1954–55 NBA season

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1954–55 NBA season
League National Basketball Association
Sport Basketball
Number of games 72
Number of teams 8 (9)note
TV partner(s) NBC
Regular season
Top scorer Neil Johnston (Philadelphia)
Playoffs
Eastern champions Syracuse Nationals
  Eastern runners-up Boston Celtics
Western champions Ft. Wayne Pistons
  Western runners-up Minneapolis Lakers
Finals
Champions Syracuse Nationals
  Runners-up Ft. Wayne Pistons
NBA seasons

The 1954–55 NBA season was the ninth 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

  • In response to the relatively slow pace of games, the NBA introduced a 24-second shot clock. The shot clock revitalized the game and scoring skyrocketed league-wide.
  • The Baltimore Bullets ceased operations after playing 14 games, with a record of 3–11, and Baltimore's record was expunged. It would be the last time an NBA franchise folded. The NBA would return to Baltimore when the Chicago Zephyrs relocated there as the "new" Bullets for the 1963–64 season.
  • The NBA schedule had to be adjusted; each team now played 12 games against divisional opponents, and 9 games against the four teams in the other division, for a total of 72 games.
  • The 1955 NBA All-Star Game was played in New York City, with the East beating the West 100–91. Bill Sharman of the Boston Celtics won the game's MVP award.
  • NBC began televising NBA games. This continued until the 1962–63 season, when ABC took over. NBC would begin televising NBA games again in 1990.

Final standings

Eastern Division

Eastern Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Syracuse Nationals 43 29 .597 25–7 10–17 8–5 21–15
x-New York Knicks 38 34 .528 5 17–9 8–17 13–8 15–21
x-Boston Celtics 36 36 .500 7 21–5 4–22 11–9 19–17
Philadelphia Warriors 33 39 .458 10 14–5 6–20 13–14 17–19


Western Division

Western Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Fort Wayne Pistons 43 29 .597 21–6 9–14 13–9 28–8
x-Minneapolis Lakers 40 32 .556 3 18–6 10–14 12–12 18–18
x-Rochester Royals 29 43 .403 14 17–11 4–19 8–13 14–22
Milwaukee Hawks 26 46 .361 17 6–11 9–16 11–19 14–22


x – clinched playoff spot

Statistics leaders

Category Player Team Stat
Points Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors 1,631
Rebounds Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors 1,085
Assists Bob Cousy Boston Celtics 557
FG% Larry Foust Fort Wayne Pistons .487
FT% Bill Sharman Boston Celtics .897

Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.

NBA awards

References