1959–60 St. Louis Hawks season

The 1959–1960 Saint Louis Hawks season was the 14th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Hawks claimed their 4th straight division title. They won the division by 16 games with a 46–29 record. Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan, and Clyde Lovellette all averaged more than 20 points per game. 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. 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.

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)
Local media
Television	KPLR 11
Radio	KMOX

Roster

1959–60 St. Louis Hawks roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SG 11 Ferrari, Al 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1933–07–06 Michigan State C 20 Ferry, Bob 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1937–05–31 Saint Louis C 13 Foust, Larry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1928–06–24 La Salle SF 12 Gambee, Dave 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1937–04–16 Oregon State PG 17 Green, Si 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1933–08–20 Duquesne SF 16 Hagan, Cliff 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1931–12–09 Kentucky C 34 Lovellette, Clyde 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 234 lb (106 kg) 1929–09–07 Kansas PG 22 Martin, Slater 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1925–10–22 Texas SG 15 McCarthy, Johnny 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1934–04–25 Canisius PG 21 McMahon, Jack 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1928–12–03 St. John's PF 9 Pettit, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1932–12–12 LSU SG 12 — 25 Piontek, Dave 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1934–08–27 Xavier SF 13 Ramsey, Cal 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1937–07–13 NYU C 19 Reed, Hub 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1936–10–04 Oklahoma City C 13 Share, Chuck 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1927–03–14 Bowling Green

Head coach Ed Macauley Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

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	—

Game log

1959–60 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 24	Minneapolis	94–87	Bob Pettit (33)	0–1
2	October 31	Cincinnati	102–109	Clyde Lovellette (33)	1–1
3	November 1	@ Minneapolis	138–101	Bob Pettit (28)	2–1
4	November 3	Boston	103–98	Bob Pettit (25)	2–2
5	November 7	New York	113–117	Bob Pettit (28)	3–2
6	November 10	Minneapolis	105–134	Cliff Hagan (35)	4–2
7	November 14	@ Boston	111–113	Bob Pettit (34)	4–3
8	November 17	@ New York	97–105	Cliff Hagan (27)	4–4
9	November 20	@ Philadelphia	118–117	Bob Pettit (28)	5–4
10	November 21	Detroit	109–107	Bob Pettit (33)	5–5
11	November 22	@ Cincinnati	100–106	Bob Pettit (39)	5–6
12	November 25	@ Detroit	104–97	Bob Pettit (36)	6–6
13	November 26	Syracuse	95–112	Cliff Hagan (31)	7–6
14	November 28	Minneapolis	91–102	Bob Pettit (31)	8–6
15	December 1	N Syracuse	101–106	Bob Pettit (38)	9–6
16	December 2	@ Syracuse	121–130	Cliff Hagan (37)	9–7
17	December 4	N Philadelphia	112–124	Bob Pettit (27)	9–8
18	December 5	Philadelphia	112–113	Cliff Hagan (27)	10–8
19	December 6	@ Cincinnati	118–104	Cliff Hagan (32)	11–8
20	December 8	N Cincinnati	101–105	Cliff Hagan (30)	11–9
21	December 10	N Detroit	129–111	Cliff Hagan (31)	12–9
22	December 11	@ Boston	99–122	Hagan, Pettit (23)	12–10
23	December 13	Cincinnati	98–118	Cliff Hagan (27)	13–10
24	December 15	@ New York	119–110	Bob Pettit (40)	14–10
25	December 16	@ Detroit	107–106	Bob Pettit (32)	15–10
26	December 19	Philadelphia	89–102	Cliff Hagan (23)	16–10
27	December 20	Detroit	86–102	Cliff Hagan (21)	17–10
28	December 25	Minneapolis	96–112	Cliff Hagan (32)	18–10
29	December 26	@ Syracuse	104–117	Clyde Lovellette (23)	18–11
30	December 28	Syracuse	106–120	Cliff Hagan (28)	19–11
31	December 30	Boston	96–82	Bob Pettit (25)	19–12
32	January 1	@ Detroit	107–119	Bob Pettit (32)	19–13
33	January 2	Detroit	113–114	Cliff Hagan (34)	20–13
34	January 3	New York	108–110	Clyde Lovellette (37)	21–13
35	January 6	@ Philadelphia	101–121	Bob Pettit (24)	21–14
36	January 8	@ Cincinnati	102–112	Clyde Lovellette (25)	21–15
37	January 10	Boston	111–121	Bob Pettit (39)	22–15
38	January 12	@ Philadelphia	108–126	Cliff Hagan (26)	22–16
39	January 13	@ Boston	112–134	Clyde Lovellette (26)	22–17
40	January 14	@ Syracuse	112–119	Bob Pettit (38)	22–18
41	January 15	Syracuse	140–141 (OT)	Bob Pettit (39)	23–18
42	January 17	Minneapolis	119–135	Hagan, Pettit (34)	24–18
43	January 20	@ Cincinnati	119–108	Bob Pettit (30)	25–18
44	January 23	Cincinnati	100–108	Cliff Hagan (32)	26–18
45	January 24	New York	129–155	Clyde Lovellette (39)	27–18
46	January 26	@ New York	119–123	Bob Pettit (28)	27–19
47	January 27	@ Boston	114–127	Cliff Hagan (33)	27–20
48	January 29	Detroit	125–130 (OT)	Lovellette, Pettit (30)	28–20
49	January 30	@ Detroit	107–117	Bob Pettit (21)	28–21
50	January 31	Syracuse	110–117	Clyde Lovellette (39)	29–21
51	February 2	N Boston	114–113	Bob Pettit (32)	30–21
52	February 3	N New York	125–115	Bob Pettit (31)	31–21
53	February 5	@ Minneapolis	114–96	Bob Pettit (31)	32–21
54	February 7	Philadelphia	108–130	Bob Pettit (38)	33–21
55	February 9	New York	104–114	Bob Pettit (25)	34–21
56	February 10	@ Cincinnati	120–110	Cliff Hagan (39)	35–21
57	February 11	@ Philadelphia	120–139	Dave Piontek (20)	35–22
58	February 13	@ New York	104–122	Hagan, Lovellette (16)	35–23
59	February 14	Cincinnati	105–107	Clyde Lovellette (33)	36–23
60	February 16	@ Detroit	111–104	Cliff Hagan (26)	37–23
61	February 17	N Minneapolis	131–127	Cliff Hagan (44)	38–23
62	February 19	@ Minneapolis	101–111	Clyde Lovellette (26)	38–24
63	February 20	Boston	105–121	Bob Pettit (39)	39–24
64	February 21	N Minneapolis	98–112	Bob Pettit (31)	39–25
65	February 22	N Minneapolis	113–103	Cliff Hagan (25)	40–25
66	February 24	N Cincinnati	122–124	Clyde Lovellette (26)	40–26
67	February 25	@ Syracuse	105–110	Cliff Hagan (33)	40–27
68	February 27	Detroit	116–114	Clyde Lovellette (34)	40–28
69	February 28	Cincinnati	105–122	Cliff Hagan (39)	41–28
70	March 1	Minneapolis	101–109	Cliff Hagan (33)	42–28
71	March 2	@ Detroit	100–116	Cliff Hagan (25)	42–29
72	March 5	@ Minneapolis	107–106 (OT)	Bob Pettit (41)	43–29
73	March 6	Philadelphia	109–128	Cliff Hagan (29)	44–29
74	March 8	Detroit	101–122	Bob Pettit (34)	45–29
75	March 9	@ Cincinnati	123–116	Cliff Hagan (33)	46–29

