1953–54 Syracuse Nationals season

1953–54 Syracuse Nationals season
Head coachAl Cervi
ArenaOnondaga War Memorial
Results
Record42–30 (.583)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA Finals
(eliminated 3–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
RadioWSYR
< 1952–53 1954–55 >

The 1953–54 Syracuse Nationals season was the 5th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the Eastern Division Finals, the Nationals swept the Boston Celtics 2–0 to make it to the NBA Finals. The Nationals would go on to lose the Finals in 7 games to the Minneapolis Lakers.[1]

Regular season

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Season standings

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Eastern Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-New York Knicks 44 28 .611 – 18–8 15–13 11–7 24–16
x-Boston Celtics 42 30 .583 2 17–6 10–19 15–5 25–15
x-Syracuse Nationals 42 30 .583 2 26–6 11–17 5–7 21–19
Philadelphia Warriors 29 43 .403 15 10–9 6–16 13–18 19–21
Baltimore Bullets 16 56 .222 28 12–18 0–22 4–16 11–29
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1953-54 NBA Records
Team BAL BOS FWP MIL MIN NYK PHI ROC SYR
Baltimore — 1–9 0–8 2–6 2–6 3–7 4–6 1–7 3–7
Boston 9–1 — 4–4 6–2 3–5 5–5 6–4 4–4 5–5
Fort Wayne 8–0 4–4 — 9–2 5–5 3–5 6–2 3–8 2–6
Milwaukee 6–2 2–6 2–9 — 3–8 3–5 3–5 1–9 1–7
Minneapolis 6–2 5–3 5–5 8–3 — 5–3 6–2 6–5 5–3
New York 7–3 5–5 5–3 5–3 3–5 — 7–3 7–1 5–5
Philadelphia 6–4 4–6 2–6 5–3 2–6 3–7 — 1–7 6–4
Rochester 7–1 4–4 8–3 9–1 5–6 1–7 7–1 — 3–5
Syracuse 7–3 5–5 6–2 7–1 3–5 5–5 4–6 5–3 —

Game log

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1953–54 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 31 @ Philadelphia 73–79 Paul Seymour (21) 0–1
2 November 1 Philadelphia 61–85 Dolph Schayes (14) 1–1
3 November 5 Minneapolis 77–65 Paul Seymour (14) 1–2
4 November 7 N Baltimore 88–77 Billy Gabor (21) 2–2
5 November 8 Rochester 66–85 Billy Gabor (23) 3–2
6 November 10 @ Milwaukee 74–59 George King (15) 4–2
7 November 12 @ Fort Wayne 74–78 George King (15) 4–3
8 November 14 @ Boston 66–77 Bill Kenville (14) 4–4
9 November 15 Milwaukee 61–69 Dolph Schayes (20) 5–4
10 November 19 Fort Wayne 76–79 George King (15) 6–4
11 November 21 @ New York 67–68 Paul Seymour (15) 6–5
12 November 22 New York 84–80 (OT) Billy Gabor (26) 6–6
13 November 24 @ Rochester 89–80 Paul Seymour (23) 7–6
14 November 25 N Baltimore 58–66 Dolph Schayes (16) 7–7
15 November 26 Boston 86–93 King, Schayes (15) 8–7
16 November 28 N Boston 80–91 Paul Seymour (16) 8–8
17 November 29 Baltimore 82–101 Billy Gabor (17) 9–8
18 December 1 @ Milwaukee 76–69 (OT) George King (20) 10–8
19 December 3 N Minneapolis 74–87 Dolph Schayes (16) 10–9
20 December 5 @ Minneapolis 80–90 Dolph Schayes (27) 10–10
21 December 6 @ Fort Wayne 77–78 Paul Seymour (14) 10–11
22 December 9 @ Baltimore 77–92 Paul Seymour (20) 10–12
23 December 10 Milwaukee 76–96 Paul Seymour (18) 11–12
24 December 12 @ Rochester 85–90 George King (17) 11–13
25 December 13 Boston 74–108 Billy Gabor (19) 12–13
26 December 19 @ Boston 90–83 Dolph Schayes (19) 13–13
27 December 20 Minneapolis 76–81 Dolph Schayes (16) 14–13
28 December 23 @ Baltimore 76–72 Schayes, Seymour (16) 15–13
29 December 25 @ New York 80–89 Dolph Schayes (22) 15–14
30 December 27 Milwaukee 75–96 Dolph Schayes (22) 16–14
31 December 30 N Boston 96–89 Earl Lloyd (16) 17–14
32 December 31 Rochester 81–86 Dolph Schayes (20) 18–14
33 January 1 @ Boston 92–95 Dolph Schayes (27) 18–15
34 January 2 @ Philadelphia 74–66 George King (15) 19–15
35 January 3 Philadelphia 90–77 Dolph Schayes (22) 19–16
36 January 5 @ Fort Wayne 72–60 Wally Osterkorn (17) 20–16
37 January 7 Fort Wayne 67–79 Wally Osterkorn (25) 21–16
38 January 10 Baltimore 73–77 Dolph Schayes (19) 22–16
39 January 13 N New York 93–72 Dolph Schayes (19) 23–16
40 January 14 Minneapolis 71–96 King, Osterkorn (17) 24–16
41 January 16 @ Rochester 95–93 (3OT) Dolph Schayes (30) 25–16
42 January 17 Rochester 81–84 Dolph Schayes (28) 26–16
43 January 23 @ Baltimore 91–98 Paul Seymour (18) 26–17
44 January 24 Philadelphia 80–78 Dolph Schayes (29) 26–18
45 January 26 N Philadelphia 79–75 Paul Seymour (19) 27–18
46 January 28 New York 66–79 Dolph Schayes (17) 28–18
47 January 30 @ New York 65–66 Earl Lloyd (17) 28–19
48 January 31 New York 70–114 Dolph Schayes (27) 29–19
49 February 3 N Philadelphia 79–82 Dolph Schayes (31) 29–20
50 February 4 N New York 90–82 Dolph Schayes (20) 30–20
51 February 6 Fort Wayne 87–93 (OT) George King (21) 31–20
52 February 7 Milwaukee 73–88 Paul Seymour (19) 32–20
53 February 10 @ Boston 79–94 Dolph Schayes (21) 32–21
54 February 11 @ Philadelphia 74–76 (2OT) Dolph Schayes (20) 32–22
55 February 13 @ Rochester 78–81 Dolph Schayes (26) 32–23
56 February 14 Baltimore 91–111 Gabor, Neal (18) 33–23
57 February 16 N Philadelphia 77–95 Wally Osterkorn (17) 33–24
58 February 18 Fort Wayne 77–91 Dolph Schayes (28) 34–24
59 February 20 @ Minneapolis 68–83 George King (14) 34–25
60 February 21 Minneapolis 73–100 Billy Gabor (22) 35–25
61 February 23 N Milwaukee 68–70 Dolph Schayes (18) 35–26
62 February 25 Boston 101–96 Dolph Schayes (26) 35–27
63 February 26 @ Milwaukee 68–62 Dolph Schayes (23) 36–27
64 February 28 Rochester 91–85 Paul Seymour (16) 36–28
65 March 2 @ Minneapolis 87–91 Dolph Schayes (30) 36–29
66 March 4 @ Fort Wayne 86–63 Dolph Schayes (19) 37–29
67 March 6 Philadelphia 77–88 Dolph Schayes (24) 38–29
68 March 7 Baltimore 77–103 Dolph Schayes (21) 39–29
69 March 10 @ Baltimore 85–77 Dolph Schayes (24) 40–29
70 March 11 Boston 95–97 (OT) Dolph Schayes (35) 41–29
71 March 13 @ New York 60–67 Paul Seymour (15) 41–30
72 March 14 New York 83–113 Dolph Schayes (23) 42–30

