1961–62 Los Angeles Lakers season

The 1961–62 NBA season was the Lakers' 14th season in the NBA and second season in Los Angeles. For the first time since 1959, the Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals, and it was the first NBA Finals appearance for the team in the city of Los Angeles. For the second time, they met the Boston Celtics, who they would meet five further times in the 1960s. However, the Lakers lost in seven games; Frank Selvy missed a potential winning shot in Game 7 after the Lakers had lost Game 6 in Los Angeles, and the Celtics pulled away in overtime to win their fourth straight title.[1]

1961–62 Los Angeles Lakers season
Division champions
Head coachFred Schaus
ArenaLos Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Results
Record54–26 (.675)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Western)
Playoff finishNBA Finals
(lost to Celtics 3–4)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKHJ-TV
RadioKHJ
< 1960–61 1962–63 >

Roster

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Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
SF 22 Baylor, Elgin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1934-09-16 Seattle
C 14 Felix, Ray 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1930-12-10 Long Island
SF 20 Hawkins, Tom 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1936-12-22 Notre Dame
SG 33 Hundley, Hot Rod 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1934-10-26 West Virginia
PF 54 Jolliff, Howie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1938-07-20 Ohio
C 32 Krebs, Jim 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1935-09-08 SMU
PF 35 LaRusso, Rudy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1937-11-11 Dartmouth
PG 52 McNeill, Bob 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1938-10-22 Saint Joseph's
SG 11 Selvy, Frank 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1932-11-09 Furman
PG 44 West, Jerry 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1938-05-28 West Virginia
C 55 Yates, Wayne 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1937-11-07 Memphis
Head coach

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  •   Injured

Roster
Last transaction: December, 1961

Regular season

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Season standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Los Angeles Lakers 54 26 .675 26–5 18–13 10–8 33–13
x-Cincinnati Royals 43 37 .538 11 18–13 14–16 11–8 29–17
x-Detroit Pistons 37 43 .463 17 16–14 8–17 13–12 24–22
St. Louis Hawks 29 51 .363 25 19–16 7–27 3–8 16–30
Chicago Packers 18 62 .225 36 15-23 3-39 0–0 10–30
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1961-62 NBA Records
Team BOS CHI CIN DET LAL NYK PHI STL SYR
Boston 9–1 7–1 5–3 6–3 8–4 8–4 7–2 10–2
Chicago 1–9 1–9 3–7 2–8 6–4 0–10 4–6 1–9
Cincinnati 1–7 9–1 6–6 5–7 5–4 3–5 9–3 5–4
Detroit 3–5 7–3 6–6 4–8 5–4 1–7 7–5 4–5
Los Angeles 3–6 8–2 7–5 8–4 6–2 6–3 10–2 6–2
New York 4–8 4–6 4–5 4–5 2–6 4–8 4–4 3–9
Philadelphia 4–8 10–0 5–3 7–1 3–6 8–4 6–3 6–6
St. Louis 2–7 6–4 3–9 5–7 2–10 4–4 3–6 4–4
Syracuse 2–10 9–1 4–5 5–4 2–6 9–3 6–6 4–4

