1963–64 Boston Celtics season
| 1963–64 Boston Celtics season | |
|---|---|
| Seventh NBA Championship | |
| Head coach | Red Auerbach |
| Arena | Boston Garden |
| Results | |
| Record | 59–21 (.738) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WHDH-TV |
| Radio | WHDH |
The 1963–64 NBA season was the Celtics' 18th season in the NBA. The Celtics finished the season by winning their seventh NBA Championship.
Offseason
NBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Bill Green | Forward |  United States |
Colorado State |
Roster
Depth chart
| Pos. | Starter | Bench | Reserve | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Bill Russell | Clyde Lovellette | ||
| PF | Satch Sanders | Tom Heinsohn Willie Naulls | ||
| SF | John Havlicek | Frank Ramsey | Jim Loscutoff | |
| SG | Sam Jones | Larry Siegfried | ||
| PG | K. C. Jones | Johnny McCarthy |
Regular season
The Celtics were one of the dominant teams in the leagues. The team established its legacy as one of the game's greatest dynasties ever. 1950s superstar Bob Cousy had retired, yet Red Auerbach's club barely slowed down with his absence. Cousy's replacement was a defensive specialist named K. C. Jones, who continued Auerbach's emphasis on defense along with forward Tom 'Satch' Sanders and center Bill Russell. While Boston could surely still pass and score, it was their defensive emergence, led by the incredible Russell, that was now leading a streak of NBA titles. Russell led the league in rebounds and was one of two high-volume shot blockers dominating the NBA. The Celtics had six scorers over ten-points per game and two more over eight. Auerbach's sixth man, John Havlicek, was the team's leading scorer at 20 per game. This combination of active defense and unselfish shooting got Boston a league-high 59 wins in 80 NBA games.
Season standings
| Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Boston Celtics | 59 | 21 | .738 | – | 26–4 | 21–17 | 12–0 | 25–11 |
| x-Cincinnati Royals | 55 | 25 | .688 | 4 | 26–7 | 18–18 | 11–0 | 27–9 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 34 | 46 | .425 | 25 | 18–12 | 12–22 | 4–12 | 13–23 |
| New York Knicks | 22 | 58 | .275 | 37 | 10–25 | 8–27 | 4–6 | 7–29 |
Record vs. opponents
| 1963–64 NBA records | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BAL | BOS | CIN | DET | LAL | NYK | PHI | SFW | STL |
| Baltimore | — | 1–9 | 2–8 | 7–3 | 3–7 | 7–3 | 5–5 | 3–7 | 3–7 |
| Boston | 9–1 | — | 5–7 | 7–1 | 6–3 | 10–2 | 10–2 | 5–3 | 7–2 |
| Cincinnati | 8–2 | 7–5 | — | 7–2 | 4–4 | 11–1 | 9–3 | 5–4 | 4–4 |
| Detroit | 3–7 | 1–7 | 2–7 | — | 5–7 | 4–5 | 3–5 | 3–9 | 2–10 |
| Los Angeles | 7–3 | 3–6 | 4–4 | 7–5 | — | 6–2 | 5–4 | 5–7 | 5–7 |
| New York | 3–7 | 2–10 | 1–11 | 5–4 | 2–6 | — | 4–8 | 1–8 | 4–4 |
| Philadelphia | 5–5 | 2–10 | 3–9 | 5–3 | 4–5 | 8–4 | — | 4–4 | 3–6 |
| San Francisco | 7–3 | 3–5 | 4–5 | 9–3 | 7–5 | 8–1 | 4–4 | — | 6–6 |
| St. Louis | 7–3 | 2–7 | 4–4 | 10–2 | 7–5 | 4–4 | 6–3 | 6–6 | — |
Playoffs
East Division Semifinals
The Celtics had a division semifinal bye.
East Division Finals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Cincinnati Royals: Celtics win series 4–1
- Game 1 @ Boston: Boston 103, Cincinnati 87
- Game 2 @ Boston: Boston 101, Cincinnati 90
- Game 3 @ Cincinnati: Boston 102, Cincinnati 92
- Game 4 @ Cincinnati: Cincinnati 102, Boston 93
- Game 5 @ Boston: Boston 109, Cincinnati 95
NBA Finals
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | April 18 | Boston | 108–96 | San Francisco |
| Game 2 | April 20 | Boston | 124–101 | San Francisco |
| Game 3 | April 22 | San Francisco | 115–91 | Boston |
| Game 4 | April 24 | San Francisco | 95–98 | Boston |
| Game 5 | April 26 | Boston | 105–99 | San Francisco |
Celtics won series 4–1
Awards and honors
- Bill Russell, All-NBA Second Team
- Tom Heinsohn, All-NBA Second Team
- John Havlicek, All-NBA Second Team