Playoffs

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1954 playoff game log
Division Round Robin Semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Record
1 March 17 @ Boston W 96–95 (OT) Dolph Schayes (20) Dolph Schayes (13) Earl Lloyd (8) Boston Garden 1–0
2 March 18 New York W 75–68 Dolph Schayes (23) Dolph Schayes (16) Paul Seymour (6) Onondaga War Memorial 2–0
3 March 21 @ New York W 103–99 Dolph Schayes (36) Dolph Schayes (21) Paul Seymour (6) Madison Square Garden III 3–0
4 March 22 Boston W 98–85 Dolph Schayes (25) Dolph Schayes (16) Paul Seymour (7) Onondaga War Memorial 4–0
Division Finals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Series
1 March 25 Boston W 109–94 Dolph Schayes (27) Dolph Schayes (21) Bill Gabor (6) Onondaga War Memorial 1–0
2 March 27 @ Boston W 83–76 Wally Osterkorn (16) — George King (8) Boston Garden 2–0
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 1–2; road: 2–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 31 @ Minneapolis L 68–79 Bob Lavoy (15) Wally Osterkorn (8) Paul Seymour (6) Minneapolis Auditorium
4,579 		0–1
2 April 3 @ Minneapolis W 62–60 Wally Osterkorn (20) Wally Osterkorn (17) Lavoy, Seymour (3) Minneapolis Auditorium
6,277 		1–1
3 April 4 Minneapolis L 67–81 Bob Lavoy (18) Bob Lavoy (15) Paul Seymour (7) Onondaga War Memorial
8,719 		1–2
4 April 8 Minneapolis W 80–69 Paul Seymour (25) Bob Lavoy (11) Paul Seymour (6) Onondaga War Memorial
7,655 		2–2
5 April 10 Minneapolis L 73–84 Dolph Schayes (17) Earl Lloyd (8) Wally Osterkorn (5) Onondaga War Memorial
7,283 		2–3
6 April 11 @ Minneapolis W 65–63 Paul Seymour (16) — — Minneapolis Auditorium
6,776 		3–3
7 April 12 @ Minneapolis L 80–87 Dolph Schayes (18) — — Minneapolis Auditorium
7,274 		3–4
1954 schedule

Awards and records

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References

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  1. ^ 1953–54 Syracuse Nationals
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