1951–52 New York Knicks season

Season of National Basketball Association team the New York Knicks

NBA professional basketball team season

1951–52 New York Knicks season

Head coach| Joe Lapchick[1]
General manager| Ned Irish
Arena| Madison Square Garden[1]
Results
Record| 37-29 (.561)
Place| Division: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finish| NBA Finals
(lost to Lakers 3–4)

* * *

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television| WPIX
Radio| WMGM[2]
| < 1950–51  | 1952–53 >

|

The 1951–52 New York Knicks season was the sixth season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished third in the Eastern Division with a 37–29 record, and advanced to the NBA Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.[3]

In the first round of the Eastern Division playoffs, the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in a best-of-three series, two games to one, to move on to the Eastern Division finals. New York won 3–1 in a best-of-five series with the Syracuse Nationals to reach its second straight NBA Finals.[3][4] In the Finals, the Knicks lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games.[4] The Knicks became the first NBA team to erase a 3–0 deficit in a best-of-seven series and force a deciding game 7.[5]

## NBA draft

[edit]

Main article: 1951 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.[6]

Round  | Pick  | Player  | Position  | Nationality  | School/Club Team

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1  | 6  | Ed Smith | F  |  United States  | Harvard
2  | 15  | Roland Minson | G  |  United States  | Brigham Young
6  | 55  | Al McGuire | G/F  |  United States  | St. John's

## Regular season

[edit]

### Season standings

[edit]

Eastern Division

* v
* t
* e

|  W  |  L  |  PCT  |  GB  |  Home  |  Road  |  Neutral  |  Div

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x-Syracuse Nationals | 40 | 26 | .606 | – | 26–7 | 12–18 | 2–1 | 21–15
x-Boston Celtics | 39 | 27 | .591 | 1 | 22–7 | 10–19 | 7–1 | 22–14
x-New York Knicks | 37 | 29 | .561 | 3 | 21–4 | 12–22 | 4–3 | 23–13
x-Philadelphia Warriors | 33 | 33 | .500 | 7 | 24–7 | 6–25 | 3–1 | 14–22
Baltimore Bullets | 20 | 46 | .303 | 20 | 17–15 | 2–22 | 1–9 | 10–26

x = clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

[edit]

1951–52 NBA records

Team  | BAL  | BOS  | FWP  | IND  | MIL  | MIN  | NYK  | PHI  | ROC  | SYR
Baltimore | — | 1–8 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 0–6 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 2–4 | 3–6
Boston | 8–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 3–3 | 4–5
Fort Wayne | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 5–4 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 0–6
Indianapolis | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–5 | — | 7–2 | 4–5 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 4–2
Milwaukee | 2–4 | 1–5 | 5–4 | 2–7 | — | 1–8 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–8 | 2–4
Minneapolis | 6–0 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 8–1 | — | 4–2 | 2–4 | 7–2 | 1–5
New York  | 7–2 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–4 | — | 6–3 | 2–4 | 5–4
Philadelphia | 5–4 | 3–6 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 3–6 | — | 2–4 | 3–6
Rochester | 4–2 | 3–3 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 8–1 | 2–7 | 4–2 | 4–2 | — | 4–2
Syracuse | 6–3 | 5–4 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 2–4 | —

### Game log

[edit]

