1960–61 St. Louis Hawks season

{{short description|NBA professional basketball team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{NBA season

| team = St. Louis Hawks

| DivisionWin = yes

| end_year = 1961

| wins = 51

| losses = 28

| division = Western

| division_place = 1

| coach = Paul Seymour

| arena = Kiel Auditorium

| playoffs = NBA Finals
(Eliminated 1–4)

}}

the 1960–61 Saint Louis Hawks season owner Ben Kerner changed coaches despite reaching the 1960 NBA Finals. Ed Macauley was replaced with Paul Seymour.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/stlhawks/stlhawks.html|title = St. Louis Hawks – Sports Ecyclopedia}} On the court, rookie Lenny Wilkens was averaging 11.7 points per game in his first year. The brunt of the scoring came from the Hawks' front line of Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan, and Clyde Lovellette. They combined for 72.0 points per game, and the Hawks won the West by 15 games. The Hawks finished the season with a record of 51–28. In the playoffs, the Hawks needed a 1-point overtime win in Game 6 on the road to force a 7th game with the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 7 was played in St. Louis and the Hawks beat the Lakers by 2 points. The Hawks then were up against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Hawks fell in 5 games as the Celtics won their 4th NBA Title in 5 seasons.

Roster

{{NBA roster header|team=St. Louis Hawks|season=1960–61}}

{{player2 | num =12| first =Ernie | last =Beck | pos =SG| ft =6| in =4 | lbs =190| DOB =1931-12-11 | college = Penn}}

{{player2 | num = 11 | first = Al | last = Ferrari | pos = SG | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 190 | college = Michigan State | DOB = 1933–07–06}}

{{player2 | num = 13 | first = Larry | last = Foust | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 215 | college = La Salle | DOB = 1928–06–24}}

{{player2 | num = 17 | first = Si | last = Green | pos = PG | ft = 6 | in = 2 | lbs = 185 | college = Duquesne | DOB = 1933–08–20}}

{{player2 | num = 16 | first = Cliff | last = Hagan | pos = SF | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 210 | college = Kentucky | DOB = 1931–12–09}}

{{player2 | num = 19|first=Fred| last =LaCour| pos = SF | ft =6| in =5 | lbs = 210 | DOB = 1938-02-07| college =San Francisco}}

{{player2 | num = 34 | first = Clyde | last = Lovellette | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 234 | college = Kansas | DOB = 1929–09–07}}

{{player2 | num = 15 | first = Johnny | last = McCarthy | pos = SG | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 185 | college =Canisius | DOB = 1934–04–25}}

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

{{player2 | num = 25 | first = Dave | last = Piontek | pos = SG | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 230 | college = Xavier | DOB = 1934–08–27}}

{{player2 | num =12 | first =Phil | last =Rollins| pos =G| ft = 6| in =2| lbs =185 | DOB =1934-01-19 | college =Louisville}}

{{player2 | num =21 | first =Woody | last =Sauldsberry| pos =PF| ft = 6| in =7 | lbs =220 | DOB =1934-07-11| college =Texas Southern}}

{{player2 | num =32 | first =Lenny | last =Wilkens| pos =PG| ft = 6| in =1 | lbs =180 | DOB = 1937-10-28| college =Providence}}

{{NBA roster footer

| head_coach = Paul Seymour

| asst_coach =

| roster_url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/STL/1961.html

| transaction_url =

| accessdate =

}}

Regular season

=Standings=

{{1960–61 NBA West standings|team=STL}}

=Record vs. opponents=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"
colspan=9|1960-61 NBA Records
width=100|Team

!style="background:#006400;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|BOS

!style="background:#012F6B;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|CIN

!style="background:#012F6B;color:#D40032;width=35"|DET

!style="background:#004B87;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|LAL

!style="background:#003EA4;color:#E45206;width=35"|NYK

!style="background:#012F6B;color:#FEC72E;width=35"|PHI

!style="background:#C90F2E;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|STL

!style="background:#D40032;color:#022E6B;width=35"|SYR

style="text-align:left;" | Boston7–38–28–210–38–56–410–3
style="text-align:left;" | Cincinnati3–72–118–58–22–86–74–6
style="text-align:left;" | Detroit2–811–24–95–55–53–104–6
style="text-align:left;" | Los Angeles2–85–89–47–32–85–86–4
style="text-align:left;" | New York3–102–85–53–72–111–95–8
style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia5–88–25–58–211–23–76–7
style="text-align:left;" | St. Louis4–67–610–38–59–17–36–4
style="text-align:left;" | Syracuse3–106–46–44–68–57–64–6

=Game log=

class="toccolours collapsible" width=50% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center"
colspan=11 style="background:#00004d; color:#C41E3A;" | 1960–61 Game log
align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"

| #

DateOpponentScoreHigh pointsRecord
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 1

