Boston Celtics 1961-62 Roster and Stats

The 1961-62 Boston Celtics season was a remarkable campaign in the NBA, showcasing the dominance of a team led by legendary coach Red Auerbach. The Celtics finished the regular season with a 60-20 record, securing the top spot in the Eastern Division. This impressive performance was driven by the exceptional play of Bill Russell, who averaged 18.9 points and 23.6 rebounds per game, earning him the NBA Most Valuable Player award for the second consecutive year.

Boston’s roster was loaded with talent, including key players like Bob Cousy, who averaged 15.7 points and 7.8 assists per game, and Tom Heinsohn, who contributed 22.1 points per game. The Celtics’ depth was further enhanced by Sam Jones and Frank Ramsey, providing scoring and versatility off the bench. This combination of star power and depth made Boston a formidable opponent throughout the season.

In the playoffs, the Celtics continued their dominant form. They faced the Philadelphia Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals, winning the series 4-3 in a hard-fought battle. The NBA Finals saw Boston take on the Los Angeles Lakers. In a thrilling seven-game series, the Celtics triumphed, winning their fourth consecutive NBA championship. The decisive Game 7 was played at the Boston Garden, where the Celtics secured a 110-107 overtime victory, further cementing their legacy as one of the greatest teams in NBA history.

Regular Season Record: 60-20
Playoff Result: Division Finals: 4-3, NBA Finals: 4-3

Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 1961-62 Season

POINTS

Tom Heinsohn

22.0

REBOUNDS

Bill Russell

23.6

ASSISTS

Bob Cousy

5.4

	Regular Season							Playoffs
Player	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%
Tom Heinsohn	79	22.0	6.6	1.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	14	20.7	8.2	2.4	0.0	0.0	0.0
Bill Russell	76	18.9	23.6	3.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	14	22.4	26.4	5.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Sam Jones	78	18.4	3.6	1.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	14	20.6	7.1	3.1	0.0	0.0	0.0
Bob Cousy	75	15.7	2.0	5.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	14	16.0	4.6	8.8	0.0	0.0	0.0
Frank Ramsey	79	15.3	2.9	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	13	9.2	2.9	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0
Tom Sanders	80	11.2	6.5	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	14	10.1	8.1	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
K.C. Jones	80	9.2	2.1	2.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	14	9.0	4.0	3.9	0.0	0.0	0.0
Al Butler	5	6.2	0.8	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0
Jim Loscutoff	79	5.4	2.6	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	14	4.7	4.2	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0
Gary Phillips	68	4.0	0.9	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	7	1.4	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0
Carl Braun	49	3.6	0.6	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	6	4.2	1.2	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0
Gene Guarilia	46	3.5	1.9	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	5	1.2	0.8	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0

Boston Celtics in the 1962 NBA Playoffs

1962 Conference Championship vs. Philadelphia Warriors

Date	Opponent	Result	High Scorer
Mar 24, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 117-89	Sam Jones (20 pts)
Mar 27, 1962	@ Philadelphia Warriors	L 113-106	Tom Heinsohn (24 pts)
Mar 28, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 129-114	Bill Russell (31 pts)
Mar 31, 1962	@ Philadelphia Warriors	L 110-106	Bill Russell (31 pts)
Apr 01, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 119-104	Bill Russell (29 pts)
Apr 03, 1962	@ Philadelphia Warriors	L 109-99	Tom Heinsohn (22 pts)
Apr 05, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 109-107	Sam Jones (28 pts)

1962 NBA Finals vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Date	Opponent	Result	High Scorer
Apr 07, 1962	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 122-108	Sam Jones (24 pts)
Apr 08, 1962	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	L 129-122	Tom Heinsohn (27 pts)
Apr 10, 1962	@ Los Angeles Lakers	L 117-115	Bill Russell (26 pts)
Apr 11, 1962	@ Los Angeles Lakers	W 115-103	Bill Russell (21 pts)
Apr 14, 1962	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	L 126-121	Tom Heinsohn (30 pts)
Apr 16, 1962	@ Los Angeles Lakers	W 119-105	Sam Jones (35 pts)
Apr 18, 1962	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 110-107	Bill Russell (30 pts)

Boston Celtics 1961-62 Regular Season Game Log

Here is the game log for the 1961-62 season for the Boston Celtics.

