INTRODUCTION From The Sports Time Traveler™
Last week I shared the story of the opening 3 games of the 1964 NBA Finals in the article titled, “The 1964 NBA Finals - Part 1.”
This was an epic championship series as it was the 1st time that Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain played against each other in the NBA Finals. Both big men were in their prime. Russell was 30 years old and Wilt was 27.
You can read or listen to part 1 here:
RECAP of Games 1 - 3
The Boston Celtics captured the first 2 games in Boston as the Celtics whipped the weary Warriors, who hadn’t wrapped up the Western Division series until the early morning hours of Friday, April 17th eastern time, and then had to fly cross country to for game 1 on Saturday, April 18th against the rested Celtics (they had 8 days off).
The fact that Wilt was held to just 22 points in game 1 (he averaged 37 during the season), attests to the state of the Warriors in game 1.
In addition, Guy Rodgers, their star point guard, dislocated his thumb in game 1 and missed all his shots, and played just 13 minutes while wearing a cast in game 2.
But back in San Francisco for game 3, the Warriors wiped out any thought that this would be a sweep or an easy series for the Celtics.
The Warriors raced out to a 40 - 21 1st quarter lead and blew out Boston. The game was never close.
This was the set up for game 4. It was an opportunity for San Francisco to even the series at 2 game apiece.
Naturally, The Sports Time Traveler™ had to travel virtually to San Francisco to experience game 4 and the remainder of the series.
Here’s my report.
SAN FRANCISCO - April 25, 1964
Last night I was in the Cow Palace in San Francisco, virtually, to experience game 4 of the 1964 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the San Francisco Warriors.
The Celtics appeared to have this series in hand after games 1 and 2, but with the Warriors decisive victory in game 3, the Celtics have to be wondering if they really can win a championship without Bob Cousy.
Cousy retired after the Celtics won their 5th straight NBA Title last year in 1963.
Game 4 would be a statement game for both teams.
The Warriors started out well and held a 24 - 17 advantage at the end of the 1st quarter.
Early in the 2nd quarter the Warriors extended the lead to double digits at 30 - 20.
The Celtics came back and at halftime they had cut the Warriors lead to just 4 points at 44 - 40.
Most of the credit for the Warriors lead had to go to Chamberlain. Although he was held to just 10 points by the Celtics defense, Wilt pulled down 19 rebounds in the 1st half to just 7 for Russell.
But there was trouble for the Warriors. Starting guard Al Attles had 4 fouls already.
You can actually watch the entire 2nd half of game 4 in this YouTube video:
Here is my commentary on the game with time stamps from the video:
0:25 - Tom Meschery hits a jump shot to open the 2nd half and the Warriors go ahead by 6 at 46 - 40. Notice that #7 Gary Phillips has started at guard in the 2nd half in place of the foul plagued Al Attles.
1:10 - Wilt goes to the foul line. He shoots his free throws underhanded in 1964. And he misses. Wilt missed 21 of his 34 free throws in games 1 - 3 of the series.
2:35 - Wilt grabs a rebound in traffic, stuffs the ball and gets fouled. Watch referee Norm Drucker make the most animated call I’ve ever seen as he runs in sideways from the baseline with a repeating windmill arm motion. This is definitely worth taking a look at. Drucker has called off the shot. Wilt goes to the foul line for one shot and misses again. But the Warriors still lead 48 - 46.
4:18 - Wilt makes one of his patented turnaround fallaway jumpers over Russell. Warriors are ahead 50 - 47.
5:05 - Wilt rebounds a Guy Rodgers miss and stuffs it over Russell. Warriors lead 52 - 47
6:00 - Sam Jones makes his 2nd jumper in a minute and the Celtics have narrowed the Warriors lead to a single point at 52 - 51 with 6:55 remaining in the 3rd.
7:00 - Tom Heinsohn hits a runner in the lane and gets fouled. He makes the free throw and the Celtics forge their first lead of the game at 54 - 52.
8:10 - Watch as Sam Jones misses a shot at the top of the key, but Heinsohn tips it in. Then stick with the tape as the Warriors’ Gary Phillips, playing for Attles, gets stripped of the ball in the backcourt by Sam Jones who drives in for a layup and is fouled. He nails the free throw and suddenly the Celtics are up by 6 at 59 - 53.
10:05 - Heinshon on a mid-range jumper. Celtics lead 61 - 55.
11:28 - Heinsohn makes a short jumper from the baseline. Celtics lead 63 - 56.
13:25 - Heinsohn on a running hook shot.
13:50 - Heinsohn makes another running hook shot!
15:25 - Havliceck feeds Heinshon for a reverse layup and the Celtics have blown the game open by a score of 73 - 60.
16:35 - It’s all going the Celtics way. Frank Ramsey’s jumper from the top of the key hits the rim, bounces up high and fall back in through the net. 75 - 60 Celtics.
