The 1953-54 Boston Celtics season marked the team’s eighth season in the NBA. Under the guidance of head coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics continued to build a competitive roster. Auerbach’s strategy focused on fast-paced offense and strong teamwork, which became hallmarks of the Celtics’ playing style.
Boston finished the regular season with a record of 42-30, placing them second in the Eastern Division. The team’s performance was anchored by standout players such as Bob Cousy, who was known for his exceptional playmaking and ball-handling skills. Cousy continued to demonstrate why he was one of the league’s premier guards, leading the team in assists and contributing significantly to the team’s offensive output.
Despite their strong regular-season performance, the Celtics faced challenges in the playoffs. They reached the Eastern Division Finals but were ultimately eliminated by the Syracuse Nationals in a closely contested series. The Nationals defeated the Celtics 2-0 in the best-of-three series, ending Boston’s playoff aspirations for the season.
The 1953-54 season was a pivotal period in the Celtics’ history, laying the groundwork for future success. The team’s style of play and strategic approach under Auerbach would continue to evolve, setting the stage for their eventual dominance in the NBA during the late 1950s and 1960s.
- Regular Season Record: 43-32
- Playoff Result: Division Finals: 0-2
Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 1953-54 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bob Cousy | 75 | 19.5 | 1.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 13.5 | 0.5 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Macauley | 73 | 18.4 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bill Sharman | 75 | 15.9 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 21.5 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Don Barksdale | 66 | 7.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jack Nichols | 63 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 21.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Harris | 74 | 6.1 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Donham | 72 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Brannum | 74 | 5.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chuck Cooper | 73 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Mikan | 9 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ernie Barrett | 62 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Boston Celtics in the 1954 NBA Playoffs
1954 Conference Championship vs. Syracuse Nationals
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 1954 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 109-94 | |
| Mar 27, 1954 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 83-76 |
Boston Celtics 1953-54 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1953-54 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 01, 1953 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | L 84-79 | |
| Nov 05, 1953 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 83-79 | |
| Nov 07, 1953 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 79-77 | |
| Nov 11, 1953 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 78-72 | |
| Nov 14, 1953 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 77-66 | |
| Nov 15, 1953 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | L 89-74 | |
| Nov 17, 1953 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 92-73 | |
| Nov 21, 1953 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 90-68 | |
| Nov 24, 1953 | vs. New York Knicks | L 103-92 | |
| Nov 25, 1953 | vs. New York Knicks | W 96-84 | |
| Nov 26, 1953 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 93-86 | |
| Nov 28, 1953 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 91-80 | |
| Nov 29, 1953 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 95-82 | |
| Dec 01, 1953 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 89-86 | |
| Dec 03, 1953 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 76-70 | |
| Dec 05, 1953 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 97-79 | |
| Dec 06, 1953 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 102-95 | |
| Dec 08, 1953 | @ Rochester Royals | L 97-79 | |
| Dec 09, 1953 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 104-103 | |
| Dec 10, 1953 | @ New York Knicks | W 113-108 | |
| Dec 12, 1953 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 106-75 | |
| Dec 13, 1953 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 108-74 | |
| Dec 15, 1953 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 82-75 | |
| Dec 16, 1953 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 91-74 | |
| Dec 19, 1953 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 90-83 | |
| Dec 20, 1953 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 101-89 | |
| Dec 21, 1953 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 90-74 | |
| Dec 23, 1953 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 80-74 | |
| Dec 25, 1953 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 108-79 | |
| Dec 26, 1953 | @ Milwaukee Hawks | L 74-67 | |
| Dec 27, 1953 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 98-72 | |
| Dec 30, 1953 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 96-89 | |
| Dec 31, 1953 | @ New York Knicks | W 95-74 | |
| Jan 01, 1954 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 95-92 | |
| Jan 02, 1954 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 92-77 | |
| Jan 03, 1954 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 90-72 | |
| Jan 04, 1954 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 77-73 | |
| Jan 10, 1954 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 99-85 | |
| Jan 13, 1954 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 88-84 | |
| Jan 14, 1954 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 86-74 | |
| Jan 17, 1954 | vs. New York Knicks | L 87-84 | |
| Jan 19, 1954 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 89-73 | |
| Jan 24, 1954 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 93-85 | |
| Jan 26, 1954 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 94-69 | |
| Jan 28, 1954 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 80-68 | |
| Jan 29, 1954 | @ Milwaukee Hawks | L 82-70 | |
| Jan 31, 1954 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 82-67 | |
| Feb 03, 1954 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 88-81 | |
| Feb 04, 1954 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 80-78 | |
| Feb 06, 1954 | @ Rochester Royals | W 104-81 | |
| Feb 07, 1954 | vs. New York Knicks | L 87-78 | |
| Feb 08, 1954 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 87-75 | |
| Feb 10, 1954 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 94-79 | |
| Feb 11, 1954 | vs. New York Knicks | W 84-81 | |
| Feb 13, 1954 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 96-93 | |
| Feb 14, 1954 | vs. New York Knicks | W 103-89 | |
| Feb 16, 1954 | @ New York Knicks | L 87-85 | |
| Feb 18, 1954 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 105-92 | |
| Feb 19, 1954 | @ Milwaukee Hawks | W 78-73 | |
| Feb 21, 1954 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 95-85 | |
| Feb 22, 1954 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 111-110 | |
| Feb 23, 1954 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 93-77 | |
| Feb 25, 1954 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 101-96 | |
| Feb 27, 1954 | @ Rochester Royals | W 75-74 | |
| Feb 28, 1954 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 93-74 | |
| Mar 02, 1954 | @ New York Knicks | L 86-71 | |
| Mar 05, 1954 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 128-106 | |
| Mar 07, 1954 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 86-80 | |
| Mar 11, 1954 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 97-95 | |
| Mar 12, 1954 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 97-95 | |
| Mar 14, 1954 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 97-92 | |
| Mar 16, 1954 | @ New York Knicks | W 93-71 | |
| Mar 17, 1954 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 96-95 | |
| Mar 20, 1954 | vs. New York Knicks | W 79-78 | |
| Mar 22, 1954 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 98-85 |