The 1952–53 New York Knicks season was the seventh season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). With a 47–23 record, the Knicks won the regular season Eastern Division title by a half-game over the Syracuse Nationals and made the NBA Playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.[1] [2]
In the first round of the 1953 NBA Playoffs, the Knicks swept the Baltimore Bullets 2–0 in a best-of-three series to advance to the Eastern Division finals. There, New York defeated the Boston Celtics 3–1 to make the NBA Finals for the third straight year.[2] [1] In the Finals, the Knicks lost to the Minneapolis Lakers, four games to one.[2] The club would wait another 17 years to make an NBA championship final, winning it in 1970.[1]
See main article: 1952 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.[3]
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Ralph Polson | F/C | Whitworth | ||
– | – | G | NYU | |||
– | – | G/F | Utah State | |||
– | – | F | Long Island |
x – clinched playoff spot
1952–53 NBA records | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
width=100 | Team | BAL | BOS | FWP | IND | MIL | MIN | NYK | PHI | ROC | SYR |
— | 2–8 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 0–10 | 6–4 | 0–6 | 2–8 | ||
8–2 | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 6–4 | 9–1 | 4–2 | 5–6 | ||
6–0 | 2–4 | — | 7–3 | 7–3 | 1–9 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 3–7 | 1–5 | ||
4–2 | 2–4 | 3–7 | — | 5–6 | 4–6 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 3–7 | 1–5 | ||
3–3 | 1–5 | 3–7 | 6–5 | — | 3–7 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 3–7 | 3–3 | ||
5–1 | 5–1 | 9–1 | 6–4 | 7–3 | — | 4–2 | 6–0 | 4–6 | 2–4 | ||
New York | 10–0 | 4–6 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | — | 10–0 | 3–3 | 6–4 | |
4–6 | 1–9 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 0–10 | — | 2–4 | 2–8 | ||
6–0 | 2–4 | 7–3 | 7–3 | 7–3 | 6–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | — | 2–4 | ||
8–2 | 6–5 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–6 | 8–2 | 4–2 | — |
1952–53 game log | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | ||
1 | November 1 | 53–69 | Nathaniel Clifton (20) | 1–0 | ||
2 | November 8 | @ Baltimore | 92–62 | Nathaniel Clifton (22) | 2–0 | |
3 | November 11 | 94–104 | Carl Braun (19) | 2–1 | ||
4 | November 13 | 91–100 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 3–1 | ||
5 | November 15 | 68–79 | Carl Braun (17) | 4–1 | ||
6 | November 16 | 83–112 | Connie Simmons (17) | 4–2 | ||
7 | November 18 | 90–100 | Vince Boryla (22) | 4–3 | ||
8 | November 20 | N Indianapolis | 72–67 | Harry Gallatin (16) | 5–3 | |
9 | November 22 | 68–98 | Max Zaslofsky (22) | 6–3 | ||
10 | November 23 | @ Syracuse | 73–76 | Harry Gallatin (13) | 6–4 | |
11 | November 26 | @ Baltimore | 94–92 | Connie Simmons (20) | 7–4 | |
12 | November 27 | N Baltimore | 104–92 | Nathaniel Clifton (19) | 8–4 | |
13 | November 29 | Indianapolis | 72–94 | Ernie Vandeweghe (16) | 9–4 | |
14 | December 2 | 89–82 (OT) | Carl Braun (24) | 10–4 | ||
15 | December 3 | N Philadelphia | 75–100 | Vince Boryla (21) | 11–4 | |
16 | December 4 | Minneapolis | 81–71 | Connie Simmons (20) | 11–5 | |
17 | December 6 | @ Minneapolis | 78–85 (OT) | Carl Braun (25) | 11–6 | |
18 | December 7 | @ Fort Wayne | 91–102 | Carl Braun (16) | 11–7 | |
19 | December 9 | Rochester | 77–75 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 11–8 | |
20 | December 13 | @ Rochester | 99–97 (OT) | Carl Braun (25) | 12–8 | |
21 | December 14 | 74–69 | Gallatin, Simmons (14) | 13–8 | ||
22 | December 16 | Syracuse | 93–98 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (22) | 14–8 | |
23 | December 20 | @ Baltimore | 102–99 (OT) | Carl Braun (28) | 15–8 | |
24 | December 21 | Baltimore | 77–102 | Connie Simmons (17) | 16–8 | |
25 | December 22 | N Milwaukee | 80–75 | Nathaniel Clifton (18) | 17–8 | |
26 | December 25 | Boston | 84–97 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 18–8 | |
27 | December 27 | N Fort Wayne | 91–92 | Connie Simmons (20) | 18–9 | |
28 | December 28 | Philadelphia | 54–72 | Ernie Vandeweghe (15) | 19–9 | |
29 | January 1 | @ Philadelphia | 108–82 | Ernie Vandeweghe (26) | 20–9 | |
30 | January 3 | Syracuse | 77–85 (OT) | Connie Simmons (22) | 21–9 | |
31 | January 4 | @ Boston | 100–103 | Carl Braun (22) | 21–10 | |
32 | January 7 | N Syracuse | 114–93 | Carl Braun (25) | 21–11 | |
