A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 1965–66 Boston Celtics season | |
|---|---|
NBA champions | |
| Head coach | Red Auerbach |
| Arena | Boston Garden |
| Results | |
| Record | 54–26 (.675) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–3) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WHDH-TV |
| Radio | WHDH |
The 1965–66 Boston Celtics season was their 20th in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
On October 29, 1965, Sam Jones set a Celtics single-game scoring record with 51, against the Detroit Pistons. His record would last until Larry Bird's 53 in 1983. The Celtics won their 8th title in a row, which still stands as a record for the most titles in a row. The Celtics defeated the Lakers 4 games to 3.
1966 NBA finals
The 1965-1966 NBA Finals was a thrilling seven-game series between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics entered the series as the favorites, having won the championship the previous year and boasting a roster of talented players led by Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Sam Jones. The Lakers, on the other hand, were led by Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, two of the most dominant players in the league.
The series began with a closely contested game one, which the Lakers won by a score of 133-129 in overtime.[1] The Celtics bounced back in game two, with a 129-123 victory that featured standout performances from Russell and Jones. The series continued in this back-and-forth fashion, with each team trading wins and delivering memorable moments.
In game five, Russell had one of the greatest performances in NBA Finals history, recording 32 points and 30 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 129-96 victory. The Lakers responded in game six, with Baylor scoring 41 points in a 120-118 win that forced a decisive game seven.
Game seven was a tightly contested affair, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to pull away. In the end, it was the Celtics who emerged victorious, thanks in large part to the heroics of Havlicek. With the score tied at 100-100 and just seconds remaining, Havlicek stole an inbound pass from the Lakers and scored the game-winning basket with five seconds left on the clock. The Celtics won the game 95-93 and secured their eighth championship in ten years.
The 1965-1966 NBA Finals will always be remembered as a classic series between two of the greatest teams in basketball history. The Celtics and Lakers would meet again in the Finals several times over the years, but this series remains one of the most memorable and significant in the history of the NBA.
Offseason
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Ollie Johnson | SF |  United States
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San Francisco |
Roster
| Boston Celtics 1965–66 roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 55 | 25 | .688 | – | 22–3 | 20–17 | 13–5 | 20–10 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 54 | 26 | .675 | 1 | 26–5 | 19–18 | 9–3 | 19–11 |
| x-Cincinnati Royals | 45 | 35 | .563 | 10 | 25–6 | 11–23 | 9–6 | 16–14 |
| New York Knicks | 30 | 50 | .375 | 25 | 20–14 | 4–30 | 6–6 | 5–25 |
Record vs. opponents
| 1965-66 NBA Records | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BAL | BOS | CIN | DET | LAL | NYK | PHI | SFW | STL |
| Baltimore | — | 3–7 | 3–7 | 5–5 | 4–6 | 7–3 | 5–5 | 4–6 | 7–3 |
| Boston | 7–3 | — | 5–5 | 6–4 | 7–3 | 10–0 | 4–6 | 8–2 | 7–3 |
| Cincinnati | 7–3 | 5–5 | — | 8–2 | 4–6 | 7–3 | 4–6 | 5–5 | 5–5 |
| Detroit | 5–5 | 4–6 | 2–8 | — | 2–8 | 2–8 | 3–7 | 2–8 | 2–8 |
| Los Angeles | 6–4 | 3–7 | 6–4 | 8–2 | — | 5–5 | 2–8 | 7–3 | 8–2 |
| New York | 3–7 | 0–10 | 3–7 | 8–2 | 5–5 | — | 2–8 | 5–5 | 4–6 |
| Philadelphia | 5–5 | 6–4 | 6–4 | 7–3 | 8–2 | 8–2 | — | 8–2 | 7–3 |
| San Francisco | 6–4 | 2–8 | 5–5 | 8–2 | 3–7 | 5–5 | 2–8 | — | 4–6 |
| St. Louis | 3–7 | 3–7 | 5–5 | 8–2 | 2–8 | 6–4 | 3–7 | 6–4 | — |
Game log
Several of the Celtics games were played in neutral sites, such as Providence, Rhode Island. The games in Providence occurred on November 9 and 26, December 30, February 10 and March 4. Games were also played in Fort Wayne, Indiana (against Detroit on January 27) and in Syracuse, New York (against Philadelphia on February 12) and Memphis, Tennessee (against St. Louis on March 7).[2]
| 1965–66 Game Log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October
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November
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December
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