1960–61 St. Louis Hawks season

the 1960–61 Saint Louis Hawks season owner Ben Kerner changed coaches despite reaching the 1960 NBA Finals. Ed Macauley was replaced with Paul Seymour.[1] On the court, rookie Lenny Wilkens was averaging 11.7 points per game in his first year.[1] The brunt of the scoring came from the Hawks' front line of Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan, and Clyde Lovellette. They combined for 72.0 points per game, and the Hawks won the West by 15 games.[1] The Hawks finished the season with a record of 51–28. In the playoffs, the Hawks needed a 1-point overtime win in Game 6 on the road to force a 7th game with the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 7 was played in St. Louis and the Hawks beat the Lakers by 2 points.[1] The Hawks then were up against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Hawks fell in 5 games as the Celtics won their 4th NBA Title in 5 seasons.

1960–61 St. Louis Hawks season
Division champions
Head coachPaul Seymour
ArenaKiel Auditorium
Results
Record51–28 (.646)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Western)
Playoff finishNBA Finals
(Eliminated 1–4)
< 1959–60 1961–62 >

Regular season

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Standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-St. Louis Hawks 51 28 .646 29–5 15–20 7–3 25–14
x-Los Angeles Lakers 36 43 .456 15 16–12 8–20 12–11 19–20
x-Detroit Pistons 34 45 .430 17 20–11 3–19 11–15 18–21
Cincinnati Royals 33 46 .418 18 18–13 8–19 7–14 16–23

Record vs. opponents

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1960-61 NBA Records
Team BOS CIN DET LAL NYK PHI STL SYR
Boston 7–3 8–2 8–2 10–3 8–5 6–4 10–3
Cincinnati 3–7 2–11 8–5 8–2 2–8 6–7 4–6
Detroit 2–8 11–2 4–9 5–5 5–5 3–10 4–6
Los Angeles 2–8 5–8 9–4 7–3 2–8 5–8 6–4
New York 3–10 2–8 5–5 3–7 2–11 1–9 5–8
Philadelphia 5–8 8–2 5–5 8–2 11–2 3–7 6–7
St. Louis 4–6 7–6 10–3 8–5 9–1 7–3 6–4
Syracuse 3–10 6–4 6–4 4–6 8–5 7–6 4–6

