1950–51 Syracuse Nationals season

1950–51 Syracuse Nationals season
Head coach	Al Cervi
Arena	State Fair Coliseum
Results
Record	32–34 (.485)
Place	Division: 4th (Atlantic)
Playoff finish	East Division Finals (Eliminated 2–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Radio	WNDR

The 1950–51 Syracuse Nationals season was the fifth season of the franchise and the second in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Nationals finished in fourth place in the Eastern Division and their 32–34 record gave them a berth in the NBA Playoffs. Syracuse faced the Philadelphia Warriors in the first round of the Eastern Division playoffs and won the best-of-three series 2–0 to advance to the division finals. In that series, the Nationals lost to the New York Knicks 2–3 in a best-of-five series.

NBA Draft

Main article: 1950 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	11	Don Lofgran	F/C	United States	San Francisco
2	23	Gerald Calabrese	G	United States	St. John's

Roster

Syracuse Nationals 1950–51 roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From SG Calabrese, Gerald 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) St. John's PG 15 Cervi, Al 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) F 11 Chollet, Leroy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Canisius College SG 7 Gabor, Billy 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Syracuse PF 10 Hannum, Alex 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) USC C 13 Jorgensen, Noble 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 228 lb (103 kg) Iowa F/C 11 Lofgran, Don 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) San Francisco G/F 5 Macknowski, Johnny 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Seton Hall C 13 Peterson, Ed 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Cornell PF 6 Ratkovicz, George 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) F/C 4 Schayes, Dolph 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) NYU PG 14 Scolari, Fred 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) San Francisco G/F 8 Seymour, Paul 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Toledo SG 14 Smawley, Belus 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Appalachian State	Head coach Al Cervi Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Standings

Eastern Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Philadelphia Warriors	40	26	.606	–	28–4	11–21	1–1	22–14
x-Boston Celtics	39	30	.565	1	25–5	10–23	4–2	21–19
x-New York Knicks	36	30	.545	4	22–5	10–25	4–0	21–15
x-Syracuse Nationals	32	34	.485	8	23–10	9–24	–	19–17
Baltimore Bullets	24	42	.364	16	20–12	4–24	0–6	12–24
Washington Capitols	10	25	.286	30	7–12	3–12	0–1	6–12

Record vs. opponents

1950–51 NBA records
Team	BAL	BOS	FWP	IND	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SYR	TCB	WAS
Baltimore	—	3–6	4–2	2–4	2–4	2–5	3–6	1–5	3–5	3–3	1–2
Boston	6–3	—	5–1	4–1	3–3	4–4	4–4	2–4	2–5	4–2	4–3
Fort Wayne	2–4	1–5	—	5–3	5–3	2–4	3–3	3–5	3–3	5–5	3–1
Indianapolis	4–2	1–4	3–5	—	3–7	5–1	1–5	5–4	3–3	4–4	2–2
Minneapolis	4–2	3–3	3–5	7–3	—	3–3	4–2	4–4	4–2	10–0	2–0
New York	5–2	4–4	4–2	1–5	3–3	—	5–3	3–3	5–5	4–2	2–1
Philadelphia	6–3	4–4	3–3	5–1	2–4	3–5	—	4–2	6–2	4–2	3–0
Rochester	5–3	5–2	3–3	3–3	2–4	5–5	2–6	—	4–2	5–3	5–0
Syracuse	5–3	5–2	3–3	3–3	2–4	5–5	2–6	2–4	—	3–3	2–0
Tri-Cities	3–3	2–4	5–5	4–4	0–10	2–4	2–4	3–5	3–3	—	1–1
Washington	2–1	3–4	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–2	0–3	0–5	0–2	1–1	—

