1954 - The NBA Record That The NBA Doesn't Know About
Dolph Schayes and the Syracuse Nationals Earn a Dubious Distinction
INTRODUCTION from The Sports Time Traveler
I’m following the 1954-55 Syracuse Nationals of the NBA precisely 70 years ago each day. I’m interested in this team because I had a special opportunity about 20 years ago to spend time with one of the team’s stars, and an all-time NBA legend, Dolph Schayes. And I feel Dolph is under appreciated in the annals of pro basketball (more on that to come in future articles).
It’s very early in this virtual journey as the 1954-55 NBA season just started “a few weeks ago.”
But quite unexpectedly I’ve already learned of something so mind boggling that I had to come back to 2024 and write to the present day NBA offices about it.
It’s the kind of “sports archeology discovery” that makes being a sports time traveler so exciting.
Let’s go back 70 years to see what happened.
SYRACUSE, NY - November 23, 1954
I’m here virtually in Syracuse, in 1954, where I’m following the old Syracuse Nationals in the NBA.
The Nationals are led by 6’8” Dolph Schayes, the 26 year old, 6th year pro, who led the team last season in most statistical categories averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds a game.
This season, Dolph’s scoring average is almost certain to increase as the new 24 second clock has been adopted by the NBA and it’s first use was a few weeks ago on October 30th, when the season opened and the first 4 games were played including the Nationals season opener against the Bullets.
Last April, Dolph played in the last NBA game ever without a shot clock. That was game 7 of the NBA Finals, which the Nationals lost to the George Mikan led Minneapolis Lakers. With Mikan dominating the middle, the Lakers have won 5 of the last 6 pro basketball titles.
But after last season, the Mighty Mikan retired, and now the Nationals have entered this season with aspirations for a championship next spring.
The Nationals need to perform well so they can fill seats in War Memorial arena and turn a profit. Jack Andrews, writing in the Syracuse Post-Standard on October 31st noted, “The Syracuse payroll reportedly is over $100,000.”
But 2 weeks into the season on the afternoon of November 13, 1954, the Nationals looked like anything but contenders in the opening quarter of a game in Milwaukee. Playing against a Hawks team that had finished last in the West in 1953-54, with a record of 21 - 51, the Nationals got out to a horrific start.
Perhaps the Nationals were over confident as they had beaten Milwaukee 97 - 80 in Syracuse the week before.
Or perhaps, the Nationals were done in by the brilliant defense of Hawks coach Red Holzman. Holzman was entering his first full season as an NBA head coach.
NOTE from The Sports Time Traveler
I interrupt this article to inform you that Red Holzman later earned fame as the coach and mastermind of the New York Knicks championship teams in 1970 and 1973 which were famous for their “dee-fense.”
Now back to 1954.
NATIONALS vs. HAWKS - 1st quarter - November 13, 1954
The Saturday game was on national television at 4pm ET.
In the opening quarter the Hawks outscored the Nationals 25 - 5.
The 5 points by the Nationals all came on free throws.
That’s right, the Hawks held the Nationals without a 2 point basket for the entire 1st quarter.
Syracuse was 0 for 20 from the field.
When the 2nd quarter began, the Nationals still couldn’t score a basket.
With 10:45 remaining in the 2nd quarter, Dolph Schayes finally broke the drought.
The Syracuse Post-Standard article on the game included this paragraph:
It took 13 minutes and 15 seconds of game time for Syracuse to score their first field goal of the game.
After the horrendous start to the game, the Nationals managed to make the game respectable. They got as close as 8 points at 48 - 40, before losing the game 85 - 72.
Schayes actually led all scorers in the game with 24.
You can view the box score of the game in NBA.com at this link:
https://www.nba.com/game/syr-vs-mih-0025400019/box-score
It’s interesting to note that Dolph Schayes shot 8 for 15 from the field while the rest of the Nationals shot 14 for 76.
