1955 NBA playoffs

Last updated

1955 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesMarch 15–April 10, 1955
Season 1954–55
Teams6
Final positions
Champions Syracuse Nationals (1st title)
Runner-up Fort Wayne Pistons
Semifinalists
←  1954
1956  →

The 1955 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1954-55 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Syracuse Nationals defeating the Western Conference champion Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.

Contents

This was the only title for the Nationals under that moniker; the franchise won its next title in 1967 as the Philadelphia 76ers.

For the Pistons, this was their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history; they returned the next year, but didn't win their first title until 1989 as the Detroit Pistons.

After experimenting with a round robin playoff format in 1954, the NBA moved to a system in which the top team in each conference earned a first-round bye, giving them the right to start out in the division finals. It remained in place until 1967, when it changed to an eight-team format in which all teams played the first round.

Bracket

Division SemifinalsDivision FinalsNBA Finals
Eastern Division
E1 Syracuse *3
E3 Boston 2E3Boston2
E2 New York 1E1Syracuse*4
Western Division
W1Fort Wayne*3
W1 Fort Wayne *3
W3 Rochester 1W2Minneapolis1
W2 Minneapolis 2

Division Semifinals

Eastern Division Semifinals

(2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Boston Celtics

March 15
New York Knicks 101, Boston Celtics 122
Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 19–29, 30–34, 30–35
Pts: Jim Baechtold 17Pts: Bob Cousy 30
Boston leads series, 1–0
March 16
Boston Celtics 95, New York Knicks 102
Scoring by quarter:33–21, 26–27, 18–28, 18–26
Pts: Bob Cousy 26Pts: Nat Clifton 25
Series tied, 1–1
March 19
Boston Celtics 116, New York Knicks 109
Scoring by quarter:30–16, 25–45, 32–20, 29–28
Pts: Bob Cousy 26
Asts: Bob Cousy 10		Pts: Nat Clifton 21
Asts: Nat Clifton 6
Boston wins series, 2–1

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning three of the first four meetings.

Western Division Semifinals

(2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) Rochester Royals

March 16
Rochester Royals 78, Minneapolis Lakers 82
Scoring by quarter:18–13, 17–25, 21–19, 22–25
Pts: Bobby Wanzer 30Pts: Clyde Lovellette 26
Minneapolis leads series, 1–0
March 18
Minneapolis Lakers 92, Rochester Royals 94
Scoring by quarter:27–24, 23–25, 20–22, 22–23
Pts: Clyde Lovellette 19Pts: Arnie Risen 19
Series tied, 1–1
March 19
Rochester Royals 110, Minneapolis Lakers 119
Scoring by quarter:29–28, 30–32, 18–35, 33–24
Pts: Arnie Risen 24Pts: Jim Pollard 26
Minneapolis wins series, 2–1

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first five meetings.

Division Finals

Eastern Division Finals

(1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) Boston Celtics

March 22
Boston Celtics 100, Syracuse Nationals 110
Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 21–21, 27–37, 30–27
Pts: Bill Sharman 20
Asts: Bob Cousy 10		Pts: Red Kerr 27
Asts: Paul Seymour 8
Syracuse leads series, 1–0
March 24
Boston Celtics 110, Syracuse Nationals 116
Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 30–41, 34–23, 22–24
Pts: Bill Sharman 32
Rebs: Don Barksdale 10
Asts: Bob Cousy 15		Pts: Dolph Schayes 22
Rebs: Dolph Schayes 18
Asts: Paul Seymour 12
Syracuse leads series, 2–0
March 26
Syracuse Nationals 97, Boston Celtics 100 (OT)
Scoring by quarter:24–23, 22–29, 21–21, 22–16,  Overtime: 8–11
Pts: Red Kerr 20
Rebs: Dolph Schayes 14
Asts: George King 10		Pts: Bob Cousy 23
Rebs: Bob Brannum 15
Asts: Bob Cousy 8
Syracuse leads series, 2–1
March 27
Syracuse Nationals 110, Boston Celtics 94
Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 31–24, 26–21, 35–31
Pts: Dolph Schayes 28
Rebs: Earl Lloyd 18
Asts: King, Seymour 8 each		Pts: Bill Sharman 29
Rebs: Bob Brannum 14
Asts: Bob Cousy 9
Syracuse wins series, 3–1

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nationals winning two of the first three meetings.

Western Division Finals

(1) Fort Wayne Pistons vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers

March 20
Minneapolis Lakers 79, Fort Wayne Pistons 96
Scoring by quarter: 14–19, 18–30, 21–27, 26–20
Pts: Clyde Lovellette 18Pts: Larry Foust 15
Fort Wayne leads series, 1–0
North Side Gymnasium, Elkhart, Indiana
Referees: Lou Eisenstein, Arnie Heft
March 22
Minneapolis Lakers 97, Fort Wayne Pistons 98 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 28–24, 21–25, 26–21,  Overtime: 0–1
Pts: Whitey Skoog 24Pts: Mel Hutchins 20
Fort Wayne leads series, 2–0
March 23
Fort Wayne Pistons 91, Minneapolis Lakers 99 (OT)
Scoring by quarter:22–12, 19–20, 25–30, 18–22,  Overtime: 7–15
Pts: George Yardley 25Pts: Whitey Skoog 24
Fort Wayne leads series, 2–1
March 27
Fort Wayne Pistons 105, Minneapolis Lakers 96
Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 20–15, 27–20, 33–30
Pts: Rosenthal, Hutchins 21 eachPts: Clyde Lovellette 25
Fort Wayne wins series, 3–1

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings.

NBA Finals: (E1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (W1) Fort Wayne Pistons

March 31
Fort Wayne Pistons 82, Syracuse Nationals 86
Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 25–22, 20–18, 18–20
Pts: Larry Foust 26Pts: Red Rocha 19
Syracuse leads series, 1–0
April 2
Fort Wayne Pistons 84, Syracuse Nationals 87
Scoring by quarter: 13–30, 25–29, 27–14, 19–24
Pts: George Yardley 21Pts: Dolph Schayes 24
Syracuse leads series, 2–0
April 3
Syracuse Nationals 89, Fort Wayne Pistons 96
Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 21–20, 14–26, 32–27
Pts: Rocha, Schayes 21 eachPts: Mel Hutchins 23
Syracuse leads series, 2–1
April 5
Syracuse Nationals 102, Fort Wayne Pistons 109
Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 24–26, 22–29, 32–27
Pts: Dolph Schayes 28Pts: Frankie Brian 18
Series tied, 2–2
April 7
Syracuse Nationals 71, Fort Wayne Pistons 74
Scoring by quarter: 18–22, 13–16, 14–20, 26–16
Pts: Bill Kenville 15Pts: George Yardley 16
Fort Wayne leads series, 3–2
April 9
Fort Wayne Pistons 104, Syracuse Nationals 109
Scoring by quarter:27–19, 28–34, 19–25, 30–31
Pts: George Yardley 31Pts: Dolph Schayes 28
Series tied, 3–3
April 10
Fort Wayne Pistons 91, Syracuse Nationals 92
Scoring by quarter:31–21, 22–26, 21–27, 17–18
Pts: Larry Foust 24
Asts: Andy Phillip 10		Pts: King, Kenville 15 each
Asts: Paul Seymour 8
Syracuse wins series, 4–3
  • George King hit a free throw with 12 seconds left, then stole the ball from Andy Phillip with 3 seconds left to seal it.

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. [5]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
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