jones (23) | 44–15 | |||||
60 | February 10 | @ Philadelphia | 106–107 | Sam Jones (21) | 44–16 | |||||
61 | February 11 | Chicago | 115–148 | Tom Heinsohn (42) | 45–16 | |||||
62 | February 13 | N Chicago | 117–138 | Tom Heinsohn (30) | 46–16 | |||||
63 | February 14 | @ New York | 112–125 | Bob Cousy (26) | 46–17 | |||||
64 | February 16 | N New York | 104–127 | Bob Cousy (28) | 47–17 | |||||
65 | February 18 | @ Los Angeles | 99–125 | Frank Ramsey (19) | 47–18 | |||||
66 | February 20 | @ Los Angeles | 115–96 | Satch Sanders (26) | 48–18 | |||||
67 | February 22 | N Syracuse | 106–134 | Bob Cousy (32) | 49–18 | |||||
68 | February 23 | Syracuse | 107–121 | Tom Heinsohn (31) | 50–18 | |||||
69 | February 24 | @ Philadelphia | 109–86 | Bob Cousy (22) | 51–18 | |||||
70 | February 25 | @ Syracuse | 110–106 | Bill Russell (23) | 52–18 | |||||
71 | February 27 | N Chicago | 100–115 | Heinsohn, Russell (20) | 53–18 | |||||
72 | February 28 | @ Cincinnati | 129–123 (OT) | Frank Ramsey (30) | 54–18 | |||||
73 | March 2 | @ St. Louis | 120–138 | Tom Heinsohn (22) | 54–19 | |||||
74 | March 4 | St. Louis | 120–123 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 55–19 | |||||
75 | March 6 | @ New York | 106–113 | Tom Heinsohn (30) | 55–20 | |||||
76 | March 7 | Philadelphia | 102–153 | Sam Jones (23) | 56–20 | |||||
77 | March 8 | @ Chicago | 108–102 | Bill Russell (27) | 57–20 | |||||
78 | March 9 | @ Detroit | 130–111 | Tom Heinsohn (32) | 58–20 | |||||
79 | March 11 | Los Angeles | 105–119 | Sam Jones (20) | 59–20 | |||||
80 | March 13 | Syracuse | 110–142 | Satch Sanders (30) | 60–20 |
Playoffs
[edit]Awards and honors
[edit]- Bill Russell, NBA Most Valuable Player
- Bill Russell, All-NBA Second team
- Bob Cousy, All-NBA Second team
- Tom Heinsohn, All-NBA Second team