The 1958–59 New York Knicks season was the 13th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Knicks finished in second place in the Eastern Division with a 40–32 win–loss record, qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1955–56 season.[1] New York lost in the first round to the Syracuse Nationals, two games to none.[2]
See main article: article and 1958 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 | 3 | Mike Farmer | F | San Francisco | ||
| 1 | 4 | F | North Carolina | |||
| 2 | 11 | Joe Quigg | F/C | North Carolina | ||
| 4 | 27 | Johnny Cox | G | Kentucky |
x – clinched playoff spot
| 1958-59 NBA Records | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | Team | BOS | CIN | DET | MIN | NYK | PHI | STL | SYR |
| — | 8–1 | 8–1 | 9–0 | 7–5 | 9–3 | 4–5 | 7–5 | ||
| 1–8 | — | 3–9 | 6–6 | 3–6 | 2–7 | 1–11 | 3–6 | ||
| 1–8 | 9–3 | — | 4–8 | 3–6 | 5–4 | 4–8 | 2–7 | ||
| 0–9 | 6–6 | 8–4 | — | 4–5 | 6–3 | 4–8 | 5–4 | ||
| New York | 5–7 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 5–4 | — | 5–7 | 4–5 | 9–3 | |
| 3–9 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 3–6 | 7–5 | — | 4–5 | 4–8 | ||
| 5–4 | 11–1 | 8–4 | 8–4 | 5–4 | 5–4 | — | 7–2 | ||
| 5–7 | 6–3 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 3–9 | 8–4 | 2–7 | — | ||
| 1958–59 game log | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | ||
| 1 | October 25 | 125–127 (OT) | Ken Sears (33) | 1–0 | ||
| 2 | October 26 | 100–94 (OT) | Willie Naulls (30) | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | November 1 | Philadelphia | 111–92 | Ken Sears (20) | 2–1 | |
| 4 | November 5 | 108–97 | Ken Sears (22) | 3–1 | ||
| 5 | November 7 | 115–101 | Ken Sears (41) | 4–1 | ||
| 6 | November 8 | 108–100 | Ken Sears (21) | 5–1 | ||
| 7 | November 13 | 102–119 | Ken Sears (27) | 6–1 | ||
| 8 | November 15 | 96–92 | Farmer, Guerin (16) | 7–1 | ||
| 9 | November 16 | Minneapolis | 90–98 | Charlie Tyra (22) | 8–1 | |
| 10 | November 21 | N Boston | 112–106 | Carl Braun (26) | 9–1 | |
| 11 | November 22 | Syracuse | 99–114 | Ken Sears (23) | 10–1 | |
| 12 | November 25 | Cincinnati | 115–113 | Ken Sears (23) | 10–2 | |
| 13 | November 26 | @ Boston | 109–121 | Willie Naulls (28) | 10–3 | |
| 14 | November 29 | Philadelphia | 103–115 | Ken Sears (25) | 11–3 | |
| 15 | November 30 | @ Philadelphia | 100–103 | Richie Guerin (28) | 11–4 | |
| 16 | December 2 | Boston | 109–90 | Ken Sears (19) | 11–5 | |
| 17 | December 3 | @ Cincinnati | 108–110 | Ken Sears (23) | 11–6 | |
| 18 | December 5 | @ Detroit | 110–108 | Ken Sears (23) | 12–6 | |
| 19 | December 6 | Detroit | 99–92 | Ken Sears (24) | 12–7 | |
| 20 | December 9 | Minneapolis | 97–110 | Frank Selvy (24) | 13–7 | |
| 21 | December 12 | St. Louis | 104–106 | Ken Sears (25) | 14–7 | |
| 22 | December 13 | @ St. Louis | 94–108 | Frank Selvy (19) | 14–8 | |
| 23 | December 14 | @ Minneapolis | 100–99 | Richie Guerin (25) | 15–8 | |
| 24 | December 16 | Cincinnati | 106–118 | Ken Sears (21) | 16–8 | |
| 25 | December 17 | N St. Louis | 136–122 | Richie Guerin (25) | 16–9 | |
| 26 | December 20 | @ Boston | 106–135 | Guerin, Sears (16) | 16–10 | |
| 27 | December 21 | Syracuse | 94–108 | Willie Naulls (26) | 17–10 | |
| 28 | December 25 | Boston | 129–120 | Richie Guerin (34) | 17–11 | |
| 29 | December 26 | N Philadelphia | 106–93 | Ken Sears (23) | 17–12 | |
