1955–56 Fort Wayne Pistons season
1955–56 Fort Wayne Pistons season | |
---|---|
Division champions | |
Head coach | Charles Eckman |
Arena | War Memorial Coliseum |
Results | |
Record | 37–35 (.514) |
Place | Division: 1st (Western) |
Playoff finish | NBA Finals (eliminated 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WKJG-TV |
Radio | WOWO |
The 1955–56 Fort Wayne Pistons season was the eighth season for the Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 15th season as a franchise.
The Pistons would finish with a 37-35 (.514) record, 1st in the NBA Western Division and the only division team above .500 on the season. In the Western Division Finals the Pistons defeated the St. Louis Hawks in a best-of-five series 3–2 to reach the NBA Finals for the second straight season. They would go on to lose the Finals in five games to the Philadelphia Warriors.[1] The team was led by forward Mel Hutchins (12.0 ppg, 7. rpg, NBA All-Star), forward George Yardley (17.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg, NBA All-Star) and center Larry Foust (16.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg, NBA All-Star).[2]
The Pistons also drafted their first black player in the team's history, Jesse Arnelle out of Penn State in the 2nd round of the 1955 NBA draft. Arnelle initially refused to sign with Fort Wayne, playing for the Harlem Globetrotters, but signed with the Pistons after the conclusion of the Globetrotters European tour, played in 31 games, averaging 4.7 ppg and 5.5 rpg, before breaking his nose in February to end the season. Arnelle did not return to Fort Wayne the following season, ending his professional basketball career. He became a successful lawyer and would serve on the Penn State Board of Trustees.[3][4]
Regular season
[edit]Season standings
[edit]W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
x-Fort Wayne Pistons | 37 | 35 | .514 | - | 19-7 | 10-17 | 8-11 | 19-17 |
x-Minneapolis Lakers | 33 | 39 | .458 | 4 | 14-12 | 6-21 | 13-6 | 19-17 |
x-St. Louis Hawks | 33 | 39 | .458 | 4 | 15-11 | 11-17 | 7-11 | 18-18 |
Rochester Royals | 31 | 41 | .431 | 6 | 15-14 | 6-21 | 10-6 | 16-20 |
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
[edit]1955-56 NBA Records | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | BOS | FWP | MIN | NYK | PHI | ROC | STL | SYR |
Boston | — | 4–5 | 7–2 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 8–4 |
Fort Wayne | 5–4 | — | 5–7 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 4–5 |
Minneapolis | 2–7 | 7–5 | — | 5–4 | 3–6 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 4–5 |
New York | 7–5 | 4–5 | 4–5 | — | 6–6 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 4–8 |
Philadelphia | 7–5 | 5–4 | 6–3 | 6–6 | — | 6–3 | 6–3 | 9–3 |
Rochester | 4–5 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 3–6 | 3–6 | — | 6–6 | 5–4 |
St. Louis | 4–5 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 5–4 | 3–6 | 6–6 | — | 3–6 |
Syracuse | 4–8 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 8–4 | 3–9 | 4–5 | 6–3 | — |
Game log
[edit]1955–56 Game log | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
1 | November 5 | @ Syracuse | 113–114 (OT) | Hutchins, Yardley (24) | 0–1 | |||||
2 | November 6 | Minneapolis | 96–95 | Larry Foust (25) | 0–2 | |||||
3 | November 12 | N Rochester | 84–79 | Larry Foust (14) | 0–3 | |||||
4 | November 13 | Syracuse | 79–93 | Bob Houbregs (22) | 1–3 | |||||
5 | November 17 | N New York | 110–88 | George Yardley (22) | 1–4 | |||||
6 | November 19 | @ Boston | 102–104 | Larry Foust (25) | 1–5 | |||||
7 | November 20 | New York | 119–115 (OT) | Larry Foust (30) | 1–6 | |||||
8 | November 24 | Rochester | 93–104 | George Yardley (28) | 2–6 | |||||
9 | November 26 | @ Philadelphia | 82–87 | George Yardley (22) | 2–7 | |||||
10 | November 27 | St. Louis | 106–114 (OT) | George Yardley (29) | 3–7 | |||||
11 | November 29 | @ New York | 104–99 | Larry Foust (28) | 4–7 | |||||
12 | November 30 | @ Rochester | 76–87 | Odie Spears (19) | 4–8 | |||||
13 | December 4 | Boston | 90–111 | Larry Foust (18) | 5–8 | |||||
14 | December 6 | N Syracuse | 88–90 | Larry Foust (18) | 6–8 | |||||
15 | December 8 | Syracuse | 94–105 | Chuck Noble (28) | 7–8 | |||||
16 | December 10 | @ Rochester | 116–117 (OT) | Bob Houbregs (26) | 7–9 | |||||
17 | December 11 | Philadelphia | 91–96 | George Yardley (23) | 8–9 | |||||
