1951–52 Boston Celtics season

{{short description|Sixth season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association}}

{{NBA season

| team = Boston Celtics

| end_year = 1952

| wins = 39

| losses = 27

| division = eastern

| division_place = 2

| coach = Red Auerbach

| arena = Boston Garden

| television =

| radio = WHDH

| playoffs = East Division semifinals
(lost to Knicks 1–2)

| bbr_team = BOS

}}

The 1951–52 Boston Celtics season was the sixth season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Draft picks

class="wikitable sortable sortable" ! style="background:#008040; color:white" width="10%"\| Round ! style="background:#008040; color:white" width="10%"\| Pick ! style="background:#008040; color:white" width="20%"\| Player ! style="background:#008040; color:white" width="15%"\| Position ! style="background:#008040; color:white" width="15%"\| Nationality ! style="background:#008040; color:white" width="20%"\| College
style="text-align: center"	1	7	Ernie Barrett	G/F	{{USA}}	Kansas State
style="text-align: center"	2	16	Bill Garrett	F	{{USA}}	Indiana
style="text-align: center"	6	56	James Luisi	G	{{USA}}	St. Francis (NY)
style="text-align: center"

Roster

{{NBA roster header|team=Boston Celtics

}}

{{player2 | num = 18 | first = Bob | last = Brannum | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 215 | college = Michigan State }}

{{player2 | num = 11 | first = Chuck | last = Cooper | dab = basketball | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 210 | college = Duquesne }}

{{player2 | num = 14 | first = Bob | last = Cousy | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 175 | college = Holy Cross }}

{{player2 | num = 23 | first = Dick | last = Dickey | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 175 | college = North Carolina State }}

{{player2 | num = 12 | first = Bob | last = Donham | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 2 | lbs = 190 | school = Ohio State }}

{{player2 | num = 13 | first = Bob | last = Harris | dab = basketball | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 195 | college = Oklahoma State }}

{{player2 | num = 22 | first = Ed | last = Macauley | pos = C/F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 185 | school = Saint Louis }}

{{player2 | num = 16 | first = John | last = Mahnken | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 220 | college = Georgetown }}

{{player2 | num = 17 | first = Bones | last = McKinney | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 185 | college = North Carolina }}

{{player2 | num = 21 | first = Bill | last = Sharman | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 175 | college = USC }}

{{NBA roster footer

| head_coach =

Red Auerbach

| ath_train =

Harry Cohen

| roster_url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1952.html

| transaction_url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1952_transactions.html

| accessdate = 2011-03-14

}}

Pre-season

colspan=11 style="background:#008040; color: white;" \| 1951 Pre-season Game Log: 6–2 (home: 4–1; road: 2–1)
class="toccolours collapsible" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center"
align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd" \| #	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	OT	Attendance	Record	Recap
align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" \| 1	October 18 (in Houlton, Maine)	Baltimore Bullets	71–90	Boston Celtics			1–0	{{cite news\|title=Bullets Drop Exhibition to Boston Quint\|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun\|date=October 16, 1950}}
align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" \| 2	October 16 (in Bangor, Maine)	Baltimore Bullets	85–99	Boston Celtics			2–0	{{cite news\|title=Celtic Win Again\|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ikgpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WGgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3347,1506169\|newspaper=Associated Press\|date=October 17, 1951}}
align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" \| 3	October 17 (in Waterville, Maine)	Baltimore Bullets	87–100	Boston Celtics		1,200	3–0	{{cite news\|title=Celtics End Maine Tour With Triumph\|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i0gpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WGgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2708,1610489\|accessdate=14 March 2011\|newspaper=Associated Press\|date=October 17, 1951}}
align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" \| 4	October 19 (in Albany, New York)	Boston Celtics	82–98	New York Knicks			3–1
align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" \| 5	October 22 (in Barre, Vermont)	Baltimore Bullets	91–75	Boston Celtics			3–2	{{cite news\|title=Don Barksdale Scores 19 in First Try With Bullets\|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ssYlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b_UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4591,1907611\|accessdate=14 March 2011\|newspaper=Associated Press\|date=October 23, 1951}}
align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" \| 6	October 22 (in Berlin, New Hampshire)	Boston Celtics	55–90	College All-Stars		600	4–2	{{cite news\|title=600 See Celtics Win Exhibition At Berlin\|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kEgpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WGgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3784,2148065\|accessdate=14 March 2011\|newspaper=Associated Press\|date=October 24, 1951}}
align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" \| 7	October 27 (in Washington D.C.)	Boston Celtics	90–89	Baltimore Bullets			5–2
align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" \| 8	October 28	New York Knicks	78–79	Boston Celtics			6–2

