Mar. 12, 1965 - Want to clinch a title? Go to San Francisco and play the Warriors; everybody else does. Two weeks ago, the Boston Celtics whipped the Warriors for the victory that clinched the NBA’s Eastern Division title. Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers locked up the Western Division pennant by destroying the Warriors at San Francisco, 115-93.
Elgin Baylor (pictured) put the Lakers safely out front with an assault in the first half that netted 24 points. Jerry West kept them there by bagging the bulk of his game-high 33 points in the second half.
Guy Rodgers lifted the Warriors in a flurry that brought his team to within seven points in the fourth period. Baylor and West put an end to that impertinence, though, canning a few quick buckets to cut short the threat.
“I said all along that if Baylor and West stayed healthy, we would win the division,” grinned Laker coach Fred Schaus. “In the last two months, this has been a great team. Tonight, we hit the open man as well as any team I’ve ever seen.”
Cincinnati did a little clinching of its own tonight, as the Royals nailed down second place in the East by rallying to beat the Celtics, 118-108.
By beating Boston, the Royals kept the Celtics from creating an NBA record for season triumphs. Boston has 60 victories and three games left to break the mark of 60 it set in 1961-62.
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