1951–52 game log

# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record
1 | November 3 | @ Milwaukee | 68–66 | Vince Boryla (25) | 1–0
2 | November 4 | @ Fort Wayne | 75–84 | Vince Boryla (23) | 1–1
3 | November 6 | @ Indianapolis | 83–73 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 2–1
4 | November 10 | Minneapolis | 89–73 | Nathaniel Clifton (15) | 2–2
5 | November 11 | @ Rochester | 78–80 | Ray Lumpp (22) | 2–3
6 | November 13 | @ Philadelphia | 85–82 | Max Zaslofsky (19) | 3–3
7 | November 17 | Syracuse | 79–72 | Ernie Vandeweghe (17) | 3–4
8 | November 18 | @ Boston | 93–87 | Ernie Vandeweghe (21) | 4–4
9 | November 20 | N Baltimore | 88–86 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 5–4
10 | November 22 | Philadelphia | 88–102 | Nathaniel Clifton (23) | 6–4
11 | November 24 | Boston | 70–68 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 6–5
12 | November 23 | @ Syracuse | 73–100 | Vince Boryla (19) | 6–6
13 | November 27 | @ Philadelphia | 81–83 | Nathaniel Clifton (22) | 6–7
14 | November 29 | Rochester | 78–74 | Nathaniel Clifton (17) | 6–8
15 | December 1 | @ Baltimore | 82–84 | Max Zaslofsky (20) | 6–9
16 | December 2 | Philadelphia | 72–86 | Vince Boryla (30) | 7–9
17 | December 7 | @ Philadelphia | 91–93 | Boryla, Gallatin (19) | 7–10
18 | December 9 | @ Boston | 94–103 | Dick McGuire (20) | 7–11
19 | December 11 | Milwaukee | 83–88 | Gallatin, Zaslofsky (19) | 8–11
20 | December 14 | @ Indianapolis | 79–83 | Max Zaslofsky (21) | 8–12
21 | December 16 | @ Fort Wayne | 80–71 | Max Zaslofsky (16) | 9–12
22 | December 18 | Minneapolis | 86–77 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 10–12
23 | December 22 | Syracuse | 73–92 | Dick McGuire (21) | 11–12
24 | December 23 | @ Syracuse | 75–72 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 12–12
25 | December 25 | Fort Wayne | 65–72 | Max Zaslofsky (23) | 13–12
26 | December 26 | N Milwaukee | 76–78 | Vince Boryla (16) | 13–13
27 | December 27 | @ Rochester | 85–98 | Connie Simmons (20) | 13–14
28 | December 30 | @ Boston | 90–100 | Connie Simmons (16) | 13–15
29 | December 31 | Boston | 86–87 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (30) | 14–15
30 | January 1 | @ Milwaukee | 68–65 | Vince Boryla (16) | 15–15
31 | January 2 | N Milwaukee | 89–67 | Max Zaslofsky (27) | 16–15
32 | January 4 | @ Indianapolis | 73–83 | Dick McGuire (15) | 16–16
33 | January 6 | @ Minneapolis | 92–107 | Max Zaslofsky (18) | 16–17
34 | January 8 | Rochester | 74–107 | Ernie Vandeweghe (18) | 17–17
35 | January 10 | @ Syracuse | 96–110 | Connie Simmons (15) | 17–18
36 | January 12 | Indianapolis | 77–86 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 18–18
37 | January 13 | @ Rochester | 70–97 | Dick McGuire (15) | 18–19
38 | January 19 | Philadelphia | 88–94 | Vandeweghe, Zaslofsky (20) | 19–19
39 | January 21 | @ Baltimore | 99–83 | Dick McGuire (22) | 20–19
40 | January 22 | @ Philadelphia | 82–78 | Simmons, Zaslofsky (17) | 21–19
41 | January 26 | Indianapolis | 93–99 | Connie Simmons (25) | 22–19
42 | January 27 | @ Fort Wayne | 92–100 | Max Zaslofsky (25) | 22–20
43 | January 29 | N Indianapolis | 72–100 | George Kaftan (13) | 22–21
44 | January 30 | @ Minneapolis | 65–77 | Max Zaslofsky (14) | 22–22
45 | February 2 | Boston | 83–91 | Dick McGuire (21) | 23–22
46 | February 3 | @ Boston | 95–100 | Harry Gallatin (23) | 23–23
47 | February 4 | @ Baltimore | 81–82 | Nathaniel Clifton (16) | 23–24
48 | February 6 | Baltimore | 70–73 | McGuire, Zaslofsky (14) | 24–24
49 | February 8 | N Baltimore | 103–83 | Ray Lumpp (23) | 25–24
50 | February 9 | Philadelphia | 86–96 | Connie Simmons (18) | 26–24
51 | February 12 | Syracuse | 69–78 | Connie Simmons (15) | 27–24
52 | February 16 | Baltimore | 82–102 | Max Zaslofsky (26) | 28–24
53 | February 17 | @ Syracuse | 61–66 | Harry Gallatin (11) | 28–25
54 | February 19 | Minneapolis | 96–98 | Max Zaslofsky (23) | 29–25
55 | February 22 | @ Philadelphia | 95–118 | Harry Gallatin (22) | 29–26
56 | February 23 | Fort Wayne | 77–82 (OT) | Max Zaslofsky (24) | 30–26
57 | February 25 | @ Baltimore | 89–84 | Dick McGuire (17) | 31–26
58 | March 1 | Boston | 84–78 | Ernie Vandeweghe (22) | 32–26
59 | March 2 | @ Boston | 89–87 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 33–26
60 | March 4 | Rochester | 90–92 (OT) | George Kaftan (30) | 34–26
61 | March 5 | N Baltimore | 88–82 | Simmons, Zaslofsky (19) | 35–26
62 | March 8 | N Milwaukee | 99–103 | Max Zaslofsky (24) | 35–27
63 | March 9 | @ Fort Wayne | 79–80 | Harry Gallatin (25) | 35–28
64 | March 12 | @ Minneapolis | 83–85 | Harry Gallatin (19) | 35–29
65 | March 15 | Syracuse | 90–97 | Harry Gallatin (24) | 36–29
66 | March 16 | @ Syracuse | 90–84 | Ernie Vandeweghe (19) | 37–29

