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

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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]

Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 6 Ed Smith F   United States Harvard
2 15 Roland Minson G   United States Brigham Young
6 55 Al McGuire G/F   United States St. John's

Regular season

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Season standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Syracuse Nationals 40 26 .606 26–7 12–18 2–1 21–15
x-Boston Celtics 39 27 .591 1 22–7 10–19 7–1 22–14
x-New York Knicks 37 29 .561 3 21–4 12–22 4–3 23–13
x-Philadelphia Warriors 33 33 .500 7 24–7 6–25 3–1 14–22
Baltimore Bullets 20 46 .303 20 17–15 2–22 1–9 10–26
x = clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1951–52 NBA records
Team BAL BOS FWP IND MIL MIN NYK PHI ROC SYR
Baltimore 1–8 2–4 2–4 4–2 0–6 2–7 4–5 2–4 3–6
Boston 8–1 3–3 3–3 5–1 3–3 4–5 6–3 3–3 4–5
Fort Wayne 4–2 3–3 5–4 4–5 5–4 3–3 2–4 3–6 0–6
Indianapolis 4–2 3–3 4–5 7–2 4–5 3–3 2–4 3–6 4–2
Milwaukee 2–4 1–5 5–4 2–7 1–8 2–4 1–5 1–8 2–4
Minneapolis 6–0 3–3 4–5 5–4 8–1 4–2 2–4 7–2 1–5
New York 7–2 5–4 3–3 3–3 4–2 2–4 6–3 2–4 5–4
Philadelphia 5–4 3–6 4–2 4–2 5–1 4–2 3–6 2–4 3–6
Rochester 4–2 3–3 6–3 6–3 8–1 2–7 4–2 4–2 4–2
Syracuse 6–3 5–4 6–0 2–4 4–2 5–1 4–5 6–3 2–4

Game log

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1951–52 game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 November 3 @ Milwaukee 68–66 Vince Boryla (25) 1–0
2 November 4 @ Fort Wayne 75–84 Vince Boryla (23) 1–1
3 November 6 @ Indianapolis 83–73 Harry Gallatin (19) 2–1
4 November 10 Minneapolis 89–73 Nathaniel Clifton (15) 2–2
5 November 11 @ Rochester 78–80 Ray Lumpp (22) 2–3
6 November 13 @ Philadelphia 85–82 Max Zaslofsky (19) 3–3
7 November 17 Syracuse 79–72 Ernie Vandeweghe (17) 3–4
8 November 18 @ Boston 93–87 Ernie Vandeweghe (21) 4–4
9 November 20 N Baltimore 88–86 Max Zaslofsky (21) 5–4
10 November 22 Philadelphia 88–102 Nathaniel Clifton (23) 6–4
11 November 24 Boston 70–68 Max Zaslofsky (14) 6–5
12 November 23 @ Syracuse 73–100 Vince Boryla (19) 6–6
13 November 27 @ Philadelphia 81–83 Nathaniel Clifton (22) 6–7
14 November 29 Rochester 78–74 Nathaniel Clifton (17) 6–8
15 December 1 @ Baltimore 82–84 Max Zaslofsky (20) 6–9
16 December 2 Philadelphia 72–86 Vince Boryla (30) 7–9
17 December 7 @ Philadelphia 91–93 Boryla, Gallatin (19) 7–10
18 December 9 @ Boston 94–103 Dick McGuire (20) 7–11
19 December 11 Milwaukee 83–88 Gallatin, Zaslofsky (19) 8–11
20 December 14 @ Indianapolis 79–83 Max Zaslofsky (21) 8–12
21 December 16 @ Fort Wayne 80–71 Max Zaslofsky (16) 9–12
22 December 18 Minneapolis 86–77 Max Zaslofsky (14) 10–12
23 December 22 Syracuse 73–92 Dick McGuire (21) 11–12
24 December 23 @ Syracuse 75–72 Harry Gallatin (19) 12–12
25 December 25 Fort Wayne 65–72 Max Zaslofsky (23) 13–12
26 December 26 N Milwaukee 76–78 Vince Boryla (16) 13–13
27 December 27 @ Rochester 85–98 Connie Simmons (20) 13–14
28 December 30 @ Boston 90–100 Connie Simmons (16) 13–15
29 December 31 Boston 86–87 (OT) Max Zaslofsky (30) 14–15
30 January 1 @ Milwaukee 68–65 Vince Boryla (16) 15–15
31 January 2 N Milwaukee 89–67 Max Zaslofsky (27) 16–15
32 January 4 @ Indianapolis 73–83 Dick McGuire (15) 16–16
33 January 6 @ Minneapolis 92–107 Max Zaslofsky (18) 16–17
34 January 8 Rochester 74–107 Ernie Vandeweghe (18) 17–17
35 January 10 @ Syracuse 96–110 Connie Simmons (15) 17–18
36 January 12 Indianapolis 77–86 Harry Gallatin (23) 18–18
37 January 13 @ Rochester 70–97 Dick McGuire (15) 18–19
38 January 19 Philadelphia 88–94 Vandeweghe, Zaslofsky (20) 19–19
39 January 21 @ Baltimore 99–83 Dick McGuire (22) 20–19
40 January 22 @ Philadelphia 82–78 Simmons, Zaslofsky (17) 21–19
41 January 26 Indianapolis 93–99 Connie Simmons (25) 22–19
42 January 27 @ Fort Wayne 92–100 Max Zaslofsky (25) 22–20
43 January 29 N Indianapolis 72–100 George Kaftan (13) 22–21
44 January 30 @ Minneapolis 65–77 Max Zaslofsky (14) 22–22
45 February 2 Boston 83–91 Dick McGuire (21) 23–22
46 February 3 @ Boston 95–100 Harry Gallatin (23) 23–23
47 February 4 @ Baltimore 81–82 Nathaniel Clifton (16) 23–24
48 February 6 Baltimore 70–73 McGuire, Zaslofsky (14) 24–24
49 February 8 N Baltimore 103–83 Ray Lumpp (23) 25–24
50 February 9 Philadelphia 86–96 Connie Simmons (18) 26–24
51 February 12 Syracuse 69–78 Connie Simmons (15) 27–24
52 February 16 Baltimore 82–102 Max Zaslofsky (26) 28–24
53 February 17 @ Syracuse 61–66 Harry Gallatin (11) 28–25
54 February 19 Minneapolis 96–98 Max Zaslofsky (23) 29–25
55 February 22 @ Philadelphia 95–118 Harry Gallatin (22) 29–26
56 February 23 Fort Wayne 77–82 (OT) Max Zaslofsky (24) 30–26
57 February 25 @ Baltimore 89–84 Dick McGuire (17) 31–26
58 March 1 Boston 84–78 Ernie Vandeweghe (22) 32–26
59 March 2 @ Boston 89–87 Harry Gallatin (21) 33–26
60 March 4 Rochester 90–92 (OT) George Kaftan (30) 34–26
61 March 5 N Baltimore 88–82 Simmons, Zaslofsky (19) 35–26
62 March 8 N Milwaukee 99–103 Max Zaslofsky (24) 35–27
63 March 9 @ Fort Wayne 79–80 Harry Gallatin (25) 35–28
64 March 12 @ Minneapolis 83–85 Harry Gallatin (19) 35–29
65 March 15 Syracuse 90–97 Harry Gallatin (24) 36–29
66 March 16 @ Syracuse 90–84 Ernie Vandeweghe (19) 37–29