Game log

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1961–62 game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 19 N Philadelphia 113–118 Elgin Baylor (35) 1–0
2 October 20 @ Philadelphia 115–122 Jerry West (36) 1–1
3 October 24 N Cincinnati 124–122 Elgin Baylor (31) 2–1
4 October 25 @ Detroit 120–116 Elgin Baylor (36) 3–1
5 October 27 Detroit 118–128 Elgin Baylor (27) 4–1
6 October 28 Detroit 126–135 Jerry West (40) 5–1
7 November 1 Cincinnati 115–120 Elgin Baylor (41) 6–1
8 November 3 Cincinnati 132–114 Elgin Baylor (30) 6–2
9 November 4 @ Chicago 125–112 Jerry West (42) 7–2
10 November 7 @ St. Louis 127–110 Elgin Baylor (37) 8–2
11 November 8 St. Louis 118–124 Jerry West (42) 9–2
12 November 13 Chicago 113–127 Elgin Baylor (39) 10–2
13 November 15 Chicago 118–133 Elgin Baylor (36) 11–2
14 November 17 @ Philadelphia 125–121 Elgin Baylor (37) 12–2
15 November 18 @ Boston 103–101 Elgin Baylor (32) 13–2
16 November 21 N Detroit 102–108 Elgin Baylor (26) 13–3
17 November 23 @ St. Louis 122–114 Elgin Baylor (40) 14–3
18 November 24 @ New York 100–89 Elgin Baylor (34) 15–3
19 November 25 @ Detroit 103–104 Elgin Baylor (31) 15–4
20 November 26 @ Cincinnati 102–117 Elgin Baylor (37) 15–5
21 November 28 N Syracuse 121–111 Elgin Baylor (49) 15–6
22 December 1 Philadelphia 138–117 Jerry West (36) 15–7
23 December 2 Philadelphia 119–129 Jerry West (32) 16–7
24 December 4 Syracuse 120–131 Elgin Baylor (50) 17–7
25 December 5 Syracuse 120–125 Elgin Baylor (45) 18–7
26 December 6 Syracuse 121–123 (OT) Elgin Baylor (47) 19–7
27 December 8 @ Philadelphia 151–147 (3OT) Elgin Baylor (63) 20–7
28 December 9 @ Detroit 114–107 Elgin Baylor (38) 21–7
29 December 11 St. Louis 119–132 Elgin Baylor (52) 22–7
30 December 13 St. Louis 136–137 (OT) Elgin Baylor (52) 23–7
31 December 15 @ Chicago 94–97 Elgin Baylor (28) 23–8
32 December 16 N Syracuse 128–123 Elgin Baylor (42) 23–9
33 December 17 N Detroit 122–116 Jerry West (47) 24–9
34 December 19 Boston 101–104 Jerry West (29) 25–9
35 December 20 N Chicago 102–98 Elgin Baylor (35) 26–9
36 December 23 @ St. Louis 129–126 Elgin Baylor (47) 27–9
37 December 25 @ Cincinnati 141–127 Elgin Baylor (40) 28–9
38 December 26 @ Boston 117–129 Elgin Baylor (30) 28–10
39 December 27 N Syracuse 111–119 Elgin Baylor (48) 29–10
40 December 28 @ Syracuse 121–114 Elgin Baylor (44) 30–10
41 December 29 N Philadelphia 123–118 Elgin Baylor (52) 30–11
42 January 1 Philadelphia 111–114 Jerry West (36) 31–11
43 January 3 Philadelphia 123–124 Jerry West (44) 32–11
44 January 7 Boston 118–95 Jerry West (31) 32–12
45 January 13 @ St. Louis 108–107 Jerry West (43) 33–12
46 January 14 N Detroit 108–118 Jerry West (31) 33–13
47 January 17 New York 121–129 Jerry West (63) 34–13
48 January 19 New York 107–108 Jerry West (32) 35–13
49 January 20 @ Cincinnati 124–125 Jerry West (36) 35–14
50 January 21 @ Chicago 112–111 (OT) Jerry West (36) 36–14
51 January 23 N Boston 103–118 Jerry West (32) 36–15
52 January 24 Cincinnati 123–136 Jerry West (50) 37–15
53 January 25 Cincinnati 112–116 Elgin Baylor (39) 38–15
54 January 28 Chicago 109–124 Elgin Baylor (36) 39–15
55 January 30 Chicago 92–107 Jerry West (36) 40–15
56 January 31 @ Detroit 123–122 (OT) Jerry West (39) 41–15
57 February 1 N Boston 115–130 Selvy, West (22) 41–16
58 February 3 @ St. Louis 127–124 Jerry West (45) 42–16
59 February 4 @ Chicago 105–113 Rudy LaRusso (30) 42–17
60 February 5 N Cincinnati 134–128 (OT) Jerry West (46) 43–17
61 February 6 @ New York 112–116 Jerry West (36) 43–18
62 February 8 N Cincinnati 109–113 Rudy LaRusso (23) 43–19
63 February 12 St. Louis 117–113 Rudy LaRusso (28) 43–20
64 February 14 St. Louis 107–130 Jerry West (30) 44–20
65 February 16 @ Detroit 121–127 Jerry West (40) 44–21
66 February 17 @ New York 128–121 Rudy LaRusso (31) 45–21
67 February 18 Boston 99–125 Elgin Baylor (38) 46–21
68 February 20 Boston 115–96 Krebs, West (19) 46–22
69 February 22 N New York 116–118 Jerry West (36) 47–22
70 February 23 N Chicago 124–117 (OT) Jerry West (39) 48–22
71 February 24 @ Cincinnati 114–118 Jerry West (34) 48–23
72 February 25 Detroit 99–128 Elgin Baylor (45) 49–23
73 February 27 Detroit 100–107 Jerry West (34) 50–23
74 March 3 @ St. Louis 125–134 Rudy LaRusso (42) 50–24
75 March 4 @ Syracuse 124–115 Jerry West (35) 51–24
76 March 9 @ New York 100–122 Jerry West (28) 51–25
77 March 11 @ Boston 105–119 Jerry West (31) 51–26
78 March 12 N New York 106–119 Elgin Baylor (37) 52–26
79 March 13 Cincinnati 111–120 Jerry West (37) 53–26
80 March 14 St. Louis 115–125 Rudy LaRusso (50) 54–26

Playoffs

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1962 playoff game log
Division finals: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds Location Series
1 March 24 Detroit W 132–108 Elgin Baylor (35) Elgin Baylor (17) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 1–0
2 March 25 Detroit W 127–112 Jerry West (40) West, Baylor (13) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 2–0
3 March 27 @ Detroit W 111–106 Elgin Baylor (34) Elgin Baylor (17) Cobo Arena 3–0
4 March 29 @ Detroit L 117–118 Elgin Baylor (45) Elgin Baylor (17) Cobo Arena 3–1
5 March 31 Detroit L 125–132 Elgin Baylor (37) Elgin Baylor (19) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 3–2
6 April 3 @ Detroit W 123–117 West, Baylor (38) Cobo Arena 4–2
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 1–2; road: 2–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 April 7 @ Boston L 108–122 Elgin Baylor (35) Elgin Baylor (17) Jerry West (4) Boston Garden
7,467
0–1
2 April 8 @ Boston W 129–122 Jerry West (40) Jim Krebs (13) Frank Selvy (6) Boston Garden
12,364
1–1
3 April 10 Boston W 117–115 Elgin Baylor (39) Elgin Baylor (23) Frank Selvy (5) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
15,180
2–1
4 April 11 Boston L 103–115 Elgin Baylor (38) Elgin Baylor (14) Elgin Baylor (6) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
15,104
2–2
5 April 14 @ Boston W 126–121 Elgin Baylor (61) Elgin Baylor (22) Frank Selvy (5) Boston Garden
13,909
3–2
6 April 16 Boston L 105–119 West, Baylor (34) Elgin Baylor (15) West, LaRusso (5) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
14,030
3–3
7 April 18 @ Boston L 107–110 (OT) Elgin Baylor (41) Elgin Baylor (22) three players tied (4) Boston Garden
13,909
3–4
1962 schedule

Awards and records

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References

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