1958 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1958 NBA Finals pitted the Western Champion St. Louis Hawks against the Eastern Champion Boston Celtics
. The Hawks won the series in six games to become the National Basketball Association
champions.
Hawks win series 4-2
, St. Louis survived rough times in the 1957-58 NBA season
, coming back to the NBA Finals to face the Celtics once more. The teams split the first 2 games and were tied 49-49 in the third game when the series' decisive play occurred. Bill Russell
soared high to block a shot by Bob Pettit
, landed heavily on his right ankle and collapsed in a heap on the floor with a severe sprain. He was through for almost the rest of the playoffs and, as a result, so were the Celtics. Boston won just one more game, the fourth, as the Hawks gained revenge with a six-game series victory that gave them their first and (to date) only NBA championship. It was also the first of two world championships won by a St. Louis pro sports team in any sport other than the MLB
Cardinals
.
Pettit scored 19 points as the Hawks took a 57-52 lead into the halftime intermission. Six straight points by Pettit pushed the Hawks' margin to 10 in the third quarter before the Celtics sparked by Bob Cousy
's brilliant playmaking, cut the margin back to six, 83-77. A Boston spurt in the opening moments of the final period gave the Celts an 86-84 lead, and the gloom was so thick in the arena one could practically cut it with a knife.
That's when Pettit took charge. Despite double and triple-teaming by the Celtics, the Hawk star sank basket after basket, free throw after free throw, singlehandedly keeping St. Louis in a game they otherwise would have lost, and preventing a dreaded return trip to Boston
for a seventh game.
With a little more than 20 seconds to play, Pettit drove on Russell, stopped and arched a shot over the clawing grasp of the Celtic captain for the basket that gave the Hawks a 108-105 lead. But Tom Heinsohn made two foul shots with 16 second left to cut it to 108-107. With the Boston defense converging on Pettit, Slater Martin
tried a set shot that missed, but Pettit somehow fought his way through the mob of Celtics around him to tap the ball in and make a final Celtic field goal meaningless. Pettit had scored 50 points, including 18 of the Hawks' final 21 points and gained sweet revenge from the Hawks' 1957 NBA Finals loss.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. The Hawks won the series in six games to become the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
champions.
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | March 29 | Boston Celtics | 102-104 (0-1) | St. Louis Hawks |
| Game 2 | March 30 | Boston Celtics | 136-112 (1-1) | St. Louis Hawks |
| Game 3 | April 2 | St. Louis Hawks | 111-108 (2-1) | Boston Celtics |
| Game 4 | April 5 | St. Louis Hawks | 98-109 (2-2) | Boston Celtics |
| Game 5 | April 9 | Boston Celtics | 100-102 (2-3) | St. Louis Hawks |
| Game 6 | April 12 | St. Louis Hawks | 110-109 (4-2) | Boston Celtics |
Hawks win series 4-2
A Brief Recap
After suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Celtics in Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals1957 NBA Finals
The 1957 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1956-57 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1957 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics....
, St. Louis survived rough times in the 1957-58 NBA season
1957-58 NBA season
The 1957–58 NBA Season was the 12th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the St. Louis Hawks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
, coming back to the NBA Finals to face the Celtics once more. The teams split the first 2 games and were tied 49-49 in the third game when the series' decisive play occurred. Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
soared high to block a shot by Bob Pettit
Bob Pettit
Robert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, landed heavily on his right ankle and collapsed in a heap on the floor with a severe sprain. He was through for almost the rest of the playoffs and, as a result, so were the Celtics. Boston won just one more game, the fourth, as the Hawks gained revenge with a six-game series victory that gave them their first and (to date) only NBA championship. It was also the first of two world championships won by a St. Louis pro sports team in any sport other than the MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
50 for Pettit and Revenge for 1957
The sixth game was sweet vindication for Bob Pettit, and that's an understatement. Before a cheering, stomping crowd of 10,218 at St. Louis, Pettit put on a show perhaps unmatched by any individual in NBA playoff history. Russell was back in action, limping badly on a cast and obviously hampered, but it's questionable whether even if Russell had been at the top of his game he could have contained the inspired Pettit on this occasion.Pettit scored 19 points as the Hawks took a 57-52 lead into the halftime intermission. Six straight points by Pettit pushed the Hawks' margin to 10 in the third quarter before the Celtics sparked by Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
's brilliant playmaking, cut the margin back to six, 83-77. A Boston spurt in the opening moments of the final period gave the Celts an 86-84 lead, and the gloom was so thick in the arena one could practically cut it with a knife.
That's when Pettit took charge. Despite double and triple-teaming by the Celtics, the Hawk star sank basket after basket, free throw after free throw, singlehandedly keeping St. Louis in a game they otherwise would have lost, and preventing a dreaded return trip to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
for a seventh game.
With a little more than 20 seconds to play, Pettit drove on Russell, stopped and arched a shot over the clawing grasp of the Celtic captain for the basket that gave the Hawks a 108-105 lead. But Tom Heinsohn made two foul shots with 16 second left to cut it to 108-107. With the Boston defense converging on Pettit, Slater Martin
Slater Martin
Slater Nelson "Dugie" Martin Jr. is an American retired professional basketball player and coach who played the guard position for 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association...
tried a set shot that missed, but Pettit somehow fought his way through the mob of Celtics around him to tap the ball in and make a final Celtic field goal meaningless. Pettit had scored 50 points, including 18 of the Hawks' final 21 points and gained sweet revenge from the Hawks' 1957 NBA Finals loss.