| 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 at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WPIX |
| Radio | WMGM |
The 1952–53 New York Knicks season was the seventh season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] 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]
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.[2][1] In the Finals, the Knicks lost to the Minneapolis Lakers, four games to one.[2] The club would wait another 17 years to make an NBA championship final, winning it in 1970.[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 | Whitworth | |
| – | – | Dick Bunt | G | NYU | |
| – | – | Bert Cook | G/F | Utah State | |
| – | – | Dick Surhoff | F | Long Island |
Regular season
Season standings
| 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
| 1952–53 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
| 1953 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division semifinals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
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Division finals: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
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NBA Finals: 1–4 (home: 0–3; road: 1–1)
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| 1953 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
Season
Playoffs
Awards and records
Transactions
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "New York Knickerbockers". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- 1 2 3 "1952–53 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- ↑ "1952 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 8, 2012.