Actual Result: The Celtics return after a year sabbatical and resume their place as NBA Champions, beating, of course, the Lakers.
MVP: Wilt Chamberlain
East Semis: Boston Celtics d. Detroit Pistons (4-2)
Philadelphia 76ers d. New York Knicks (4-2)
West Semis: Los Angeles Lakers d. Chicago Bulls (4-1)
San Francisco Warriors d. St Louis Hawks (4-2)
Simulation: It's now 7 years since the Celtics last championship, but they're in the East Finals, taking on the defending champion Sixers for the 4th straight season. In the West, it's Lakers v. Warriors.
East Finals (April) Philadelphia 76ers (62-20) v. Boston Celtics (54-28)
West Finals (April) Los Angeles Lakers (52-30) v. San Francisco Warriors (43-39)
East Finals Game 1 (Philly) Celtics 128 Sixers 109
4th straight East Finals between the Celtics and Sixers; Boston takes game 1 with John Havlicek scoring 34. 22 for Sam Jones, a double/double for Bill Russell. Wilt goes 20-20 in the defeat.
East Finals Game 2 (Boston) Sixers 122 Celtics 120
Sixers led by 2 as the 4th started. 2 minutes and 5 Havlicek points later the lead was 1. After a 3 pt play from Sam Jones Boston had a 1 pt lead with 8 to play. 6 left - Celtics by 2. Luke Jackson hit a baseline jumper with 4 to play and the score was tied. Jackson hit a 14 footer with 2 to play, the score remained tied. Wali Jones from the top of the key, Sixers by 2, 1:44 left. Larry Siegfried 2 FT, tied with 41 seconds left. Chet Walker hits a driving twisting layup and the Sixers led with 27 seconds to play. Sam Jones 12 footer with 9 seconds left. Tied. At the buzzer - Hal Greer sweet stroke from 18 feet and the Sixers tie the series. Wilt Chamberlain with the first quadruple double in playoff history, 30 pts, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, 11 blocks. The greatest player of all time. 25 for Greer including that game winner. Havlicek scored 32. Russell went 21-29. 23 and 10 for Bailey Howell. Sam Jones with 24.
East Finals Game 3 (Philly) Celtics 127 Sixers 118
The road teams win the first 3 games of the series. Sam Jones leads the way for Boston with 33. Double/double for Havlicek and Russell. Wilt goes 33-22 in the loss. 21-12 for Walker.
East Finals Game 4 (Boston) Celtics 136 Sixers 111
Boston wins the home blowout and goes up 3-1, they are a game from returning to the NBA Finals. Wayne Embry leads in scoring with 26 off the bench, 20 for Sam Jones, 20 rebounds for Russell. 22 apiece for Greer and Jones, double/double for Wilt, Jackson, Walker.
East Finals Game 5 (Philly) Celtics 131 Sixers 122
The Celtics and Sixers have split the last 4 Eastern Finals, this one goes to Boston and they head back to the NBA Championship. 33 pts, 14 rebounds for Havlicek and he's the series MVP. 21-17 for Russell and 20-12 for Bailey Howell. 26 pts, 10 assists for Sam Jones. Wilt nearly has a quadruple double in the loss. 26 pts, 21 boards, 10 assists - 9 blocks.
West Finals Game 1 (LA) Warriors 132 Lakers 127
Nate Thurmond is out with a knee injury and will miss the postseason; Rick Barry is gone, but that doesn't stop the Warriors from taking game one on the road. Jeff Mullins scores 31. 29 for Rudy LaRusso, 21-15 for Clyde Lee. 22 for Fred Hetzel. Elgin Baylor has a monster game, 40 pts, 18 rebounds. 29 for Jerry West, 20 for Archie Clark,
West Finals Game 2 (LA) Lakers 122 Warriors 120
The Warriors scored 11 in the last 30 seconds but the comeback attempt falls short, 36 for West, 23-22 for Baylor. Double/double for Mel Counts. Fred Hetzel scores 34 in the loss. 27 for LaRusso, double/double for Lee.
West Finals Game 3 (San Francisco) Lakers 131 Warriors 116
The Lakers take game 3 and move ahead 2-1 in the series. 35 and 11 for Jerry West. 21-20 for Elgin Baylor. Double/double for Mel Counts. Jeff Mullins scores 27 in the loss. Bob Warlick gets 22. Double/double for Rudy LaRusso and Bill Turner.
West Finals Game 4 (San Francisco) Lakers 129 Warriors 127 (OT)
The Lakers have won 3 straight and are a game from once again meeting the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Jerry West hit a 30 footer at the buzzer to force OT, with a minute left Al Attles scored a contested scoop shot from the paint and the Warriors trailed by a point. Baylor hit 1 of 2 FT the other way, the Warriors had a chance to force the first double OT game in playoff history, but Jeff Mullins missed from 22.
West Finals Game 5 (LA) Lakers 145 Warriors 108
The Lakers win the West and roll into the NBA Finals; it will be the 4th Finals matchup between the Lakers and Celtics, the Lakers have won the last 3. West is the series MVP, 35 pts, 10 rebounds. 30 for Baylor. 27 for Archie Clark. Double/double for Darrell Imhoff. 23-12 for Rudy LaRusso in the loss.
NBA FINALS (April/May) BOSTON CELTICS v. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
If the series goes 6 games, it will end in May, the latest end yet to an NBA season. The Lakers are 6x Champions, ('49, '50, '54, '55, '62, '66) with 3 of those wins coming against Boston. The Celtics won their first title ('53) by beating the Lakers, and have added 3 more titles to that win ('57, '58, '61). Two seasons prior, in 1966, the Lakers beat the Celtics in the greatest series ever played, Elgin Baylor winning it by a point with a game 7 buzzer beater in the final game of Red Auerbach's head coaching career. Bill Russell is now a player/coach with the Celtics. The Lakers also have a new head coach, Butch van Breda Kolff.
