The 1958-59 Boston Celtics season was a pivotal one in the franchise’s history, marking the beginning of their dominance in the NBA. Coached by Red Auerbach, the team finished the regular season with a 52-20 record, securing first place in the Eastern Division. This remarkable performance was largely driven by the stellar play of Bill Russell, who was instrumental in both defense and rebounding, and the leadership of playmaker Bob Cousy.
During the playoffs, the Celtics continued to demonstrate their prowess, sweeping the Syracuse Nationals in the Eastern Division Finals. This victory earned them a place in the NBA Finals against the Minneapolis Lakers. The Celtics showcased their superiority by sweeping the Lakers in four games, capturing their second NBA Championship. This series was highlighted by dominant performances from Russell, who consistently controlled the paint, and sharpshooting from Bill Sharman and Tom Heinsohn.
The 1958-59 season was significant as it marked the start of an era where the Celtics would win 11 championships in 13 years. The combination of Auerbach’s strategic coaching, Russell’s defensive dominance, and a well-rounded team performance set the groundwork for one of the most successful dynasties in sports history. This season not only solidified the Celtics’ place as a formidable NBA franchise but also laid the foundation for their future successes.
- Regular Season Record: 52-20
- Playoff Result: Division Finals: 4-3, NBA Finals: 4-0
Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 1958-59 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bill Sharman | 72 | 20.4 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 20.1 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Cousy | 65 | 20.0 | 3.9 | 7.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 19.5 | 6.9 | 10.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Heinsohn | 66 | 18.8 | 7.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 19.9 | 8.9 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bill Russell | 70 | 16.7 | 22.5 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 15.5 | 27.7 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Frank Ramsey | 72 | 15.4 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 23.2 | 6.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Sam Jones | 71 | 10.7 | 4.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 10.3 | 5.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Loscutoff | 66 | 8.3 | 4.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 8.1 | 6.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bennie Swain | 58 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gene Conley | 50 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 4.9 | 6.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Lou Tsioropoulos | 35 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| K.C. Jones | 49 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Boston Celtics in the 1959 NBA Playoffs
1959 Conference Championship vs. Syracuse Nationals
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 131-109 | |
| Mar 21, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 120-118 | |
| Mar 22, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 133-111 | |
| Mar 25, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 119-107 | |
| Mar 28, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 129-108 | |
| Mar 29, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 133-121 | |
| Apr 01, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 130-125 |
1959 NBA Finals vs. Minneapolis Lakers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 04, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 118-115 | |
| Apr 05, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 128-108 | |
| Apr 07, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 123-110 | |
| Apr 09, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 118-113 |
Boston Celtics 1958-59 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1958-59 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 1958 | @ New York Knicks | L 127-125 | |
| Nov 01, 1958 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 112-98 | |
| Nov 05, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 117-115 | |
| Nov 08, 1958 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 87-84 | |
| Nov 09, 1958 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 136-133 | |
| Nov 11, 1958 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 116-113 | |
| Nov 15, 1958 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 130-105 | |
| Nov 18, 1958 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 115-102 | |
| Nov 19, 1958 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 119-103 | |
| Nov 21, 1958 | vs. New York Knicks | L 112-106 | |
| Nov 22, 1958 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 105-100 | |
| Nov 24, 1958 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 123-104 | |
| Nov 26, 1958 | vs. New York Knicks | W 121-109 | |
| Nov 27, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 107-94 | |
| Nov 29, 1958 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 110-96 | |
| Dec 02, 1958 | @ New York Knicks | W 109-90 | |
| Dec 03, 1958 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 119-110 | |
| Dec 04, 1958 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 116-114 | |
| Dec 06, 1958 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 101-92 | |
| Dec 07, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 108-104 | |
| Dec 10, 1958 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 100-97 | |
| Dec 11, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 123-114 | |
| Dec 12, 1958 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 125-115 | |
| Dec 16, 1958 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 108-104 | |
| Dec 17, 1958 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 102-95 | |
| Dec 18, 1958 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 104-90 | |
| Dec 20, 1958 | vs. New York Knicks | W 135-106 | |
| Dec 25, 1958 | @ New York Knicks | W 129-120 | |
| Dec 26, 1958 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 107-99 | |
| Dec 27, 1958 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 112-94 | |
| Dec 29, 1958 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 107-105 | |
| Dec 30, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 112-105 | |
| Jan 03, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 116-110 | |
| Jan 04, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 111-108 | |
| Jan 05, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 118-106 | |
| Jan 06, 1959 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 109-95 | |
| Jan 07, 1959 | vs. New York Knicks | W 109-78 | |
| Jan 09, 1959 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 103-90 | |
| Jan 11, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 109-106 | |
| Jan 12, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 117-108 | |
| Jan 14, 1959 | vs. New York Knicks | W 123-112 | |
| Jan 16, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 105-98 | |
| Jan 18, 1959 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 139-117 | |
| Jan 20, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 119-114 | |
| Jan 21, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 134-112 | |
| Jan 24, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 132-104 | |
| Jan 25, 1959 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 119-118 | |
| Jan 28, 1959 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 120-111 | |
| Jan 31, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 137-102 | |
| Feb 01, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 139-137 | |
| Feb 03, 1959 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 104-97 | |
| Feb 04, 1959 | vs. New York Knicks | L 129-126 | |
| Feb 06, 1959 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 122-95 | |
| Feb 07, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | W 124-116 | |
| Feb 08, 1959 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 136-117 | |
| Feb 09, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 121-113 | |
| Feb 11, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 120-118 | |
| Feb 14, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 124-121 | |
| Feb 15, 1959 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 120-94 | |
| Feb 17, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 95-84 | |
| Feb 19, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 113-105 | |
| Feb 20, 1959 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 111-106 | |
| Feb 22, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 129-112 | |
| Feb 24, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | L 134-122 | |
| Feb 26, 1959 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 125-109 | |
| Feb 27, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 173-139 | |
| Mar 01, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 104-102 | |
| Mar 03, 1959 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 119-112 | |
| Mar 04, 1959 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 120-114 | |
| Mar 05, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 142-118 | |
| Mar 08, 1959 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 141-131 | |
| Mar 10, 1959 | vs. New York Knicks | L 138-116 |