MVP: Bill Russell
East Semis: Warriors d. Nationals (2-1)
West Semis: Pistons d. Royals (2-0)
Simulation: The past two champs, the Celtics and Warriors, meet in the East Finals; the Pistons now play in Detroit and they take on the Hawks in the West.
East Finals: Boston Celtics (49-23) v. Philadelphia Warriors (37-35)
West Finals: St Louis Hawks (41-31) v. Detroit Pistons (33-39)
East Finals (March)
Game 1 (Boston) Celtics 117 Warriors 107
The battle of the last two NBA Champs starts with a Celtic win; 23 pts, 10 assists for Bob Cousy, 21 points for Bill Sharman. Bill Russell has 16 pts, 25 boards and a playoff record 8 blocked shots. Tommy Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey both double/double. Joe Graboski goes 21/10 in the loss.
Game 2 (Philadelphia) Warriors 130 Celtics 117
The Warriors level the series. 33 points, 8 rebounds for Paul Arizin. 26 points, 17 rebounds for Woody Sauldsberry, double doubles for Tom Gola and Joe Grabowski. Bill Sharman with 31 in the loss.
Game 3 (Boston) Celtics 133 Warriors 92
Boston is a game away from heading back to the NBA Finals and a chance to defend their title. Frank Ramsey moved into the starting lineup and led the Celts with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Bill Sharman matches with 29 of his own. Bill Russell has 22 points and 27 rebounds. Double/Double for Tom Heinsohn. 22 points and 17 boards for Woody Sauldsberry as we perhaps see the last gasp of the Johnston/Arizin/Gola team that won the title two years prior.
Game 4 (Philadelphia) Celtics 112 Warriors 96
Boston returns to the NBA Finals with a chance to defend their title. 23 for Frank Ramsey; Bill Russell snatches the series MVP with 18 pts, 27 boards, 7 blocks. Tom Gola has 18 pts, 26 rebounds in the loss.
West Finals (March/April)
Game 1 (St Louis) Hawks 107 Pistons 98
The Hawks have won the West the past two seasons and take game 1 of the west finals this year. Bob Pettit was last season's Finals MVP and he comes back hard, 34 pts, 29 boards. Cliff Hagan goes 19/15. 24 pts/12 rebounds for George Yardley in the defeat.
Game 2 (Detroit) Pistons 131 Hawks 104
The Pistons even up the series. 28 for Yardley, 24 for Gene Shue, Harry Gallatin spent the first 9 years of his Hall of Fame career with the Knicks, this is his final season, he's a Piston, he scores 24 with 15 rebounds. Pettit goes 24/14.
Game 3 (St Louis) Hawks 131 Pistons 121
St Louis takes game 3 and moves to a win of heading to their third straight NBA Finals. 23 pts, 29 rebounds for Pettit. 25 for Ed Macauley. 20 pts and 14 boards for Cliff Hagan - those two men looking for one more chance at facing the team that dealt them away in the Bill Russell trade. 28 for Gene Shue, 27 for George Yardley in the loss.
Game 4 (Detroit) Hawks 129 Pistons 126
The St Louis Hawks become the first team to play in 3 consecutive NBA Finals. Cliff Hagan is the star in this one, 31 pts. 21 for Pettit, the series MVP. 36 pts, 12 boards for Yardley in the loss.
NBA FINALS (March/April 1958) BOSTON CELTICS v. ST LOUIS HAWKS
Celtics
HC - Red Auerbach
C Bill Russell (23) MVP, 2nd Team All NBA
F Tom Heinsohn (23)
F Lou Tsioropoulos (27)
G Bob Cousy (29) 1st Team All NBA
G Bill Sharman (31) 1st Team All NBA
Hawks
HC - Alex Hannum
C Ed Macauley (29)
F Bob Pettit (25) 4th MVP, 1st Team All NBA
F Cliff Hagan (26) 2nd Team All NBA
G Slater Martin (32) 2nd Team All NBA
G Jack McMahon (29)
As happened last year, the real world matchup is duplicated by the simulation; Boston and St Louis executed what is probably the most pivotal trade in NBA history before the prior season, the Celtics dealing future Hall of Famers Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan (Hagan never played for the Celtics, they drafted him and had his rights, but he lost 3 years for military service, Macauley however was one of the best players in the NBA as a Celtic) to the Hawks for the rights to Bill Russell, selected second in the draft. In both the real world and the simulation, the Celtics beat the Hawks in the NBA Finals at the end of that season and one year later, they meet again.
Game One (Boston) Celtics 139 Hawks 122
Boston opens up its title defense with an easy home win. Bill Sharman is 31, first team All NBA, he goes for 40 pts to lead the way. 19 pts/10 assists for Bob Cousy, 15 pts, 21 boards for Bill Russell. 34 pts/14 rebounds for Cliff Hagan, 25 pts, 18 rebounds for Bob Pettit in the defeat.
Game Two (Boston) Celtics 116 Hawks 104
Celtics take the the first two at home as the series shifts to St Louis. 23 pts/9 assists for Bob Cousy, 15 pts/20 rebounds for Bill Russell. Sam Jones moves into the rotation and scores 19 in 22 minutes. 24 points for Slater Martin in the loss, Pettit and Hagan both double/double.
Game Three (St Louis) Hawks 124 Celtics 91
St Louis wins their first home game, Bob Pettit was finals MVP last season, regular season MVP two years prior, he goes for 43 with 21 boards. 20 for Frank Ramsey in the loss, double/doubles for Russell and Tom Heinsohn.
Game Four (St Louis) Celtics 126 Hawks 116
Boston takes a commanding 3-1 lead in a game without Russell; 29 year old Bob Cousy was the NBA Finals MVP in the Celtics first title win in '53, he won the regular season MVP last year, in this one, he scores 25, 10 assists. 27 for Ramsey, 21 for Sharman. Double/Double for Heinsohn. 35 points/28 rebounds for Pettit who might again win the Finals MVP in a losing effort.
Game Five (Boston) Celtics 124 Hawks 111
Even with Bill Russell missing the final 2 games, Boston wins the series in 5, going back to back. 29 points for Cousy, he is named Finals MVP becoming the first man to win two; he remains the only guard to win the award. 23 for Bill Sharman, a double/double for Tommy Heinsohn. 32 and 15 for the great Bob Pettit.
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)
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)