## Playoffs

[edit]

1952 playoff game log

Division semifinals: 2–1 (home: 1–0; road: 1–1)

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High assists | Location | Series

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1  | March 19  | @ Boston | L 94–105 | Max Zaslofsky (20)  | Dick McGuire (7)  | Boston Garden | 0–1
2  | March 23  | Boston | W 101–97 | Connie Simmons (22)  | Dick McGuire (7)  | Madison Square Garden III | 1–1
3  | March 26  | @ Boston | W 88–87 (2OT) | Max Zaslofsky (21)  | Dick McGuire (9)  | Boston Garden | 2–1

Division finals: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | Location | Series

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1  | April 2  | @ Syracuse | W 87–85 | Max Zaslofsky (26)  | Onondaga War Memorial | 1–0
2  | April 3  | @ Syracuse | L 92–102 | Harry Gallatin (16)  | Onondaga War Memorial | 1–1
3  | April 5  | Syracuse | W 99–92 | Max Zaslofsky (20)  | Madison Square Garden III | 2–1
4  | April 6  | Syracuse | W 100–93 | Max Zaslofsky (20)  | Madison Square Garden III | 3–1

NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location
Attendance | Series

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1  | April 12  | @ Minneapolis | L 79–83 (OT) | Simmons, McGuire (15)  | Nat Clifton (12)  | Dick McGuire (5)  | St. Paul Auditorium
8,722  | 0–1
2  | April 13  | @ Minneapolis | W 80–72 | Harry Gallatin (18)  | Harry Gallatin (11)  | Dick McGuire (5)  | St. Paul Auditorium | 1–1
3  | April 16  | Minneapolis | L 77–82 | Max Zaslofsky (17)  | Nat Clifton (10)  | Dick McGuire (10)  | 69th Regiment Armory
4,500  | 1–2
4  | April 18  | Minneapolis | W 90–89 (OT) | Connie Simmons (30)  | Nat Clifton (12)  | Dick McGuire (6)  | 69th Regiment Armory
5,200  | 2–2
5  | April 20  | @ Minneapolis | L 89–102 | Nat Clifton (17)  | Clifton, Gallatin (8)  | six players tied (1)  | St. Paul Auditorium
7,244  | 2–3
6  | April 23  | Minneapolis | W 76–68 | Max Zaslofsky (23)  | Harry Gallatin (13)  | Ernie Vandeweghe (7)  | 69th Regiment Armory
3,000  | 3–3
7  | April 25  | @ Minneapolis | L 65–82 | Max Zaslofsky (21)  | Nat Clifton (10)  | Nat Clifton (3)  | Minneapolis Auditorium
8,612  | 3–4

1952 schedule

## Player statistics

[edit]

Legend  GP  | Games played  |  GS | Games started  |  MPG | Minutes per game

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FG% | Field-goal percentage  |  3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage  |  FT% | Free-throw percentage
RPG | Rebounds per game  |  APG | Assists per game  |  SPG | Steals per game
BPG | Blocks per game  |  PPG | Points per game  |  |

