1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers season

1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers season
Head coachJohn Castellani
Jim Pollard
ArenaMinneapolis Armory
Results
Record25–50 (.333)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finishDivision finals
(lost to Hawks 3–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKSTP-TV
RadioWLOL
< 1958–59 1960–61 >

The 1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers season was the 12th season for the franchise in the NBA and final season in Minneapolis.[1] The Lakers finished in third-place in the NBA Western Division with a record of 25–50, 21 games behind the St. Louis Hawks. In their final season in the Twin Cities, the Lakers made the playoffs and defeated the Detroit Pistons two games to none in the Western Division semifinals, before losing the West Finals to the Hawks, four games to three. The Lakers roster had 5 1st overall picks, Elgin Baylor, Hot Rod Hundley, Chuck Share, Ray Felix, and Frank Selvy, the most among any NBA teams in a season.

On January 18, the team had a harrowing flight in a snowstorm, returning to Minneapolis from St. Louis. The team's DC-3 had electrical problems and made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Carroll, Iowa.[2][3][4][5]

On April 27, 1960, The NBA approved the relocation of the Lakers to Southern California and they became the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1960–61 season.

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division
 Wins Losses PCT GB  Home   Road  Neutral Division
x-St. Louis Hawks 46 29 .613 – 28–5 12–20 6–4 27–12
x-Detroit Pistons 30 45 .400 16 17–14 6–21 7–10 20–19
x-Minneapolis Lakers 25 50 .333 21 9–15 9–21 7–14 17–22
Cincinnati Royals 19 56 .253 27 9–22 2–20 8–14 14–25
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1959–60 NBA records
Team BOS CIN DET MIN NYK PHI STL SYR
Boston — 8–1 9–0 8–1 12–1 8–5 6–3 8–5
Cincinnati 1–8 — 5–8 5–8 2–7 0–9 4–9 2–7
Detroit 0–9 8–5 — 7–6 4–5 2–7 5–8 4–5
Minneapolis 1–8 8–5 6–7 — 4–5 2–7 3–10 1–8
New York 1–12 7–2 5–4 5–4 — 4–9 3–6 2–11
Philadelphia 5–8 9–0 7–2 7–2 9–4 — 4–5 8–5
St. Louis 3–6 9–4 8–5 10–3 6–3 5–4 — 5–4
Syracuse 5–8 7–2 5–4 8–1 11–2 5–8 4–5 —

