1963–64 Boston Celtics season

1963–64 Boston Celtics season
NBA champions
Division champions
Head coachRed Auerbach
ArenaBoston Garden
Results
Record59–21 (.738)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA Champions
(Defeated Warriors 4–1)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWHDH-TV
RadioWHDH
< 1962–63 1964–65 >

The 1963–64 NBA season was the Celtics' 18th season in the NBA. The Celtics finished the season by winning their seventh NBA Championship.

Offseason

NBA draft

Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 8 Bill Green Forward  United States Colorado State

Roster

Regular season

The Celtics were one of the dominant teams in the leagues. The team established its legacy as one of the game's greatest dynasties ever. 1950s superstar Bob Cousy had retired, yet Red Auerbach's club barely slowed down with his absence. Cousy's replacement was a defensive specialist named K. C. Jones, who continued Auerbach's emphasis on defense along with forward Tom 'Satch' Sanders and center Bill Russell. While Boston could surely still pass and score, it was their defensive emergence, led by the incredible Russell, that was now leading a streak of NBA titles. Russell led the league in rebounds and was one of two high-volume shot blockers dominating the NBA. The Celtics had six scorers over ten-points per game and two more over eight. Auerbach's sixth man, John Havlicek, was the team's leading scorer at 20 per game. This combination of active defense and unselfish shooting got Boston a league-high 59 wins in 80 NBA games.

Season standings

Eastern Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Boston Celtics 59 21 .738 – 26–4 21–17 12–0 25–11
x-Cincinnati Royals 55 25 .688 4 26–7 18–18 11–0 27–9
x-Philadelphia 76ers 34 46 .425 25 18–12 12–22 4–12 13–23
New York Knicks 22 58 .275 37 10–25 8–27 4–6 7–29

Record vs. opponents

1963–64 NBA records
Team BAL BOS CIN DET LAL NYK PHI SFW STL
Baltimore — 1–9 2–8 7–3 3–7 7–3 5–5 3–7 3–7
Boston 9–1 — 5–7 7–1 6–3 10–2 10–2 5–3 7–2
Cincinnati 8–2 7–5 — 7–2 4–4 11–1 9–3 5–4 4–4
Detroit 3–7 1–7 2–7 — 5–7 4–5 3–5 3–9 2–10
Los Angeles 7–3 3–6 4–4 7–5 — 6–2 5–4 5–7 5–7
New York 3–7 2–10 1–11 5–4 2–6 — 4–8 1–8 4–4
Philadelphia 5–5 2–10 3–9 5–3 4–5 8–4 — 4–4 3–6
San Francisco 7–3 3–5 4–5 9–3 7–5 8–1 4–4 — 6–6
St. Louis 7–3 2–7 4–4 10–2 7–5 4–4 6–3 6–6 —

