1955 NBA playoffs

The 1955 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1954-55 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Syracuse Nationals defeating the Western Conference champion Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.

1955 NBA playoffs
DatesMarch 15–April 10, 1955
Season1954–55
Teams6
ChampionsSyracuse Nationals (1st title)
Runners-upFort Wayne Pistons (1st finals appearance)
Semifinalists
← 1954 1956 →

This was the only title for the Nationals under that moniker; the franchise won its next title in 1967 as the Philadelphia 76ers.

For the Pistons, this was their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history; they returned the next year, but didn't win their first title until 1989 as the Detroit Pistons.

After experimenting with a round robin playoff format in 1954, the NBA moved to a system in which the top team in each conference earned a first-round bye, giving them the right to start out in the division finals. It remained in place until 1967, when it changed to an eight-team format in which all teams played the first round.

Bracket
  Division Semifinals Division Finals NBA Finals
                           
 
  1 Fort Wayne 3  
Western Division
    2 Minneapolis 1  
3 Rochester 1
  2 Minneapolis 2  
    W1 Fort Wayne 3
  E1 Syracuse 4
   
 
1 Syracuse 3
Eastern Division
    3 Boston 1  
3 Boston 2
  2 New York 1  

Western Division

Champion: Fort Wayne Pistons

Division Semifinals

(1) Fort Wayne Pistons have division semifinals bye.

(2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) Rochester Royals: Lakers win series 2-1

  • Game 1 @ Minneapolis (March 16): Minneapolis 82, Rochester 78
  • Game 2 @ Rochester (March 18): Rochester 94, Minneapolis 92
  • Game 3 @ Minneapolis (March 19): Minneapolis 119, Rochester 110 (Bob Davies’s final NBA game)

Last Playoff Meeting: 1954 NBA Western Division Finals (Minneapolis won 2-1)

Division Finals

(1) Fort Wayne Pistons vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers: Pistons win series 3-1

  • Game 1 @ Fort Wayne (March 20): Fort Wayne 96, Minneapolis 79
  • Game 2 @ Fort Wayne (March 22): Fort Wayne 98, Minneapolis 97 (OT)
  • Game 3 @ Minneapolis (March 23): Minneapolis 99, Fort Wayne 91 (OT)
  • Game 4 @ Minneapolis (March 27): Fort Wayne 105, Minneapolis 96 (Jim Pollard’s final NBA game)

Last Playoff Meeting: 1953 NBA Western Division Finals (Minneapolis won 3-2)

Eastern Division

Champion: Syracuse Nationals

Division Semifinals

(1) Syracuse Nationals have division semifinals bye.

(2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Boston Celtics: Celtics win series 2-1

  • Game 1 @ Boston (March 15): Boston 122, New York 101
  • Game 2 @ New York (March 16): New York 102, Boston 95
  • Game 3 @ New York (March 19): Boston 116, New York 109

Last Playoff Meeting: 1953 NBA Eastern Division Finals (New York won 3-1)

Division Finals

(1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) Boston Celtics: Nationals win series 3-1

  • Game 1 @ Syracuse (March 22): Syracuse 110, Boston 100
  • Game 2 @ Syracuse (March 24): Syracuse 116, Boston 110
  • Game 3 @ Boston (March 26): Boston 100, Syracuse 97 (OT)
  • Game 4 @ Boston (March 27): Syracuse 110, Boston 94

Last Playoff Meeting: 1954 NBA Eastern Division Finals (Syracuse won 2-0)

NBA Finals
Main article: 1955 NBA Finals

(1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (1) Fort Wayne Pistons: Nationals win series 4-3

  • Game 1 @ Syracuse (March 31): Syracuse 86, Fort Wayne 82
  • Game 2 @ Syracuse (April 2): Syracuse 87, Fort Wayne 84
  • Game 3 @ Fort Wayne (April 3): Fort Wayne 96, Syracuse 89
  • Game 4 @ Fort Wayne (April 5): Fort Wayne 109, Syracuse 102
  • Game 5 @ Fort Wayne (April 7): Fort Wayne 74, Syracuse 71
  • Game 6 @ Syracuse (April 9): Syracuse 109, Fort Wayne 104
  • Game 7 @ Syracuse (April 10): Syracuse 92, Fort Wayne 91 (George King hit a free throw with 12 seconds left, then stole the ball from Andy Phillip with 3 seconds left to seal it)

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Nationals and Pistons.

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