1951–52 New York Knicks season
The 1951–52 New York Knicks season was the sixth season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished third in the Eastern Division with a 37–29 record, and advanced to the NBA Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.[3]
1951–52 New York Knicks season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Joe Lapchick[1] |
General manager | Ned Irish |
Arena | Madison Square Garden[1] |
Results | |
Record | 37–29 (.561) |
Place | Division: 3rd (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | NBA Finals (Lost to Lakers 3–4) |
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WPIX |
Radio | WMGM[2] |
In the first round of the Eastern Division playoffs, the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in a best-of-three series, two games to one, to move on to the Eastern Division Finals. New York won 3–1 in a best-of-five series with the Syracuse Nationals to reach its second straight NBA Finals.[3][4] In the Finals, the Knicks lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games.[4]
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.[5]
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Ed Smith | F | Harvard | |
2 | 15 | Roland Minson | G | Brigham Young | |
6 | 55 | Al McGuire | G/F | St. John's |
Regular season
Season standings
Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
x-Syracuse Nationals | 40 | 26 | .606 | – | 26–7 | 12–18 | 2–1 | 21–15 |
x-Boston Celtics | 39 | 27 | .591 | 1 | 22–7 | 10–19 | 7–1 | 22–14 |
x-New York Knicks | 37 | 29 | .561 | 3 | 21–4 | 12–22 | 4–3 | 23–13 |
x-Philadelphia Warriors | 33 | 33 | .500 | 7 | 24–7 | 6–25 | 3–1 | 14–22 |
Baltimore Bullets | 20 | 46 | .303 | 20 | 17–15 | 2–22 | 1–9 | 10–26 |
- x = clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1951–52 NBA records | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | BAL | BOS | FWP | IND | MIL | MIN | NYK | PHI | ROC | SYR |
Baltimore | — | 1–8 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 0–6 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 2–4 | 3–6 |
Boston | 8–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 3–3 | 4–5 |
Fort Wayne | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 5–4 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 0–6 |
Indianapolis | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–5 | — | 7–2 | 4–5 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 4–2 |
Milwaukee | 2–4 | 1–5 | 5–4 | 2–7 | — | 1–8 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–8 | 2–4 |
Minneapolis | 6–0 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 8–1 | — | 4–2 | 2–4 | 7–2 | 1–5 |
New York | 7–2 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–4 | — | 6–3 | 2–4 | 5–4 |
Philadelphia | 5–4 | 3–6 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 3–6 | — | 2–4 | 3–6 |
Rochester | 4–2 | 3–3 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 8–1 | 2–7 | 4–2 | 4–2 | — | 4–2 |
Syracuse | 6–3 | 5–4 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 2–4 | — |
Game log
1951–52 Game log | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
1 | November 3 | @ Milwaukee | 68–66 | Vince Boryla (25) | 1–0 | |||||
2 | November 4 | @ Fort Wayne | 75–84 | Vince Boryla (23) | 1–1 | |||||
3 | November 6 | @ Indianapolis | 83–73 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 2–1 | |||||
4 | November 10 | Minneapolis | 89–73 | Nathaniel Clifton (15) | 2–2 | |||||
5 | November 11 | @ Rochester | 78–80 | Ray Lumpp (22) | 2–3 | |||||
6 | November 13 | @ Philadelphia | 85–82 | Max Zaslofsky (19) | 3–3 | |||||
7 | November 17 | Syracuse | 79–72 | Ernie Vandeweghe (17) | 3–4 | |||||
8 | November 18 | @ Boston | 93–87 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 4–4 | |||||
9 | November 20 | N Baltimore | 88–86 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 5–4 | |||||
10 | November 22 | Philadelphia | 88–102 | Nathaniel Clifton (23) | 6–4 | |||||
11 | November 24 | Boston | 70–68 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 6–5 | |||||
12 | November 23 | @ Syracuse | 73–100 | Vince Boryla (19) | 6–6 | |||||
13 | November 27 | @ Philadelphia | 81–83 | Nathaniel Clifton (22) | 6–7 | |||||
14 | November 29 | Rochester | 78–74 | Nathaniel Clifton (17) | 6–8 | |||||
15 | December 1 | @ Baltimore | 82–84 | Max Zaslofsky (20) | 6–9 | |||||
16 | December 2 | Philadelphia | 72–86 | Vince Boryla (30) | 7–9 | |||||
17 | December 7 | @ Philadelphia | 91–93 | Boryla, Gallatin (19) | 7–10 | |||||
18 | December 9 | @ Boston | 94–103 | Dick McGuire (20) | 7–11 | |||||
19 | December 11 | Milwaukee | 83–88 | Gallatin, Zaslofsky (19) | 8–11 | |||||
20 | December 14 | @ Indianapolis | 79–83 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 8–12 | |||||
21 | December 16 | @ Fort Wayne | 80–71 | Max Zaslofsky (16) | 9–12 | |||||
22 | December 18 | Minneapolis | 86–77 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 10–12 | |||||
23 | December 22 | Syracuse | 73–92 | Dick McGuire (21) | 11–12 | |||||
24 | December 23 | @ Syracuse | 75–72 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 12–12 | |||||
25 | December 25 | Fort Wayne | 65–72 | Max Zaslofsky (23) | 13–12 | |||||