18 | December 14 | N Minneapolis | 98–85 | Larry Foust (22) | 8–10 | |||||
19 | December 15 | @ Philadelphia | 73–80 | Noble, Yardley (14) | 8–11 | |||||
20 | December 17 | New York | 100–95 | George Yardley (17) | 8–12 | |||||
21 | December 18 | Minneapolis | 86–96 | Larry Foust (33) | 9–12 | |||||
22 | December 25 | New York | 87–92 | Bob Houbregs (15) | 10–12 | |||||
23 | December 26 | N St. Louis | 67–83 | George Yardley (15) | 11–12 | |||||
24 | December 29 | Rochester | 75–83 | Bob Houbregs (14) | 12–12 | |||||
25 | December 30 | N St. Louis | 89–90 | Hutchins, Phillip (18) | 13–12 | |||||
26 | January 1 | St. Louis | 68–85 | Chuck Noble (21) | 14–12 | |||||
27 | January 2 | N Minneapolis | 95–89 | Larry Foust (25) | 14–13 | |||||
28 | January 3 | @ Philadelphia | 82–102 | George Yardley (22) | 14–14 | |||||
29 | January 4 | @ Rochester | 88–86 | George Yardley (25) | 15–14 | |||||
30 | January 5 | N Philadelphia | 81–92 | George Yardley (21) | 16–14 | |||||
31 | January 7 | @ St. Louis | 108–97 | Foust, Noble (22) | 17–14 | |||||
32 | January 8 | St. Louis | 96–91 | George Yardley (20) | 17–15 | |||||
33 | January 10 | Boston | 89–105 | Chuck Noble (21) | 18–15 | |||||
34 | January 14 | @ Minneapolis | 94–117 | Larry Foust (21) | 18–16 | |||||
35 | January 15 | Minneapolis | 99–104 | Bob Houbregs (24) | 19–16 | |||||
36 | January 17 | N Boston | 85–91 | Larry Foust (18) | 19–17 | |||||
37 | January 18 | N Boston | 90–95 | George Yardley (30) | 19–18 | |||||
38 | January 19 | N St. Louis | 83–90 | Hutchins, Yardley (18) | 20–18 | |||||
39 | January 21 | @ Philadelphia | 92–91 | George Yardley (27) | 21–18 | |||||
40 | January 22 | Rochester | 93–111 | Corky Devlin (18) | 22–18 | |||||
41 | January 25 | N Boston | 101–100 | Mel Hutchins (24) | 23–18 | |||||
42 | January 27 | @ Boston | 106–97 | George Yardley (23) | 24–18 | |||||
43 | January 28 | @ New York | 92–91 (OT) | George Yardley (25) | 25–18 | |||||
44 | January 29 | Philadelphia | 85–99 | Bob Houbregs (18) | 26–18 | |||||
45 | February 2 | @ St. Louis | 90–98 | Andy Phillip (17) | 26–19 | |||||
46 | February 4 | N St. Louis | 98–94 | George Yardley (23) | 26–20 | |||||
47 | February 5 | @ Syracuse | 85–90 | Bob Houbregs (19) | 26–21 | |||||
48 | February 6 | Syracuse | 98–99 | George Yardley (26) | 27–21 | |||||
49 | February 8 | @ Minneapolis | 82–106 | Larry Foust (17) | 27–22 | |||||
50 | February 11 | @ Rochester | 93–97 | Bob Houbregs (23) | 27–23 | |||||
51 | February 12 | Minneapolis | 78–82 | George Yardley (28) | 28–23 | |||||
52 | February 13 | N Philadelphia | 105–94 | Bob Houbregs (22) | 28–24 | |||||
53 | February 15 | N Philadelphia | 101–78 | George Yardley (19) | 28–25 | |||||
54 | February 16 | Rochester | 81–93 | Larry Foust (18) | 29–25 | |||||
55 | February 18 | @ Syracuse | 84–85 | George Yardley (30) | 29–26 | |||||
56 | February 19 | @ St. Louis | 89–83 | Mel Hutchins (18) | 30–26 | |||||
57 | February 20 | N St. Louis | 84–82 | Mel Hutchins (15) | 30–27 | |||||
58 | February 21 | Rochester | 106–102 | Larry Foust (22) | 30–28 | |||||
59 | February 23 | @ Syracuse | 92–94 | Larry Foust (19) | 30–29 | |||||
60 | February 25 | @ Rochester | 97–72 | Larry Foust (22) | 31–29 | |||||
61 | February 26 | @ Minneapolis | 95–90 | Larry Foust (25) | 32–29 | |||||
62 | February 27 | Syracuse | 98–95 (OT) | Larry Foust (28) | 32–30 | |||||
63 | February 28 | @ New York | 99–95 | Larry Foust (19) | 33–30 | |||||
64 | February 29 | @ Boston | 99–106 | Larry Foust (26) | 33–31 | |||||
65 | March 2 | N New York | 97–104 | Mel Hutchins (21) | 34–31 | |||||
66 | March 3 | @ St. Louis | 86–92 | Bob Houbregs (16) | 34–32 | |||||
67 | March 4 | Rochester | 88–103 | George Yardley (22) | 35–32 | |||||
68 | March 7 | @ Minneapolis | 95–98 | Corky Devlin (19) | 35–33 | |||||
69 | March 8 | Minneapolis | 82–100 | George Yardley (26) | 36–33 | |||||
70 | March 10 | N Boston | 106–103 | George Yardley (26) | 37–33 | |||||
71 | March 11 | New York | 122–96 | Spears, Yardley (20) | 37–34 | |||||
72 | March 14 | @ Minneapolis | 96–100 | Houbregs, Yardley (20) | 37–35 |
Playoffs
[edit]References
[edit]Eastern | |
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Western |
1940s | |
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1950s | |
1960s | |
1970s | |
1980s | |
1990s | |
2000s | |
2010s | |
2020s | |
Bold indicates NBA Finals victory |
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