The 1955–56 Boston Celtics season was the Celtics' tenth season in the NBA.[1] This was the last time the Celtics failed to advance to the NBA Finals until 1966–67, as they were eliminated by the Syracuse Nationals in three games of the East Division Semi-finals.
| 1955–56 Boston Celtics season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Red Auerbach |
| Arena | Boston Garden |
| Results | |
| Record | 39–33 (.542) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | East Division Semi-finals (lost to Nationals 1–2) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WBZ-TV/WNAC-TV |
| Radio | WHDH (Johnny Most) |
Regular season
edit| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Philadelphia Warriors | 45 | 27 | .625 | - | 21-7 | 11-17 | 13-3 | 22-14 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 39 | 33 | .542 | 6 | 20-7 | 12-15 | 7-11 | 18-18 |
| x-Syracuse Nationals | 35 | 37 | .486 | 10 | 23-8 | 9–19 | 3-10 | 15-21 |
| New York Knicks | 35 | 37 | .486 | 10 | 13-15 | 16-13 | 6-9 | 17-19 |
- x = clinched playoff spot
Game log
edit| 1955–56 game log | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
| 1 | November 5 | Philadelphia | 87–98 | Bob Cousy (31) | 1–0 | |||||
| 2 | November 11 | Minneapolis | 75–119 | Ed Macauley (23) | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | November 12 | @ New York | 95–96 | Ed Macauley (24) | 2–1 | |||||
| 4 | November 17 | @ Philadelphia | 92–106 | Bill Sharman (23) | 2–2 | |||||
| 5 | November 19 | Fort Wayne | 102–104 | Bill Sharman (20) | 3–2 | |||||
| 6 | November 23 | New York | 115–111 (OT) | Ed Macauley (26) | 3–3 | |||||
| 7 | November 24 | @ Syracuse | 103–111 | Bob Cousy (23) | 3–4 | |||||
| 8 | November 26 | @ Rochester | 104–103 | Bill Sharman (32) | 4–4 | |||||
| 9 | November 29 | N Syracuse | 97–105 | Ed Macauley (27) | 5–4 | |||||
| 10 | December 2 | St. Louis | 81–94 | Ed Macauley (26) | 6–4 | |||||
| 11 | December 4 | @ Fort Wayne | 90–111 | Ed Macauley (19) | 6–5 | |||||
| 12 | December 6 | @ St. Louis | 122–99 | Macauley, Sharman (25) | 7–5 | |||||
| 13 | December 9 | N Rochester | 109–108 | Ed Macauley (28) | 7–6 | |||||
| 14 | December 10 | Minneapolis | 102–118 | Loscutoff, Macauley (18) | 8–6 | |||||
| 15 | December 11 | @ Syracuse | 89–101 | Jack Nichols (18) | 8–7 | |||||
| 16 | December 13 | N Philadelphia | 109–108 | Bob Cousy (29) | 8–8 | |||||
| 17 | December 14 | New York | 100–102 | Ed Macauley (23) | 9–8 | |||||
| 18 | December 17 | Syracuse | 110–104 | Bill Sharman (33) | 9–9 | |||||
| 19 | December 18 | @ New York | 95–92 | Cousy, Loscutoff (20) | 10–9 | |||||
| 20 | December 20 | N Minneapolis | 99–100 | Cousy, Nichols (22) | 11–9 | |||||
| 21 | December 25 | @ Minneapolis | 115–112 | Cousy, Sharman (25) | 12–9 | |||||
| 22 | December 27 | @ St. Louis | 105–102 | Ed Macauley (24) | 13–9 | |||||
| 23 | December 30 | N Syracuse | 103–110 | Jack Nichols (25) | 14–9 | |||||
| 24 | December 31 | @ Rochester | 112–100 | Bill Sharman (21) | 15–9 | |||||
| 25 | January 1 | Philadelphia | 113–121 | Jack Nichols (31) | 16–9 | |||||
| 26 | January 3 | N New York | 107–97 | Cousy, Macauley (19) | 16–10 | |||||
| 27 | January 4 | N New York | 103–86 | Bill Sharman (25) | 16–11 | |||||
| 28 | January 5 | @ New York | 92–87 | Jack Nichols (24) | 17–11 | |||||
| 29 | January 7 | @ Syracuse | 105–99 (OT) | Bob Cousy (32) | 18–11 | |||||
| 30 | January 8 | Rochester | 111–109 | Cousy, Sharman (21) | 18–12 | |||||
