1959–60 St. Louis Hawks season
| 1959–60 St. Louis Hawks season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Ed Macauley |
| Arena | Kiel Auditorium |
| Results | |
| Record | 46–29 (.613) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Western) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Finals (Eliminated 3–4) |
| Local media | |
| Television | KPLR 11 |
| Radio | KMOX |
The 1959–60 St. Louis Hawks season was the 14th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Hawks claimed their 4th straight division title. They won the division by 16 games with a 46–29 record.[1] Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan, and Clyde Lovellette all averaged more than 20 points per game.[1] In the Western Finals, the Hawks faced the Minneapolis Lakers and needed a win in Game 6 to stay alive. Game 6 was played in Minneapolis and the Hawks dominated the Lakers, as they won the match by 21 points to force a 7th game.[1] In St. Louis the Hawks won 97–86 to earn a trip to the NBA Finals. The Hawks challenged the Boston Celtics for the 3rd time in 4 years. The Hawks and Celtics alternated wins as the series went to a 7th game. In Game 7 the Celtics would claim the title as Bill Russell scored 18 points in the 2nd Quarter.[1]
Regular season
Season standings
| Wins | Losses | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Division | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-St. Louis Hawks | 46 | 29 | .613 | – | 28–5 | 12–20 | 6–4 | 27–12 |
| x-Detroit Pistons | 30 | 45 | .400 | 16 | 17–14 | 6–21 | 7–10 | 20–19 |
| x-Minneapolis Lakers | 25 | 50 | .333 | 21 | 9–15 | 9–21 | 7–14 | 17–22 |
| Cincinnati Royals | 19 | 56 | .253 | 27 | 9–22 | 2–20 | 8–14 | 14–25 |
Record vs. opponents
| 1959-60 NBA Records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BOS | CIN | DET | MIN | NYK | PHI | STL | SYR |
| Boston | — | 8–1 | 9–0 | 8–1 | 12–1 | 8–5 | 6–3 | 8–5 |
| Cincinnati | 1–8 | — | 5–8 | 5–8 | 2–7 | 0–9 | 4–9 | 2–7 |
| Detroit | 0–9 | 8–5 | — | 7–6 | 4–5 | 2–7 | 5–8 | 4–5 |
| Minneapolis | 1–8 | 8–5 | 6–7 | — | 4–5 | 2–7 | 3–10 | 1–8 |
| New York | 1–12 | 7–2 | 5–4 | 5–4 | — | 4–9 | 3–6 | 2–11 |
| Philadelphia | 5–8 | 9–0 | 7–2 | 7–2 | 9–4 | — | 4–5 | 8–5 |
| St. Louis | 3–6 | 9–4 | 8–5 | 10–3 | 6–3 | 5–4 | — | 5–4 |
| Syracuse | 5–8 | 7–2 | 5–4 | 8–1 | 11–2 | 5–8 | 4–5 | — |
Playoffs
West Division Semifinals
The Hawks had a division semifinal bye.
West Division Finals
(1) St. Louis Hawks vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers: Hawks win series 4–3
- Game 1 @ St. Louis: St. Louis 112, Minneapolis 99
- Game 2 @ St. Louis: Minneapolis 120, St. Louis 113
- Game 3 @ Minneapolis: St. Louis 93, Minneapolis 89
- Game 4 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 103, St. Louis 101
- Game 5 @ St. Louis: Minneapolis 117, St. Louis 110 (OT)
- Game 6 @ Minneapolis: St. Louis 117, Minneapolis 96
- Game 7 @ St. Louis: St. Louis 97, Minneapolis 86
NBA Finals
(E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W1) St. Louis Hawks: Celtics win series 4–3
- Game 1 @ Boston: Boston 140, St. Louis 122
- Game 2 @ Boston: St. Louis 113, Boston 103
- Game 3 @ St. Louis: Boston 102, St. Louis 86
- Game 4 @ St. Louis: St. Louis 106, Boston 96
- Game 5 @ Boston: Boston 127, St. Louis 102
- Game 6 @ St. Louis: St. Louis 105, Boston 102
- Game 7 @ Boston: Boston 122, St. Louis 103