The 1954–55 Fort Wayne Pistons season was the seventh season for the

Pistons A piston is an engineering component of engines and pumps. Piston(s) may also refer to: Science and technology * Piston (optics) * Piston (subcellular structure) * Piston valve * Fire piston, an ancient device for kindling fire * Gas-operated rel ...

in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA) and 14th season as a franchise. With new coach and former referee

Charley Eckman Charles Markwood Eckman Jr. (September 10, 1921 – July 3, 1995) was an American basketball head coach and professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was also a sports broadcaster. Early life Eckman was b ...

, the Pistons finished 43-29 (.597), first in the NBA Western Division. In the Western Division Finals, the Pistons eliminated the

Minneapolis Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of summer 2012, th ...

3-1 in a best-of-five series to reach the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

. In the 7-game series with the

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA history in wins and playoff appearances. 1946– ...

, the teams held home court advantage, although Fort Wayne would play "at home" in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

because Fort Wayne arena management did not plan for the Pistons to make the NBA Finals, and the arena was booked for a bowling conference after March 4. In the 7th game in Syracuse, Syracuse's

George King George King may refer to: Politics * George King (Australian politician) (1814–1894), New South Wales and Queensland politician * George King, 3rd Earl of Kingston (1771–1839), Irish nobleman and MP for County Roscommon * George Clift King (184 ...

made a free throw with 12 seconds left to put the Nationals up 92–91. King then stole the ball from Fort Wayne's

Andy Phillip Andrew Michael "Handy Andy" Phillip (March 7, 1922 – April 29, 2001) was an American professional basketball player.

with three seconds remaining to clinch the victory for Syracuse. Rumors about the finish continue with suggestions that some Fort Wayne players conspired with

gamblers Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three eleme ...

to throw the series to Syracuse. In the 7th game, Fort Wayne led Syracuse 41–24 early in the second quarter, then allowed the Nationals to rally to win the game.

Andy Phillip Andrew Michael "Handy Andy" Phillip (March 7, 1922 – April 29, 2001) was an American professional basketball player.

, who turned the ball over with three seconds left in the game, was believed by at least one of his teammates,

George Yardley George Harry Yardley III (November 3, 1928 – August 12, 2004) was an American basketball player. He was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in one season, breaking the 1,932-point record held by George Mikan. Yardley was ens ...

, to have thrown the game. "There were always unwholesome implications about that ball game", Yardley would later comment. However, Phillip may not have acted alone. Other Pistons players were strongly believed to have thrown games during the 1954 and 1955 NBA seasons, with Piston

Jack Molinas Jacob Louis Molinas (October 31, 1931 – August 3, 1975) was an American professional basketball player and a key figure in one of the most wide-reaching point shaving scandals in college basketball. Early life Molinas grew up in Brooklyn ...

banned from the league for gambling the year prior. In fact, Yardley himself turned the ball over to Syracuse with a

palming Palming is a technique for holding or concealing an object in the hand. It is used frequently by magicians to conceal a card, coin, or other object. When it is done skillfully, the hand containing the palmed object is perceived to be completely ...

violation with 18 seconds remaining in Game 7.''Syracuse Herald Journal'', April 11, 1955, p. 45. The foul that gave Syracuse its winning free throw, meanwhile, was committed by

Frankie Brian Frank Sands Brian (May 1, 1923 – May 14, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. Life and career A 6’1" guard from Louisiana State University, Brian signed with the Anderson Packers of the National Basketball League in 1947. ...

. The NBA did not return to the 2–3–2 format until 1985. The team was led on the season by a

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

from center

Larry Foust Laurence Michael Foust (June 24, 1928 – October 27, 1984) was an American basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was an 8× All-Star. Career Foust attended South Catholic High School in Philade ...

(17.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, NBA All-Star), guard Andy Phillip (9.6 ppg, 7.7 apg, NBA All-Star) and forward George Yardley (17.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg, NBA All-Star).

Regular season

Season standings

:x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

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Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

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North Side Gymnasium The North Side Gymnasium is a 7,373 seat multi-purpose arena opened in 1954 located in Elkhart, Indiana, United States on the campus of North Side Middle School. Elkhart High School, hosts their varsity boys' basketball games along with other v ...

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W 98–97 (OT)
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Mel Hutchins Melvin Ray Hutchins (November 22, 1928 – December 19, 2018) was an American basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1951 to 1958. Hutchins was selected by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks with the ...

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Butler Fieldhouse Hinkle Fieldhouse (named Butler Fieldhouse from 1928 until 1966) is a basketball arena on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Completed in early 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States until 1950. The ...

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Minneapolis Auditorium Minneapolis Auditorium was an indoor arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It hosted the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 until they moved to the Minneapolis Armory in 1959. The arena held 10,000 people and was built in 1927. The building fell into ...

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W 105–96
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Rosenthal Rosenthal is a German and Jewish surname meaning "rose valley". Notable people with the name include: A * Abe M. Rosenthal (1922–2006), ''New York Times'' editor and columnist *Albert Rosenthal (1863–1939), American portrait artist * Albert ...

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Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

L 82–86
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Onondaga War Memorial The Upstate Medical University Arena (originally known as Onondaga County War Memorial and later as the Oncenter War Memorial Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Syracuse, New York. It is part of the Oncenter Complex. Designed by Edgart ...

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W 109–102
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W 74–71
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L 104–109
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Andy Phillip Andrew Michael "Handy Andy" Phillip (March 7, 1922 – April 29, 2001) was an American professional basketball player.

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Awards and records

All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons Season Detroit Pistons seasons

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...