October 22Los Angeles96–112Clyde Lovellette (28)1–0
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 2

October 23@ Cincinnati103–114Cliff Hagan (25)1–1
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 3

October 25Syracuse100–123Bob Pettit (35)2–1
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 4

October 29Cincinnati97–113Green, Pettit (19)3–1
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 5

November 2@ Detroit132–117Bob Pettit (22)4–1
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 6

November 5New York104–119Cliff Hagan (35)5–1
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 7

November 9Detroit120–126Bob Pettit (39)6–1
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 8

November 11@ Philadelphia112–117Cliff Hagan (22)6–2
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 9

November 12Philadelphia105–107Clyde Lovellette (24)7–2
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 10

November 16@ Boston106–124Bob Pettit (22)7–3
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 11

November 17N Detroit112–105Hagan, Lovellette, Pettit (26)8–3
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 12

November 18@ Cincinnati128–129 (OT)Cliff Hagan (36)8–4
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 13

November 19Cincinnati120–121Clyde Lovellette (33)9–4
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 14

November 22@ New York120–119Clyde Lovellette (32)10–4
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 15

November 24Syracuse97–132Bob Pettit (31)11–4
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 16

November 26Los Angeles113–126Bob Pettit (41)12–4
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 17

November 29Boston119–109Cliff Hagan (26)12–5
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 18

November 30N Syracuse135–126Bob Pettit (32)12–6
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 19

December 2@ New York139–133 (OT)Bob Pettit (44)13–6
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 20

December 3@ Philadelphia131–127Bob Pettit (37)14–6
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 21

December 6Detroit110–146Hagan, Lovellette (18)15–6
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 22

December 7@ Detroit83–113Bob Pettit (13)15–7
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 23

December 9N Syracuse118–131Bob Pettit (36)16–7
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 24

December 10Los Angeles108–111Bob Pettit (30)17–7
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 25

December 12@ Los Angeles114–103Bob Pettit (32)18–7
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 26

December 14@ Los Angeles113–124Cliff Hagan (23)18–8
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 27

December 16N Philadelphia112–107Clyde Lovellette (24)19–8
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 28

December 17New York103–116Bob Pettit (36)20–8
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 29

December 18@ Syracuse104–103Bob Pettit (26)21–8
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 30

December 21@ Boston108–120Bob Pettit (37)21–9
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 31

December 26Syracuse112–133Bob Pettit (25)22–9
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 32

December 28Boston99–105Bob Pettit (35)23–9
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 33

December 29@ Detroit89–112Hagan, Pettit (19)23–10
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 34

December 30Los Angeles99–107Cliff Hagan (28)24–10
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 35

January 1@ Cincinnati112–114McCarthy, Pettit (25)24–11
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 36

January 5@ Los Angeles96–110Bob Pettit (23)24–12
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 37

January 6@ Los Angeles108–104Bob Pettit (35)25–12
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 38

January 8Boston104–133Cliff Hagan (37)26–12
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 39

January 10Cincinnati110–119Cliff Hagan (33)27–12
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 40

January 11@ Syracuse128–133Clyde Lovellette (31)27–13
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 41

January 12@ Philadelphia102–111Clyde Lovellette (29)27–14
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 42

January 14Detroit113–135Cliff Hagan (31)28–14
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 43

January 15@ Detroit122–137Bob Pettit (31)28–15
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 44

January 18@ Boston125–114Bob Pettit (37)29–15
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 45

January 19@ Philadelphia127–129Bob Pettit (42)29–16
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 46

January 21New York122–145Bob Pettit (45)30–16
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 47

January 22@ Cincinnati108–115Bob Pettit (26)30–17
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 48

January 24Philadelphia112–114Bob Pettit (37)31–17
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 49

January 25N New York116–109Clyde Lovellette (25)32–17
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 50

January 28Cincinnati116–136Cliff Hagan (32)33–17
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 51

January 29Syracuse108–125Lovellette, Pettit (25)34–17
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 52

January 31Boston109–103Bob Pettit (26)34–18
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 53

February 1N Detroit137–131Cliff Hagan (33)35–18
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 54

February 2N Los Angeles115–116Bob Pettit (25)35–19
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 55

February 4@ New York128–111Lenny Wilkens (24)36–19
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 56

February 5@ Boston121–123Bob Pettit (35)36–20
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 57

February 7Philadelphia124–127Bob Pettit (35)37–20
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 58

February 8@ Los Angeles103–120Clyde Lovellette (23)37–21
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 59

February 9@ Los Angeles123–113Bob Pettit (40)38–21
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 60

February 11Cincinnati122–123Lenny Wilkens (28)39–21
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 61

February 12Los Angeles105–95Cliff Hagan (25)39–22
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 62

