1952–53 Boston Celtics season

1952–53 Boston Celtics season
Head coach	Red Auerbach
Arena	Boston Garden
Results
Record	46–25 (.648)
Place	Division: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East Division finals (lost to Knicks 1–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

The 1952–53 NBA season was the Celtics' seventh season in the NBA.

Offseason

NBA draft

Main article: 1952 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	6	Bill Stauffer	F	United States	Missouri
4	7	Herm Hedderick	SG	United States	Canisius
10	4	Gene Conley	F/C	United States	Washington

Roster

1952–53 Boston Celtics roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From PF 18 Brannum, Bob 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1925–05–28 Michigan PF 17 Conley, Gene 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1930–11–10 Washington SF 11 Cooper, Chuck 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1926–09–29 Duquesne PG 14 Cousy, Bob 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1928–08–09 Holy Cross SG 12 Donham, Bob 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1926–10–11 Ohio State SF 13 Harris, Bob 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1927–03–16 Oklahoma State F/C 10 Hermsen, Kleggie 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1923–03–12 Minnesota C 22 Macauley, Ed 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1928–03–22 Saint Louis C 16 Mahnken, John 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1922–06–16 Georgetown F 19 Mahoney, Mo 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1927–11–20 Brown PG 4 Rollins, Kenny 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 168 lb (76 kg) 1923–09–14 Kentucky SG 21 Sharman, Bill 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1926–05–25 USC

Head coach Red Auerbach Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

Eastern Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-New York Knicks	47	23	.671	-	22-4	15-14	10-5	30-10
x-Syracuse Nationals	47	24	.662	0.5	32-2	10-20	5-2	26-15
x-Boston Celtics	46	25	.648	1.5	21-3	11-18	14-4	28-13
x-Baltimore Bullets	16	54	.229	31	11-20	1–19	4-15	10-30
Philadelphia Warriors	12	57	.174	34.5	5-12	1–28	6-17	7-33

x = clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1952-53 NBA Records
Team	BAL	BOS	FWP	IND	MIL	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SYR
Baltimore	–	2–8	0–6	2–4	3–3	1–5	0–10	6–4	0–6	2–8
Boston	8–2	–	4–2	4–2	5–1	1–5	6–4	9–1	4–2	5–6
Fort Wayne	6–0	2–4	–	7–3	7–3	1–9	4–2	5–0	3–7	1–5
Indianapolis	4–2	2–4	3–7	–	5–6	4–6	1–5	5–1	3–7	1–5
Milwaukee	3–3	1–5	3–7	6–5	–	3–7	1–5	4–2	3–7	3–3
Minneapolis	5–1	5–1	9–1	6–4	7–3	–	4–2	6–0	4–6	2–4
New York	10–0	4–6	2–4	5–1	5–1	2–4	–	10–0	3–3	6–4
Philadelphia	4–6	1–9	0–5	1–5	2–4	0–6	0–10	–	2–4	2–8
Rochester	6–0	2–4	7–3	7–3	7–3	6–4	3–3	4–2	–	2–4
Syracuse	8–2	6–5	5–1	5–1	3–3	4–2	4–6	8–2	4–2	—

