1952–53 New York Knicks season
The 1952–53 New York Knicks season was the seventh season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). With a 47–23 record, the Knicks won the regular season Eastern Division title by a half-game over the Syracuse Nationals and made the NBA Playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.[1][2]
1952–53 New York Knicks season | |
---|---|
Division champions | |
Head coach | Joe Lapchick |
General manager | Ned Irish |
Arena | Madison Square Garden |
Results | |
Record | 47–23 (.671) |
Place | Division: 1st (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | NBA Finals (Lost to Lakers 1–4) |
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WPIX |
Radio | WMGM |
In the first round of the 1953 NBA Playoffs, the Knicks swept the Baltimore Bullets 2–0 in a best-of-three series to advance to the Eastern Division Finals. There, New York defeated the Boston Celtics 3–1 to make the NBA Finals for the third straight year.[1][2] In the Finals, the Knicks lost to the Minneapolis Lakers, four games to one.[1]
NBA draft
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.[3]
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Ralph Polson | F/C | United States | Whitworth |
– | – | Dick Bunt | G | United States | NYU |
– | – | Bert Cook | G/F | United States | Utah State |
– | – | Dick Surhoff | F | United States | Long Island |
Regular season
Season standings
Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
x-New York Knicks | 47 | 23 | .671 | - | 22-4 | 15-14 | 10-5 | 30-10 |
x-Syracuse Nationals | 47 | 24 | .662 | 0.5 | 32-2 | 10-20 | 5-2 | 26-15 |
x-Boston Celtics | 46 | 25 | .648 | 1.5 | 21-3 | 11-18 | 14-4 | 28-13 |
x-Baltimore Bullets | 16 | 54 | .229 | 31 | 11-20 | 1–19 | 4-15 | 10-30 |
Philadelphia Warriors | 12 | 57 | .174 | 34.5 | 5-12 | 1–28 | 6-17 | 7-33 |
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1952–53 NBA records | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | BAL | BOS | FWP | IND | MIL | MIN | NYK | PHI | ROC | SYR |
Baltimore | — | 2–8 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 0–10 | 6–4 | 0–6 | 2–8 |
Boston | 8–2 | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 6–4 | 9–1 | 4–2 | 5–6 |
Fort Wayne | 6–0 | 2–4 | — | 7–3 | 7–3 | 1–9 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 3–7 | 1–5 |
Indianapolis | 4–2 | 2–4 | 3–7 | — | 5–6 | 4–6 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 3–7 | 1–5 |
Milwaukee | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–7 | 6–5 | — | 3–7 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 3–7 | 3–3 |
Minneapolis | 5–1 | 5–1 | 9–1 | 6–4 | 7–3 | — | 4–2 | 6–0 | 4–6 | 2–4 |
New York | 10–0 | 4–6 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | — | 10–0 | 3–3 | 6–4 |
Philadelphia | 4–6 | 1–9 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 0–10 | — | 2–4 | 2–8 |
Rochester | 6–0 | 2–4 | 7–3 | 7–3 | 7–3 | 6–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | — | 2–4 |
Syracuse | 8–2 | 6–5 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–6 | 8–2 | 4–2 | — |
Game log
1951–52 Game log | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
1 | November 1 | Baltimore | 53–69 | Nathaniel Clifton (20) | 1–0 | |||||
2 | November 8 | @ Baltimore | 92–62 | Nathaniel Clifton (22) | 2–0 | |||||
