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 coachJoe Lapchick[1]
General managerNed Irish
ArenaMadison Square Garden[1]
Results
Record37–29 (.561)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA Finals
(lost to Lakers 3–4)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWPIX
RadioWMGM[2]
< 1950–51 1952–53 >

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] The Knicks became the first NBA team to erase a 3–0 deficit in a best-of-seven series and force a deciding game 7.[5]

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.[6]

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalitySchool/Club Team
16Ed SmithF  United StatesHarvard
215Roland MinsonG  United StatesBrigham Young
655Al McGuireG/F  United StatesSt. John's

Regular season

Season standings

W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Syracuse Nationals4026.60626–712–182–121–15
x-Boston Celtics3927.591122–710–197–122–14
x-New York Knicks3729.561321–412–224–323–13
x-Philadelphia Warriors3333.500724–76–253–114–22
Baltimore Bullets2046.3032017–152–221–910–26
x = clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1951–52 NBA records
TeamBALBOSFWPINDMILMINNYKPHIROCSYR
Baltimore1–82–42–44–20–62–74–52–43–6
Boston8–13–33–35–13–34–56–33–34–5
Fort Wayne4–23–35–44–55–43–32–43–60–6
Indianapolis4–23–34–57–24–53–32–43–64–2
Milwaukee2–41–55–42–71–82–41–51–82–4
Minneapolis6–03–34–55–48–14–22–47–21–5
New York7–25–43–33–34–22–46–32–45–4
Philadelphia5–43–64–24–25–14–23–62–43–6
Rochester4–23–36–36–38–12–74–24–24–2
Syracuse6–35–46–02–44–25–14–56–32–4

Game log

1951–52 game log
#DateOpponentScoreHigh pointsRecord
1November 3@ Milwaukee68–66Vince Boryla (25)1–0
2November 4@ Fort Wayne75–84Vince Boryla (23)1–1
3November 6@ Indianapolis83–73Harry Gallatin (19)2–1
4November 10Minneapolis89–73Nathaniel Clifton (15)2–2
5November 11@ Rochester78–80Ray Lumpp (22)2–3
6November 13@ Philadelphia85–82Max Zaslofsky (19)3–3
7November 17Syracuse79–72Ernie Vandeweghe (17)3–4
8November 18@ Boston93–87Ernie Vandeweghe (21)4–4
9November 20N Baltimore88–86Max Zaslofsky (21)5–4
10November 22Philadelphia88–102Nathaniel Clifton (23)6–4
11November 24Boston70–68Max Zaslofsky (14)6–5
12November 23@ Syracuse73–100Vince Boryla (19)6–6
13November 27@ Philadelphia81–83Nathaniel Clifton (22)6–7
14November 29Rochester78–74Nathaniel Clifton (17)6–8
15December 1@ Baltimore82–84Max Zaslofsky (20)6–9
16December 2Philadelphia72–86Vince Boryla (30)7–9
17December 7@ Philadelphia91–93Boryla, Gallatin (19)7–10
18December 9@ Boston94–103Dick McGuire (20)7–11
19December 11Milwaukee83–88Gallatin, Zaslofsky (19)8–11
20December 14@ Indianapolis79–83Max Zaslofsky (21)8–12
21December 16@ Fort Wayne80–71Max Zaslofsky (16)9–12
22December 18Minneapolis86–77Max Zaslofsky (14)10–12
23December 22Syracuse73–92Dick McGuire (21)11–12
24December 23@ Syracuse75–72Harry Gallatin (19)12–12
25December 25Fort Wayne65–72Max Zaslofsky (23)13–12
26December 26N Milwaukee76–78Vince Boryla (16)13–13
27December 27@ Rochester85–98Connie Simmons (20)13–14
28December 30@ Boston90–100Connie Simmons (16)13–15
29December 31Boston86–87 (OT)Max Zaslofsky (30)14–15
30January 1@ Milwaukee68–65Vince Boryla (16)15–15
31January 2N Milwaukee89–67Max Zaslofsky (27)16–15
32January 4@ Indianapolis73–83Dick McGuire (15)16–16
33January 6@ Minneapolis92–107Max Zaslofsky (18)16–17
34January 8Rochester74–107Ernie Vandeweghe (18)17–17
35January 10@ Syracuse96–110Connie Simmons (15)17–18
36January 12Indianapolis77–86Harry Gallatin (23)18–18
37January 13@ Rochester70–97Dick McGuire (15)18–19
38January 19Philadelphia88–94Vandeweghe, Zaslofsky (20)19–19
39January 21@ Baltimore99–83Dick McGuire (22)20–19
40January 22@ Philadelphia82–78Simmons, Zaslofsky (17)21–19
41January 26Indianapolis93–99Connie Simmons (25)22–19
42January 27@ Fort Wayne92–100Max Zaslofsky (25)22–20
43January 29N Indianapolis72–100George Kaftan (13)22–21
44January 30@ Minneapolis65–77Max Zaslofsky (14)22–22
45February 2Boston83–91Dick McGuire (21)23–22
46February 3@ Boston95–100Harry Gallatin (23)23–23
47February 4@ Baltimore81–82Nathaniel Clifton (16)23–24
48February 6Baltimore70–73McGuire, Zaslofsky (14)24–24
49February 8N Baltimore103–83Ray Lumpp (23)25–24
50February 9Philadelphia86–96Connie Simmons (18)26–24
51February 12Syracuse69–78Connie Simmons (15)27–24
52February 16Baltimore82–102Max Zaslofsky (26)28–24
53February 17@ Syracuse61–66Harry Gallatin (11)28–25
54February 19Minneapolis96–98Max Zaslofsky (23)29–25
55February 22@ Philadelphia95–118Harry Gallatin (22)29–26
56February 23Fort Wayne77–82 (OT)Max Zaslofsky (24)30–26
57February 25@ Baltimore89–84Dick McGuire (17)31–26
58March 1Boston84–78Ernie Vandeweghe (22)32–26
59March 2@ Boston89–87Harry Gallatin (21)33–26
60March 4Rochester90–92 (OT)George Kaftan (30)34–26
61March 5N Baltimore88–82Simmons, Zaslofsky (19)35–26
62March 8N Milwaukee99–103Max Zaslofsky (24)35–27
63March 9@ Fort Wayne79–80Harry Gallatin (25)35–28
64March 12@ Minneapolis83–85Harry Gallatin (19)35–29
65March 15Syracuse90–97Harry Gallatin (24)36–29
66March 16@ Syracuse90–84Ernie Vandeweghe (19)37–29

Playoffs

1952 playoff game log
Division semifinals: 2–1 (home: 1–0; road: 1–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh assistsLocationSeries
1March 19@ BostonL 94–105Max Zaslofsky (20)Dick McGuire (7)Boston Garden0–1
2March 23BostonW 101–97Connie Simmons (22)Dick McGuire (7)Madison Square Garden III1–1
3March 26@ BostonW 88–87 (2OT)Max Zaslofsky (21)Dick McGuire (9)Boston Garden2–1
Division finals: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
1952 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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

External links