Silas Moves Up Boston’s 62-Week Win Run!
Today in Boston Celtics history, the Celtics hit a major milestone by becoming the first team in NBA history to win 61 games in a single season in 1965, surpassing their own record from the 1961-62 season. This notable win occurred went down in a 106-98 victory vs. the then San Francisco Warriors (now, the Golden State Warriors) at the historic Boston Garden.
Hall of Fame Celtics center Bill Russell led the team with an impressive outing, contributing 20 points, 41 rebounds, and 4 assists. Vet guard Sam Jones added another 24 points and 5 rebounds, while forward John Havlicek contributed an additional 22 points and 6 rebounds. The Celtics closed the season with one more win to push the record to 62 wins with a victory over the (then) Cincinnati Royals on March 21.
Transactions It is also the date of when the Phoenix Suns dealt forward Paul Silas to the Celtics in 1972 for veteran guard Charlie Scott. It would take Boston until September of that year to convince Silas to actually suit up for Boston. It took legendary Red Auerbach a lot of time to sell Silas on the move, but the two clicked and the Creighton product eventually signed on with enthusiasm.
"I’d talk to him about basketball, about this, about that, whatever," Silas explained in an interview with Grantland's Jonathan Abrams . "It was just special. He was so smart, and I began to love being there.
" This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: First team to 61 wins; Scott dealt for Silas