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1959 NBA Finals

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1959 NBA Finals
TeamCoachWins
Boston Celtics Red Auerbach 4
Minneapolis Lakers John Kundla 0
DatesApril 4–9
Hall of FamersCeltics:
Bob Cousy (1971)
Bill Russell (1975)
Bill Sharman (1976, player/2004, coach)
Tom Heinsohn (1986, player/2015, coach)
Frank Ramsey (1982)
Lakers:
Vern Mikkelsen (1995)
Elgin Baylor (1977)
Coaches:
Red Auerbach (1969)
John Kundla (1995)
Eastern finalsCeltics defeated Nationals, 4–3
Western finalsLakers defeated Hawks, 4–2
← 1958 NBA finals 1960 →

The 1959 NBA Finals, then known as the 1959 NBA World Championship Series, was the championship series of the 1958–59 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. It was Boston's third trip to the NBA Finals and Minneapolis's sixth. This was the first Finals meeting in the history of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, marking the start of the storied rivalry between the two franchises.

The Celtics swept the Lakers 4–0. This was the start of the streak of the Celtics' eight consecutive championships, from 1959 to 1966. To date, this is the most recent time that an NBA team from Minnesota appeared in an NBA Finals, as well as the first of two times in NBA history that a team with a losing record made the NBA Finals (the other was in 1981).

Series summary

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Game Date Home team Result Road team
Game 1 April 4 Boston Celtics 118–115 (1–0) Minneapolis Lakers
Game 2 April 5 Boston Celtics 128–108 (2–0) Minneapolis Lakers
Game 3 April 7 Minneapolis Lakers 110–123 (0–3) Boston Celtics
Game 4 April 9 Minneapolis Lakers 113–118 (0–4) Boston Celtics

Celtics win series 4–0

Team rosters

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Boston Celtics

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Minneapolis Lakers

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