1953–54 Fort Wayne Pistons season

1953–54 Fort Wayne Pistons season
Head coachPaul Birch
Owner(s)Fred Zollner
ArenaWar Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record40–32 (.556)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finishWest Division Semifinals
(eliminated 0–4)
Stats at Basketball Reference
RadioWOWO

The 1953–54 NBA season was the Pistons' sixth season in the NBA and 13th season as a franchise.[1]

The Pistons finished 40-32 (.556), 3rd in the Western Division. The team advanced to the playoffs, losing in a Western Division round-robin 4–0 to the Minneapolis Lakers and the Rochester Royals. The team was led on the season by center Larry Foust (15.1 ppg, 13.4 rpg, NBA All-Star), guard Andy Phillip (10.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, NBA All-Star), and first round draft choice Jack Molinas (11.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, NBA All-Star).[2][3]

Molinas was named to the All-Star team, having played in 32 games before the league banned him for wagering on Pistons games.[4] Molinas was then suspended at the time of the All-Star game and was replaced by teammate Andy Phillip. He later sued the NBA for $3 million, claiming the league's ban was an unreasonable restraint of trade. Judge Irving Kaufman ruled against him in the case.[5]

The Pistons had drafted future Hall of Famer George Yardley in 1950, but they didn't sign him until 1953. Even then, it was a struggle, as Yardley reportedly hated training camp, rejected the initial Fort Wayne offer of $6,000, electing to playing beach volleyball in California. Yardley then became the first rookie to hold out, until accepting an offer of $9,500, and then averaging 9.0 ppg in his NBA rookie season.[6]

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Minneapolis Lakers 46 26 .639 – 20–4 13–15 13–7 19–13
x-Rochester Royals 44 28 .611 2 18–10 12–15 14–3 22–10
x- 40 32 .556 6 19–8 11–17 10–7 17–15
Milwaukee Hawks 21 51 .292 25 11–14 5–17 6–20 6–26
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1953–54 NBA records
Team BAL BOS FWP MIL MIN NYK PHI ROC SYR
Baltimore — 1–9 0–8 2–6 2–6 3–7 4–6 1–7 3–7
Boston 9–1 — 4–4 6–2 3–5 5–5 6–4 4–4 5–5
Fort Wayne 8–0 4–4 — 9–2 5–5 3–5 6–2 3–8 2–6
Milwaukee 6–2 2–6 2–9 — 3–8 3–5 3–5 1–9 1–7
Minneapolis 6–2 5–3 5–5 8–3 — 5–3 6–2 6–5 5–3
New York 7–3 5–5 5–3 5–3 3–5 — 7–3 7–1 5–5
Philadelphia 6–4 4–6 2–6 5–3 2–6 3–7 — 1–7 6–4
Rochester 7–1 4–4 8–3 9–1 5–6 1–7 7–1 — 3–5
Syracuse 7–3 5–5 6–2 7–1 3–5 5–5 4–6 5–3 —