It’s been a disastrous 3rd quarter for the Warriors. The Celtics have gone on a 28 - 8 run. Heinsohn has done the most damage with 15 points in the quarter.
Wilt makes 2 baskets in the final minute of the period and the 3rd quarter ends with the score Celtics 76 Warriors 64.
The Celtics maintained their lead over the opening 6 minutes of the 4th quarter. Plays like the one John Havlicek made kept the Celtics in front.
24:00 - Watch Havlicek’s driving layup early in the 4th in which he changes his shot in midair and throws up seemingly wild scoop that catches all net on the way down. It’s one of the great baskets of the series.
Continue watching and see Warriors’ coach Alex Hannum turn his head down and away in despair at Havlicek’s shot.
With just over 5 minutes to play the Celtics still lead by 11 at 90 - 79.
Then Guy Rodgers leads a spirited comeback late in the 4th quarter.
The shortest man on the court had just 7 points through the first 3 quarters, but poured in 16 in the 4th and dished out several assists, accounting for at least 22 Warriors points in the final quarter.
26:50 - After a Russell foul shot Rodgers takes the inbound pass and drives the entire length of the court, goes around the back, spins, and makes a layup.
29:10 - The scoreboard shows the Warriors have pulled to within 6 points at 92 - 86 with 3:30 to go.
31:38 - Rodgers misses from the top of the key, but Wilt tips it in to pull the Warriors within 3 at 92 - 89.
32:38 - Rodgers drives and is fouled on his way to the hoop. His 2 foul shots bring the Warriors to within a point at 92 - 91.
John Havlicek then makes a 25 foot jump shot to give Boston a 3 point lead at 94 - 91.
The Warriors call time out with 1:25 to play.
35:10 - Russell makes another great hustling play to knock the ball out of bounds off of Rodgers and it’s Celtics ball with a 3 point lead and just over 1 minute remaining.
On the next possession Heinsohn works the ball in to Russell who stuffs it and the Celtics are up by 5 with under 50 seconds left.
Rodgers then feeds Gary Phillips for a baseline jumper to cut it back to 3 at 96 - 93 with approximately 35 seconds to go.
36:00 - After the Celtics spend time running the clock, Frank Ramsey shoots a 20 foot jumper with about 15 second left. He misses, Wilt rebounds and gets the ball to Rodgers who races up court, weaves around two Celtics in the lane and lays it in.
It’s 96 - 95 Celtics with about 10 seconds to go.
But the Warriors fall asleep on defense at the most critical moment.
36:10 - Watch as Frank Ramsey inbounds the ball quickly to Sam Jones right after Rodgers basket. Jones throws a football pass that travel three-quarters of the court to a streaking Havlicek who is ahead of everyone. Hondo reaches low to catch the ball off the top of his shoes and doesn’t even dribble before attempting a layup. Gary Phillips races back and tries to save the day. He manages to foul Havlicek and prevent the basket. But Havlicek calmly sinks both free throws and ices the game for Boston.
Boston wins it 98 - 95.
The Warriors had won 3 of the 4 quarters by a combined score of 75 - 62, but Boston’s devastating 36 - 20 3rd quarter gave them a lead they were able to hold onto.
The win put the Celtics ahead 3 games to 1 as the 2 teams flew back across the country for game 5 at Boston Garden 2 nights later on April 26, 1964.
In the April 25th Oakland Tribune, Warriors coach Alex Hannum said, “It’s a tough loss for us, but the series isn’t over.”
Chamberlain added, “We’ve beaten them in Boston Garden.” That was true, But a glance at the season schedule shows the Warriors won just 1 of the 4 games at Boston Garden.
More ominous for the Warriors was the fact that Oakland Tribune sports writer John Simmonds noted in his article that he had observed Chamberlain’s hand, “was badly bruised and swollen from a collision with the lower edge of the backboard in the 2nd quarter.”
That may explain why Wilt had only 5 points in the 4th quarter of game 4.
In an AP article that appeared in the Fresno Bee and other papers across the country, Warriors coach Hannum attributed the Celtics game 4 victory to their defensive effort, “The big significance in the game was Boston’s great, great defense. They were completely aggressive all of the time and never gave up pressing us.”
Bill Lee of the Hartford Courant praised Guy Rodgers for his valiant 4th quarter play in game 4 that nearly won the game for the Warriors. He wrote, “Rodgers was something to see. He played with a cast covering his broken right thumb, and, man, how he played! The injury was on his right hand and he is a left-handed shooter, sure, but this doesn’t account for the way he handled the ball and set up so many unbeatable plays.”
Warriors coach Alex Hannum agreed with Lee’s assessment. Hannum told the Berkeley Gazette, “Rodgers was great, it was his best quarter of the year. The way Boston was playing Wilt, I told Guy he’d have to put his head down and drive - and forget feeding Wilt. He did just that and almost pulled it out for us.”