Game log

# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 18 Detroit 106–105 Elgin Baylor (52) 0–1
2 October 24 @ St. Louis 94–87 Dick Garmaker (27) 1–1
3 October 25 @ Cincinnati 102–103 Elgin Baylor (30) 1–2
4 October 31 @ Syracuse 108–117 Elgin Baylor (30) 1–3
5 November 1 St. Louis 138–101 Elgin Baylor (27) 1–4
6 November 3 N New York 99–93 Elgin Baylor (28) 1–5
7 November 6 Detroit 118–113 (2OT) Elgin Baylor (33) 1–6
8 November 7 @ Detroit 113–111 (OT) Elgin Baylor (40) 2–6
9 November 8 Boston 115–136 Elgin Baylor (64) 3–6
10 November 10 @ St. Louis 105–134 Elgin Baylor (37) 3–7
11 November 12 N Detroit 93–107 Elgin Baylor (33) 3–8
12 November 14 @ Philadelphia 98–104 Elgin Baylor (27) 3–9
13 November 15 N Philadelphia 100–106 Dick Garmaker (23) 4–9
14 November 18 New York 106–105 Elgin Baylor (20) 4–10
15 November 20 Detroit 85–105 Rudy LaRusso (24) 5–10
16 November 21 @ Cincinnati 99–93 (OT) Dick Garmaker (26) 6–10
17 November 25 Syracuse 100–93 Larry Foust (21) 6–11
18 November 26 @ Cincinnati 95–114 Hot Rod Hundley (24) 6–12
19 November 28 @ St. Louis 91–102 Rudy LaRusso (18) 6–13
20 November 29 N Boston 109–93 Hot Rod Hundley (18) 6–14
21 December 1 @ New York 103–100 Elgin Baylor (20) 7–14
22 December 3 @ Philadelphia 109–123 Rudy LaRusso (24) 7–15
23 December 4 @ Detroit 101–120 Elgin Baylor (28) 7–16
24 December 5 @ Syracuse 95–108 Elgin Baylor (35) 7–17
25 December 6 Boston 121–104 Elgin Baylor (29) 7–18
26 December 8 N Syracuse 93–89 Rudy LaRusso (22) 7–19
27 December 9 N Syracuse 86–96 Elgin Baylor (29) 8–19
28 December 12 Cincinnati 107–97 Dick Garmaker (29) 8–20
29 December 19 @ Cincinnati 131–113 Baylor, Leonard (25) 9–20
30 December 25 @ St. Louis 96–112 Elgin Baylor (23) 9–21
31 December 26 @ Detroit 108–105 Elgin Baylor (28) 10–21
32 December 27 Detroit 109–119 Elgin Baylor (28) 11–21
33 December 28 @ Boston 104–107 Elgin Baylor (29) 11–22
34 December 30 @ Philadelphia 107–122 Elgin Baylor (22) 11–23
35 December 31 @ New York 102–127 Elgin Baylor (26) 11–24
36 January 1 Syracuse 109–98 Tom Hawkins (20) 11–25
37 January 5 N Philadelphia 126–111 Hot Rod Hundley (24) 11–26
38 January 9 Cincinnati 91–121 Elgin Baylor (28) 12–26
39 January 10 @ Cincinnati 112–106 Larry Foust (30) 13–26
40 January 14 N New York 131–126 Elgin Baylor (26) 13–27
41 January 15 @ Cincinnati 118–122 Elgin Baylor (43) 13–28
42 January 16 N Detroit 98–105 Elgin Baylor (29) 13–29
43 January 17 @ St. Louis 119–135 Elgin Baylor (43) 13–30
44 January 23 New York 115–104 Elgin Baylor (30) 13–31
45 January 27 N Cincinnati 116–112 Elgin Baylor (34) 14–31
46 January 29 Syracuse 119–112 Elgin Baylor (34) 14–32
47 January 31 N Philadelphia 114–104 Elgin Baylor (21) 14–33
48 February 1 N Philadelphia 103–96 Elgin Baylor (36) 14–34
49 February 3 @ Boston 108–128 Elgin Baylor (24) 14–35
50 February 5 St. Louis 114–96 Elgin Baylor (36) 14–36
51 February 6 @ Detroit 101–116 Elgin Baylor (34) 14–37
52 February 7 Detroit 102–104 Elgin Baylor (26) 15–37
53 February 9 N Boston 90–129 Elgin Baylor (23) 15–38
54 February 10 N Syracuse 110–109 Elgin Baylor (37) 15–39
55 February 11 Cincinnati 111–108 Elgin Baylor (32) 15–40
56 February 13 @ Detroit 123–117 (OT) Elgin Baylor (37) 16–40
57 February 14 @ Syracuse 119–121 Elgin Baylor (26) 16–41
58 February 16 N Boston 122–130 Elgin Baylor (40) 16–42
59 February 17 N St. Louis 131–127 Elgin Baylor (38) 16–43
60 February 19 St. Louis 101–111 Elgin Baylor (28) 17–43
61 February 20 @ Philadelphia 106–122 Elgin Baylor (32) 17–44
62 February 21 N St. Louis 98–112 Elgin Baylor (35) 18–44
63 February 22 N St. Louis 113–103 Rudy LaRusso (24) 18–45
64 February 23 @ New York 117–112 Elgin Baylor (41) 19–45
65 February 24 N Boston 110–131 Rudy LaRusso (27) 19–46
66 February 25 N Cincinnati 105–95 Elgin Baylor (31) 20–46
67 February 26 @ Boston 111–128 Elgin Baylor (28) 20–47
68 February 27 Philadelphia 91–109 Elgin Baylor (23) 21–47
69 March 1 @ St. Louis 101–109 Elgin Baylor (27) 21–48
70 March 2 N New York 113–123 Elgin Baylor (48) 22–48
71 March 3 N Cincinnati 117–114 Elgin Baylor (23) 23–48
72 March 5 St. Louis 107–106 (OT) Elgin Baylor (35) 23–49
73 March 6 Cincinnati 105–114 Elgin Baylor (43) 24–49
74 March 9 @ Detroit 116–117 Elgin Baylor (31) 24–50
75 March 10 New York 108–133 Elgin Baylor (37) 25–50

Playoffs

1960 playoff game log
Division semifinals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 12 @ Detroit W 113–112 Elgin Baylor (40) Grosse Pointe High School 1–0
2 March 13 Detroit W 114–99 Frank Selvy (30) Minneapolis Armory 2–0
Division finals: 3–4 (home: 1–2; road: 2–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 16 @ St. Louis L 99–112 Elgin Baylor (19) Baylor, Hundley (9) Kiel Auditorium
8,377 		0–1
2 March 17 @ St. Louis W 120–113 Elgin Baylor (40) Elgin Baylor (14) Kiel Auditorium
8,614 		1–1
3 March 19 St. Louis L 89–93 Elgin Baylor (27) — Minneapolis Armory 1–2
4 March 20 St. Louis W 103–101 Elgin Baylor (39) Elgin Baylor (16) Minneapolis Armory
6,852 		2–2
5 March 22 @ St. Louis W 117–110 (OT) Elgin Baylor (40) Elgin Baylor (18) Kiel Auditorium
10,043 		3–2
6 March 24 St. Louis L 96–117 Elgin Baylor (38) Frank Selvy (12) Minneapolis Armory 3–3
7 March 26 @ St. Louis L 86–97 Elgin Baylor (33) Elgin Baylor (13) Kiel Auditorium
6,195 		3–4
1960 schedule

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ 1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers
  2. ^ "Plane in storm lands on farm". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. January 19, 1960. p. 13.
  3. ^ "Plane lands in cornfield; Lakers OK". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 19, 1960. p. 3, part 2.
  4. ^ Bonsignore, Vincent (June 4, 2001). "Lakers almost came to tragic end in 1960". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. (Los Angeles Daily News). p. C3.
  5. ^ "Lakers glad to be home after ordeal". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 19, 1960. p. 24.