CELTICS
HC Bill Russell
C Bill Russell (33) 2nd Team All NBA
PF Bailey Howell (31)
SF John Havlicek (27) 2nd Team All NBA
PG Larry Siegfried (28)
SG Sam Jones (34) All Star
LAKERS
HC Butch van Breda Kolff.
C Darrall Imhoff (29)
PF Tom Hawkins (31)
SF Elgin Baylor (33) 3rd MVP, 1st Team All NBA
PG Archie Clark (26) All Star
SG Jerry West (29) 2nd Team All NBA
NBA Finals Game 1 (Boston) Lakers 138 Celtics 113
The Lakers whip Boston on the road in game 1. Elgin Baylor scores 27 with 16 rebounds, through 2025 Baylor remains the all time leader in field goal attempts per game. Jerry West scores 24. 20 for Archie Clark, 20 pts and 10 rebounds for Darrell Imhoff. Fred Crawford with a double double off the bench. John Havlicek scores 24 in the loss, 27 for Sam Jones, Double/double for both Bill Russell and Bailey Howell.
NBA Finals Game 2 (Boston) Lakers 119 Celtics 117
Celtics by 2 as the 4th qtr began, it stayed within 3 for the next 6 minutes. An Archie Clark pull up from the line gave the Lakers a 1 pt lead with 5 left. Over the next 3 minutes they'd stretch the lead to 6, Elgin Baylor scoring 5 and the Celtics never led again. Baylor scored 22, West 25, and Clark 21. This is Clark's second year in the league, he was 3rd in the Rookie of the Year race and then made the All Star team this season. It's his last year with the Lakers, he and Imhoff are a couple of months away from being sent to the Sixers for Wilt.
NBA Finals Game 3 (LA) Celtics 129 Lakers 120
They had to have it and they got it - the Celtics win game 3 and cut the Lakers lead to 2-1. 32 points and 10 rebounds for Sam Jones. Jones is 34, in his penultimate NBA season, all with Boston. 23 for John Havlicek scored 23. 23 rebound for Bill Russell. 28 points/15 assists for Jerry West in the loss. 27 pts/10 rebounds for Baylor.
NBA Finals Game 4 (LA) Lakers 124 Celtics 109
The Lakers go up 3-1 and are poised to beat the Celtics again. 22 points/14 rebounds for Baylor, 21 for Archie Clark. Double/double for Imhoff. Bailey Howell scores 23 in the loss. Russell and Havlicek double/double.
NBA Finals Game 5 (Boston) Celtics 116 Lakers 107
The Celtics force a game 6. Havlicek scores 30. 21 for Jones. 22 boards for Russell. Double/double for Howell. West scores 25. Double/double for Baylor and Mel Counts.
NBA Finals Game 6 (LA) Lakers 135 Celtics 116
The Lakers with their 7th Championship, 4 of those Finals wins coming against the Boston Celtics. Elgin Baylor wins his 2nd Finals MVP with a huge closeout game, 42 points, 12 rebounds. West scores 26. Double/double for Counts. 24-13 for Howell in the loss.
NBA Finals History
1947 (BAA): Philadelphia Warriors d. Chicago Stags (4-1)
1948 (BAA): Baltimore Bullets d. Philadelphia Warriors (4-2)
1949 (BAA): Minneapolis Lakers d. Washington Capitols (4-2)
1950: Minneapolis Lakers d. Syracuse Nationals (4-2)
1951: Rochester Royals d. New York Knicks (4-3)
1952: Rochester Royals d. Syracuse Nationals (4-3) - MVP: Jack Coleman (PF 27 yrs)
1953: Boston Celtics d. Minneapolis Lakers (4-3) - MVP: Bob Cousy (PG, 24)Back
1954: Minneapolis Lakers d. Syracuse Nationals (4-2) - MVP: George Mikan (C, 29)
1955: Minneapolis Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-3) - MVP: Clyde Lovellette (C, 25)
1956: Philadelphia Warriors d. St Louis Hawks (4-0) - MVP: Neil Johnston (C, 26)
1957: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-2) - MVP Bob Pettit (C, 24)
1958: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-1) - MVP Bob Cousy (PG, 29)
1959: Syracuse Nationals d. Minneapolis Lakers (4-1) - MVP Dolph Schayes (PF, 30)
1950s Playoffs All NBA
1st Team
C George Mikan (Lakers)
F Bob Pettit (Hawks) - Playoff Player of the Decade
F Dolph Schayes (Nationals)
G Bob Cousy (Lakers)
G Bill Sharman (Lakers)
2nd Team
C Bill Russell (Lakers)
F Neil Johnston (Warriors)
F Clyde Lovellette (Lakers)
G Slater Martin (Lakers/Hawks)
G Paul Seymour (Nationals)
1960: St Louis Hawks d. Boston Celtics (4-2) - MVP Bob Pettit (PF, 27)
1961: Boston Celtics d. St Louis Hawks (4-0) - MVP Bill Russell (C, 26)
1962: Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-2) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 27)
1963: Cincinnati Royals d. Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) MVP Oscar Robertson (PG, 24)
1964: San Francisco Warriors d. Cincinnati Royals (4-3) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 27)
1965 Philadelphia 76ers d. Los Angeles Lakers (4-3) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 28)
1966 Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-3) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 31)
1967 Philadelphia 76ers d. San Francisco Warriors (4-2) MVP Wilt Chamberlain (C, 30)
1968 Los Angeles Lakers d. Boston Celtics (4-2) MVP Elgin Baylor (SF, 33)
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