Game log

1950–51 Game Log Total: 32–34 (Home: 23–10 ; Road: 9–24)
November: 7–7 (Home: 6–2 ; Road: 1–5) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 1 November 2 Fort Wayne Pistons 92–77 State Fair Coliseum 1–0 2 November 5 Minneapolis Lakers 90–87 State Fair Coliseum 2–0 3 November 9 Tri-Cities Blackhawks 89–70 State Fair Coliseum 3–0 4 November 11 @ New York Knicks 72–74 (OT) Madison Square Garden 3–1 5 November 12 Baltimore Bullets 83–57 State Fair Coliseum 4–1 6 November 14 @ Indianapolis Olympians 78–108 Butler Fieldhouse 4–2 7 November 15 @ Minneapolis Lakers 71–72 (OT) Minneapolis Auditorium 4–3 8 November 16 @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks 75–79 Wharton Field House 4–4 9 November 19 New York Knicks 96–83 State Fair Coliseum 5–4 10 November 23 Indianapolis Olympians 85–92 State Fair Coliseum 5–5 11 November 25 @ Washington Capitols 77–67 Uline Arena 6–5 12 November 26 Washington Capitols 90–76 State Fair Coliseum 7–5 13 November 28 @ New York Knicks 84–108 Madison Square Garden 7–6 14 November 30 @ Philadelphia Warriors 78–81 Philadelphia Arena 7–7
December: 7–7 (Home: 3–3 ; Road: 4–4) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 15 December 2 @ Baltimore Bullets 99–96 (OT) Baltimore Coliseum 8–7 16 December 3 Indianapolis Olympians 84–81 State Fair Coliseum 9–7 17 December 7 Rochester Royals 69–76 State Fair Coliseum 9–8 18 December 9 @ Boston Celtics 86–85 Boston Garden 10–8 19 December 10 Baltimore Bullets 76–86 State Fair Coliseum 10–9 20 December 14 Tri-Cities Blackhawks 69–78 State Fair Coliseum 10–10 21 December 16 @ Rochester Royals 79–75 (OT) Edgerton Park Arena 11–10 22 December 17 New York Knicks 95–86 State Fair Coliseum 12–10 23 December 20 @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks 83–86 Wharton Field House 12–11 24 December 21 @ Fort Wayne Pistons 72–97 North Side High School Gym 12–12 25 December 25 Fort Wayne Pistons 81–69 State Fair Coliseum 13–12 26 December 26 @ Boston Celtics 100–102 Boston Garden 13–13 27 December 28 @ Philadelphia Warriors 88–91 (OT) Philadelphia Arena 13–14 28 December 30 @ Baltimore Bullets 90–80 (OT) Baltimore Coliseum 14–14
January: 7–7 (Home: 5–3 ; Road: 2–4) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 29 January 1 Boston Celtics 106–89 State Fair Coliseum 15–14 30 January 4 Minneapolis Lakers 77–80 State Fair Coliseum 15–15 31 January 6 @ New York Knicks 87–85 (OT) Madison Square Garden 16–15 32 January 7 Baltimore Bullets 73–65 State Fair Coliseum 17–15 33 January 10 @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks 97–96 Wharton Field House 18–15 34 January 11 @ Fort Wayne Pistons 76–84 North Side High School Gym 18–16 35 January 14 Rochester Royals 92–63 State Fair Coliseum 19–16 36 January 18 Rochester Royals 87–96 State Fair Coliseum 19–17 37 January 21 Philadelphia Warriors 86–96 State Fair Coliseum 19–18 38 January 24 @ Baltimore Bullets 82–87 Baltimore Coliseum 19–19 39 January 25 Tri-Cities Blackhawks 113–87 State Fair Coliseum 20–19 40 January 27 @ Rochester Royals 83–85 Edgerton Park Arena 20–20 41 January 28 Boston Celtics 104–83 State Fair Coliseum 21–20 42 January 30 @ Boston Celtics 87–96 Boston Garden 21–21
February: 7–7 (Home: 5–2 ; Road: 2–5) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 43 February 1 New York Knicks 90–93 State Fair Coliseum 21–22 44 February 2 @ Boston Celtics 90–96 (OT) Boston Garden 21–23 45 February 5 Philadelphia Warriors 78–75 State Fair Coliseum 22–23 46 February 7 @ Baltimore Bullets 82–102 Baltimore Coliseum 22–24 47 February 8 New York Knicks 96–83 State Fair Coliseum 23–24 48 February 11 Baltimore Bullets 80–72 State Fair Coliseum 24–24 49 February 14 @ Fort Wayne Pistons 75–77 North Side High School Gym 24–25 50 February 15 Boston Celtics 94–80 State Fair Coliseum 25–25 51 February 17 @ New York Knicks 75–88 Madison Square Garden 25–26 52 February 18 Minneapolis Lakers 91–80 State Fair Coliseum 26–26 53 February 20 @ Indianapolis Olympians 81–79 Butler Fieldhouse 27–26 54 February 21 @ Minneapolis Lakers 76–82 Minneapolis Auditorium 27–27 55 February 25 New York Knicks 98–93 State Fair Coliseum 28–27 56 February 27 @ Philadelphia Warriors 72–86 Philadelphia Arena 28–28
March: 4–6 (Home: 4–1 ; Road: 0–5) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 57 March 1 Fort Wayne Pistons 108–86 State Fair Coliseum 29–28 58 March 3 @ New York Knicks 78–97 Madison Square Garden 29–29 59 March 4 Philadelphia Warriors 85–79 State Fair Coliseum 30–29 60 March 8 Indianapolis Olympians 121–97 State Fair Coliseum 31–29 61 March 10 @ Rochester Royals 86–107 Edgerton Park Arena 31–30 62 March 11 Philadelphia Warriors 91–95 State Fair Coliseum 31–31 63 March 13 @ Indianapolis Olympians 93–98 Butler Fieldhouse 31–32 64 March 14 @ Minneapolis Lakers 76–100 Minneapolis Auditorium 31–33 65 March 17 @ Philadelphia Warriors 86–100 Philadelphia Arena 31–34 66 March 18 Boston Celtics 97–89 State Fair Coliseum 32–34
1950–51 Schedule

Playoffs

East Division Semifinals

(1) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (4) Syracuse Nationals: Nationals win series 2–0

• Game 1 @ Philadelphia: Syracuse 91, Philadelphia 89 (OT)
• Game 2 @ Syracuse: Syracuse 90, Philadelphia 78

East Division Finals

(3) New York Knicks vs. (4) Syracuse Nationals: Knicks win series 3–2

• Game 1 @ New York: New York 103, Syracuse 92
• Game 2 @ Syracuse: Syracuse 102, New York 80
• Game 3 @ New York: New York 77, Syracuse 75 (OT)
• Game 4 @ Syracuse: Syracuse 90, New York 83
• Game 5 @ New York: New York 83, Syracuse 81

Awards and records

• Dolph Schayes, All-NBA Second Team

External links

• Nationals on Basketball Reference