26 | December 26 | N Milwaukee | 76–78 | Vince Boryla (16) | 13–13 | |||||
27 | December 27 | @ Rochester | 85–98 | Connie Simmons (20) | 13–14 | |||||
28 | December 30 | @ Boston | 90–100 | Connie Simmons (16) | 13–15 | |||||
29 | December 31 | Boston | 86–87 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (30) | 14–15 | |||||
30 | January 1 | @ Milwaukee | 68–65 | Vince Boryla (16) | 15–15 | |||||
31 | January 2 | N Milwaukee | 89–67 | Max Zaslofsky (27) | 16–15 | |||||
32 | January 4 | @ Indianapolis | 73–83 | Dick McGuire (15) | 16–16 | |||||
33 | January 6 | @ Minneapolis | 92–107 | Max Zaslofsky (18) | 16–17 | |||||
34 | January 8 | Rochester | 74–107 | Ernie Vandeweghe (18) | 17–17 | |||||
35 | January 10 | @ Syracuse | 96–110 | Connie Simmons (15) | 17–18 | |||||
36 | January 12 | Indianapolis | 77–86 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 18–18 | |||||
37 | January 13 | @ Rochester | 70–97 | Dick McGuire (15) | 18–19 | |||||
38 | January 19 | Philadelphia | 88–94 | Vandeweghe, Zaslofsky (20) | 19–19 | |||||
39 | January 21 | @ Baltimore | 99–83 | Dick McGuire (22) | 20–19 | |||||
40 | January 22 | @ Philadelphia | 82–78 | Simmons, Zaslofsky (17) | 21–19 | |||||
41 | January 26 | Indianapolis | 93–99 | Connie Simmons (25) | 22–19 | |||||
42 | January 27 | @ Fort Wayne | 92–100 | Max Zaslofsky (25) | 22–20 | |||||
43 | January 29 | N Indianapolis | 72–100 | George Kaftan (13) | 22–21 | |||||
44 | January 30 | @ Minneapolis | 65–77 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 22–22 | |||||
45 | February 2 | Boston | 83–91 | Dick McGuire (21) | 23–22 | |||||
46 | February 3 | @ Boston | 95–100 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 23–23 | |||||
47 | February 4 | @ Baltimore | 81–82 | Nathaniel Clifton (16) | 23–24 | |||||
48 | February 6 | Baltimore | 70–73 | McGuire, Zaslofsky (14) | 24–24 | |||||
49 | February 8 | N Baltimore | 103–83 | Ray Lumpp (23) | 25–24 | |||||
50 | February 9 | Philadelphia | 86–96 | Connie Simmons (18) | 26–24 | |||||
51 | February 12 | Syracuse | 69–78 | Connie Simmons (15) | 27–24 | |||||
52 | February 16 | Baltimore | 82–102 | Max Zaslofsky (26) | 28–24 | |||||
53 | February 17 | @ Syracuse | 61–66 | Harry Gallatin (11) | 28–25 | |||||
54 | February 19 | Minneapolis | 96–98 | Max Zaslofsky (23) | 29–25 | |||||
55 | February 22 | @ Philadelphia | 95–118 | Harry Gallatin (22) | 29–26 | |||||
56 | February 23 | Fort Wayne | 77–82 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (24) | 30–26 | |||||
57 | February 25 | @ Baltimore | 89–84 | Dick McGuire (17) | 31–26 | |||||
58 | March 1 | Boston | 84–78 | Ernie Vandeweghe (22) | 32–26 | |||||
59 | March 2 | @ Boston | 89–87 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 33–26 | |||||
60 | March 4 | Rochester | 90–92 (OT) | George Kaftan (30) | 34–26 | |||||
61 | March 5 | N Baltimore | 88–82 | Simmons, Zaslofsky (19) | 35–26 | |||||
62 | March 8 | N Milwaukee | 99–103 | Max Zaslofsky (24) | 35–27 | |||||
63 | March 9 | @ Fort Wayne | 79–80 | Harry Gallatin (25) | 35–28 | |||||
64 | March 12 | @ Minneapolis | 83–85 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 35–29 | |||||
65 | March 15 | Syracuse | 90–97 | Harry Gallatin (24) | 36–29 | |||||
66 | March 16 | @ Syracuse | 90–84 | Ernie Vandeweghe (19) | 37–29 |
Playoffs
East Division Semifinals
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) New York Knicks: Knicks win series 2–1
- Game 1 @ Boston: Boston 105, New York 94
- Game 2 @ New York: New York 101, Boston 97
- Game 3 @ Boston: New York 88, Boston 87 (2OT)
East Division Finals
(1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) New York Knicks: Knicks win series 3–1
- Game 1 @ Syracuse: New York 87, Syracuse 85
- Game 2 @ Syracuse: Syracuse 102, New York 92
- Game 3 @ New York: New York 99, Syracuse 92
- Game 4 @ New York: New York 100, Syracuse 93
NBA Finals
(W2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (E3) New York Knicks: Lakers win series 4–3
- Game 1 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 83, New York 79 (OT)
- Game 2 @ Minneapolis: New York 80, Minneapolis 72
- Game 3 @ New York: Minneapolis 82, New York 77
- Game 4 @ New York: New York 90, Minneapolis 89 (OT)
- Game 5 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 102, New York 89
- Game 6 @ New York: New York 76, Minneapolis 68
- Game 7 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 82, New York 65
Player statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Awards and records
Transactions
See also
References
- "1951–52 New York Knicks Roster and Statistics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- Jaker, Bill; Sulek, Frank; Kanze, Peter (2008). The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921–1996. McFarland & Company. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7864-3872-3. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- "New York Knickerbockers Franchise Index". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- "1952 NBA Playoff Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- "1951 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.