West, Baylor Propel Lakers to One-Sided Win Over Chicago Zephyrs in 1962
west-baylor-propel-lakers-one-sided-win-chicago-zephyrs-1962
On Nov. 26, 1962, the Los Angeles Lakers leaned on stars Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to overwhelm the Chicago Zephyrs in a decisive victory during the franchise’s early years in Southern California.
West paced the offense with 33 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, finishing just three boards shy of a triple-double. Baylor dominated the glass, collecting 23 rebounds to go with 22 points.
A 41-19 second quarter broke the game open and sent the Lakers to their 14th win in 21 outings, while the Zephyrs fell to 5-15.
Los Angeles also received double-doubles from LeRoy Ellis, who recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Rudy LaRusso, who added 16 points and 10 boards.
Chicago was led by Hall of Fame center Walt Bellamy’s 26 points and 13 rebounds. Forward Don Nelson contributed 17 points and 14 rebounds, but the Zephyrs could not match the production of the Lakers’ All-Star duo.
West and Baylor went on to steer the Lakers to the 1963 NBA Finals, where the team fell to the Boston Celtics in six games. Both players earned spots on the All-NBA First Team that season.
Source: Lakers Nation