NOTE from The Sports Time Traveler
I interrupt this article again to let you know that immediately after my virtual trip to experience this game, I came back to 2024 to determine if a defensive record had been set in this game.
To the best of my abilities, I can find no other instance, since the advent of the 24-second clock, that a team went the entire first quarter of a game without a field goal.
It also appears to me that the NBA does not maintain records related to the amount of time that a team has held an opponent without a field goal to start a game.
As a result, I sent a message to my contact at the NBA, Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, Michael Bass.
I informed Mike about the game including the article clipping from the November 14, 1954, Syracuse Post-Standard, and submitted that this should be recognized as an NBA record. I also noted that an AP article that further documented this game, and the first quarter “shutout,” appeared in 100+ newspapers across the country on the same day.
A few hours later Mike returned my message with the following reply:
Hey, Len – hope you are well. Thanks so much for reaching out. This is very interesting. I will connect with our stats team on it and be in touch.
Now back again to 1954.
Warriors at Nationals - November 16, 1954
3 days after the bucket-less 1st quarter in Milwaukee, the Nationals were back home for a game against the Philadelphia Warriors.
The game featured another stunning 1st quarter defensive effort.
This time it was the Warriors that held the Nationals without a basket at the start of the game for an exceedingly long time.
Here’s a paragraph from the game story in the November 17, 1954 Syracuse Post-Standard:
This time the Nationals did get a basket in the 1st quarter, but not until there were 40 seconds left!
And again, it was Dolph Schayes that broke the drought!
NOTE from The Sports Time Traveler
I interrupt this article a third time to let you know that it appears to me that a new record was set in this game as the Nationals began the game 0 for 26 from the field. This appears to exceed the number of field goals missed at the start of the game from the November 13 game, and it sounds to me like another NBA record that the NBA doesn’t know about.
I did not message Mike Bass about this November 16 game because I’m still waiting to hear back from him on the November 13 game.
Now back yet again to 1954.
Warriors Comeback
Unlike the November 13 game, the Warriors survived the stunning 1st quarter drought and came all the way back.
At the end of the half, the Nationals were within 7 points at 46 - 39.
They cut into the lead further in the 3rd quarter and entered the 4th quarter down 65 - 61.
The Nationals finally tied the game early in the 4th quarter and pulled ahead 82 - 75.
The game seemed to be wrapped up, but the Warriors rallied and pulled ahead 83 - 82 with 40 seconds to go.
After Paul Seymour missed for the Nationals, the Warriors’ Joe Graboski grabbed the rebound and fed the ball to Neil Johnston who scored with 20 seconds remaining to put the Warriors up 85 - 82. Now it looked like the Warriors had iced the game.
But Red Rocha of the Nationals quickly scored to pull the Nats back to within a point at 85 - 84.
Then George King stole a Warriors pass with 8 seconds to go and the Nats called time.
The Syracuse Post-Standard recorded what happened after the time out:
Dolph Schayes basket gave the Nationals an unlikely come from behind 86 - 85 victory.
Here was the headline in the The Post-Standard:
Celtics at Warriors - November 21, 1954
The Warriors most recent game was a big one, an early season test against the Celtics and Bob Cousy.
This time Syracuse got off to a great start scoring 33 points in the opening quarter to take a 12 point lead.
The Nationals never relinquished the lead, although the Celtics did pull within 4 points late in the game. Cousy had 26 points and 9 assists, but the Warriors overcame that effort and won the game 110 - 104.
The star of the game for the Nationals was none other than Dolph Schayes. Schayes set team records for most points scored in a regulation game with 39, and most field goals in a game with 15 (on 28 shots). He also pulled down a game high 17 rebounds.
The win put the Nationals in 1st place in the East at 7 - 4 for the first time in the young season. And Dolph Schayes leads the team in scoring at 20 points per game.
The Sports Time Traveler will continue following the 1954-55 Syracuse Nationals games and will report to you again when there is something compelling to share, or as soon as the NBA gets back to me.
Thanks for reading.