Hall-of-Fame Playoff Battle

Led by All-NBA stars Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, the Celtics scored an average of 101.5 points per game during the 1954-55 season, the best in the league. On the other hand, they also gave up a league-worst 101.5 points per game, which led to a predictable 36-36 record. In the 1955 Eastern Division Semifinals, Boston dispatched the New York Knicks in three games, led by Cousy’s 27.3 points. They faced an uphill battle in the Eastern Division Finals against the Syracuse Nationals, the eventual league champions. Although Sharman averaged 21.5 points and Cousy a double-double in points and assists, another pair of future Hall-of-Famers in Dolph Schayes and Earl Lloyd were especially productive for Syracuse. The Celtics fell in the series, 3-1.