1954–55 Fort Wayne Pistons season

1954–55 Fort Wayne Pistons season
Division champions
Head coachCharles Eckman
ArenaWar Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record43–29 (.597)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Western)
Playoff finishNBA Finals
(eliminated 3–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
< 1953–54 1955–56 >

The 1954–55 Fort Wayne Pistons season was the seventh season for the Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA)[1] and 14th season as a franchise.

With new coach and former referee Charley Eckman, the Pistons finished 43-29 (.597), first in the NBA Western Division. In the Western Division Finals, the Pistons eliminated the Minneapolis Lakers 3–1 in a best-of-five series to reach the NBA Finals. In the 7-game series with the Syracuse Nationals, the teams held home court advantage, although Fort Wayne would play "at home" in Indianapolis because Fort Wayne arena management did not plan for the Pistons to make the NBA Finals, and the arena was booked for a bowling conference after March 4.[2]

In the 7th game in Syracuse, Syracuse's George King made a free throw with 12 seconds left to put the Nationals up 92–91. King then stole the ball from Fort Wayne's Andy Phillip with three seconds remaining to clinch the victory for Syracuse.[3][4]

Rumors about the finish continue with suggestions that some Fort Wayne players conspired with gamblers to throw the series to Syracuse.[5] In the 7th game, Fort Wayne led Syracuse 41–24 early in the second quarter, then allowed the Nationals to rally to win the game.[6] Andy Phillip, who turned the ball over with three seconds left in the game, was believed by at least one of his teammates, George Yardley, to have thrown the game. "There were always unwholesome implications about that ball game", Yardley would later comment.[7]

However, Phillip may not have acted alone. Other Pistons players were strongly believed to have thrown games during the 1954 and 1955 NBA seasons, with Piston Jack Molinas banned from the league for gambling the year prior.[8] In fact, Yardley himself turned the ball over to Syracuse with a palming violation with 18 seconds remaining in Game 7.[9] The foul that gave Syracuse its winning free throw, meanwhile, was committed by Frankie Brian.[9] The NBA did not return to the 2–3–2 format until 1985.[10][11]

The team was led on the season by a double-double from center Larry Foust (17.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, NBA All-Star), guard Andy Phillip (9.6 ppg, 7.7 apg, NBA All-Star) and forward George Yardley (17.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg, NBA All-Star).

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Fort Wayne Pistons 43 29 .597 – 21–6 9–14 13–9 28–8
x-Minneapolis Lakers 40 32 .556 3 18–6 10–14 12–12 18–18
x-Rochester Royals 29 43 .403 14 17–11 4–19 8–13 14–22
Milwaukee Hawks 26 46 .361 17 6–11 9–16 11–19 14–22
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1954-55 NBA Records
Team BOS FWP MIL MIN NYK PHI ROC SYR
Boston — 4–5 6–3 3–6 6–6 7–5 4–5 6–6
Fort Wayne 5–4 — 11–1 9–3 2–7 6–3 8–4 2–7
Milwaukee 3–6 1–11 — 5–7 3–6 4–5 6–6 4–5
Minneapolis 6–3 3–9 7–5 — 4–5 6–3 8–4 6–3
New York 6–6 7–2 6–3 5–4 — 5–7 5–4 4–8
Philadelphia 5–7 3–6 5–4 3–6 7–5 — 5–4 5–7
Rochester 5–4 4–8 6–6 4–8 4–5 4–5 — 2–7
Syracuse 6–6 7–2 5–4 3–6 8–4 7–5 7–2 —

