1955 NBA Finals
The 1955 NBA World Championship Series marked the conclusion of the 1954–55 NBA season with the Syracuse Nationals overcoming the Fort Wayne Pistons in a best-of-seven matchup. The final and deciding Game 7 finished at 92–91, highlighted by Nationals' George King sinking a pivotal free throw with just 12 seconds remaining, followed by a crucial steal from Fort Wayne's Andy Phillip during the closing moments. Due to scheduling conflicts at their usual venue, Fort Wayne held their home fixtures in Indianapolis.
Controversy arose as accusations emerged that certain Fort Wayne players had colluded with gamblers to manipulate the series outcome. Suspicion intensified during the seventh game when Fort Wayne initially took the lead but eventually allowed Syracuse to rally back. Teammate George Yardley expressed doubts about Andy Phillip’s integrity, suspecting him of intentionally losing the game, while other Pistons members were also believed to have been involved in fixing games throughout the 1954 and 1955 campaigns. Interestingly, Yardley himself committed a late turnover in Game 7, and it was Frankie Brian who committed the foul resulting in Syracuse’s winning free throw. The NBA refrained from using the 2–3–2 Finals format again until 1985. Up to the present season, this remains the sole NBA Finals series where every home team secured victory in all seven games.
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home team | Result | Road team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | March 31 | Syracuse Nationals | 87–82 (1–0) | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| Game 2 | April 2 | Syracuse Nationals | 87–84 (2–0) | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| Game 3 | April 3 | Fort Wayne Pistons* | 96–89 (1–2) | Syracuse Nationals |
| Game 4 | April 5 | Fort Wayne Pistons* | 109–102 (2–2) | Syracuse Nationals |
| Game 5 | April 7 | Fort Wayne Pistons* | 74–71 (3–2) | Syracuse Nationals |
| Game 6 | April 9 | Syracuse Nationals | 109–104 (3–3) | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| Game 7 | April 10 | Syracuse Nationals | 92–91 (4–3) | Fort Wayne Pistons |
Nationals clinch series 4–3
- – Matches hosted in Indianapolis
Box scores
- At the critical juncture, George King secured victory by making a late free throw and executing an essential steal from Andy Phillip.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1954–55 NBA season
- NBA Finals
- Syracuse Nationals games
- Detroit Pistons games
- March 1955 sports events in the United States
- April 1955 sports events in the United States
- Basketball competitions in Indiana
- Basketball competitions in Syracuse, New York
- 1955 in sports in New York (state)
- 1955 in sports in Indiana
- Sports competitions in Fort Wayne, Indiana