Don Selby in the San Francisco Examiner had this to say about Rodgers game 4 finish, “With flashy Guy Rodgers setting the sizzling pace, the Warriors outscored their favored foes by 15 - 8 in the final 5 minutes. But it wasn’t enough.”
And now on to game 5.
BOSTON - April 27, 1964
Last night was game 5 of the NBA Finals back here in the Boston Garden where the Celtics took the opening 2 games of the series before the teams split their games in San Francisco.
You can watch the highlights on this beautifully restored YouTube video starting at the 13:30 mark.
Here’s my commentary on the game 5 highlights:
13:36 - Russell & Chamberlain shake hands just prior to the opening tip off to start game 5.
13:52 - Wilt makes the game’s first bucket with his un-guardable turnaround fall away jumper.
14:25 - Wilt skies to block a Satch Sanders layup.
14:48 - Wilt is fed the ball in the lane by Guy Rodgers and spins for a dipper dunk.
15:00 - Wilt nails another turnaround fall away jumper to give the Warriors at 19 - 16 lead.
Stay with the tape after Wilt’s basket for the play of the game. Just seconds after Wilt’s jumper, both big men are at the other end of the court.
Russell drives to the basket, and Chamberlain is waiting for him. Chamberlain makes a spectacular block, pinning the ball to the backboard momentarily. He pulls the ball down and falls. The ref calls for a jump ball.
But more consequential is the fact that Chamberlain’s left hand is hurt on the play.
The San Francisco Examiner today reported that, “the rough action saw Chamberlain cut his left hand on a basket rim in the 1st period, for which he required treatment 3 times.”
Now comes one of the greatest sequences I’ve ever seen in an NBA Finals.
If you don’t watch anything else watch the 13 seconds starting at 16:26 on the tape.
16:26 - Chamberlain grabs a rebound and whips the ball out to Guy Rodgers who is already running at full speed and drives the ball up court. As he races with the ball into the lane, Rodgers throws a blind pass back over his shoulder to a chasing Nate Thurmond who was running full tilt to the basket.
How Rodgers knew Thurmond was there is the $64,000 question.
The 6’11” Thurmond swoops to the hoop for a lay in, but Bill Russell blocks the ball perfectly.
Russell directs the blocked shot to K.C. Jones as though he was throwing a well timed outlet pass.
Jones then throws a half court pass on the run to a driving Tom Heinsohn who makes a nifty reverse layup to avoid Wilt Chamberlain.
SPECIAL NOTE From The Sports Time Traveler™
I interrupt this article to inform you that everyone who touched the ball in that 13 second sequence is in the Hall of Fame.
Now back to 1964.
The Warriors could have pulled to within 4, but instead the Celtics were suddenly up by 8.
16:41 - A few moments later K.C. Jones drives the lane and alters his lay up attempt to avoid the outstretched arm of Chamberlain. Wilt has effectively prevented the bucket, but Heinsohn swoops in behind Chamberlain for an offensive rebound and basket and the Celtics retain their 8 point lead.
17:25 - Rodgers drives the lane and tosses an alley-oop to Chamberlain. Celtics lead by 1 point in the 3rd quarter.
17:35 - On the next play, Chamberlain goes outside to guard Sam Jones and Russell wisely races toward the basket. With Chamberlain in his face, Jones finds Russell under the basket for a gift layup. 74 - 71 Celtics.
Stay with the tape as a moment later Russell races down court ahead of Chamberlain and receives a pass for a 2nd gift lay up.
It’s another case of hustle by Russell.
18:28 - Rodgers drive straight down the lane and Russell blocks his lay up.
18:43 - Rodgers feeds Chamberlain who scores while being double teamed. It’s 101 - 99 Celtics with less than a minute to play.
18:50 - Heinsohn drives to the basket and Wilt forces him to miss his layup. But Russell is there for the rebound and put back to make it 103 - 99 with 12 seconds left. Russell’s score brings the house down as Celtics fans know their team is about to win another title. It was the final crushing blow to the Warriors.
19:40 - Celtics fans stream onto the court to celebrate as the game ends with the Celtics up 105 - 99.
The fans hoist several Boston players up in the air, including Russell and coach Red Auerbach, and parade them around the court.
POSTSCRIPT
The Celtics victory was of enormous significance. It marked their 6th consecutive NBA title. And that broke the tie the Celtics had been in since last year when they recorded their 5th straight title. The Yankees had won 5 straight World Series from 1949 - 1953. And the Montreal Canadiens had won 5 consecutive Stanley Cups from 1956 - 1960.
But no major American pro sports had ever won 6 straight championships until this moment.
1964 NBA Finals - PART 2 - Russell vs. Chamberlain