| 30 | December 27 | @ Syracuse | 106–102 | Ken Sears (32) | 18–12 | |
| 31 | December 30 | Detroit | 90–93 | Guerin, Sears (24) | 19–12 | |
| 32 | January 2 | @ Minneapolis | 97–107 | Ken Sears (24) | 19–13 | |
| 33 | January 3 | @ Detroit | 106–102 | Ken Sears (26) | 20–13 | |
| 34 | January 4 | @ St. Louis | 122–114 | Richie Guerin (25) | 21–13 | |
| 35 | January 6 | Syracuse | 108–118 | Ken Sears (24) | 22–13 | |
| 36 | January 7 | N Boston | 78–109 | Ken Sears (16) | 22–14 | |
| 37 | January 10 | @ Philadelphia | 97–103 | Willie Naulls (25) | 22–15 | |
| 38 | January 11 | Philadelphia | 105–111 | Ken Sears (36) | 23–15 | |
| 39 | January 14 | @ Boston | 112–123 | Ken Sears (24) | 23–16 | |
| 40 | January 15 | N Philadelphia | 95–91 | Ken Sears (17) | 23–17 | |
| 41 | January 17 | Cincinnati | 105–117 | Ken Sears (28) | 24–17 | |
| 42 | January 18 | @ Syracuse | 120–118 | Richie Guerin (23) | 25–17 | |
| 43 | January 20 | N Cincinnati | 108–114 | Frank Selvy (21) | 25–18 | |
| 44 | January 21 | @ Cincinnati | 130–109 | Guerin, Selvy (25) | 26–18 | |
| 45 | January 24 | Detroit | 118–122 (OT) | Ken Sears (30) | 27–18 | |
| 46 | January 25 | @ St. Louis | 111–115 | Richie Guerin (41) | 27–19 | |
| 47 | January 27 | St. Louis | 112–111 (OT) | Ken Sears (31) | 27–20 | |
| 48 | January 31 | N Syracuse | 117–119 | Ken Sears (26) | 28–20 | |
| 49 | February 1 | Philadelphia | 113–105 | Ken Sears (25) | 28–21 | |
| 50 | February 3 | Syracuse | 114–115 | Frank Selvy (21) | 29–21 | |
| 51 | February 4 | @ Boston | 129–126 | Richie Guerin (39) | 30–21 | |
| 52 | February 5 | N Syracuse | 98–111 | Frank Selvy (21) | 31–21 | |
| 53 | February 7 | Boston | 124–116 | Willie Naulls (23) | 31–22 | |
| 54 | February 8 | @ Syracuse | 104–113 | Richie Guerin (21) | 31–23 | |
| 55 | February 9 | @ Minneapolis | 122–128 | Willie Naulls (27) | 31–24 | |
| 56 | February 12 | @ St. Louis | 105–106 | Frank Selvy (27) | 31–25 | |
| 57 | February 13 | @ Detroit | 90–96 | Willie Naulls (26) | 31–26 | |
| 58 | February 15 | Cincinnati | 97–124 | Ken Sears (25) | 32–26 | |
| 59 | February 17 | St. Louis | 93–112 | Ken Sears (26) | 33–26 | |
| 60 | February 18 | @ Cincinnati | 118–116 | Richie Guerin (33) | 34–26 | |
| 61 | February 20 | N Minneapolis | 106–116 | Willie Naulls (17) | 34–27 | |
| 62 | February 21 | N Detroit | 101–114 | Ray Felix (19) | 34–28 | |
| 63 | February 22 | Philadelphia | 90–111 | Richie Guerin (22) | 35–28 | |
| 64 | February 24 | Boston | 122–134 | Richie Guerin (37) | 36–28 | |
| 65 | February 25 | @ Philadelphia | 123–134 | Willie Naulls (26) | 36–29 | |
| 66 | February 28 | Minneapolis | 107–112 | Ken Sears (28) | 37–29 | |
| 67 | March 1 | @ Syracuse | 115–140 | Willie Naulls (28) | 37–30 | |
| 68 | March 3 | Syracuse | 127–120 | Willie Naulls (27) | 37–31 | |
| 69 | March 4 | N Philadelphia | 115–118 | Richie Guerin (32) | 38–31 | |
| 70 | March 5 | N Minneapolis | 115–135 | Willie Naulls (22) | 38–32 | |
| 71 | March 8 | Detroit | 120–127 | Willie Naulls (24) | 39–32 | |
| 72 | March 10 | @ Boston | 138–116 | Guerin, Sears (22) | 40–32 |
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 1| March 13| Syracuse| L 123–129| Richie Guerin (24)| Madison Square Garden III| 0–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 2| March 15| @ Syracuse| L 115–131| Willie Naulls (26)| Onondaga War Memorial| 0–2|-