1957–58 Detroit Pistons season explained

The 1957–58 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' tenth season in the NBA and first season in the city of Detroit.

The new Detroit Pistons played home games at Olympia Stadium, home of the Detroit Red Wings, and struggled to find a footing in their new hometown.^[1] Team owner Fred Zollner provided the team with their own aircraft to travel for road games, but the NBA responded with a difficult travel schedule, especially during the winter, as the Pistons could avoid commercial air delays. The Pistons went 33–39 (.458) during the season, tied for second in the Western Division, with the Cincinnati Royals, eight games behind the St. Louis Hawks, but were awarded the second seed on tie-breakers.^[2]

The Pistons defeated the Royals in two straight games in the West Semifinal series, but lost the West Finals to the Hawks 4-1.^[3] The team was led by forward George Yardley (27.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg, NBA All-Star) and guards Gene Shue (15.6 ppg, NBA All-Star) and Dick McGuire (8.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, NBA All-Star).^[4] ^[3]

Regular season

Season standings

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1957–58 NBA records
width=100	Team	BOS	CIN	DET	MIN	NYK	PHI	STL	SYR
	—	7–2	8–1	9–0	7–5	6–6	5–4	7–5
	2–7	—	6–6	8–4	4–5	6–3	3–9	4–5
Detroit	1–8	6–6	—	6–6	4–5	5–4	6–6	5–4
	0–9	4–8	6–6	—	1–8	3–6	3–9	2–7
	5–7	5–4	5–4	8–1	—	4–8	3–6	5–7
	6–6	3–6	4–5	6–3	8–4	—	7–2	3–9
	4–5	9–3	6–6	9–3	6–3	2–7	—	5–4
	5–7	5–4	4–5	7–2	7–5	9–3	4–5	—

Game log

1957–58 Game log
	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 23		105–94	George Yardley (20)	0–1
2	October 26		112–100	George Yardley (41)	0–2
3	October 30		115–96	George Yardley (28)	1–2
4	November 3		94–88	George Yardley (23)	2–2
5	November 5	N Boston	105–111	Harry Gallatin (25)	2–3
6	November 12		107–109	George Yardley (32)	3–3
7	November 15	Minneapolis	112–104	George Yardley (31)	3–4
8	November 16	@ New York	109–105	George Yardley (35)	4–4
9	November 17	@ Philadelphia	95–91	George Yardley (26)	5–4
10	November 19	N Cincinnati	75–92	George Yardley (17)	5–5
11	November 21	Boston	112–90	George Yardley (22)	5–6
12	November 23		110–115	Bob Houbregs (24)	5–7
13	November 26	N Minneapolis	91–109	George Yardley (31)	6–7
14	November 27	St. Louis	121–110	George Yardley (30)	6–8
15	November 29	@ Cincinnati	92–87 (OT)	George Yardley (26)	6–9
16	November 30	Cincinnati	96–100	George Yardley (32)	7–9
17	December 1	@ New York	102–109	George Yardley (39)	7–10
18	December 3	Boston	124–113	George Yardley (34)	7–11
19	December 5	N Cincinnati	99–109	George Yardley (32)	7–12
20	December 6		91–118	George Yardley (34)	7–13
21	December 7	Cincinnati	105–109	George Yardley (25)	8–13
22	December 10	Philadelphia	100–97	George Yardley (30)	8–14
23	December 12	@ Philadelphia	101–96	George Yardley (28)	9–14
24	December 15	New York	116–109	George Yardley (27)	9–15
25	December 17	N St. Louis	106–99	George Yardley (22)	9–16
26	December 21	Cincinnati	101–112	George Yardley (31)	10–16
27	December 22	@ Syracuse	93–119	Shue, Thieben (12)	10–17
28	December 25	Minneapolis	106–104	George Yardley (29)	10–18
29	December 26	@ St. Louis	110–106	George Yardley (48)	11–18
30	December 27	@ New York	120–125	George Yardley (31)	11–19
31	December 28	Syracuse	111–117	George Yardley (20)	12–19
32	December 31	@ Cincinnati	96–130	George Yardley (22)	12–20
33	January 4	Philadelphia	78–81	Gene Shue (17)	13–20
34	January 5	@ St. Louis	93–95	Walter Dukes (18)	13–21
35	January 7	N Cincinnati	99–114	Walter Dukes (17)	13–22
36	January 8	Syracuse	107–109	Gallatin, Yardley (26)	14–22
37	January 10	N Minneapolis	124–114	George Yardley (23)	14–23
38	January 11	Minneapolis	102–129	George Yardley (23)	15–23
39	January 12	@ Syracuse	109–135	George Yardley (25)	15–24
40	January 15	@ Boston	113–131	George Yardley (51)	15–25
41	January 16	@ Philadelphia	113–108	George Yardley (25)	16–25
42	January 17	Cincinnati	94–115	George Yardley (31)	17–25
43	January 18	@ St. Louis	103–105	George Yardley (36)	17–26
44	January 19	@ Minneapolis	111–118	Jordon, Yardley (24)	17–27
45	January 22	New York	115–92	Harry Gallatin (16)	17–28
46	January 23	@ Minneapolis	125–128 (OT)	George Yardley (44)	17–29
47	January 25	St. Louis	98–105	Harry Gallatin (27)	18–29
48	January 26	@ Cincinnati	103–107	George Yardley (33)	18–30
49	January 27	Philadelphia	93–115	Gene Shue (25)	19–30
50	January 30	N Syracuse	83–87	Walter Dukes (21)	20–30
51	January 31	N New York	105–119	George Yardley (36)	21–30
52	February 1	N Philadelphia	106–86	Walter Dukes (18)	21–31
53	February 2	@ Boston	115–119	George Yardley (31)	21–32
54	February 4	Syracuse	113–118	George Yardley (52)	22–32
55	February 7	N St. Louis	107–125	George Yardley (37)	23–32
56	February 9	New York	100–98	Gallatin, Yardley (16)	23–33
57	February 11	@ Philadelphia	98–115	George Yardley (27)	23–34
58	February 12	St. Louis	122–105	Chuck Noble (19)	23–35
59	February 14	@ Boston	111–109	George Yardley (29)	24–35
60	February 15	Minneapolis	111–110	Phil Jordon (29)	24–36
61	February 16	@ St. Louis	100–98	Gene Shue (21)	25–36
62	February 18	Syracuse	98–120	George Yardley (48)	26–36
63	February 19	@ Minneapolis	117–115 (OT)	George Yardley (43)	27–36
64	February 21	@ Cincinnati	109–107	George Yardley (32)	28–36
65	February 22	St. Louis	96–98	Harry Gallatin (22)	29–36
66	February 25	N St. Louis	113–114 (OT)	George Yardley (44)	30–36
67	February 26	Boston	106–99	Gene Shue (30)	30–37
68	February 27	N Minneapolis	109–112	George Yardley (41)	31–37
69	March 1	@ New York	103–101	George Yardley (36)	32–37
70	March 6	@ Minneapolis	132–116	George Yardley (49)	33–37
71	March 8	@ Boston	103–108	George Yardley (22)	33–38
72	March 9	@ Syracuse	90–111	George Yardley (26)	33–39

Playoffs

Awards and records

George Yardley, All-NBA First Team

Notes and References

Web site: Not a lot of hoopla greeted Pistons 60 years ago.
Web site: The Big Z and His Misfiring Pistons.
Web site: 1957-58 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats. Basketball-reference.com. February 24, 2022.
Web site: Chevette to Corvette No. 35: The 1957-58 Detroit Pistons. Pistonpowered.com. 26 October 2011. 24 February 2022.