1957–58 Detroit Pistons season

1957–58 Detroit Pistons season
Head coachCharles Eckman
Red Rocha
ArenaDetroit Olympia
Results
Record33–39 (.458)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finishWest Division Finals
(eliminated 1–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
< 1956–57 1958–59 >

The 1957–58 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' tenth season in the NBA and first season in the city of Detroit.

The new Detroit Pistons played home games at Olympia Stadium, home of the Detroit Red Wings, and struggled to find a footing in their new hometown.[1] Team owner Fred Zollner provided the team with their own aircraft to travel for road games, but the NBA responded with a difficult travel schedule, especially during the winter, as the Pistons could avoid commercial air delays. The Pistons went 33–39 (.458) during the season, tied for second in the Western Division, with the Cincinnati Royals, eight games behind the St. Louis Hawks, but were awarded the second seed on tie-breakers.[2]

The Pistons defeated the Royals in two straight games in the West Semifinal series, but lost the West Finals to the Hawks 4–1.[3] The team was led by forward George Yardley (27.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg, NBA All-Star) and guards Gene Shue (15.6 ppg, NBA All-Star) and Dick McGuire (8.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, NBA All-Star).[4][3]

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-St. Louis Hawks 41 31 .569 - 23-8 8-19 10-4 24-12
x-Detroit Pistons 33 39 .458 8 14-14 13-17 6-8 18-18
x-Cincinnati Royals 33 39 .458 8 17-12 10-19 6-8 17-19
Minneapolis Lakers 19 53 .264 22 10-15 4-21 5-17 13-23
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1957–58 NBA records
Team BOS CIN DET MIN NYK PHI STL SYR
Boston — 7–2 8–1 9–0 7–5 6–6 5–4 7–5
Cincinnati 2–7 — 6–6 8–4 4–5 6–3 3–9 4–5
Detroit 1–8 6–6 — 6–6 4–5 5–4 6–6 5–4
Minneapolis 0–9 4–8 6–6 — 1–8 3–6 3–9 2–7
New York 5–7 5–4 5–4 8–1 — 4–8 3–6 5–7
Philadelphia 6–6 3–6 4–5 6–3 8–4 — 7–2 3–9
St. Louis 4–5 9–3 6–6 9–3 6–3 2–7 — 5–4
Syracuse 5–7 5–4 4–5 7–2 7–5 9–3 4–5 —

