The 1951-52 Boston Celtics season marked the team’s sixth year in the NBA and was a step forward in solidifying their place as a competitive force in the league. Under the leadership of head coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 39-27. This performance positioned them in second place in the Eastern Division, showcasing a significant improvement from previous seasons.
Key players during this season included Ed Macauley, who was instrumental in the Celtics’ success. His contributions on the court were complemented by the emerging talent of Bob Cousy, whose playmaking abilities and scoring prowess began to gain widespread recognition. Cousy’s impact was reflected in his selection to the All-NBA First Team, highlighting his importance to the Celtics’ lineup.
The Celtics’ regular-season performance earned them a spot in the playoffs. They faced the New York Knicks in the Eastern Division Semifinals, a best-of-three series. Despite their solid regular season, Boston was unable to advance past the first round, losing to the Knicks 2-1. This early playoff exit underscored the need for further development and depth to compete against the league’s top teams. Nonetheless, the 1951-52 season was a pivotal period for the Celtics, setting the groundwork for future success and establishing a foundation for the team’s later dominance in the NBA. The progress made during this season was a sign of things to come for the franchise.
- Regular Season Record: 39-27
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 1-2
Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 1951-52 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bob Cousy | 66 | 21.7 | 1.8 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 31.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Macauley | 66 | 19.0 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 23.3 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bill Sharman | 63 | 10.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 15.0 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Donham | 66 | 8.4 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 9.0 | 0.0 | 5.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chuck Cooper | 66 | 8.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 11.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Harris | 66 | 7.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 7.7 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Brannum | 66 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bones McKinney | 63 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Mahnken | 60 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Dickey | 44 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Boston Celtics in the 1952 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. New York Knicks
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 1952 | vs. New York Knicks | W 105-94 | |
| Mar 23, 1952 | @ New York Knicks | L 101-97 | |
| Mar 26, 1952 | vs. New York Knicks | L 88-87 |
Boston Celtics 1951-52 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1951-52 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 04, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | W 97-65 | |
| Nov 10, 1951 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 83-69 | |
| Nov 11, 1951 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 77-72 | |
| Nov 14, 1951 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 98-91 | |
| Nov 15, 1951 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 97-95 | |
| Nov 17, 1951 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 88-75 | |
| Nov 18, 1951 | vs. New York Knicks | L 93-92 | |
| Nov 22, 1951 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 103-72 | |
| Nov 23, 1951 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 102-100 | |
| Nov 24, 1951 | @ New York Knicks | W 70-68 | |
| Nov 25, 1951 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 103-85 | |
| Nov 28, 1951 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 90-76 | |
| Nov 30, 1951 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | L 92-87 | |
| Dec 02, 1951 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 103-82 | |
| Dec 05, 1951 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 91-88 | |
| Dec 09, 1951 | vs. New York Knicks | W 103-94 | |
| Dec 11, 1951 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 79-78 | |
| Dec 12, 1951 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 89-84 | |
| Dec 16, 1951 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 92-90 | |
| Dec 17, 1951 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 92-80 | |
| Dec 19, 1951 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 103-97 | |
| Dec 21, 1951 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 106-89 | |
| Dec 23, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | W 91-88 | |
| Dec 25, 1951 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 100-93 | |
| Dec 26, 1951 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 94-86 | |
| Dec 30, 1951 | vs. New York Knicks | W 100-90 | |
| Dec 31, 1951 | @ New York Knicks | L 87-86 | |
| Jan 01, 1952 | @ Rochester Royals | L 106-91 | |
| Jan 03, 1952 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 107-81 | |
| Jan 05, 1952 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 94-73 | |
| Jan 06, 1952 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 91-80 | |
| Jan 08, 1952 | @ Milwaukee Hawks | W 83-76 | |
| Jan 10, 1952 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 94-85 | |
| Jan 11, 1952 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | L 100-79 | |
| Jan 16, 1952 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | L 108-94 | |
| Jan 20, 1952 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | W 117-98 | |
| Jan 23, 1952 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 117-75 | |
| Jan 26, 1952 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 89-85 | |
| Jan 27, 1952 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 91-86 | |
| Jan 29, 1952 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 97-96 | |
| Feb 01, 1952 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 100-77 | |
| Feb 02, 1952 | @ New York Knicks | L 91-83 | |
| Feb 03, 1952 | vs. New York Knicks | W 100-95 | |
| Feb 06, 1952 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 99-88 | |
| Feb 09, 1952 | @ Rochester Royals | L 104-100 | |
| Feb 10, 1952 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 111-97 | |
| Feb 14, 1952 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 94-90 | |
| Feb 16, 1952 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 77-75 | |
| Feb 17, 1952 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | L 97-95 | |
| Feb 18, 1952 | vs. Milwaukee Hawks | W 106-84 | |
| Feb 19, 1952 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | L 82-81 | |
| Feb 21, 1952 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 88-67 | |
| Feb 24, 1952 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 77-75 | |
| Feb 27, 1952 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 88-81 | |
| Feb 28, 1952 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 91-72 | |
| Mar 01, 1952 | @ New York Knicks | L 105-86 | |
| Mar 02, 1952 | vs. New York Knicks | L 89-87 | |
| Mar 04, 1952 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 91-80 | |
| Mar 05, 1952 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 82-74 | |
| Mar 08, 1952 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 100-77 | |
| Mar 09, 1952 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 89-72 | |
| Mar 11, 1952 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 88-84 | |
| Mar 12, 1952 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 89-71 | |
| Mar 13, 1952 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 89-70 | |
| Mar 15, 1952 | @ Rochester Royals | W 118-106 | |
| Mar 16, 1952 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 96-89 |