Regular season

=Season standings=

=Record vs. opponents=

colspan=11\|1951-52 NBA Records
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"
width=100\|Team !style="background:#003EA4;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"\|BAL !style="background:#006400;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"\|BOS !style="background:#012F6B;color:#D40032;width=35"\|FWP !style="background:#012F6B;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"\|IND !style="background:#003EA4;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"\|MIL !style="background:#7BA4DB;color:#FBE122;width=35"\|MIN !style="background:#003EA4;color:#E85109;width=35"\|NYK !style="background:#012F6B;color:#D50033;width=35"\|PHI !style="background:#0050B0;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"\|ROC !style="background:#012F6B;color:#D50033;width=35"\|SYR
style="text-align:left;" \| Baltimore	—	1–8	2–4	2–4	4–2	0–6	2–7	4–5	2–4	3–6
style="text-align:left;" \| Boston	8–1	—	3–3	3–3	5–1	3–3	4–5	6–3	3–3	4–5
style="text-align:left;" \| Fort Wayne	4–2	3–3	—	5–4	4–5	5–4	3–3	2–4	3–6	0–6
style="text-align:left;" \| Indianapolis	4–2	3–3	4–5	—	7–2	4–5	3–3	2–4	3–6	4–2
style="text-align:left;" \| Milwaukee	2–4	1–5	5–4	2–7	—	1–8	2–4	1–5	1–8	2–4
style="text-align:left;" \| Minneapolis	6–0	3–3	4–5	5–4	8–1	—	4–2	2–4	7–2	1–5
style="text-align:left;" \| New York	7–2	5–4	3–3	3–3	4–2	2–4	—	6–3	2–4	5–4
style="text-align:left;" \| Philadelphia	5–4	3–6	4–2	4–2	5–1	4–2	3–6	—	2–4	3–6
style="text-align:left;" \| Rochester	4–2	3–3	6–3	6–3	8–1	2–7	4–2	4–2	—	4–2
style="text-align:left;" \| Syracuse	6–3	5–4	6–0	2–4	4–2	5–1	4–5	6–3	2–4	—

