NBA professional basketball team season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1965β66 season was the: Royals' 21st season overall. And their ninth in Cincinnati. It was also arguably their most exciting, given their outstanding pennant chase in theββNBA's Eastern Division, and their hosting of the 1966 NBA All-Star Game in Cincinnati.
The team was still adjustingββto the loss of defender Arlen Bockhorn. With the "NBA's most wide-open offense," the Royals were again directed by, now-legendary Oscar Robertson, who fed shooters Jerry Lucas, Jack Twyman and Adrian Smith when not scoring himself. Forwards Happy Hairston and Tom Hawkins also saw court time, "with Lucas sliding into the center spot." Defender Tom Thacker also occasionally got minutes at guard next to Robertson.
The team's outstanding 1965 draft class, "one of the NBA's best ever," netted four promising young stars in Nate Bowman, Flynn Robinson, Jon McGlocklin and Bob Love. But Bowman. And Robinson battled injuries and "illnesses all season long and did not impact the team." Love, a future NBA all-star and Hall of Fame inductee, was cut by coach Jack McMahon.
All-NBA First Teammers Robertson and Lucas each again posted remarkable individual seasons leading the contenders. Robertson again led the NBA in assists while scoring near the 30-point-per game mark and canning his usual pile of free throws at opponents expense. While Robertson averaged '30-10 ', Lucas averaged ' 20-20 ' setting an NBA record for rebounds by a forward that still stands today. Both averaged 44 minutes per game to lead their team.
Despite their contributions, the Royals would finish in third place with a record of 45 wins and 35 losses. In the playoffs, the Royals were again on the verge of ending the Boston Celtics championship reign. The Royals won 2 of the first 3 games in a 5-game series.
Despite the commanding lead, the Celtics would win the next 2 games and eventually claim their 8th straight title.
Regular seasonβ»
Season standingsβ»
Record vs. opponentsβ»
1965-66 NBA Records
|
Team
|
BAL
|
BOS
|
CIN
|
DET
|
LAL
|
NYK
|
PHI
|
SFW
|
STL
|
Baltimore
|
β |
3β7 |
3β7 |
5β5 |
4β6 |
7β3 |
5β5 |
4β6 |
7β3
|
Boston
|
7β3 |
β |
5β5 |
6β4 |
7β3 |
10β0 |
4β6 |
8β2 |
7β3
|
Cincinnati
|
7β3 |
5β5 |
β |
8β2 |
4β6 |
7β3 |
4β6 |
5β5 |
5β5
|
Detroit
|
5β5 |
4β6 |
2β8 |
β |
2β8 |
2β8 |
3β7 |
2β8 |
2β8
|
Los Angeles
|
6β4 |
3β7 |
6β4 |
8β2 |
β |
5β5 |
2β8 |
7β3 |
8β2
|
New York
|
3β7 |
0β10 |
3β7 |
8β2 |
5β5 |
β |
2β8 |
5β5 |
4β6
|
Philadelphia
|
5β5 |
6β4 |
6β4 |
7β3 |
8β2 |
8β2 |
β |
8β2 |
7β3
|
San Francisco
|
6β4 |
2β8 |
5β5 |
8β2 |
3β7 |
5β5 |
2β8 |
β |
4β6
|
St. Louis
|
3β7 |
3β7 |
5β5 |
8β2 |
2β8 |
6β4 |
3β7 |
6β4 |
β
|
Game logβ»
1965β66 game log
|
# |
Date |
Opponent |
Score |
High points |
Record
|
1 |
October 15 |
St. Louis |
111β100 |
Oscar Robertson (36) |
0β1
|
2 |
October 16 |
@ Boston |
98β102 |
Oscar Robertson (31) |
0β2
|
3 |
October 17 |
Baltimore |
124β144 |