## Awards and records

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2013)

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## Transactions

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2013)

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## See also

[edit]

* 1951–52 NBA season

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "1951–52 New York Knicks Roster and Statistics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
2. ^ Jaker, Bill; Sulek, Frank; Kanze, Peter (2008). The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921–1996. McFarland & Company. p. 194\. ISBN 978-0-7864-3872-3. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
3. ^ a b "New York Knickerbockers Franchise Index". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
4. ^ a b "1952 NBA Playoff Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
5. ^ "Celtics–Heat Game 7 by the numbers: Can Boston complete NBA's first 3–0 comeback?". WBZ-TV. May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
6. ^ "1951 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* 1951–52 New York Knickerbockers Statistics

* v
* t
* e

1951–52 NBA season

* NBA draft
* All-Star Game
* Playoffs
* Finals
* Transactions

Eastern|

* Baltimore
* Boston
* New York
* Philadelphia
* Syracuse

Western|

* Fort Wayne
* Indianapolis
* Milwaukee
* Minneapolis
* Rochester

* v
* t
* e

New York Knicks

* Founded in 1946
* Based in New York City, New York

Franchise|

* History
* All-time roster
* Draft history
* Head coaches
* Seasons
* Current season

Arenas|

* Madison Square Garden III
* 69th Regiment Armory
* Madison Square Garden IV

Personnel|

Owner(s)
Madison Square Garden Sports (James Dolan, chairman)
President
Leon Rose
General manager
Vacant
Head coach
Tom Thibodeau

G League affiliate|

* Westchester Knicks

Retired numbers|

* 10
* 12
* 15
* 15
* 19
* 22
* 24
* 33
* 613

NBA championships|

* 1970
* 1973

Rivalries|

* Boston Celtics
* Brooklyn Nets
* Chicago Bulls
* Indiana Pacers
* Miami Heat

Culture and lore|

* Broadcasters
* Dancing Harry
* Eddie
* Spike Lee
* Diedrich Knickerbocker
* Whatever Happened to Micheal Ray?
* Theme from New York, New York
* Mike Walczewski
* George Kalinsky
* Trent Tucker Rule
* Disputed foul against Scottie Pippen
* June 17th, 1994
* Knicks–Nuggets brawl
* Linsanity
* Sweetwater

* v
* t
* e

New York Knicks seasons

* Franchise
* Seasons

1940s|

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  1946–47 |  1947–48 |  1948–49

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1950s|

|  1949–50 |  1950–51 |  1951–52 |  1952–53 |  1953–54 |  1954-55 |  1955–56 |  1956–57 |  1957–58 |  1958–59

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1960s|

|  1959–60 |  1960–61 |  1961–62 |  1962–63 |  1963–64 |  1964–65 |  1965–66 |  1966–67 |  1967–68 |  1968–69

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1970s|

|  1969–70 |  1970–71 |  1971–72 |  1972–73 |  1973–74 |  1974–75 |  1975–76 |  1976–77 |  1977–78 |  1978–79

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1980s|

|  1979–80 |  1980–81 |  1981–82 |  1982–83 |  1983–84 |  1984–85 |  1985–86 |  1986–87 |  1987–88 |  1988–89

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1990s|

|  1989–90 |  1990–91 |  1991–92 |  1992–93 |  1993–94 |  1994–95 |  1995–96 |  1996–97 |  1997–98 |  1998–99

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2000s|

|  1999–00 |  2000–01 |  2001–02 |  2002–03 |  2003–04 |  2004–05 |  2005–06 |  2006–07 |  2007–08 |  2008–09

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2010s|

|  2009–10 |  2010–11 |  2011–12 |  2012–13 |  2013–14 |  2014–15 |  2015–16 |  2016–17 |  2017–18 |  2018–19

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2020s|

|  2019–20 |  2020–21 |  2021–22 |  2022–23 |  2023–24 |  2024–25 |  |  |  |

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Bold indicates NBA Finals victory
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[ W ]: Games won
*[ L ]: Games lost
*[ PCT ]: Winning percentage
*[ GB ]: Games behind
*[ Home ]: Home record
*[ Road ]: Road record
*[ Neutral ]: Neutral record
*[ Div ]: Division record