Playoffs

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1952 playoff game log
Division semifinals: 2–1 (home: 1–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High assists Location Series
1 March 19 @ Boston L 94–105 Max Zaslofsky (20) Dick McGuire (7) Boston Garden 0–1
2 March 23 Boston W 101–97 Connie Simmons (22) Dick McGuire (7) Madison Square Garden III 1–1
3 March 26 @ Boston W 88–87 (2OT) Max Zaslofsky (21) Dick McGuire (9) Boston Garden 2–1
Division finals: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 April 2 @ Syracuse W 87–85 Max Zaslofsky (26) Onondaga War Memorial 1–0
2 April 3 @ Syracuse L 92–102 Harry Gallatin (16) Onondaga War Memorial 1–1
3 April 5 Syracuse W 99–92 Max Zaslofsky (20) Madison Square Garden III 2–1
4 April 6 Syracuse W 100–93 Max Zaslofsky (20) Madison Square Garden III 3–1
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 April 12 @ Minneapolis L 79–83 (OT) Simmons, McGuire (15) Nat Clifton (12) Dick McGuire (5) St. Paul Auditorium
8,722
0–1
2 April 13 @ Minneapolis W 80–72 Harry Gallatin (18) Harry Gallatin (11) Dick McGuire (5) St. Paul Auditorium 1–1
3 April 16 Minneapolis L 77–82 Max Zaslofsky (17) Nat Clifton (10) Dick McGuire (10) 69th Regiment Armory
4,500
1–2
4 April 18 Minneapolis W 90–89 (OT) Connie Simmons (30) Nat Clifton (12) Dick McGuire (6) 69th Regiment Armory
5,200
2–2
5 April 20 @ Minneapolis L 89–102 Nat Clifton (17) Clifton, Gallatin (8) six players tied (1) St. Paul Auditorium
7,244
2–3
6 April 23 Minneapolis W 76–68 Max Zaslofsky (23) Harry Gallatin (13) Ernie Vandeweghe (7) 69th Regiment Armory
3,000
3–3
7 April 25 @ Minneapolis L 65–82 Max Zaslofsky (21) Nat Clifton (10) Nat Clifton (3) Minneapolis Auditorium
8,612
3–4
1952 schedule

Player statistics

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Legend
  GP Games 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

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Transactions

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "1951–52 New York Knicks Roster and Statistics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  2. ^ Jaker, Bill; Sulek, Frank; Kanze, Peter (2008). The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921–1996. McFarland & Company. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7864-3872-3. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "New York Knickerbockers Franchise Index". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "1952 NBA Playoff Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  5. ^ "Celtics–Heat Game 7 by the numbers: Can Boston complete NBA's first 3–0 comeback?". WBZ-TV. May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "1951 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
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