1950–51 Fort Wayne Pistons season

1950–51 Fort Wayne Pistons season
Head coachMurray Mendenhall
OwnerFred Zollner
ArenaNorth Side High School Gym
Results
Record32–36 (.471)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finishWest Division Semifinals
(eliminated 1–2)
Stats at Basketball Reference

The 1950–51 Fort Wayne Pistons season was the Pistons' third season in the NBA and tenth season as a franchise.[1] This season would be notable for an infamous match played on November 22, 1950, against the Minneapolis Lakers, with the Pistons holding onto the ball for a vast majority of the match in order to not allow opposing star center George Mikan to dominate them in the paint, which worked too well to the point where it resulted in the lowest-scoring match in NBA history with a 19–18 victory favoring the Pistons (and subsequently breaking a record previously held by the Detroit Falcons for the lowest scoring effort in a BAA/NBA match[2]), which resulted in spectators of the match feeling like they wouldn't be interested in the sport of basketball at all if that match was a reflection of what it truly was and subsequently led to the creation of the shot clock a few seasons later in order to help make sure the NBA never had another game like that ever again in its history.[3]

The Pistons finished with a 32-36 (.471) record, good for third in the West Division. The team advanced to the playoffs, losing in the division semifinals 2–1 to the Rochester Royals. The team was led by forward Fred Schaus (15.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, NBA All-Star) and the double-double of center Larry Foust (13.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, NBA All-Star). The team drafted future star George Yardley in the 1950 NBA draft, but Yardley would sit out three years, opting to play AAU basketball, then serving in the United States Navy, getting married, and joining Fort Wayne for the 1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons season.[4][5]

Draft picks

Main article: 1950 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 7 George Yardley G/F  United States Stanford
2 19 Jim Riffey F  United States Tulane
3 31 Art Burris F  United States Tennessee

Roster

Fort Wayne Pistons 1950–51 roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. From
G/F 3 Curly Armstrong 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Indiana
SF 12 Art Burris 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Tennessee
F/C 10 Bob Carpenter 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) East Texas A&M
C 16 Larry Foust 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) La Salle
G/F 14 John Hargis 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Texas
F/C 9 Bob Harris 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Oklahoma State
PG 5 Boag Johnson 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Huntington
PF 15 Jack Kerris 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Loyola Chicago
G 6 Duane Klueh 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Indiana State
PF 10 Dick Mehen 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Tennessee
SG 9 Ken Murray 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) St. Bonaventure
G 4 John Oldham 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Western Kentucky
C 17 Don Otten 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Bowling Green
F 9, 17 Jim Riffey 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Tulane
F 8 Fred Schaus 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) West Virginia
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Minneapolis Lakers 44 24 .647 – 29–3 12–21 3–0 24–12
x-Rochester Royals 41 27 .603 3 29–5 12–22 – 18–15
x-Fort Wayne Pistons 32 36 .471 12 27–7 5–27 0–2 18–6
x-Indianapolis Olympians 31 37 .456 13 19–12 10–24 2–1 15–20
Tri-Cities Blackhawks 25 43 .368 19 22–13 2–28 1–2 12–24
x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