Game log

1957–58 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 23 Boston 105–94 George Yardley (20) 0–1
2 October 26 Philadelphia 112–100 George Yardley (41) 0–2
3 October 30 @ Minneapolis 115–96 George Yardley (28) 1–2
4 November 3 @ Cincinnati 94–88 George Yardley (23) 2–2
5 November 5 N Boston 105–111 Harry Gallatin (25) 2–3
6 November 12 New York 107–109 George Yardley (32) 3–3
7 November 15 Minneapolis 112–104 George Yardley (31) 3–4
8 November 16 @ New York 109–105 George Yardley (35) 4–4
9 November 17 @ Philadelphia 95–91 George Yardley (26) 5–4
10 November 19 N Cincinnati 75–92 George Yardley (17) 5–5
11 November 21 Boston 112–90 George Yardley (22) 5–6
12 November 23 @ St. Louis 110–115 Bob Houbregs (24) 5–7
13 November 26 N Minneapolis 91–109 George Yardley (31) 6–7
14 November 27 St. Louis 121–110 George Yardley (30) 6–8
15 November 29 @ Cincinnati 92–87 (OT) George Yardley (26) 6–9
16 November 30 Cincinnati 96–100 George Yardley (32) 7–9
17 December 1 @ New York 102–109 George Yardley (39) 7–10
18 December 3 Boston 124–113 George Yardley (34) 7–11
19 December 5 N Cincinnati 99–109 George Yardley (32) 7–12
20 December 6 @ Syracuse 91–118 George Yardley (34) 7–13
21 December 7 Cincinnati 105–109 George Yardley (25) 8–13
22 December 10 Philadelphia 100–97 George Yardley (30) 8–14
23 December 12 @ Philadelphia 101–96 George Yardley (28) 9–14
24 December 15 New York 116–109 George Yardley (27) 9–15
25 December 17 N St. Louis 106–99 George Yardley (22) 9–16
26 December 21 Cincinnati 101–112 George Yardley (31) 10–16
27 December 22 @ Syracuse 93–119 Shue, Thieben (12) 10–17
28 December 25 Minneapolis 106–104 George Yardley (29) 10–18
29 December 26 @ St. Louis 110–106 George Yardley (48) 11–18
30 December 27 @ New York 120–125 George Yardley (31) 11–19
31 December 28 Syracuse 111–117 George Yardley (20) 12–19
32 December 31 @ Cincinnati 96–130 George Yardley (22) 12–20
33 January 4 Philadelphia 78–81 Gene Shue (17) 13–20
34 January 5 @ St. Louis 93–95 Walter Dukes (18) 13–21
35 January 7 N Cincinnati 99–114 Walter Dukes (17) 13–22
36 January 8 Syracuse 107–109 Gallatin, Yardley (26) 14–22
37 January 10 N Minneapolis 124–114 George Yardley (23) 14–23
38 January 11 Minneapolis 102–129 George Yardley (23) 15–23
39 January 12 @ Syracuse 109–135 George Yardley (25) 15–24
40 January 15 @ Boston 113–131 George Yardley (51) 15–25
41 January 16 @ Philadelphia 113–108 George Yardley (25) 16–25
42 January 17 Cincinnati 94–115 George Yardley (31) 17–25
43 January 18 @ St. Louis 103–105 George Yardley (36) 17–26
44 January 19 @ Minneapolis 111–118 Jordon, Yardley (24) 17–27
45 January 22 New York 115–92 Harry Gallatin (16) 17–28
46 January 23 @ Minneapolis 125–128 (OT) George Yardley (44) 17–29
47 January 25 St. Louis 98–105 Harry Gallatin (27) 18–29
48 January 26 @ Cincinnati 103–107 George Yardley (33) 18–30
49 January 27 Philadelphia 93–115 Gene Shue (25) 19–30
50 January 30 N Syracuse 83–87 Walter Dukes (21) 20–30
51 January 31 N New York 105–119 George Yardley (36) 21–30
52 February 1 N Philadelphia 106–86 Walter Dukes (18) 21–31
53 February 2 @ Boston 115–119 George Yardley (31) 21–32
54 February 4 Syracuse 113–118 George Yardley (52) 22–32
55 February 7 N St. Louis 107–125 George Yardley (37) 23–32
56 February 9 New York 100–98 Gallatin, Yardley (16) 23–33
57 February 11 @ Philadelphia 98–115 George Yardley (27) 23–34
58 February 12 St. Louis 122–105 Chuck Noble (19) 23–35
59 February 14 @ Boston 111–109 George Yardley (29) 24–35
60 February 15 Minneapolis 111–110 Phil Jordon (29) 24–36
61 February 16 @ St. Louis 100–98 Gene Shue (21) 25–36
62 February 18 Syracuse 98–120 George Yardley (48) 26–36
63 February 19 @ Minneapolis 117–115 (OT) George Yardley (43) 27–36
64 February 21 @ Cincinnati 109–107 George Yardley (32) 28–36
65 February 22 St. Louis 96–98 Harry Gallatin (22) 29–36
66 February 25 N St. Louis 113–114 (OT) George Yardley (44) 30–36
67 February 26 Boston 106–99 Gene Shue (30) 30–37
68 February 27 N Minneapolis 109–112 George Yardley (41) 31–37
69 March 1 @ New York 103–101 George Yardley (36) 32–37
70 March 6 @ Minneapolis 132–116 George Yardley (49) 33–37
71 March 8 @ Boston 103–108 George Yardley (22) 33–38
72 March 9 @ Syracuse 90–111 George Yardley (26) 33–39

Playoffs

1958 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 15 Cincinnati W 100–83 George Yardley (29) Detroit Olympia 1–0
2 March 16 @ Cincinnati W 124–104 Yardley, Dukes (24) Cincinnati Gardens 2–0
Division Finals: 1–4 (home: 0–2; road: 1–2)
Game Date Team Score High points Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 19 @ St. Louis L 111–114 Gene Shue (29) Kiel Auditorium
7,328 		0–1
2 March 22 St. Louis L 96–99 George Yardley (26) University of Detroit Fieldhouse 0–2
3 March 23 @ St. Louis W 109–89 George Yardley (31) Kiel Auditorium
9,321 		1–2
4 March 25 St. Louis L 101–145 Yardley, Dukes (16) Detroit Olympia 1–3
5 March 27 @ St. Louis L 96–120 Yardley, Dukes (18) Kiel Auditorium
7,661 		1–4
1958 schedule

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ "Not a lot of hoopla greeted Pistons 60 years ago".
  2. ^ "The Big Z and His Misfiring Pistons".
  3. ^ a b "1957-58 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  4. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 35: The 1957-58 Detroit Pistons". Pistonpowered.com. October 26, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2022.