February 14Detroit134–135Cliff Hagan (38)40–22
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 63

February 15N Philadelphia135–98Bob Pettit (26)41–22
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 64

February 16@ Cincinnati107–133Bob Pettit (30)41–23
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 65

February 18@ Detroit141–138Bob Pettit (57)42–23
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 66

February 19New York123–100Bob Pettit (26)42–24
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 67

February 21Cincinnati114–126Cliff Hagan (31)43–24
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 68

February 23@ Syracuse116–144Clyde Lovellette (26)43–25
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 69

February 24@ New York122–119Lenny Wilkens (29)44–25
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 70

February 25Boston122–109Bob Pettit (31)44–26
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 71

February 26@ Cincinnati148–122Clyde Lovellette (30)45–26
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 72

February 28N Cincinnati105–131Al Ferrari (18)45–27
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 73

March 1@ Boston110–97Lenny Wilkens (23)46–27
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 74

March 4Detroit102–104Clyde Lovellette (27)47–27
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 75

March 5@ Detroit127–122Cliff Hagan (30)48–27
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 76

March 7Los Angeles136–137 (2OT)Bob Pettit (48)49–27
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 77

March 8N New York117–94Bob Pettit (21)50–27
align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc"

| 78

March 9@ Syracuse119–129Hagan, Pettit (34)50–28
align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc"

| 79

March 11Philadelphia87–130Cliff Hagan (24)51–28

Playoffs

{{NBA game log start|St. Louis Hawks|end_year=1961|playoffs=yes}}

{{NBA game log section|St. Louis Hawks|Division Finals|first=yes|show=no|playoffs=yes

| home_wins = 2

| home_losses = 2

| road_wins = 2

| road_losses = 1

| hide_assists = yes

}}

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 1

| March 21

| Los Angeles

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196103210STL.html L 118–122]

| Bob Pettit (28)

| Bob Pettit (20)

| Kiel Auditorium
8,147

| 0–1

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 2

| March 22

| Los Angeles

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196103220STL.html W 121–106]

| Clyde Lovellette (28)

| Bob Pettit (19)

| Kiel Auditorium
8,472

| 1–1

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 3

| March 24

| @ Los Angeles

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196103240LAL.html L 112–118]

| Bob Pettit (26)

| Bob Pettit (13)

| Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
5,006

| 1–2

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 4

| March 25

| @ Los Angeles

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196103250LAL.html W 118–117]

| Bob Pettit (40)

| Bob Pettit (18)

| Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
4,923

| 2–2

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 5

| March 27

| Los Angeles

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196103270STL.html L 112–121]

| Cliff Hagan (26)

| Bob Pettit (21)

| Kiel Auditorium

| 2–3

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 6

| March 29

| @ Los Angeles

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196103290LAL.html W 114–113 (OT)]

| Bob Pettit (31)

| Bob Pettit (21)

| Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
14,840

| 3–3

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 7

| April 1

| Los Angeles

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196104010STL.html W 105–103]

| Bob Pettit (31)

| Bob Pettit (17)

| Kiel Auditorium

| 4–3

|-

{{NBA game log section|St. Louis Hawks|NBA Finals|show=no|playoffs=yes

| home_wins = 1

| home_losses = 1

| road_wins = 0

| road_losses = 3

}}

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 1

| April 2

| @ Boston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196104020BOS.html L 95–129]

| Cliff Hagan (33)

| Cliff Hagan (13)

| Hagan, Sauldsberry (4)

| Boston Garden
11,531

| 0–1

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 2

| April 5

| @ Boston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196104050BOS.html L 108–116]

| Cliff Hagan (40)

| Bob Pettit (19)

| Cliff Hagan (6)

| Boston Garden
13,909

| 0–2

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 3

| April 8

| Boston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196104080STL.html W 124–120]

| Bob Pettit (31)

| Bob Pettit (24)

| Si Green (7)

| Kiel Auditorium
8,468

| 1–2

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 4

| April 9

| Boston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196104090STL.html L 104–119]

| Bob Pettit (40)

| Bob Pettit (18)

| Cliff Hagan (7)

| Kiel Auditorium
10,442

| 1–3

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 5

| April 11

| @ Boston

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196104110BOS.html L 112–121]

| Bob Pettit (24)

| Pettit, Sauldsberry (11)

| Johnny McCarthy (6)

| Boston Garden
13,909

| 1–4

|-

{{NBA game log end|bbr_team=STL|end_year=1961|playoffs=yes}}

Awards and honors

References

{{reflist}}

  • [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/STL/1961.html Hawks on Basketball Reference]

{{1960-61 NBA season by team}}

{{Atlanta Hawks seasons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1960-61 St. Louis Hawks season}}

St. Louis

Category:Atlanta Hawks seasons

St. Louis Hawks

St. Louis Hawks