1957 NBA Finals

Celtics win series 4–3

{{NBA roster header|team=Boston Celtics|season=1956–57}}

{{player2 | num = 14 | first = Bob | last = Cousy | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 175 | DOB = 1928-08-09 | college = Holy Cross }}

{{player2 | num = 15 | first = Tom | last = Heinsohn | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 218 | DOB = 1934-08-26 | college = Holy Cross }}

{{player2 | num = 20 | first = Dick | last = Hemric | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 220 | DOB = 1933-08-29 | college = Wake Forest }}

{{player2 | num = 18 | first = Jim | last = Loscutoff | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 220 | DOB = 1930-02-04 | college = Oregon }}

{{player2 | num = 16 | first = Jack | last = Nichols | dab = basketball | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 222 |DOB = 1926-04-09 | school = Washington }}

{{player2 | num = 17 | first = Andy | last = Phillip | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 2 | lbs = 195 | DOB = 1922-03-07 | college = Illinois }}

{{player2 | num = 23 | first = Frank | last = Ramsey | dab = basketball | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 190 | DOB = 1931-07-13 | school = Kentucky }}

{{player2 | num = 19 | first = Arnie | last = Risen | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 200 | DOB = 1924-10-09 | college = Ohio State }}

{{player2 | num = 6 | first = Bill | last = Russell | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 215 | DOB = 1934-02-12 | college = San Francisco }}

{{player2 | num = 21 | first = Bill | last = Sharman | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 175 | DOB = 1926-05-25 | college = USC }}

{{player2 | num = 29 | first = Lou | last = Tsioropoulos | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 190 | DOB = 1930-08-31 | college = Kentucky }}

{{NBA roster footer

| head_coach =

• Red Auerbach

|roster_url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1957-nba-finals-hawks-vs-celtics.html}}

{{NBA roster header|team=St. Louis Hawks|season=1956-57 Western Division Champions}}

{{player2 | num =26| first = Irv | last =Bemoras | pos =SF| ft =6| in = 3 | lbs =185 | DOB =November 18, 1930| college =Illinois}}

{{player2 | num =12| first = Jack | last =Coleman | dab=basketball| pos =PF| ft =6| in = 7 | lbs =195 | DOB =May 23, 1924| college =Louisville}}

{{player2 | num =6, 17| first = Cliff | last =Hagan | pos =SF| ft =6| in = 4 | lbs =210 | DOB =December 9, 1931| college =Kentucky}}

{{player2 | num =33| first = Alex | last =Hannum | pos =PF| ft =6| in = 7 | lbs =210 | DOB =July 19, 1923| college =USC}}

{{player2 | num =20, 50 | first =Ed| last = Macauley | pos =PF| ft =6| in = 8 | lbs =185 | DOB =March 22, 1928| college =Saint Louis}}

{{player2 | num =22| first = Slater | last =Martin | pos =PG| ft =5| in = 10 | lbs =170 | DOB =October 22, 1925| college =Texas}}

{{player2 | num =21| first = Jack | last =McMahon | pos =SG| ft =6| in = 1 | lbs =185 | DOB =December 3, 1928| college =St. John's}}

{{player2 | num =32| first = Med | last =Park | pos =SG| ft =6| in = 2 | lbs =205 | DOB =April 11, 1933| college =Missouri}}

{{player2 | num =9| first = Bob | last =Pettit | pos =C| ft =6| in = 9 | lbs =205 | DOB =December 12, 1932| college =LSU}}

{{player2 | num =70| first = Chuck| last = Share | pos =C| ft =6| in = 11 | lbs =235 | DOB =March 14, 1927| college =Bowling Green}}

{{NBA roster footer

| head_coach =

• Alex Hannum

| roster_url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1957-nba-finals-hawks-vs-celtics.html}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = March 30 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195703300BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = St. Louis Hawks | score1 = 125

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 123

| overtime = 2OT

| Q1 = 31–21 | Q2 = 18–26 | Q3 = 22–27 | Q4 = 31–28 | OT = 11–11, 12–10

| points1 = Bob Pettit 37 | rebounds1 = Bob Pettit 14

| points2 = Bill Sharman 36 | rebounds2 = Bill Russell 18

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 5,976

| series = St. Louis leads series, 1–0

}}

• Tom Heinsohn hits the game-tying lay-up with 6 seconds left in regulation to force the first OT; Bob Cousy hits the game-tying shot with 15 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT.