3 | November 11 | @ Rochester | 94–104 | Carl Braun (19) | 2–1 | |||||
4 | November 13 | Minneapolis | 91–100 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 3–1 | |||||
5 | November 15 | Boston | 68–79 | Carl Braun (17) | 4–1 | |||||
6 | November 16 | @ Fort Wayne | 83–112 | Connie Simmons (17) | 4–2 | |||||
7 | November 18 | Indianapolis | 90–100 | Vince Boryla (22) | 4–3 | |||||
8 | November 20 | N Indianapolis | 72–67 | Harry Gallatin (16) | 5–3 | |||||
9 | November 22 | Syracuse | 68–98 | Max Zaslofsky (22) | 6–3 | |||||
10 | November 23 | @ Syracuse | 73–76 | Harry Gallatin (13) | 6–4 | |||||
11 | November 26 | @ Baltimore | 94–92 | Connie Simmons (20) | 7–4 | |||||
12 | November 27 | N Baltimore | 104–92 | Nathaniel Clifton (19) | 8–4 | |||||
13 | November 29 | Indianapolis | 72–94 | Ernie Vandeweghe (16) | 9–4 | |||||
14 | December 2 | @ Philadelphia | 89–82 (OT) | Carl Braun (24) | 10–4 | |||||
15 | December 3 | N Philadelphia | 75–100 | Vince Boryla (21) | 11–4 | |||||
16 | December 4 | Minneapolis | 81–71 | Connie Simmons (20) | 11–5 | |||||
17 | December 6 | @ Minneapolis | 78–85 (OT) | Carl Braun (25) | 11–6 | |||||
18 | December 7 | @ Fort Wayne | 91–102 | Carl Braun (16) | 11–7 | |||||
19 | December 9 | Rochester | 77–75 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 11–8 | |||||
20 | December 13 | @ Rochester | 99–97 (OT) | Carl Braun (25) | 12–8 | |||||
21 | December 14 | @ Milwaukee | 74–69 | Gallatin, Simmons (14) | 13–8 | |||||
22 | December 16 | Syracuse | 93–98 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (22) | 14–8 | |||||
23 | December 20 | @ Baltimore | 102–99 (OT) | Carl Braun (28) | 15–8 | |||||
24 | December 21 | Baltimore | 77–102 | Connie Simmons (17) | 16–8 | |||||
25 | December 22 | N Milwaukee | 80–75 | Nathaniel Clifton (18) | 17–8 | |||||
26 | December 25 | Boston | 84–97 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 18–8 | |||||
27 | December 27 | N Fort Wayne | 91–92 | Connie Simmons (20) | 18–9 | |||||
28 | December 28 | Philadelphia | 54–72 | Ernie Vandeweghe (15) | 19–9 | |||||
29 | January 1 | @ Philadelphia | 108–82 | Ernie Vandeweghe (26) | 20–9 | |||||
30 | January 3 | Syracuse | 77–85 (OT) | Connie Simmons (22) | 21–9 | |||||
31 | January 4 | @ Boston | 100–103 | Carl Braun (22) | 21–10 | |||||
32 | January 7 | N Syracuse | 114–93 | Carl Braun (25) | 21–11 | |||||
33 | January 8 | Milwaukee | 68–81 | Carl Braun (22) | 22–11 | |||||
34 | January 9 | @ Indianapolis | 58–54 | Carl Braun (16) | 23–11 | |||||
35 | January 11 | @ Minneapolis | 79–85 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 23–12 | |||||
36 | January 17 | Philadelphia | 76–84 | Ernie Vandeweghe (20) | 24–12 | |||||
37 | January 18 | @ Boston | 83–99 | Harry Gallatin (20) | 24–13 | |||||
38 | January 21 | N Milwaukee | 70–72 | Nathaniel Clifton (14) | 24–14 | |||||
39 | January 22 | N Boston | 112–89 | Max Zaslofsky (26) | 25–14 | |||||
40 | January 24 | Fort Wayne | 76–82 | Carl Braun (20) | 26–14 | |||||
41 | January 25 | @ Syracuse | 97–62 | Harry Gallatin (22) | 27–14 | |||||
42 | January 27 | @ Rochester | 74–72 | Harry Gallatin (15) | 28–14 | |||||
43 | January 29 | @ Philadelphia | 72–61 | Clifton, Gallatin (18) | 29–14 | |||||
44 | January 31 | Boston | 69–76 | Braun, Clifton (21) | 30–14 | |||||