Oscar Robertson (37) |
1β2
|
4 |
October 19 |
San Francisco |
100β99 |
Oscar Robertson (32) |
1β3
|
5 |
October 28 |
Boston |
108β113 |
Oscar Robertson (32) |
2β3
|
6 |
October 29 |
@ Baltimore |
131β121 |
Oscar Robertson (33) |
3β3
|
7 |
October 30 |
@ Philadelphia |
114β134 |
Adrian Smith (26) |
3β4
|
8 |
October 31 |
Detroit |
107β113 |
Adrian Smith (22) |
4β4
|
9 |
November 3 |
San Francisco |
108β122 |
Happy Hairston (28) |
5β4
|
10 |
November 5 |
@ Detroit |
120β114 |
Oscar Robertson (27) |
6β4
|
11 |
November 6 |
@ New York |
114β103 |
Oscar Robertson (29) |
7β4
|
12 |
November 10 |
New York |
119β124 |
Oscar Robertson (41) |
8β4
|
13 |
November 13 |
Baltimore |
132β135 |
Jerry Lucas (38) |
9β4
|
14 |
November 17 |
Philadelphia |
115β131 |
Oscar Robertson (28) |
10β4
|
15 |
November 19 |
@ Boston |
103β129 |
Jerry Lucas (25) |
10β5
|
16 |
November 21 |
N Baltimore |
120β114 |
Jerry Lucas (30) |
11β5
|
17 |
November 23 |
N Detroit |
118β115 |
Oscar Robertson (38) |
11β6
|
18 |
November 24 |
St. Louis |
108β112 |
Oscar Robertson (29) |
12β6
|
19 |
November 26 |
New York |
113β117 |
Oscar Robertson (30) |
13β6
|
20 |
November 27 |
@ New York |
132β129 |
Oscar Robertson (44) |
14β6
|
21 |
November 30 |
Los Angeles |
120β126 |
Oscar Robertson (41) |
15β6
|
22 |
December 1 |
@ Los Angeles |
105β121 |
Jerry Lucas (25) |
15β7
|
23 |
December 2 |
N San Francisco |
125β119 |
Adrian Smith (31) |
15β8
|
24 |
December 3 |
@ Los Angeles |
122β118 |
Oscar Robertson (48) |
16β8
|
25 |
December 5 |
Boston |
99β108 |
Oscar Robertson (31) |
17β8
|
26 |
December 9 |
N San Francisco |
110β109 |
Adrian Smith (26) |
17β9
|
27 |
December 10 |
Los Angeles |
129β110 |
Oscar Robertson (31) |
17β10
|
28 |
December 11 |
N Philadelphia |
135β132 (OT) |
Oscar Robertson (33) |
17β11
|
29 |
December 14 |
Philadelphia |
109β112 |
Oscar Robertson (31) |
18β11
|
30 |
December 15 |
@ Boston |
117β110 |
Adrian Smith (34) |
19β11
|
31 |
December 18 |
@ New York |
114β122 |
Oscar Robertson (30) |
19β12
|
32 |
December 22 |
@ Baltimore |
127β129 (OT) |
Oscar Robertson (43) |
19β13
|
33 |
December 25 |
San Francisco |
113β119 |
Oscar Robertson (35) |
20β13
|
34 |
December 26 |
@ St. Louis |
117β115 |
Oscar Robertson (37) |
21β13
|
35 |
December 27 |
New York |
116β138 |
Oscar Robertson (36) |
22β13
|
36 |
December 29 |
Los Angeles |
109β111 |
Oscar Robertson (40) |
23β13
|
37 |
January 1 |
@ New York |
122β147 |
Happy Hairston (26) |
23β14
|
38 |
January 2 |
Baltimore |
107β138 |
Adrian Smith (26) |
24β14
|
39 |
January 3 |
N St. Louis |
114β130 |
Oscar Robertson (37) |
25β14
|
40 |
January 5 |
N Detroit |
103β117 |
Adrian Smith (35) |
26β14
|
41 |
January 6 |
N Detroit |
97β109 |
Oscar Robertson (29) |
27β14
|
42 |
January 8 |
@ Baltimore |
126β115 |
Oscar Robertson (35) |
28β14
|
43 |
January 13 |
N St. Louis |
102β107 |
Happy Hairston (26) |
29β14
|
44 |
January 16 |
Detroit |
106β108 |
Lucas, Robertson (32) |
30β14
|
45 |
January 18 |
Los Angeles |
