1958 NBA Finals
 1958 NBA champions banner at State Farm Arena | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Dates | March 29–April 12 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hall of Famers | Celtics: Bill Russell (as a player and coach) Andy Phillip Arnie Risen Tom Heinsohn (as a player and coach) Bob Cousy Frank Ramsey Sam Jones Bill Sharman (as a player and coach) Hawks: Slater Martin Ed Macauley Cliff Hagan Bob Pettit Coaches: Alex Hannum Red Auerbach | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Celtics defeated Warriors, 4–1 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Hawks defeated Pistons, 4–1 | |||||||||
The 1958 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series for the 1957–58 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks against the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. The Hawks won the series in six games to win the franchise's first and only NBA title. This was the last Finals until 1967 that was not won by the Celtics, and the last until 1971 that was won by the Western Division or Conference.
Recap
[edit]After being defeated by the Celtics in Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals, St. Louis survived a sometimes difficult 1957-58 NBA season en route to winning the Western Division crown with a 41–31 record. The Celtics, meanwhile, had dominated the Eastern Division with a 49–23 record.[1] This was the third meeting between teams from Boston and St. Louis for a major professional sports championship.[2]
The Hawks upset the Celtics (with a healthy Russell) in Game 1 at the Boston Garden, 104–102.[3] Boston struck back with a wipeout in Game 2, 136–112.[4] In St. Louis, the Hawks prevailed 111–108 in Game 3 when Russell severely sprained his ankle.[5][1] Without Russell, the Celtics evened the series with a 109-98 surprise victory in Game 4.[6] St. Louis forced a 102–100 win in Game 5 in Boston to take the series lead.[7][1]
Back home in Kiel Auditorium on April 12, the Hawks weren't about to miss their opportunity to defeat the defending champions. Pettit turned in a spectacular performance. He scored 31 points in the first three quarters, then zoomed off in the final period, nailing 19 of his team's last 21 points. His last two points, on a tip-in with 15 seconds remaining, put the Hawks ahead 110–107. The Celtics scored one final bucket but could do no more. The Hawks finally had a title, 110–109.[1] Pettit had scored 50 points, including 18 of the Hawks' final 21 points in propelling the Hawks to the championship.[8] Pettit's 50 points set a new Finals record for most scored by a player in a series-clinching game, a record that would finally be tied by Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021
Most observers[who?] figured that the Celtics probably would have won the 1958 title if Russell had not suffered his ankle injury in game 3.[1] Auerbach, however, found no comfort in that opinion. "You can always look for excuses," he said. "We just got beat."[1]
Series summary
[edit]| Game | Date | Home team | Result | Road team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | March 29 | Boston Celtics | 102–104 (0–1) | St. Louis Hawks |
| Game 2 | March 30 | Boston Celtics | 136–112 (1–1) | St. Louis Hawks |
| Game 3 | April 2 | St. Louis Hawks | 111–108 (2–1) | Boston Celtics |
| Game 4 | April 5 | St. Louis Hawks | 98–109 (2–2) | Boston Celtics |
| Game 5 | April 9 | Boston Celtics | 100–102 (2–3) | St. Louis Hawks |
| Game 6 | April 12 | St. Louis Hawks | 110–109 (4–2) | Boston Celtics |
Hawks win series 4–2
Team rosters
[edit]St. Louis Hawks
[edit]Boston Celtics
[edit]Game summaries
[edit]Game 1
[edit]March 29
|
| St. Louis Hawks 104, Boston Celtics 102 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 42–30, 21–30, 24–19 | ||
| Pts: Cliff Hagan 33 Rebs: Bob Pettit 19 Asts: Jack McMahon 5 |
Pts: Bob Cousy 27 Rebs: Bill Russell 29 Asts: Bob Cousy 5 | |
| St. Louis leads the series, 1–0 | ||
Game 2
[edit]March 30
|
| St. Louis Hawks 112, Boston Celtics 136 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–33, 35–35, 28–38, 24–30 | ||
| Pts: Cliff Hagan 37 Rebs: Cliff Hagan 12 Asts: Hagan, Pettit, McMahon 3 |
Pts: Bob Cousy 25 Rebs: Bill Russell 27 Asts: Bob Cousy 10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Referees: Rudolph, Heft |
Game 3
[edit]April 12
|
| Boston Celtics 108, St. Louis Hawks 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 24–26, 26–34, 33–28 | ||
| Pts: Frank Ramsey 29 Rebs: Bill Russell 13 Asts: Bob Cousy 7 |
Pts: Bob Pettit 32 Rebs: Bob Pettit 19 Asts: Jack McMahon 7 | |
| St. Louis leads the series, 2–1 | ||
Game 4
[edit]April 5
|
| Boston Celtics 109, St. Louis Hawks 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–16, 32–35, 27–20, 25–27 | ||
| Pts: Bob Cousy 24 Rebs: Cousy, Ramsey, Heinsohn 13 each Asts: Bob Cousy 10 |
Pts: Cliff Hagan 27 Rebs: Bob Pettit 17 Asts: Wilfong Share 9 each | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri
Referees: Heft, Rudolph |
Game 5
[edit]April 9
|
| St. Louis Hawks 102, Boston Celtics 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 32–25, 26–27, 18–30 | ||
| Pts: Bob Pettit 33 Rebs: Bob Pettit 21 Asts: Slater Martin 5 |
Pts: Frank Ramsey 30 Rebs: Frank Ramsey 20 Asts: Bob Cousy 5 | |
| St. Louis leads the series, 3–2 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Referees: Rudolph, Heft |
Game 6
[edit]April 12
|
| Boston Celtics 108, St. Louis Hawks 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–22, 34–35, 25–21, 32–32 | ||
| Pts: Bill Sharman 26 Rebs: Arnie Risen 13 Asts: Bob Cousy 9 |
Pts: Bob Pettit 50 Rebs: Bob Pettit 19 | |
| St. Louis wins the NBA Finals, 4–2 | ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "NBA.com: Pettit Drops 50 on Celtics in Game 6". NBA.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2007.
- ^ Flores Jr., Johnny (May 21, 2019). "Boston & St. Louis meet for 11th time, only two to meet in NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL finals". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
- ^ "St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 29, 1958".
- ^ "St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 30, 1958".
- ^ "Boston Celtics at St. Louis Hawks Box Score, April 2, 1958".
- ^ "Boston Celtics at St. Louis Hawks Box Score, April 5, 1958".
- ^ "St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 9, 1958".
- ^ "Boston Celtics at St. Louis Hawks Box Score, April 12, 1958".
- 1957-58 NBA Season Summary, basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
External links
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