Lex Nihil Novi - Russell vs Chamberlain, Game 54

January 30, 1963

Attendance: 10,666.






bob



.

Cousy's last season and Havlicek's first. My favorite all-time Celtics team.

The perfect Celtics formula. Get out to a great start, keep the foot on the throttle (winning every period with four 30-point quarters), and move the foot to their throats toward the end.

The Warriors almost had four 30-point quarters themselves. In those days, volume basketball inflated the number of possessions and points for both teams.

Russ led the Celts in scoring. Think he got up for games with Wilt?

I'm virtually sure that the lead at some point in the fourth quarter was much bigger than the final margin of 14 points because Swartz played a few garbage time minutes. Otherwise, look at the other nine Celtics players, folks. Every single one of them is now in the NBA Hall of Fame (including Satch as a contributor). Eight men in double figures (two with 20+ points) and the ninth with 8 points. Eras, schmeras....you've never seen anything like that since those days, and you never will.

Swish found additional stats in the previous Russell-Chamberlain thread. I'd love to see the rebounds, assists and personal fouls for this one.

As usual in those days, the obligatory non-full-house.

I'm not certain, but I think this may have been the game in which Sam did the smartest thing I've ever seen on a basketball court. And it occurred during a timeout. I've recounted it before, so I won't wade through it again. I reminded him of it the other day, and we had a good laugh about it.

This was such a primitive time that they apparently hadn't even invented spelling, much to Heinsohn's consternation.

Thanks for the post, Bob.

Sam