Playoffs

1960 playoff game log
Division Finals: 4–3 (home: 2–2; road: 2–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds Location Attendance Series 1 March 16 Minneapolis W 112–99 Cliff Hagan (29) Bob Pettit (19) Kiel Auditorium 8,377 1–0 2 March 17 Minneapolis L 113–120 Clyde Lovellette (30) Bob Pettit (15) Kiel Auditorium 8,614 1–1 3 March 19 @ Minneapolis W 93–89 Bob Pettit (35) — Minneapolis Armory 2–1 4 March 20 @ Minneapolis L 101–103 Cliff Hagan (28) Clyde Lovellette (15) Minneapolis Armory 6,852 2–2 5 March 22 Minneapolis L 110–117 (OT) Bob Pettit (25) Bob Pettit (19) Kiel Auditorium 10,043 2–3 6 March 24 @ Minneapolis W 117–96 Bob Pettit (30) Bob Pettit (18) Minneapolis Armory 3–3 7 March 26 Minneapolis W 97–86 Bob Pettit (28) Bob Pettit (20) Kiel Auditorium 6,195 4–3
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 March 27 @ Boston L 122–140 Cliff Hagan (25) Bob Pettit (17) Johnny McCarthy (6) Boston Garden 10,002 0–1 2 March 29 @ Boston W 113–103 Bob Pettit (35) Bob Pettit (22) Bob Pettit (7) Boston Garden 13,909 1–1 3 April 2 Boston L 86–102 Bob Pettit (23) Bob Pettit (18) Green, Lovellette (6) Kiel Auditorium 10,612 1–2 4 April 3 Boston W 106–96 Bob Pettit (32) Bob Pettit (11) Johnny McCarthy (8) Kiel Auditorium 10,612 2–2 5 April 5 @ Boston L 102–127 Cliff Hagan (28) Cliff Hagan (12) Si Green (8) Boston Garden 13,909 2–3 6 April 7 Boston W 105–102 Cliff Hagan (36) Clyde Lovellette (15) Johnny McCarthy (9) Kiel Auditorium 10,612 3–3 7 April 9 @ Boston L 103–122 Bob Pettit (22) Bob Pettit (14) Si Green (5) Boston Garden 13,909 3–4
1960 schedule

Awards and honors

• Bob Pettit, All-NBA First Team

References

• Hawks on Basketball Reference