Game log

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1960–61 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 22 Los Angeles 96–112 Clyde Lovellette (28) 1–0
2 October 23 @ Cincinnati 103–114 Cliff Hagan (25) 1–1
3 October 25 Syracuse 100–123 Bob Pettit (35) 2–1
4 October 29 Cincinnati 97–113 Green, Pettit (19) 3–1
5 November 2 @ Detroit 132–117 Bob Pettit (22) 4–1
6 November 5 New York 104–119 Cliff Hagan (35) 5–1
7 November 9 Detroit 120–126 Bob Pettit (39) 6–1
8 November 11 @ Philadelphia 112–117 Cliff Hagan (22) 6–2
9 November 12 Philadelphia 105–107 Clyde Lovellette (24) 7–2
10 November 16 @ Boston 106–124 Bob Pettit (22) 7–3
11 November 17 N Detroit 112–105 Hagan, Lovellette, Pettit (26) 8–3
12 November 18 @ Cincinnati 128–129 (OT) Cliff Hagan (36) 8–4
13 November 19 Cincinnati 120–121 Clyde Lovellette (33) 9–4
14 November 22 @ New York 120–119 Clyde Lovellette (32) 10–4
15 November 24 Syracuse 97–132 Bob Pettit (31) 11–4
16 November 26 Los Angeles 113–126 Bob Pettit (41) 12–4
17 November 29 Boston 119–109 Cliff Hagan (26) 12–5
18 November 30 N Syracuse 135–126 Bob Pettit (32) 12–6
19 December 2 @ New York 139–133 (OT) Bob Pettit (44) 13–6
20 December 3 @ Philadelphia 131–127 Bob Pettit (37) 14–6
21 December 6 Detroit 110–146 Hagan, Lovellette (18) 15–6
22 December 7 @ Detroit 83–113 Bob Pettit (13) 15–7
23 December 9 N Syracuse 118–131 Bob Pettit (36) 16–7
24 December 10 Los Angeles 108–111 Bob Pettit (30) 17–7
25 December 12 @ Los Angeles 114–103 Bob Pettit (32) 18–7
26 December 14 @ Los Angeles 113–124 Cliff Hagan (23) 18–8
27 December 16 N Philadelphia 112–107 Clyde Lovellette (24) 19–8
28 December 17 New York 103–116 Bob Pettit (36) 20–8
29 December 18 @ Syracuse 104–103 Bob Pettit (26) 21–8
30 December 21 @ Boston 108–120 Bob Pettit (37) 21–9
31 December 26 Syracuse 112–133 Bob Pettit (25) 22–9
32 December 28 Boston 99–105 Bob Pettit (35) 23–9
33 December 29 @ Detroit 89–112 Hagan, Pettit (19) 23–10
34 December 30 Los Angeles 99–107 Cliff Hagan (28) 24–10
35 January 1 @ Cincinnati 112–114 McCarthy, Pettit (25) 24–11
36 January 5 @ Los Angeles 96–110 Bob Pettit (23) 24–12
37 January 6 @ Los Angeles 108–104 Bob Pettit (35) 25–12
38 January 8 Boston 104–133 Cliff Hagan (37) 26–12
39 January 10 Cincinnati 110–119 Cliff Hagan (33) 27–12
40 January 11 @ Syracuse 128–133 Clyde Lovellette (31) 27–13
41 January 12 @ Philadelphia 102–111 Clyde Lovellette (29) 27–14
42 January 14 Detroit 113–135 Cliff Hagan (31) 28–14
43 January 15 @ Detroit 122–137 Bob Pettit (31) 28–15
44 January 18 @ Boston 125–114 Bob Pettit (37) 29–15
45 January 19 @ Philadelphia 127–129 Bob Pettit (42) 29–16
46 January 21 New York 122–145 Bob Pettit (45) 30–16
47 January 22 @ Cincinnati 108–115 Bob Pettit (26) 30–17
48 January 24 Philadelphia 112–114 Bob Pettit (37) 31–17
49 January 25 N New York 116–109 Clyde Lovellette (25) 32–17
50 January 28 Cincinnati 116–136 Cliff Hagan (32) 33–17
51 January 29 Syracuse 108–125 Lovellette, Pettit (25) 34–17
52 January 31 Boston 109–103 Bob Pettit (26) 34–18
53 February 1 N Detroit 137–131 Cliff Hagan (33) 35–18
54 February 2 N Los Angeles 115–116 Bob Pettit (25) 35–19
55 February 4 @ New York 128–111 Lenny Wilkens (24) 36–19
56 February 5 @ Boston 121–123 Bob Pettit (35) 36–20
57 February 7 Philadelphia 124–127 Bob Pettit (35) 37–20
58 February 8 @ Los Angeles 103–120 Clyde Lovellette (23) 37–21
59 February 9 @ Los Angeles 123–113 Bob Pettit (40) 38–21
60 February 11 Cincinnati 122–123 Lenny Wilkens (28) 39–21
61 February 12 Los Angeles 105–95 Cliff Hagan (25) 39–22
62 February 14 Detroit 134–135 Cliff Hagan (38) 40–22
63 February 15 N Philadelphia 135–98 Bob Pettit (26) 41–22
64 February 16 @ Cincinnati 107–133 Bob Pettit (30) 41–23
65 February 18 @ Detroit 141–138 Bob Pettit (57) 42–23
66 February 19 New York 123–100 Bob Pettit (26) 42–24
67 February 21 Cincinnati 114–126 Cliff Hagan (31) 43–24
68 February 23 @ Syracuse 116–144 Clyde Lovellette (26) 43–25
69 February 24 @ New York 122–119 Lenny Wilkens (29) 44–25
70 February 25 Boston 122–109 Bob Pettit (31) 44–26
71 February 26 @ Cincinnati 148–122 Clyde Lovellette (30) 45–26
72 February 28 N Cincinnati 105–131 Al Ferrari (18) 45–27
73 March 1 @ Boston 110–97 Lenny Wilkens (23) 46–27
74 March 4 Detroit 102–104 Clyde Lovellette (27) 47–27
75 March 5 @ Detroit 127–122 Cliff Hagan (30) 48–27
76 March 7 Los Angeles 136–137 (2OT) Bob Pettit (48) 49–27
77 March 8 N New York 117–94 Bob Pettit (21) 50–27
78 March 9 @ Syracuse 119–129 Hagan, Pettit (34) 50–28
79 March 11 Philadelphia 87–130 Cliff Hagan (24) 51–28

Playoffs

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1961 playoff game log
Division Finals: 4–3 (home: 2–2; road: 2–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds Location
Attendance
Series
1 March 21 Los Angeles L 118–122 Bob Pettit (28) Bob Pettit (20) Kiel Auditorium
8,147
0–1
2 March 22 Los Angeles W 121–106 Clyde Lovellette (28) Bob Pettit (19) Kiel Auditorium
8,472
1–1
3 March 24 @ Los Angeles L 112–118 Bob Pettit (26) Bob Pettit (13) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
5,006
1–2
4 March 25 @ Los Angeles W 118–117 Bob Pettit (40) Bob Pettit (18) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
4,923
2–2
5 March 27 Los Angeles L 112–121 Cliff Hagan (26) Bob Pettit (21) Kiel Auditorium 2–3
6 March 29 @ Los Angeles W 114–113 (OT) Bob Pettit (31) Bob Pettit (21) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
14,840
3–3
7 April 1 Los Angeles W 105–103 Bob Pettit (31) Bob Pettit (17) Kiel Auditorium 4–3
NBA Finals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 April 2 @ Boston L 95–129 Cliff Hagan (33) Cliff Hagan (13) Hagan, Sauldsberry (4) Boston Garden
11,531
0–1
2 April 5 @ Boston L 108–116 Cliff Hagan (40) Bob Pettit (19) Cliff Hagan (6) Boston Garden
13,909
0–2
3 April 8 Boston W 124–120 Bob Pettit (31) Bob Pettit (24) Si Green (7) Kiel Auditorium
8,468
1–2
4 April 9 Boston L 104–119 Bob Pettit (40) Bob Pettit (18) Cliff Hagan (7) Kiel Auditorium
10,442
1–3
5 April 11 @ Boston L 112–121 Bob Pettit (24) Pettit, Sauldsberry (11) Johnny McCarthy (6) Boston Garden
13,909
1–4
1961 schedule

Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "St. Louis Hawks – Sports Ecyclopedia".