Apr. 6, 1963 - Cliff Hagan (pictured) shot the Hawks right back into the NBA playoffs tonight with a fantastic point-a-minute performance before a roaring sellout crowd of 10,614 at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. Hagan was on fire, throwing in every type of shot as he brought the Hawks from a 13-point halftime deficit to an overwhelming 124-114 victory over the Lakers. The series is now knotted at 2-2. While Jerry West played well, contributing 33 points, the Lakers did not resemble the outfit that was tearing up the league 2 months ago. They get another crack at the inspired Bob Pettit and Hagan tomorrow night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, and perhaps Elgin Baylor will regain his shooting eye. The husky Laker forward was way off his game tonight. Although he played well enough on defense, he obviously is affected by the heavy cold he just can't seem to shake. The issue was settled in the third period, when Hagan was simply superb. The 6-4 veteran from Kentucky missed only one field-goal attempt. He fired in eight quick shots of all varieties — hooks, layups, jumpers — against such defenders as Baylor, West, and Ron Horn. He wound up with a total of 33 points. The Lakers fought hard in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. One can only wonder what became of the team that won 19 of 20 before Jerry West pulled his hamstring.
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