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) |
The 1959–60 NBA season was the franchise's 14th season in the 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
| Western Division | 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