45 | February 1 | N Philadelphia | 85–90 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 31–14 | |||||
46 | February 3 | N Milwaukee | 76–69 | Nathaniel Clifton (18) | 32–14 | |||||
47 | February 5 | @ Minneapolis | 73–81 | Connie Simmons (17) | 32–15 | |||||
48 | February 6 | @ Indianapolis | 84–73 | Nathaniel Clifton (21) | 33–15 | |||||
49 | February 7 | Philadelphia | 63–86 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 34–15 | |||||
50 | February 8 | @ Boston | 79–87 | Nathaniel Clifton (15) | 34–16 | |||||
51 | February 11 | @ Baltimore | 86–80 | Carl Braun (18) | 35–16 | |||||
52 | February 13 | N Baltimore | 106–96 | Vince Boryla (23) | 36–16 | |||||
53 | February 14 | Indianapolis | 79–91 | Vince Boryla (22) | 37–16 | |||||
54 | February 15 | @ Syracuse | 85–81 | Carl Braun (21) | 38–16 | |||||
55 | February 17 | Milwaukee | 67–86 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 39–16 | |||||
56 | February 18 | N Boston | 66–69 | Ernie Vandeweghe (18) | 39–17 | |||||
57 | February 21 | Philadelphia | 69–85 | Carl Braun (18) | 40–17 | |||||
58 | February 22 | @ Boston | 83–87 (OT) | Connie Simmons (20) | 40–18 | |||||
59 | February 24 | Minneapolis | 63–79 | Carl Braun (15) | 41–18 | |||||
60 | February 25 | N Rochester | 79–71 (OT) | Carl Braun (25) | 41–19 | |||||
61 | February 28 | Fort Wayne | 74–85 | Ernie Vandeweghe (29) | 42–19 | |||||
62 | March 1 | @ Syracuse | 64–79 | Connie Simmons (19) | 42–20 | |||||
63 | March 3 | Rochester | 88–109 | Harry Gallatin (25) | 43–20 | |||||
64 | March 5 | N Baltimore | 80–69 | Nathaniel Clifton (17) | 44–20 | |||||
65 | March 6 | Syracuse | 66–75 | Vince Boryla (22) | 45–20 | |||||
66 | March 8 | Boston | 89–78 | Harry Gallatin (17) | 45–21 | |||||
67 | March 11 | N Baltimore | 113–107 (3OT) | Carl Braun (24) | 46–21 | |||||
68 | March 12 | @ Philadelphia | 90–85 | Connie Simmons (29) | 47–21 | |||||
69 | March 14 | Syracuse | 95–81 | Nathaniel Clifton (18) | 47–22 | |||||
70 | March 15 | @ Fort Wayne | 69–81 | Harry Gallatin (30) | 47–23 |
Playoffs
East Division Semifinals
(1) New York Knicks vs. (4) Baltimore Bullets: Knicks win series 2–0
- Game 1 @ New York: New York 80, Baltimore 62
- Game 2 @ Baltimore: New York 90, Baltimore 81
Last Playoff Meeting: 1949 Eastern Division Semifinals (New York won 2–1)
East Division Finals
(1) New York Knicks vs. (3) Boston Celtics: Knicks win series 3–1
- Game 1 @ New York: New York 95, Boston 91
- Game 2 @ Boston: Boston 86, New York 70
- Game 3 @ New York: New York 101, Boston 82
- Game 4 @ Boston: New York 82, Boston 75
Last Playoff Meeting: 1952 Eastern Division Semifinals (New York won 2–1)
NBA Finals
(W1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (E1) New York Knicks: Lakers win series 4–1
- Game 1 @ Minneapolis: New York 96, Minneapolis 88
- Game 2 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 73, New York 71
- Game 3 @ New York: Minneapolis 90, New York 75
- Game 4 @ New York: Minneapolis 71, New York 69
- Game 5 @ New York: Minneapolis 91, New York 84
Last Playoff Meeting: 1952 NBA Finals (Minneapolis won 4–3)
Player statistics
See also
References
- "1952–53 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- "New York Knickerbockers". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- "1952 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 8, 2012.