1959 NBA playoffs
Tournament details | |
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Dates | March 13 – April 9, 1959 |
Season | 1958–59 |
Teams | 6 |
Final positions | |
Champions | Boston Celtics (2nd title) |
Runner-up | Minneapolis Lakers |
Semifinalists | |
The 1959 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1958–59 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals. It was the Celtics' second NBA championship.
This was the first NBA Finals matchup between the Lakers and Celtics; as of 2020, they have met in the Finals 12 times. Boston won the first eight NBA Finals series of the rivalry, spanning 3 decades – the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s – before the Lakers finally defeated Boston for the title in 1985 and again in 1987. Boston again topped the Lakers in 2008, but the Lakers gained revenge in 2010. This was the only Celtics/Lakers NBA Finals series that took place while the Lakers were based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They remained in Minneapolis one more year before moving to their current home of Los Angeles, California.
Bracket
[edit ]- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage in NBA Finals
Division Semifinals
[edit ]Eastern Division Semifinals
[edit ](2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals
[edit ]This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with both teams splitting the first four meetings.
Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series |
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Western Division Semifinals
[edit ](2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) Detroit Pistons
[edit ]This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first five meetings while the Pistons were based in Fort Wayne.
Minneapolis leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series |
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Division Finals
[edit ]Eastern Division Finals
[edit ](1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals
[edit ]Rebs: Dolph Schayes 16
Asts: Schayes, Costello 9 each Pts: Frank Ramsey 28
Rebs: Bill Russell 32
Asts: Bob Cousy 10
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nationals winning four of the first six meetings.
Syracuse leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series |
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Western Division Finals
[edit ](1) St. Louis Hawks vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers
[edit ]Attendance: 10,179
Referees: Mendy Rudolph, Arnie Heft
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first two meetings.
St. Louis leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
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NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W2) Minneapolis Lakers
[edit ]- Vern Mikkelsen’s final NBA game.
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[5]
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — New York Knicks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.