| 31 | January 10 | @ Fort Wayne | 89–105 | Bill Sharman (25) | 18–13 | |||||
| 32 | January 11 | N Minneapolis | 114–110 | Bob Cousy (24) | 18–14 | |||||
| 33 | January 13 | Syracuse | 104–119 | Cousy, Sharman (23) | 19–14 | |||||
| 34 | January 14 | @ Philadelphia | 104–103 | Bill Sharman (22) | 20–14 | |||||
| 35 | January 15 | New York | 109–104 (OT) | Ed Macauley (21) | 20–15 | |||||
| 36 | January 17 | N Fort Wayne | 85–91 | Bob Cousy (20) | 21–15 | |||||
| 37 | January 18 | N Fort Wayne | 90–95 | Bob Cousy (23) | 22–15 | |||||
| 38 | January 20 | St. Louis | 112–133 | Bill Sharman (25) | 23–15 | |||||
| 39 | January 21 | N Syracuse | 96–100 | Bill Sharman (21) | 24–15 | |||||
| 40 | January 22 | Philadelphia | 129–115 | Cousy, Macauley (27) | 24–16 | |||||
| 41 | January 23 | N Philadelphia | 120–104 | Ed Macauley (31) | 24–17 | |||||
| 42 | January 25 | N Fort Wayne | 101–100 | Ed Macauley (23) | 24–18 | |||||
| 43 | January 27 | Fort Wayne | 106–97 | Cousy, Nichols (16) | 24–19 | |||||
| 44 | January 28 | @ Rochester | 126–119 | Bob Cousy (29) | 25–19 | |||||
| 45 | January 29 | Rochester | 103–112 | Bob Cousy (29) | 26–19 | |||||
| 46 | January 31 | @ St. Louis | 91–114 | Dickie Hemric (16) | 26–20 | |||||
| 47 | February 1 | @ Minneapolis | 106–107 | Ed Macauley (26) | 26–21 | |||||
| 48 | February 2 | N Minneapolis | 101–102 | Bill Sharman (35) | 27–21 | |||||
| 49 | February 4 | @ Rochester | 69–83 | Ed Macauley (15) | 27–22 | |||||
| 50 | February 5 | New York | 104–114 | Bill Sharman (24) | 28–22 | |||||
| 51 | February 7 | @ New York | 102–113 | Bill Sharman (29) | 28–23 | |||||
| 52 | February 8 | N St. Louis | 111–110 | Ed Macauley (27) | 28–24 | |||||
| 53 | February 9 | @ Syracuse | 98–97 | Jack Nichols (23) | 29–24 | |||||
| 54 | February 10 | St. Louis | 100–124 | Bill Sharman (30) | 30–24 | |||||
| 55 | February 12 | New York | 108–116 | Bill Sharman (29) | 31–24 | |||||
| 56 | February 18 | N Philadelphia | 115–101 | Bob Cousy (27) | 31–25 | |||||
| 57 | February 19 | Philadelphia | 118–120 | Bob Cousy (24) | 32–25 | |||||
| 58 | February 21 | @ St. Louis | 97–101 | Bill Sharman (26) | 32–26 | |||||
| 59 | February 22 | @ Minneapolis | 93–90 | Ed Macauley (22) | 33–26 | |||||
| 60 | February 24 | @ Philadelphia | 129–135 | Bill Sharman (33) | 33–27 | |||||
| 61 | February 26 | Rochester | 100–111 | Bob Cousy (27) | 34–27 | |||||
| 62 | February 28 | N Rochester | 113–97 | Bill Sharman (18) | 34–28 | |||||
| 63 | February 29 | Fort Wayne | 99–106 | Bob Cousy (22) | 35–28 | |||||
| 64 | March 1 | @ Syracuse | 100–111 | Bob Cousy (21) | 35–29 | |||||
| 65 | March 2 | Minneapolis | 113–119 | Cousy, Sharman (23) | 36–29 | |||||
| 66 | March 4 | Philadelphia | 114–128 | Bob Cousy (29) | 37–29 | |||||
| 67 | March 6 | @ New York | 99–119 | Bob Cousy (24) | 37–30 | |||||
| 68 | March 7 | Syracuse | 98–111 | Bill Sharman (24) | 38–30 | |||||
| 69 | March 8 | @ Philadelphia | 120–142 | Bill Sharman (33) | 38–31 | |||||
| 70 | March 10 | N Fort Wayne | 106–103 | Togo Palazzi (21) | 38–32 | |||||
| 71 | March 11 | St. Louis | 127–121 | Bill Sharman (27) | 38–33 | |||||
| 72 | March 14 | Syracuse | 103–122 | Bill Sharman (25) | 39–33 | |||||
Playoffs
edit| 1956 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division Semi-finals: 1–2 (home: 1–1; road: 0–1)
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| 1956 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||