1961–62 Boston Celtics season

1961–62 Boston Celtics season
NBA champions
Division champions
Head coachRed Auerbach
ArenaBoston Garden
Results
Record60–20 (.750)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA Champions
(Defeated Lakers 4–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWHDH-TV
RadioWHDH
< 1960–61 1962–63 >

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

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NBA draft

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The 1961 NBA draft took place on March 27, 1961.

Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 9 Gary Phillips Guard  United States Houston
2 17 Al Butler Guard  United States Niagara

Roster

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.

Regular season

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Season standings

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Eastern Division
 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

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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

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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

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1962 playoff game log
Division Finals: 4–3 (home: 4–0; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 24 Philadelphia W 117–89 Sam Jones (20) Bill Russell (30) Bob Cousy (8) Boston Garden 1–0
2 March 27 @ Philadelphia L 106–113 Tom Heinsohn (24) Bill Russell (20) Bill Russell (6) Philadelphia Civic Center 1–1
3 March 28 Philadelphia W 129–114 Russell, Heinsohn (31) Bill Russell (31) Bob Cousy (10) Boston Garden 2–1
4 March 31 @ Philadelphia L 106–110 Bill Russell (31) Bill Russell (30) Bob Cousy (10) Philadelphia Civic Center 2–2
5 April 1 Philadelphia W 119–104 Bill Russell (29) Bill Russell (26) Russell, S. Jones (7) Boston Garden 3–2
6 April 3 @ Philadelphia L 99–109 Heinsohn, Cousy (22) Bill Russell (22) Bob Cousy (12) Philadelphia Civic Center 3–3
7 April 5 Philadelphia W 109–107 Sam Jones (28) Bill Russell (22) K. C. Jones (10) Boston Garden 4–3
NBA Finals: 4–3 (home: 2–2; road: 2–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 7 Los Angeles W 122–108 Sam Jones (24) Bill Russell (28) Bob Cousy (7) Boston Garden
7,467 		1–0
2 April 8 Los Angeles L 122–129 Tom Heinsohn (27) Bill Russell (23) Bob Cousy (11) Boston Garden
12,364 		1–1
3 April 10 @ Los Angeles L 115–117 Bill Russell (26) Bill Russell (32) Bob Cousy (8) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
15,180 		1–2
4 April 11 @ Los Angeles W 115–103 Bill Russell (21) Bill Russell (22) Bob Cousy (13) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
15,104 		2–2
5 April 14 Los Angeles L 121–126 Tom Heinsohn (30) Bill Russell (29) Bob Cousy (10) Boston Garden
13,909 		2–3
6 April 16 @ Los Angeles W 119–105 Sam Jones (35) Bill Russell (24) Bill Russell (10) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
14,030 		3–3
7 April 18 Los Angeles W 110–107 (OT) Bill Russell (30) Bill Russell (40) Bob Cousy (9) Boston Garden
13,909 		4–3
1962 schedule

Awards and honors

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  • Bill Russell, NBA Most Valuable Player
  • Bill Russell, All-NBA Second team
  • Bob Cousy, All-NBA Second team
  • Tom Heinsohn, All-NBA Second team

References

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