Game log

1954–55 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 30 @ Milwaukee 91–72 Hutchins, Yardley, Zaslofsky (14) 1–0
2 October 31 Boston 86–90 Mel Hutchins (22) 2–0
3 November 6 New York 83–90 Don Meineke (16) 3–0
4 November 7 Rochester 84–109 George Yardley (22) 4–0
5 November 11 Syracuse 88–86 Larry Foust (23) 4–1
6 November 13 @ Rochester 103–98 Mel Hutchins (22) 5–1
7 November 14 Milwaukee 91–93 Andy Phillip (23) 6–1
8 November 18 @ Syracuse 82–91 Larry Foust (30) 6–2
9 November 20 @ Philadelphia 82–99 Don Meineke (15) 6–3
10 November 21 Rochester 78–89 Larry Foust (23) 7–3
11 November 24 N Philadelphia 91–87 Mel Hutchins (20) 7–4
12 November 27 Minneapolis 81–97 Mel Hutchins (22) 8–4
13 November 28 Milwaukee 81–96 George Yardley (17) 9–4
14 November 30 N Minneapolis 90–92 George Yardley (29) 10–4
15 December 1 @ Rochester 101–96 (OT) Larry Foust (37) 11–4
16 December 2 Boston 98–116 George Yardley (32) 12–4
17 December 4 @ New York 90–88 Larry Foust (24) 13–4
18 December 5 Rochester 97–96 Larry Foust (21) 13–5
19 December 7 N Milwaukee 85–101 George Yardley (29) 14–5
20 December 8 N Milwaukee 68–92 Max Zaslofsky (17) 15–5
21 December 12 Boston 99–100 Larry Foust (28) 16–5
22 December 15 N Philadelphia 99–90 George Yardley (24) 16–6
23 December 18 @ Rochester 87–86 Andy Phillip (24) 17–6
24 December 19 Milwaukee 82–87 Dick Rosenthal (22) 18–6
25 December 23 N Philadelphia 92–82 George Yardley (22) 19–6
26 December 25 @ Rochester 73–80 George Yardley (17) 19–7
27 December 26 Philadelphia 96–109 Frank Brian (31) 20–7
28 December 30 N Minneapolis 76–93 George Yardley (26) 21–7
29 December 31 Minneapolis 103–91 George Yardley (22) 21–8
30 January 2 Philadelphia 66–89 George Yardley (24) 22–8
31 January 4 N Minneapolis 92–93 George Yardley (28) 23–8
32 January 5 N Milwaukee 97–92 Max Zaslofsky (16) 23–9
33 January 6 N Rochester 83–90 Mel Hutchins (19) 24–9
34 January 9 Minneapolis 86–89 George Yardley (29) 25–9
35 January 11 Boston 119–110 Larry Foust (33) 25–10
36 January 13 @ Syracuse 83–100 Bob Houbregs (14) 25–11
37 January 14 N New York 97–83 George Yardley (20) 25–12
38 January 15 @ New York 87–106 Frank Brian (17) 25–13
39 January 16 Milwaukee 78–89 George Yardley (19) 26–13
40 January 19 N Boston 105–84 George Yardley (29) 27–13
41 January 22 @ Milwaukee 85–83 Larry Foust (18) 28–13
42 January 23 Rochester 84–105 Dick Rosenthal (18) 29–13
43 January 25 N Syracuse 66–69 Frank Brian (14) 30–13
44 January 26 @ Boston 90–99 Andy Phillip (15) 30–14
45 January 27 @ Syracuse 79–94 Mel Hutchins (16) 30–15
46 January 29 @ Minneapolis 91–100 Larry Foust (23) 30–16
47 January 30 Minneapolis 92–99 Larry Foust (34) 31–16
48 January 31 N New York 91–84 Frank Brian (27) 31–17
49 February 2 @ Rochester 74–84 Frank Brian (22) 31–18
50 February 3 Syracuse 85–104 Larry Foust (22) 32–18
51 February 5 @ Philadelphia 96–88 Larry Foust (25) 33–18
52 February 6 Rochester 75–92 George Yardley (19) 34–18
53 February 10 Philadelphia 97–105 Max Zaslofsky (19) 35–18
54 February 11 N Rochester 91–83 Foust, Yardley (16) 35–19
55 February 12 @ New York 82–88 Larry Foust (26) 35–20
56 February 13 Milwaukee 78–90 Larry Foust (19) 36–20
57 February 14 N New York 92–88 Larry Foust (19) 36–21
58 February 17 N New York 93–86 Andy Phillip (14) 36–22
59 February 19 @ Minneapolis 92–98 George Yardley (28) 36–23
60 February 20 Milwaukee 87–96 Larry Foust (22) 37–23
61 February 23 N Minneapolis 97–120 Larry Foust (26) 38–23
62 February 24 N Milwaukee 85–95 Mel Hutchins (20) 39–23
63 February 26 @ Minneapolis 90–89 Larry Foust (24) 40–23
64 February 27 New York 95–83 Larry Foust (22) 40–24
65 February 28 N Minneapolis 88–90 Andy Phillip (19) 41–24
66 March 1 N Boston 118–98 Max Zaslofsky (18) 42–24
67 March 2 N Syracuse 103–90 George Yardley (16) 42–25
68 March 3 Syracuse 83–81 Larry Foust (22) 42–26
69 March 6 @ Boston 104–108 George Yardley (32) 42–27
70 March 7 @ Boston 91–110 Don Meineke (23) 42–28
71 March 10 N Philadelphia 91–93 (OT) George Yardley (27) 43–28
72 March 12 @ Syracuse 92–112 George Yardley (24) 43–29

