1955 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1955 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1954-55 NBA season
. The best-of-seven series was won by the Syracuse Nationals
, who defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the final game when Syracuse's George King
made a free throw with 12 seconds left to put the Nationals up by one point. King then stole the ball from Fort Wayne's Andy Phillip with three seconds remaining to clinch the victory for Syracuse.
It has been alleged that some Fort Wayne players conspired with gamblers to throw the series to Syracuse. The suspicious nature of the seventh game in particular has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the series. Fort Wayne led Syracuse 41-24 early in the second quarter, then allowed the Nationals to rally to win the game. Andy Phillip, who turned the ball over with three seconds left in the game, was believed by at least one of his teammates, George Yardley
, to have thrown the game. "There were always unwholesome implications about that ball game," Yardley told the author Charley Rosen
. However, Phillip may not have acted alone. Other Pistons players were strongly believed to have thrown games during the 1953-54 and 1954-55 NBA seasons. In fact, Yardley himself turned the ball over to Syracuse with a palming
violation with 18 seconds remaining in Game 7. The foul that gave Syracuse its winning free throw, meanwhile, was committed by Frankie Brian.
Nationals win series 4-3
1954-55 NBA season
The 1954–55 NBA season was the 9th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Syracuse Nationals winning the NBA Championship, beating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
. The best-of-seven series was won by the Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse Nationals
The Syracuse Nationals were an American professional basketball team that existed from 1946 to 1963 as part of the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . They are currently known as the Philadelphia 76ers, and are the NBA's oldest continued franchise.The team began in...
, who defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the final game when Syracuse's George King
George King
George King is the name of:* George King , British founder of the Aetherius Society new religious movement* George King , American basketball player and head coach...
made a free throw with 12 seconds left to put the Nationals up by one point. King then stole the ball from Fort Wayne's Andy Phillip with three seconds remaining to clinch the victory for Syracuse.
It has been alleged that some Fort Wayne players conspired with gamblers to throw the series to Syracuse. The suspicious nature of the seventh game in particular has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the series. Fort Wayne led Syracuse 41-24 early in the second quarter, then allowed the Nationals to rally to win the game. Andy Phillip, who turned the ball over with three seconds left in the game, was believed by at least one of his teammates, George Yardley
George Yardley
George Harry Yardley III , best known as simply George Yardley, was an NBA Hall of Fame basketball player. He was the first player in history to score 2,000 points in one season, breaking the 1,932-point record held by fellow Hall of Famer George Mikan...
, to have thrown the game. "There were always unwholesome implications about that ball game," Yardley told the author Charley Rosen
Charley Rosen
Charles Elliot Rosen is an American author and former basketball coach. From 1983–1986, he was an assistant to Phil Jackson with the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association ....
. However, Phillip may not have acted alone. Other Pistons players were strongly believed to have thrown games during the 1953-54 and 1954-55 NBA seasons. In fact, Yardley himself turned the ball over to Syracuse with a palming
Palming
Palming is a technique for holding or concealing an object in the palm of the hand. It is used frequently by magicians to conceal the presence of a card, coin, or other object. When done skillfully, the hand containing the palmed object appears to be completely empty.-Methods:Methods for palming...
violation with 18 seconds remaining in Game 7. The foul that gave Syracuse its winning free throw, meanwhile, was committed by Frankie Brian.
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | March 31 | Syracuse | 86-82 | Fort Wayne |
| Game 2 | April 2 | Syracuse | 87-84 | Fort Wayne |
| Game 3 | April 3 | Fort Wayne | 96-89 | Syracuse |
| Game 4 | April 5 | Fort Wayne | 109-82 | Syracuse |
| Game 5 | April 7 | Fort Wayne | 74-71 | Syracuse |
| Game 6 | April 9 | Syracuse | 109-104 | Fort Wayne |
| Game 7 | April 10 | Syracuse | 92-91 | Fort Wayne |
Nationals win series 4-3