Game log

1963–64 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 16 @ Baltimore 109–95 John Havlicek (24) 1–0
2 October 17 @ Cincinnati 93–92 Sam Jones (24) 2–0
3 October 26 Baltimore 108–123 John Havlicek (24) 3–0
4 October 30 @ Detroit 108–102 John Havlicek (22) 4–0
5 November 1 @ Philadelphia 119–102 Sam Jones (28) 5–0
6 November 2 Detroit 109–117 Bill Russell (25) 6–0
7 November 6 Cincinnati 121–139 Sam Jones (28) 7–0
8 November 8 @ Cincinnati 115–116 John Havlicek (28) 7–1
9 November 9 @ St. Louis 113–91 Sam Jones (34) 8–1
10 November 11 St. Louis 110–116 Bill Russell (20) 9–1
11 November 13 N Los Angeles 110–114 Tom Heinsohn (31) 10–1
12 November 15 New York 116–133 Tom Heinsohn (24) 11–1
13 November 19 @ New York 126–98 Sam Jones (19) 12–1
14 November 27 Los Angeles 78–114 Sam Jones (20) 13–1
15 November 29 N Philadelphia 78–112 Tom Heinsohn (18) 14–1
16 November 30 San Francisco 96–109 Sam Jones (27) 15–1
17 December 5 @ Cincinnati 108–118 John Havlicek (22) 15–2
18 December 6 Cincinnati 107–112 Sam Jones (30) 16–2
19 December 7 @ Baltimore 114–97 John Havlicek (30) 17–2
20 December 10 @ New York 132–113 Havlicek, Heinsohn (27) 18–2
21 December 11 St. Louis 95–104 John Havlicek (33) 19–2
22 December 13 @ Philadelphia 111–84 Willie Naulls (30) 20–2
23 December 14 Cincinnati 108–105 John Havlicek (35) 20–3
24 December 17 N Baltimore 131–114 John Havlicek (43) 21–3
25 December 18 New York 111–133 John Havlicek (27) 22–3
26 December 19 N New York 140–143 Sam Jones (36) 23–3
27 December 21 @ New York 117–127 Clyde Lovellette (24) 23–4
28 December 26 Los Angeles 110–126 Satch Sanders (21) 24–4
29 December 27 @ Cincinnati 87–91 Sam Jones (20) 24–5
30 December 28 @ St. Louis 107–100 Sam Jones (22) 25–5
31 January 3 @ San Francisco 111–101 Sam Jones (25) 26–5
32 January 4 @ Los Angeles 118–125 (OT) Frank Ramsey (28) 26–6
33 January 5 @ Los Angeles 95–97 Sam Jones (25) 26–7
34 January 7 @ San Francisco 89–92 Sam Jones (23) 26–8
35 January 10 Cincinnati 92–109 Sam Jones (28) 27–8
36 January 11 @ Philadelphia 108–115 John Havlicek (26) 27–9
37 January 12 Philadelphia 112–123 Willie Naulls (23) 28–9
38 January 15 @ Baltimore 113–108 Satch Sanders (18) 29–9
39 January 17 Los Angeles 79–99 John Havlicek (27) 30–9
40 January 18 @ Detroit 121–115 John Havlicek (30) 31–9
41 January 19 San Francisco 105–108 Tom Heinsohn (27) 32–9
42 January 21 @ St. Louis 114–116 Sam Jones (20) 32–10
43 January 22 @ Cincinnati 92–109 John Havlicek (29) 32–11
44 January 23 N St. Louis 104–110 John Havlicek (28) 33–11
45 January 24 St. Louis 99–119 Satch Sanders (16) 34–11
46 January 26 New York 102–115 Willie Naulls (20) 35–11
47 January 28 @ New York 127–133 Sam Jones (32) 35–12
48 January 29 San Francisco 100–92 Sam Jones (25) 35–13
49 January 31 Philadelphia 97–114 Tom Heinsohn (24) 36–13
50 February 1 @ Philadelphia 119–111 John Havlicek (31) 37–13
51 February 2 Cincinnati 119–117 (OT) John Havlicek (40) 37–14
52 February 4 N St. Louis 101–113 Bill Russell (28) 38–14
53 February 6 N Baltimore 94–92 John Havlicek (20) 39–14
54 February 7 New York 112–133 Willie Naulls (27) 40–14
55 February 8 @ New York 135–114 Sam Jones (35) 41–14
56 February 9 Philadelphia 109–120 Sam Jones (27) 42–14
57 February 11 Los Angeles 113–109 Bill Russell (26) 42–15
58 February 12 @ Los Angeles 104–97 (OT) Tom Heinsohn (23) 43–15
59 February 13 @ San Francisco 95–106 Sam Jones (19) 43–16
60 February 15 @ San Francisco 96–87 John Havlicek (25) 44–16
61 February 16 @ Los Angeles 92–90 John Havlicek (21) 45–16
62 February 18 N Philadelphia 93–103 Frank Ramsey (22) 46–16
63 February 20 N Baltimore 129–113 Sam Jones (25) 47–16
64 February 21 @ Philadelphia 119–144 Willie Naulls (21) 47–17
65 February 22 @ St. Louis 88–95 John Havlicek (23) 47–18
66 February 24 @ Detroit 113–115 Tom Heinsohn (27) 47–19
67 February 25 @ New York 114–102 Tom Heinsohn (23) 48–19
68 February 26 @ Baltimore 100–87 Bill Russell (20) 49–19
69 February 28 San Francisco 92–107 Havlicek, Russell (16) 50–19
70 February 29 N Detroit 108–115 Sam Jones (35) 51–19
71 March 1 Philadelphia 93–108 Sam Jones (20) 52–19
72 March 3 N Philadelphia 94–108 Tom Heinsohn (23) 53–19
73 March 4 Cincinnati 108–112 John Havlicek (28) 54–19
74 March 5 @ Cincinnati 101–111 Bill Russell (19) 54–20
75 March 7 @ Detroit 112–94 John Havlicek (24) 55–20
76 March 8 Detroit 118–128 John Havlicek (34) 56–20
77 March 12 N Detroit 120–140 Clyde Lovellette (21) 57–20
78 March 15 Baltimore 105–129 Clyde Lovellette (24) 58–20
79 March 17 New York 121–127 Sam Jones (26) 59–20
80 March 18 @ Baltimore 95–108 Tom Heinsohn (25) 59–21

Playoffs

1964 playoff game log
Division Finals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 31 Cincinnati W 103–87 Sam Jones (27) Bill Russell (31) K. C. Jones (9) Boston Garden
13,909 		1–0
2 April 2 Cincinnati W 101–90 Tom Heinsohn (31) Bill Russell (28) K. C. Jones (8) Boston Garden
13,909 		2–0
3 April 5 @ Cincinnati W 102–92 Bill Russell (22) Bill Russell (28) K. C. Jones (6) Cincinnati Gardens
11,850 		3–0
4 April 7 @ Cincinnati L 93–102 Sam Jones (33) Bill Russell (24) K. C. Jones (5) Cincinnati Gardens 3–1
5 April 9 Cincinnati W 109–95 Sam Jones (23) Bill Russell (35) Russell, K. C. Jones (7) Boston Garden
13,909 		4–1
NBA Finals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 18 San Francisco W 108–96 Sam Jones (28) Bill Russell (25) K. C. Jones (7) Boston Garden
13,909 		1–0
2 April 20 San Francisco W 124–101 Sam Jones (31) Bill Russell (24) Bill Russell (9) Boston Garden
13,909 		2–0
3 April 22 @ San Francisco L 91–115 John Havlicek (22) Bill Russell (32) K. C. Jones (8) Cow Palace
10,981 		2–1
4 April 24 @ San Francisco W 98–95 Tom Heinsohn (25) Bill Russell (19) K. C. Jones (5) Cow Palace
14,862 		3–1
5 April 26 San Francisco W 105–99 Tom Heinsohn (19) Bill Russell (26) Bill Russell (6) Boston Garden
13,909 		4–1
1964 schedule

Awards and honors

References