108β119 |
Oscar Robertson (26) |
31β14
|
46 |
January 21 |
@ Boston |
96β113 |
Oscar Robertson (24) |
31β15
|
47 |
January 24 |
N San Francisco |
112β135 |
Oscar Robertson (29) |
32β15
|
48 |
January 25 |
Boston |
101β113 |
Oscar Robertson (35) |
33β15
|
49 |
January 28 |
@ Philadelphia |
103β125 |
Oscar Robertson (19) |
33β16
|
50 |
January 29 |
St. Louis |
115β116 |
Adrian Smith (33) |
34β16
|
51 |
January 30 |
@ St. Louis |
98β115 |
Oscar Robertson (33) |
34β17
|
52 |
February 1 |
@ San Francisco |
125β127 |
Happy Hairston (23) |
34β18
|
53 |
February 2 |
@ Los Angeles |
118β119 |
Oscar Robertson (44) |
34β19
|
54 |
February 4 |
@ Los Angeles |
125β132 |
Oscar Robertson (29) |
34β20
|
55 |
February 6 |
N San Francisco |
116β117 |
Jack Twyman (31) |
35β20
|
56 |
February 7 |
N Detroit |
124β118 |
Oscar Robertson (34) |
35β21
|
57 |
February 8 |
Baltimore |
113β128 |
Oscar Robertson (38) |
36β21
|
58 |
February 11 |
@ Philadelphia |
94β113 |
Jack Twyman (19) |
36β22
|
59 |
February 12 |
Detroit |
116β143 |
Oscar Robertson (26) |
37β22
|
60 |
February 13 |
@ St. Louis |
102β104 |
Jerry Lucas (31) |
37β23
|
61 |
February 15 |
Boston |
123β136 |
Oscar Robertson (31) |
38β23
|
62 |
February 18 |
@ Baltimore |
114β118 |
Oscar Robertson (44) |
38β24
|
63 |
February 19 |
@ New York |
113β124 |
Oscar Robertson (42) |
38β25
|
64 |
February 20 |
@ Detroit |
133β129 |
Jerry Lucas (35) |
39β25
|
65 |
February 21 |
N Philadelphia |
107β113 |
Oscar Robertson (40) |
40β25
|
66 |
February 23 |
@ Los Angeles |
133β140 |
Oscar Robertson (39) |
40β26
|
67 |
February 25 |
@ San Francisco |
119β125 |
Jerry Lucas (32) |
40β27
|
68 |
February 26 |
@ San Francisco |
112β103 |
Oscar Robertson (39) |
41β27
|
69 |
March 1 |
Philadelphia |
100β102 |
Oscar Robertson (40) |
42β27
|
70 |
March 4 |
Philadelphia |
107β103 |
Oscar Robertson (36) |
42β28
|
71 |
March 5 |
New York |
145β149 (OT) |
Oscar Robertson (44) |
43β28
|
72 |
March 6 |
@ Detroit |
137β125 |
Oscar Robertson (30) |
44β28
|
73 |
March 9 |
N Los Angeles |
119β116 |
Oscar Robertson (39) |
44β29
|
74 |
March 10 |
Boston |
124β120 |
Jerry Lucas (31) |
44β30
|
75 |
March 12 |
St. Louis |
114β113 |
Oscar Robertson (33) |
44β31
|
76 |
March 13 |
@ St. Louis |
106β115 |
Jerry Lucas (23) |
44β32
|
77 |
March 15 |
N New York |
107β125 |
Oscar Robertson (26) |
45β32
|
78 |
March 18 |
@ Baltimore |
105β125 |
Oscar Robertson (27) |
45β33
|
79 |
March 19 |
@ Philadelphia |
121β127 |
Adrian Smith (24) |
45β34
|
80 |
March 20 |
@ Boston |
104β121 |
Oscar Robertson (24) |
45β35
|
Playoffsβ»
1966 playoff game log
|
Division semifinals: 2β3 (home: 0β2; road: 2β1)
|
1966 schedule
|
Awards and honorsβ»
- Oscar Robertson β First Team All-NBA,
- Jerry Lucas β First Team All-NBA,
- Adrian Smith, MVP of the 1966 NBA All-Star Game, held in Cincinnati.
Referencesβ»
|
---|
|
1940s | |
---|
1950s | |
---|
1960s | |
---|
1970s | |
---|
1980s | |
---|
1990s | |
---|
2000s | |
---|
2010s | |
---|
2020s | |
---|
|