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = March 31 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195703310BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = St. Louis Hawks | score1 = 99

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 119

| Q1 = 21–31 | Q2 = 22–31 | Q3 = 27–32 | Q4 = 29–25

| points1 = Ed Macauley 19 | rebounds1 = Bob Pettit 13 | assist1 = Slick Leonard 4

| points2 = Cousy, Ramsey 22 each | rebounds2 = Bill Russell 25 | assist2 = Bob Cousy 7

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 13,909

| referee = Mendy Rudolph, Sid Borgia | series = Series tied, 1–1

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 6 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195704060STL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 98

| team2 = St. Louis Hawks | score2 = 100

| Q1 = 19–19 | Q2 = 25–21 | Q3 = 28–29 | Q4 = 26–31

| points1 = Bill Sharman 28 | rebounds1 = Bill Russell 19 | assist1 = Bob Cousy 8

| points2 = Bob Pettit 26 | rebounds2 = Bob Pettit 28 | assist2 = three players 5 each

| place = Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri | attendance = 10,048

| series = St. Louis leads series, 2–1

}}

• Bob Pettit hits the game-winner with 45 seconds left.

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 7 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195704070STL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 123

| team2 = St. Louis Hawks | score2 = 118

| Q1 = 31–36 | Q2 = 35–17 | Q3 = 30–37 | Q4 = 27–28

| points1 = Bob Cousy 31 | rebounds1 = Bill Russell 20 | assist1 = Arnie Risen 9

| points2 = Bob Pettit 33 | rebounds2 = Bob Pettit 16 | assist2 = Martin, Hagan 6 each

| place = Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri | attendance = 10,035

| referee = Sid Borgia, Arnie Heft | series = Series tied, 2–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 9 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195704090BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = St. Louis Hawks | score1 = 109

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 124

| Q1 = 30–21 | Q2 = 30–38 | Q3 = 25–35 | Q4 = 24–30

| points1 = Bob Pettit 33 | rebounds1 = Bob Pettit 15 | assist1 = Med Park 6

| points2 = Bill Sharman 32 | rebounds2 = Bill Russell 23 | assist2 = Bob Cousy 19

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 13,909

| series = Boston leads series, 3–2

}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = | date = April 11 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195704110STL.html Boxscore]

| team1 = Boston Celtics | score1 = 94

| team2 = St. Louis Hawks | score2 = 96

| Q1 = 23–22 | Q2 = 28–27 | Q3 = 27–28 | Q4 = 16–19

| points1 = Tom Heinsohn 28 | rebounds1 = Bill Russell 23

| points2 = Bob Pettit 32 | rebounds2 = Bob Pettit 23

| place = Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri | attendance = 10,053

| referee = Sid Borgia, Arnie Heft | series = Series tied, 3–3

}}

• Cliff Hagan hits the game-winning shot at the buzzer, which is believed to be the first buzzer-beater shot to win a playoff game in NBA history.https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/buzzer-beaters.html

{{basketballbox

| bg = #eee | date = April 13 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195704130BOS.html Boxscore]

| team1 = St. Louis Hawks | score1 = 123

| team2 = Boston Celtics | score2 = 125

| overtime = 2OT

| Q1 = 28–26 | Q2 = 25–25 | Q3 = 24–32 | Q4 = 26–20 | OT = 10–10, 10–12

| points1 = Bob Pettit 39 | rebounds1 = Bob Pettit 19 | assist1 = Martin, Coleman 7 each

| points2 = Tom Heinsohn 37 | rebounds2 = Bill Russell 32 | assist2 = Bob Cousy 11

| place = Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | attendance = 13,909

| series = Boston wins series, 4–3

}}

• Bob Pettit hits the game-tying free throws with 7 seconds left in regulation to force the first OT; Jack Coleman makers the game-tying basket with 9 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT. Bob Pettit misses the game-tying shot at the buzzer to force a third OT.
• Only NBA Finals Game 7 to date to go past the first overtime, and as of 2021, the only Game 7 in NBA history to go past the first overtime.

Celtics center Bill Russell set a rookie record for rebounds in a single NBA finals game with 32 in game 7, and averaged an NBA finals rookie record of 22.9 rebounds per game for the entire series.{{cite book | title = The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia | publisher = Villard Books | year = 1994 | isbn = 0-679-43293-0 | page = 414}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120222163011/http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19561957.html NBA History]

{{NBA Finals}}

{{Boston Celtics 1956–57 NBA champions}}

{{Boston Celtics}}

{{Atlanta Hawks}}

{{1956–57 NBA season by team}}

{{NBA on NBC}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1957 Nba Finals}}

Finals

Category:NBA Finals

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Category:March 1957 sports events in the United States

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Category:1950s in Boston

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