The 1961 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1960-61 season.
The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
The Lakers made the playoffs for the first time after moving to Los Angeles.
The Division Semifinals were extended from a best-of-three to a best-of-five series.
For the Celtics, it was their third straight NBA title and fourth overall.