Game log

1953–54 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 November 1 Milwaukee 67–77 Larry Foust (24) 1–0
2 November 5 Boston 79–83 Fred Scolari (18) 2–0
3 November 7 @ Rochester 76–91 Larry Foust (20) 2–1
4 November 8 New York 75–70 Larry Foust (14) 2–2
5 November 10 N Minneapolis 62–78 Don Meineke (19) 3–2
6 November 12 Syracuse 74–78 Fred Scolari (22) 4–2
7 November 14 @ Philadelphia 58–63 Mel Hutchins (14) 4–3
8 November 15 Rochester 65–68 Andy Phillip (14) 5–3
9 November 17 N Minneapolis 83–66 Larry Foust (16) 5–4
10 November 19 @ Syracuse 76–79 Jack Molinas (24) 5–5
11 November 21 @ Boston 68–90 Fred Scolari (14) 5–6
12 November 22 Rochester 82–83 Larry Foust (17) 6–6
13 November 25 @ Milwaukee 58–64 Jack Molinas (22) 6–7
14 November 26 Milwaukee 64–78 Fred Scolari (15) 7–7
15 November 28 @ Baltimore 92–81 Larry Foust (24) 8–7
16 November 29 Philadelphia 69–83 Larry Foust (22) 9–7
17 December 1 @ Rochester 69–92 Brian, Foust (13) 9–8
18 December 3 Boston 70–76 Larry Foust (26) 10–8
19 December 5 @ New York 92–73 Mel Hutchins (17) 11–8
20 December 6 Syracuse 77–78 Larry Foust (31) 12–8
21 December 9 N Milwaukee 59–83 Andy Phillip (21) 13–8
22 December 13 New York 69–68 Larry Foust (21) 13–9
23 December 15 N Boston 75–82 Jack Molinas (20) 13–10
24 December 16 @ Boston 74–91 Jack Molinas (16) 13–11
25 December 19 @ Milwaukee 69–63 Andy Phillip (24) 14–11
26 December 25 Boston 79–108 Fred Scolari (19) 15–11
27 December 26 @ Minneapolis 71–77 Max Zaslofsky (16) 15–12
28 December 27 Minneapolis 79–75 Mel Hutchins (14) 15–13
29 December 30 @ Minneapolis 97–80 Jack Molinas (17) 16–13
30 December 31 N Philadelphia 56–83 Larry Foust (13) 17–13
31 January 2 @ Rochester 76–77 (OT) Larry Foust (17) 17–14
32 January 3 New York 74–72 Andy Phillip (29) 17–15
33 January 5 Syracuse 72–60 Larry Foust (16) 17–16
34 January 6 @ Baltimore 90–78 Andy Phillip (14) 18–16
35 January 7 @ Syracuse 67–79 Larry Foust (18) 18–17
36 January 10 Milwaukee 73–81 Andy Phillip (25) 19–17
37 January 12 N Baltimore 97–66 Larry Foust (22) 20–17
38 January 14 N Baltimore 81–74 Larry Foust (15) 21–17
39 January 16 @ New York 82–88 (OT) Larry Foust (24) 21–18
40 January 17 Minneapolis 83–86 Larry Foust (22) 22–18
41 January 19 N Rochester 73–67 Larry Foust (22) 22–19
42 January 23 @ Minneapolis 72–75 Max Zaslofsky (18) 22–20
43 January 24 Baltimore 70–79 Max Zaslofsky (17) 23–20
44 January 27 N Milwaukee 68–77 Larry Foust (18) 24–20
45 January 28 Boston 68–80 Larry Foust (26) 25–20
46 January 30 @ Rochester 70–95 Max Zaslofsky (15) 25–21
47 January 31 Rochester 69–83 Larry Foust (21) 26–21
48 February 1 @ Milwaukee 72–71 Larry Foust (16) 27–21
49 February 5 N Rochester 89–70 Phillip, Yardley (16) 27–22
50 February 6 @ Syracuse 87–93 (OT) George Yardley (17) 27–23
51 February 7 Minneapolis 83–90 Mel Hutchins (28) 28–23
52 February 10 N New York 73–69 Foust, Yardley, Zaslofsky (15) 28–24
53 February 13 @ New York 79–73 George Yardley (25) 29–24
54 February 14 Philadelphia 76–94 Frank Brian (19) 30–24
55 February 16 @ Milwaukee 69–65 George Yardley (20) 31–24
56 February 18 @ Syracuse 77–91 Mel Hutchins (18) 31–25
57 February 20 @ Baltimore 87–85 Mel Hutchins (21) 32–25
58 February 21 Milwaukee 64–62 Frank Brian (16) 32–26
59 February 22 N Milwaukee 82–95 Don Meineke (19) 33–26
60 February 25 N New York 62–82 Larry Foust (19) 34–26
61 February 27 @ Philadelphia 79–72 Larry Foust (18) 35–26
62 February 28 Minneapolis 77–94 Larry Foust (20) 36–26
63 March 2 N Rochester 71–64 Larry Foust (19) 36–27
64 March 4 Syracuse 86–63 Larry Foust (25) 36–28
65 March 5 N Philadelphia 70–76 Larry Foust (19) 37–28
66 March 6 @ Baltimore 76–71 Max Zaslofsky (19) 38–28
67 March 7 @ Boston 80–86 Andy Phillip (28) 38–29
68 March 8 N Philadelphia 75–73 Larry Foust (19) 38–30
69 March 10 N Philadelphia 70–88 George Yardley (21) 39–30
70 March 11 Rochester 95–80 Max Zaslofsky (18) 39–31
71 March 13 @ Minneapolis 66–93 Larry Foust (14) 39–32
72 March 14 Baltimore 86–91 Andy Phillip (15) 40–32

Playoffs

1954 playoff game log
Division Round Robin Semifinals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 16 @ Rochester L 75–82 George Yardley (20) Edgerton Park Arena 0–1
2 March 18 Minneapolis L 85–90 Frankie Brian (20) War Memorial Coliseum 0–2
3 March 20 @ Minneapolis L 73–78 Max Zaslofsky (15) Minneapolis Auditorium 0–3
4 March 21 Rochester L 71–89 George Yardley (16) War Memorial Coliseum 0–4
1954 schedule

References

  1. ^ 1953–54 Fort Wayne Pistons
  2. ^ "1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons Roster and Stats".
  3. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 28: The 1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons". November 4, 2011.
  4. ^ "Molinas Presses $3,000,000 Case; Ex-Court Ace Sues N.B.A. for Banning Him After He Bet on Own Team". New York Times. January 3, 1961.
  5. ^ "Molinas Loses Antitrust Suit". New York Times. January 12, 1961.
  6. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 28: The 1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons". November 4, 2011.
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