1950–51 game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 November 1 Boston 107–84 Larry Foust (21) 1–0
2 November 2 @ Syracuse 77–92 Boag Johnson (21) 1–1
3 November 4 @ Rochester 71–95 John Hargis (16) 1–2
4 November 5 Indianapolis 68–63 Larry Foust (20) 2–2
5 November 8 Tri-Cities 87–79 Boag Johnson (18) 3–2
6 November 9 @ Philadelphia 72–87 Fred Schaus (20) 3–3
7 November 11 @ Baltimore 77–85 Boag Johnson (13) 3–4
8 November 12 Washington 87–73 Fred Schaus (18) 4–4
9 November 15 Rochester 89–85 John Oldham (23) 5–4
10 November 18 @ Washington 75–118 Boag Johnson (14) 5–5
11 November 19 Baltimore 84–80 Jack Kerris (17) 6–5
12 November 22 @ Minneapolis 19–18 John Oldham (5) 7–5
13 November 23 Minneapolis 73–63 Larry Foust (19) 8–5
14 November 25 @ Tri-Cities 71–85 Fred Schaus (20) 8–6
15 November 26 Indianapolis 79–70 Larry Foust (22) 9–6
16 November 28 @ Indianapolis 66–90 John Oldham (12) 9–7
17 December 3 Rochester 80–79 Larry Foust (22) 10–7
18 December 6 Philadelphia 92–73 Fred Schaus (17) 11–7
19 December 7 @ Tri-Cities 77–76 Fred Schaus (22) 12–7
20 December 10 Washington 97–81 Boag Johnson (20) 13–7
21 December 12 @ Boston 81–87 Fred Schaus (20) 13–8
22 December 14 @ Philadelphia 82–94 Fred Schaus (17) 13–9
23 December 16 @ New York 77–86 Fred Schaus (19) 13–10
24 December 17 Tri-Cities 99–103 Fred Schaus (26) 13–11
25 December 19 @ Indianapolis 93–92 Fred Schaus (26) 14–11
26 December 21 Syracuse 97–72 Jack Kerris (26) 15–11
27 December 23 @ Rochester 65–77 Larry Foust (15) 15–12
28 December 25 @ Syracuse 69–81 Boag Johnson (14) 15–13
29 December 27 Rochester 68–74 Boag Johnson (13) 15–14
30 December 31 @ Tri-Cities 100–110 Fred Schaus (33) 15–15
31 January 1 Minneapolis 83–70 Larry Foust (17) 16–15
32 January 3 @ Minneapolis 64–86 Fred Schaus (21) 16–16
33 January 4 Indianapolis 83–94 Fred Schaus (23) 16–17
34 January 6 @ Washington 91–76 Boag Johnson (20) 17–17
35 January 7 New York 76–79 Fred Schaus (21) 17–18
36 January 8 vs New York 70–75 (OT) Fred Schaus (19) 17–19
37 January 11 Syracuse 84–76 Fred Schaus (16) 18–19
38 January 12 @ Indianapolis 89–81 Larry Foust (24) 19–19
39 January 13 @ Rochester 78–99 Fred Schaus (20) 19–20
40 January 14 Tri-Cities 94–85 Johnson, Schaus (19) 20–20
41 January 20 vs Minneapolis 70–89 Jack Kerris (19) 20–21
42 January 21 Boston 106–112 (OT) Fred Schaus (25) 20–22
43 January 25 @ Boston 97–99 Fred Schaus (18) 20–23
44 January 27 @ Baltimore 91–97 Kerris, Schaus (22) 20–24
45 January 28 Rochester 93–88 Fred Schaus (16) 21–24
46 January 31 Philadelphia 91–84 Jack Kerris (18) 22–24
47 February 1 @ Tri-Cities 102–109 Larry Foust (24) 22–25
48 February 4 Baltimore 95–108 John Oldham (20) 22–26
49 February 7 Minneapolis 96–86 Kerris, Oldham (20) 23–26
50 February 10 @ New York 62–73 Fred Schaus (16) 23–27
51 February 11 New York 120–96 Fred Schaus (22) 24–27
52 February 13 @ Indianapolis 78–80 Larry Foust (16) 24–28
53 February 14 Syracuse 77–75 Fred Schaus (19) 25–28
54 February 17 @ Baltimore 91–112 Oldham, Schaus (18) 25–29
55 February 18 Philadelphia 75–70 Jack Kerris (18) 26–29
56 February 24 @ Minneapolis 78–95 Jack Kerris (18) 26–30
57 February 25 Baltimore 102–92 Larry Foust (27) 27–30
58 February 28 Minneapolis 77–73 Larry Foust (22) 28–30
59 March 1 @ Syracuse 86–108 Foust, Oldham (15) 28–31
60 March 3 @ Rochester 79–89 Fred Schaus (17) 28–32
61 March 4 New York 105–98 Jack Kerris (26) 29–32
62 March 6 @ Tri-Cities 86–88 John Oldham (19) 29–33
63 March 7 Boston 95–99 Jack Kerris (20) 29–34
64 March 11 Tri-Cities 102–87 Larry Foust (19) 30–34
65 March 14 Indianapolis 115–109 Jack Kerris (24) 31–34
66 March 15 @ Philadelphia 78–88 Larry Foust (14) 31–35
67 March 16 @ Boston 88–90 Fred Schaus (22) 31–36
68 March 18 Tri-Cities 95–82 Don Otten (18) 32–36

Playoffs

1951 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 1–2 (home: 1–0; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 20 @ Rochester L 81–110 Dick Mehen (19) Edgerton Park Arena 0–1
2 March 22 Rochester W 83–78 Fred Schaus (21) North Side High School Gym 1–1
3 March 24 @ Rochester L 78–97 Fred Schaus (12) Edgerton Park Arena 1–2
1951 schedule

See also

References

  1. ^ 1950–51 Fort Wayne Pistons
  2. ^ https://nbahoopsonline.com/History/Records/pointsfew.html
  3. ^ https://nbahoopsonline.com/Articles/History/LeoFerris.html
  4. ^ "1950-51 Fort Wayne Pistons Roster and Stats".
  5. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 43: The 1950-51 Fort Wayne Pistons". October 14, 2011.
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