=Game log=

colspan=11 style="background:#006400; color:white;" \| 1951–52 game log
class="toccolours collapsible" width=50% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center"
align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd" \| #	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 1	November 4	Indianapolis	65–97	Bob Cousy (25)	1–0
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 2	November 10	N Philadelphia	69–83	Bob Cousy (24)	2–0
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 3	November 11	Minneapolis	72–77	Ed Macauley (21)	3–0
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 4	November 14	Fort Wayne	91–98 (OT)	Bob Cousy (28)	4–0
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 5	November 15	@ Syracuse	95–97	Ed Macauley (26)	4–1
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 6	November 17	@ Baltimore	88–75	Bob Cousy (26)	5–1
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 7	November 18	New York	78–75	Ed Macauley (35)	5–2
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 8	November 22	Milwaukee	72–103	Bob Cousy (19)	6–2
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 9	November 23	@ Philadelphia	102–100 (OT)	Ed Macauley (26)	7–2
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 10	November 24	@ New York	70–68	Bob Cousy (14)	8–2
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 11	November 25	Philadelphia	85–103	Bob Cousy (20)	9–2
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 12	November 28	@ Minneapolis	76–90	Cousy, Macauley (14)	9–3
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 13	November 30	@ Indianapolis	87–92	Ed Macauley (22)	9–4
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 14	December 2	Baltimore	82–103	Bob Cousy (21)	10–4
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 15	December 5	Fort Wayne	91–88	Bob Cousy (32)	10–5
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 16	December 9	New York	94–103	Bob Cousy (31)	11–5
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 17	December 11	@ Philadelphia	78–79	Bones McKinney (16)	11–6
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 18	December 12	Milwaukee	84–89	Bill Sharman (21)	12–6
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 19	December 16	Philadelphia	90–92 (OT)	Ed Macauley (32)	13–6
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 20	December 17	@ Baltimore	80–92	Ed Macauley (20)	13–7
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 21	December 19	Syracuse	97–103	Bob Cousy (29)	14–7
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 22	December 21	N Baltimore	106–89	Bob Cousy (25)	15–7
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 23	December 23	Indianapolis	88–91	Bob Cousy (18)	16–7
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 24	December 25	@ Minneapolis	93–100	Bob Cousy (22)	16–8
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 25	December 26	@ Fort Wayne	86–94	Ed Macauley (25)	16–9
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 26	December 30	New York	90–100	Ed Macauley (32)	17–9
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 27	December 31	@ New York	86–87 (OT)	Ed Macauley (27)	17–10
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 28	January 1	@ Rochester	91–106	Bob Cousy (22)	17–11
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 29	January 3	@ Syracuse	81–107	Bob Cousy (27)	17–12
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 30	January 5	@ Baltimore	94–73	Bob Cousy (27)	18–12
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 31	January 6	Rochester	80–91	Ed Macauley (22)	19–12
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 32	January 8	@ Milwaukee	83–76	Ed Macauley (24)	20–12
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 33	January 10	@ Fort Wayne	94–85	Bob Cousy (27)	21–12
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 34	January 11	@ Indianapolis	79–100	Ed Macauley (19)	21–13
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 35	January 16	Minneapolis	108–94	Cousy, Macauley (25)	21–14
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 36	January 20	Indianapolis	98–117	Bob Cousy (30)	22–14
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 37	January 23	Baltimore	75–117	Bob Cousy (26)	23–14
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 38	January 26	Philadelphia	89–85	Ed Macauley (29)	23–15
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 39	January 27	@ Syracuse	86–91	Bob Cousy (25)	23–16
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 40	January 29	@ Philadelphia	96–97	Bob Cousy (27)	23–17
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 41	February 1	N Milwaukee	77–100	Bob Cousy (29)	24–17
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 42	February 2	@ New York	83–91	Ed Macauley (26)	24–18
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 43	February 3	New York	95–100	Bob Cousy (30)	25–18
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 44	February 6	Syracuse	88–99	Bob Cousy (33)	26–18
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 45	February 9	@ Rochester	100–104	Bob Cousy (26)	26–19
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 46	February 10	@ Rochester	111–97	Bill Sharman (24)	26–20
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 47	February 14	@ Fort Wayne	90–94	Bob Cousy (31)	26–21
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 48	February 16	N Minneapolis	75–77	Bob Cousy (24)	27–21
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 49	February 17	N Milwaukee	97–95	Bob Cousy (22)	27–22
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 50	February 18	N Milwaukee	84–106	Bob Cousy (31)	28–22
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 51	February 19	@ Indianapolis	81–82	Ed Macauley (27)	28–23
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 52	February 21	Fort Wayne	67–88	Bob Cousy (24)	29–23
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 53	February 24	@ Syracuse	77–75	Bob Cousy (18)	30–23
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 54	February 27	Syracuse	81–88	Bob Cousy (22)	31–23
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 55	February 28	N Rochester	72–91	Ed Macauley (20)	32–23
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 56	March 1	@ New York	86–105	Cousy, Macauley (19)	32–24
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 57	March 2	New York	89–87	Bob Cousy (23)	32–25
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 58	March 4	N Baltimore	91–80	Bob Cousy (31)	33–25
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 59	March 5	Minneapolis	74–82	Ed Macauley (26)	34–25
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 60	March 8	@ Baltimore	100–77	Ed Macauley (21)	35–25
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 61	March 9	Baltimore	72–89	Bob Brannum (21)	36–25
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 62	March 11	@ Philadelphia	88–84	Bob Cousy (26)	37–25
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 63	March 12	Syracuse	89–71	Bill Sharman (15)	37–26
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" \| 64	March 13	@ Syracuse	70–89	McKinney, Sharman (11)	37–27
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 65	March 15	@ Rochester	118–106	Bob Cousy (32)	38–27
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" \| 66	March 16	Philadelphia	89–96	Ed Macauley (18)	39–27