Date	Opponent	Result	High Scorer
Oct 21, 1961	vs. Detroit Pistons	W 137-102	Tom Heinsohn (26 pts)
Oct 28, 1961	vs. New York Knicks	W 132-102	Tom Heinsohn (19 pts)
Nov 03, 1961	@ Philadelphia Warriors	W 112-98	Bob Cousy (27 pts)
Nov 04, 1961	vs. Syracuse Nationals	W 127-107	Bob Cousy (23 pts)
Nov 09, 1961	vs. Detroit Pistons	L 116-110	Bill Russell (28 pts)
Nov 11, 1961	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 128-125	Bill Russell (28 pts)
Nov 12, 1961	@ Chicago Packers	W 112-96	Bill Russell (28 pts)
Nov 14, 1961	@ St. Louis Hawks	W 119-117	Bill Russell (35 pts)
Nov 16, 1961	@ Cincinnati Royals	W 127-121	Tom Heinsohn (29 pts)
Nov 17, 1961	@ New York Knicks	W 104-100	Bill Russell (25 pts)
Nov 18, 1961	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	L 103-101	Tom Heinsohn (26 pts)
Nov 22, 1961	vs. St. Louis Hawks	W 141-121	Tom Sanders (22 pts)
Nov 23, 1961	@ Philadelphia Warriors	W 119-106	Tom Heinsohn (31 pts)
Nov 25, 1961	vs. New York Knicks	W 116-96	Frank Ramsey (26 pts)
Nov 26, 1961	@ Detroit Pistons	W 107-101	Sam Jones (28 pts)
Nov 28, 1961	vs. Detroit Pistons	W 116-108	Bob Cousy (27 pts)
Nov 30, 1961	vs. Cincinnati Royals	L 133-130	Tom Heinsohn (31 pts)
Dec 01, 1961	vs. Chicago Packers	W 140-121	Bill Russell (26 pts)
Dec 03, 1961	@ Cincinnati Royals	W 119-96	Bill Russell (23 pts)
Dec 06, 1961	vs. Cincinnati Royals	W 103-102	Bill Russell (28 pts)
Dec 08, 1961	vs. Syracuse Nationals	W 123-111	Tom Heinsohn (30 pts)
Dec 09, 1961	@ Syracuse Nationals	W 106-102	Sam Jones (30 pts)
Dec 13, 1961	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 123-113	Sam Jones (35 pts)
Dec 14, 1961	vs. Chicago Packers	W 123-108	Tom Heinsohn (28 pts)
Dec 16, 1961	vs. St. Louis Hawks	W 130-113	Bill Russell (25 pts)
Dec 17, 1961	@ New York Knicks	W 117-109	Sam Jones (30 pts)
Dec 19, 1961	@ Los Angeles Lakers	L 104-101	Sam Jones (26 pts)
Dec 21, 1961	vs. New York Knicks	W 122-103	Tom Sanders (23 pts)
Dec 23, 1961	vs. New York Knicks	W 122-111	Bill Russell (31 pts)
Dec 25, 1961	@ Syracuse Nationals	W 127-122	Tom Heinsohn (45 pts)
Dec 26, 1961	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 129-117	Bob Cousy (26 pts)
Dec 28, 1961	@ St. Louis Hawks	W 117-109	Sam Jones (26 pts)
Dec 29, 1961	@ New York Knicks	L 110-100	Bob Cousy (20 pts)
Dec 30, 1961	@ Philadelphia Warriors	W 116-111	Sam Jones (36 pts)
Jan 02, 1962	vs. St. Louis Hawks	W 136-99	Tom Heinsohn (25 pts)
Jan 03, 1962	@ Detroit Pistons	L 112-103	Tom Heinsohn (23 pts)
Jan 05, 1962	@ Cincinnati Royals	W 124-103	Tom Heinsohn (31 pts)
Jan 07, 1962	@ Los Angeles Lakers	W 118-95	Tom Heinsohn (28 pts)
Jan 10, 1962	@ Chicago Packers	L 103-90	Bob Cousy (21 pts)
Jan 12, 1962	vs. Cincinnati Royals	W 141-125	Tom Heinsohn (32 pts)
Jan 13, 1962	vs. Syracuse Nationals	L 127-117	Tom Heinsohn (23 pts)