Game log

1952–53 game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 31	@ Indianapolis	83–68	Bob Cousy (22)	1–0
2	November 1	@ Minneapolis	91–94	Ed Macauley (37)	1–1
3	November 8	Syracuse	83–106	Bob Cousy (27)	2–1
4	November 11	Minneapolis	101–92	Ed Macauley (25)	2–2
5	November 13	@ Syracuse	81–96	Bob Cousy (25)	2–3
6	November 15	@ New York	68–79	Bob Cousy (23)	2–4
7	November 16	Rochester	87–96	Ed Macauley (27)	3–4
8	November 19	N Milwaukee	77–91	Bob Cousy (24)	4–4
9	November 22	Indianapolis	91–96	Ed Macauley (23)	5–4
10	November 23	@ Rochester	102–100	Bob Cousy (26)	6–4
11	November 26	Philadelphia	92–93	Bob Cousy (30)	7–4
12	November 27	@ Philadelphia	83–70	Ed Macauley (21)	8–4
13	November 29	N Fort Wayne	71–78	Bob Cousy (27)	9–4
14	November 30	@ Syracuse	66–78	Bob Cousy (28)	9–5
15	December 3	Minneapolis	106–102 (OT)	Bob Cousy (28)	9–6
16	December 4	N Milwaukee	90–73	Bob Cousy (23)	9–7
17	December 6	Milwaukee	83–88	Ed Macauley (16)	10–7
18	December 9	N Philadelphia	72–86	Ed Macauley (29)	11–7
19	December 10	N Philadelphia	97–103	Bob Cousy (30)	12–7
20	December 11	N Baltimore	94–88	Bill Sharman (42)	13–7
21	December 13	Philadelphia	78–82	Bill Sharman (22)	14–7
22	December 14	@ Baltimore	83–73	Bob Cousy (23)	15–7
23	December 18	N Syracuse	83–88	Bob Cousy (26)	16–7
24	December 20	Syracuse	77–91	Ed Macauley (31)	17–7
25	December 21	@ Syracuse	86–90	Ed Macauley (21)	17–8
26	December 25	@ New York	84–97	Bill Sharman (25)	17–9
27	December 26	@ Indianapolis	74–85	Bill Sharman (20)	17–10
28	December 27	@ Minneapolis	71–94	Bill Sharman (20)	17–11
29	December 28	@ Fort Wayne	89–66	Bob Cousy (22)	18–11
30	December 31	Syracuse	87–97	Bill Sharman (29)	19–11
31	January 1	@ Rochester	83–81 (OT)	Bob Cousy (24)	20–11
32	January 3	N Indianapolis	63–78	Bob Cousy (20)	21–11
33	January 4	New York	100–103	Ed Macauley (28)	22–11
34	January 7	@ Philadelphia	84–82	Bill Sharman (34)	23–11
35	January 8	N Rochester	85–88 (OT)	Ed Macauley (28)	24–11
36	January 9	N Baltimore	90–94	Bob Cousy (22)	24–12
37	January 10	@ Baltimore	105–126	Bill Sharman (33)	24–13
38	January 11	Baltimore	87–131	Ed Macauley (25)	25–13
39	January 15	@ Fort Wayne	85–91	Bill Sharman (26)	25–14
40	January 16	@ Milwaukee	100–90	Bill Sharman (29)	26–14
41	January 18	New York	83–99	Ed Macauley (33)	27–14
42	January 21	Fort Wayne	84–94	Bob Cousy (29)	28–14
43	January 22	N New York	112–89	Bill Sharman (20)	28–15
44	January 23	@ Indianapolis	85–90	Ed Macauley (24)	28–16
45	January 25	@ Minneapolis	82–87	Bob Cousy (18)	28–17
46	January 27	N Milwaukee	58–80	Cousy, Macauley (22)	29–17
47	January 29	@ Fort Wayne	98–111	Bob Cousy (27)	29–18
48	January 31	@ New York	69–76	Bill Sharman (23)	29–19
49	February 1	Rochester	109–86	Ed Macauley (25)	29–20
50	February 4	Syracuse	92–105	Bill Sharman (32)	30–20
51	February 7	@ Baltimore	101–98 (OT)	Ed Macauley (33)	31–20
52	February 8	New York	79–87	Bill Sharman (20)	32–20
53	February 12	@ Philadelphia	91–92	Ed Macauley (25)	32–21
54	February 13	Milwaukee	74–77	Ed Macauley (25)	33–21
55	February 15	Indianapolis	76–89	Ed Macauley (20)	34–21
56	February 17	N Syracuse	84–65	Cousy, Sharman (14)	34–22
57	February 18	N New York	66–69	Ed Macauley (16)	35–22
58	February 21	@ Baltimore	90–86	Cousy, Macauley (23)	36–22
59	February 22	New York	83–87 (OT)	Bob Cousy (27)	37–22
60	February 25	Philadelphia	80–87	Cousy, Macauley (22)	38–22
61	February 26	N Baltimore	82–81	Ed Macauley (23)	39–22
62	February 28	@ Rochester	81–77	Bill Sharman (22)	39–23
63	March 3	N Baltimore	95–94 (OT)	Bob Cousy (32)	40–23
64	March 4	N Philadelphia	75–82	Ed Macauley (17)	41–23
65	March 6	Minneapolis	85–100	Ed Macauley (46)	42–23
66	March 8	@ New York	89–78	Ed Macauley (25)	43–23
67	March 11	Fort Wayne	92–98	Ed Macauley (28)	44–23
68	March 12	@ Syracuse	70–84	Bob Cousy (15)	44–24
69	March 15	Philadelphia	87–103	Ed Macauley (26)	45–24
70	March 16	N Baltimore	92–78	Ed Macauley (19)	46–24
71	March 17	@ Syracuse	68–72	Bob Cousy (16)	46–25

Playoffs

1953 playoff game log
Division Semi-finals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0) Game Date Team Score High points High assists Location Series 1 March 19 @ Syracuse W 87–81 Bob Cousy (20) — Onondaga War Memorial 1–0 2 March 21 Syracuse W 111–105 (4OT) Bob Cousy (50) Macauley, Sharman (5) Boston Garden 2–0
Division finals: 1–3 (home: 1–1; road: 0–2) Game Date Team Score High points High assists Location Series 1 March 25 @ New York L 91–95 Bob Cousy (28) Chuck Cooper (6) Madison Square Garden III 0–1 2 March 26 New York W 86–70 Macauley, Cousy (21) Bob Cousy (13) Boston Garden 1–1 3 March 28 @ New York L 82–101 Bob Cousy (18) Ed Macauley (5) Madison Square Garden III 1–2 4 March 29 New York L 75–82 Ed Macauley (25) Bob Cousy (8) Boston Garden 1–3
1953 schedule

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Awards and records

• Ed Macauley, All-NBA First Team
• Bob Cousy, All-NBA First Team
• Bill Sharman, All-NBA Second Team

See also

• 1952-53 NBA season