Playoffs

1955 playoff game log
Division Finals: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 20 Minneapolis W 96–79 Larry Foust (15) North Side Gymnasium 1–0
2 March 22 Minneapolis W 98–97 (OT) Mel Hutchins (20) Butler Fieldhouse 2–0
3 March 23 @ Minneapolis L 91–99 (OT) George Yardley (25) Minneapolis Auditorium 2–1
4 March 27 @ Minneapolis W 105–96 Rosenthal, Hutchins (21) Minneapolis Auditorium 3–1
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 3–0; road: 0–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 31 @ Syracuse L 82–86 Larry Foust (26) — Onondaga War Memorial
7,500 		0–1
2 April 2 @ Syracuse L 84–87 George Yardley (21) — Onondaga War Memorial
5,845 		0–2
3 April 3 Syracuse W 96–89 Mel Hutchins (23) — Butler Fieldhouse
3,200 		1–2
4 April 5 Syracuse W 109–102 Frankie Brian (18) — Butler Fieldhouse
2,611 		2–2
5 April 7 Syracuse W 74–71 George Yardley (16) — Butler Fieldhouse
4,110 		3–2
6 April 9 @ Syracuse L 104–109 George Yardley (31) — Onondaga War Memorial
4,997 		3–3
7 April 10 @ Syracuse L 91–92 Larry Foust (24) Andy Phillip (10) Onondaga War Memorial
6,697 		3–4
1955 schedule

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ 1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons
  2. ^ "Nats Win First Title of Shot-Clock Era", NBA.com
  3. ^ "City Hails Nats' World Title Triumph", Syracuse Herald Journal, April 11, 1955, pp. 1, 45.
  4. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 9: The 1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons". December 14, 2011.
  5. ^ The Wizard of Odds: How Jack Molinas Almost Destroyed the Game of Basketball. By Charley Rosen. p. 154. 2001 Seven Stories Press. ISBN 1-58322-268-5
  6. ^ "Syracuse Five Defeats Pistons in N.B.A. Play-Off Final, 92-91", The New York Times, April 11, 1955, p. 31.
  7. ^ Rosen, p. 154.
  8. ^ Rosen, pp. 108-154.
  9. ^ a b Syracuse Herald Journal, April 11, 1955, p. 45.
  10. ^ "The 100 Greatest Playoff Series in NBA History". Bleacher Report.
  11. ^ "On This Date in Sports April 10, 1955: NBA Finals Thriller".