Switch in Style

All through the long professional basketball season, the Boston Celtics had lost to the St. Louis Hawks only twice--each time by only two points. Starting the playoffs for the National Basketball Association championship, they seemed to be sticking to the same pattern: St. Louis won in double overtime, 125-123. While St. Louis won two more by one basket, the only formula they seemed to know, the Celtics stayed in the series by taking three; their winning margin ran as high as 20 points a game.

In the deciding game in the Boston Garden last week, Celtic Coach Red Auerbach's carefully devised playoff plans began to fall apart. Muscleman Jim Loscutoff and Rookie Tom Heinsohn could not seem to work the double pickoff play that was meant to give Sharpshooter Bill Sharman (TIME, Dec. 31) time and space in which to sink his shots. St. Louis' stringy little veteran. Slater Martin, was sticking to Celtic Bob Cousy like an overanxious bill collector. The slickest ball-handler in the game. Cousy shook himself loose and scored from the floor only twice in 20 tries.

The Celtics had won their other games by using a fast break and running the Hawks ragged. Now the Hawks stole Boston's strategy and ran with the Celtics every inch of the way. They were still running when the regular game ended 103-103. The first overtime period only pushed the tie to 113-113. In the second overtime, the Celtics finally decided that if St. Louis was going to steal their strategy, they might as well try the one trick that had always worked for the Hawks. With their San Francisco import, big Bill Russell, grabbing every rebound in reach, the Celtics moved in front. There they stayed. For the first time in eleven years, the Boston Celtics won the world series of basketball, and they won St. Louis style, 125-123.

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