33 | January 8 | Milwaukee | 68–81 | Carl Braun (22) | 22–11 | |
34 | January 9 | @ Indianapolis | 58–54 | Carl Braun (16) | 23–11 | |
35 | January 11 | @ Minneapolis | 79–85 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 23–12 | |
36 | January 17 | Philadelphia | 76–84 | Ernie Vandeweghe (20) | 24–12 | |
37 | January 18 | @ Boston | 83–99 | Harry Gallatin (20) | 24–13 | |
38 | January 21 | N Milwaukee | 70–72 | Nathaniel Clifton (14) | 24–14 | |
39 | January 22 | N Boston | 112–89 | Max Zaslofsky (26) | 25–14 | |
40 | January 24 | Fort Wayne | 76–82 | Carl Braun (20) | 26–14 | |
41 | January 25 | @ Syracuse | 97–62 | Harry Gallatin (22) | 27–14 | |
42 | January 27 | @ Rochester | 74–72 | Harry Gallatin (15) | 28–14 | |
43 | January 29 | @ Philadelphia | 72–61 | Clifton, Gallatin (18) | 29–14 | |
44 | January 31 | Boston | 69–76 | Braun, Clifton (21) | 30–14 | |
45 | February 1 | N Philadelphia | 85–90 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 31–14 | |
46 | February 3 | N Milwaukee | 76–69 | Nathaniel Clifton (18) | 32–14 | |
47 | February 5 | @ Minneapolis | 73–81 | Connie Simmons (17) | 32–15 | |
48 | February 6 | @ Indianapolis | 84–73 | Nathaniel Clifton (21) | 33–15 | |
49 | February 7 | Philadelphia | 63–86 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 34–15 | |
50 | February 8 | @ Boston | 79–87 | Nathaniel Clifton (15) | 34–16 | |
51 | February 11 | @ Baltimore | 86–80 | Carl Braun (18) | 35–16 | |
52 | February 13 | N Baltimore | 106–96 | Vince Boryla (23) | 36–16 | |
53 | February 14 | Indianapolis | 79–91 | Vince Boryla (22) | 37–16 | |
54 | February 15 | @ Syracuse | 85–81 | Carl Braun (21) | 38–16 | |
55 | February 17 | Milwaukee | 67–86 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 39–16 | |
56 | February 18 | N Boston | 66–69 | Ernie Vandeweghe (18) | 39–17 | |
57 | February 21 | Philadelphia | 69–85 | Carl Braun (18) | 40–17 | |
58 | February 22 | @ Boston | 83–87 (OT) | Connie Simmons (20) | 40–18 | |
59 | February 24 | Minneapolis | 63–79 | Carl Braun (15) | 41–18 | |
60 | February 25 | N Rochester | 79–71 (OT) | Carl Braun (25) | 41–19 | |
61 | February 28 | Fort Wayne | 74–85 | Ernie Vandeweghe (29) | 42–19 | |
62 | March 1 | @ Syracuse | 64–79 | Connie Simmons (19) | 42–20 | |
63 | March 3 | Rochester | 88–109 | Harry Gallatin (25) | 43–20 | |
64 | March 5 | N Baltimore | 80–69 | Nathaniel Clifton (17) | 44–20 | |
65 | March 6 | Syracuse | 66–75 | Vince Boryla (22) | 45–20 | |
66 | March 8 | Boston | 89–78 | Harry Gallatin (17) | 45–21 | |
67 | March 11 | N Baltimore | 113–107 (3OT) | Carl Braun (24) | 46–21 | |
68 | March 12 | @ Philadelphia | 90–85 | Connie Simmons (29) | 47–21 | |
69 | March 14 | Syracuse | 95–81 | Nathaniel Clifton (18) | 47–22 | |
70 | March 15 | @ Fort Wayne | 69–81 | Harry Gallatin (30) | 47–23 |
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| March 17| Baltimore| W 80–62| Connie Simmons (25)| Madison Square Garden III| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 2| March 20| @ Baltimore| W 90–81| Vince Boryla (20)| Baltimore Coliseum| 2–0|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| March 25| Boston| W 95–91| Connie Simmons (18)| Dick McGuire (8)| Madison Square Garden III| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 2| March 26| @ Boston| L 70–86| Harry Gallatin (17)| Carl Braun (7)| Boston Garden| 1–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 3| March 28| Boston| W 101–82| Harry Gallatin (23)| Dick McGuire (11)| Madison Square Garden III| 2–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 4| March 29| @ Boston| W 82–75| Carl Braun (18)| Nat Clifton (9)| Boston Garden| 3–1|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| April 4| @ Minneapolis| W 96–88| Carl Braun (21)| —| Minneapolis Auditorium
5,000| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 2| April 5| @ Minneapolis| L 71–73| Connie Simmons (17)| —| Minneapolis Auditorium
4,848| 1–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 3| April 7| Minneapolis| L 75–90| Connie Simmons (18)| —| 69th Regiment Armory
5,100| 1–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 4| April 8| Minneapolis| L 69–71| Connie Simmons (17)| —| 69th Regiment Armory
5,200| 1–3|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 5| April 10| Minneapolis| L 84–91| Carl Braun (19)| Ernie Vandeweghe (4)| 69th Regiment Armory
5,200| 1–4|-