Jan 14, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 145-136	Sam Jones (30 pts)
Jan 17, 1962	@ Detroit Pistons	W 126-116	Sam Jones (33 pts)
Jan 19, 1962	vs. Syracuse Nationals	W 128-103	Bill Russell (24 pts)
Jan 20, 1962	@ Syracuse Nationals	W 107-101	Bill Russell (24 pts)
Jan 21, 1962	vs. Detroit Pistons	L 124-120	Tom Heinsohn (43 pts)
Jan 23, 1962	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 118-103	Tom Heinsohn (28 pts)
Jan 24, 1962	vs. St. Louis Hawks	L 135-123	Tom Heinsohn (28 pts)
Jan 26, 1962	@ New York Knicks	L 129-121	Frank Ramsey (38 pts)
Jan 27, 1962	@ Philadelphia Warriors	L 131-106	Tom Sanders (24 pts)
Jan 28, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	L 133-129	Tom Heinsohn (31 pts)
Jan 31, 1962	@ Chicago Packers	W 122-115	Bob Cousy (27 pts)
Feb 01, 1962	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 130-115	Sam Jones (22 pts)
Feb 02, 1962	vs. Cincinnati Royals	W 143-124	Tom Heinsohn (24 pts)
Feb 04, 1962	vs. New York Knicks	W 130-114	Frank Ramsey (24 pts)
Feb 05, 1962	@ Chicago Packers	W 127-111	Tom Heinsohn (28 pts)
Feb 06, 1962	@ St. Louis Hawks	W 129-114	Tom Heinsohn (24 pts)
Feb 08, 1962	@ Syracuse Nationals	L 122-110	Sam Jones (26 pts)
Feb 09, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	L 126-124	Tom Heinsohn (23 pts)
Feb 10, 1962	@ Philadelphia Warriors	L 107-106	Sam Jones (21 pts)
Feb 11, 1962	vs. Chicago Packers	W 148-115	Tom Heinsohn (42 pts)
Feb 13, 1962	vs. Chicago Packers	W 138-117	Tom Heinsohn (30 pts)
Feb 14, 1962	@ New York Knicks	L 125-112	Bob Cousy (26 pts)
Feb 16, 1962	vs. New York Knicks	W 127-104	Bob Cousy (28 pts)
Feb 18, 1962	@ Los Angeles Lakers	L 125-99	Frank Ramsey (19 pts)
Feb 20, 1962	@ Los Angeles Lakers	W 115-96	Tom Sanders (26 pts)
Feb 22, 1962	vs. Syracuse Nationals	W 134-106	Bob Cousy (32 pts)
Feb 23, 1962	vs. Syracuse Nationals	W 121-107	Tom Heinsohn (31 pts)
Feb 24, 1962	@ Philadelphia Warriors	W 109-86	Bob Cousy (22 pts)
Feb 25, 1962	@ Syracuse Nationals	W 110-106	Bill Russell (23 pts)
Feb 27, 1962	vs. Chicago Packers	W 115-100	Bill Russell (20 pts)
Feb 28, 1962	@ Cincinnati Royals	W 129-123	Frank Ramsey (30 pts)
Mar 02, 1962	@ St. Louis Hawks	L 138-120	Tom Heinsohn (22 pts)
Mar 04, 1962	vs. St. Louis Hawks	W 123-120	Tom Heinsohn (28 pts)
Mar 06, 1962	@ New York Knicks	L 113-106	Tom Heinsohn (30 pts)
Mar 07, 1962	vs. Philadelphia Warriors	W 153-102	Sam Jones (23 pts)
Mar 08, 1962	@ Chicago Packers	W 108-102	Bill Russell (27 pts)
Mar 09, 1962	@ Detroit Pistons	W 130-111	Tom Heinsohn (32 pts)
Mar 11, 1962	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 119-105	Sam Jones (20 pts)
Mar 13, 1962	vs. Syracuse Nationals	W 142-110	Tom Sanders (30 pts)

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