1956 NBA playoffs

The 1956 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1955-56 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Warriors defeating the Western Conference champion Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.

1956 NBA playoffs
DatesMarch 15–April 7, 1956
Season1955–56
Teams6
ChampionsPhiladelphia Warriors (2nd title)
Runners-upFort Wayne Pistons (2nd finals appearance)
Semifinalists
← 1955 1957 →

It was the Warriors' second NBA title; their first was in 1947 back when the NBA was known as the BAA. They would have to wait until 1975 to taste championship gold again; by that time they had moved to the Bay Area and become the Golden State Warriors. Philadelphia's later team, the Philadelphia 76ers, would win the title in 1967.

This was the Pistons' second straight trip to the NBA Finals, but they would not make another appearance until 1988 as the Detroit Pistons. No team from Indiana would return to the NBA Finals until the Indiana Pacers did so in 2000.

The play-in game between the Syracuse Nationals and the New York Knicks was the last play-in game to determine a playoff spot until 2020.[1]

Bracket
  Division Semifinals Division Finals NBA Finals
                           
 
  1 Fort Wayne 3  
Western Division
    3 St. Louis 2  
3 St. Louis 2
  2 Minneapolis 1  
    W1 Fort Wayne 1
  E1 Philadelphia 4
   
 
1 Philadelphia 3
Eastern Division
    3 Syracuse 2  
3 Syracuse 2
  2 Boston 1  

Western Division Tie Breakers

St. Louis Hawks vs. Minneapolis Lakers: Lakers win series 1-0

  • Game 1 @ St. Louis (March 16): Minneapolis 103, St. Louis 97

Minneapolis defeats St. Louis for #2 seed in West. St. Louis gets #3.

Eastern Division Tie Breakers

Syracuse Nationals vs. New York Knicks: Nationals win series 1-0

  • Game 1 @ Syracuse (March 15): Syracuse 82, New York 77

Syracuse defeats New York for #3 seed in East.

Western Division

Champion: Fort Wayne Pistons

Division Semifinals

(1) Fort Wayne Pistons have division semifinals byes.

(2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) St. Louis Hawks: Hawks win series 2-1

  • Game 1 @ St. Louis (March 17): St. Louis 116, Minneapolis 115
  • Game 2 @ Minneapolis (March 19): Minneapolis 133, St. Louis 75
  • Game 3 @ Minneapolis (March 21): St. Louis 116, Minneapolis 115 (George Mikan’s final NBA game)

Division Finals

(1) Fort Wayne Pistons vs. (3) St. Louis Hawks: Pistons win series 3-2

  • Game 1 @ Fort Wayne (March 22): St. Louis 86, Fort Wayne 85
  • Game 2 @ St. Louis (March 24): St. Louis 84, Fort Wayne 74
  • Game 3 @ Fort Wayne (March 25): Fort Wayne 107, St. Louis 84
  • Game 4 @ St. Louis (March 27): Fort Wayne 93, St. Louis 84
  • Game 5 @ Fort Wayne (March 29): Fort Wayne 102, St. Louis 97 (Pistons become first team to come back after from a 2–0 deficit in NBA Playoffs)

Eastern Division

Champion: Philadelphia Warriors

Division Semifinals

(1) Philadelphia Warriors have division semifinals byes.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals: Nationals win series 2-1

  • Game 1 @ Boston (March 17): Boston 110, Syracuse 93
  • Game 2 @ Syracuse (March 19): Syracuse 101, Boston 98
  • Game 3 @ Boston (March 21): Syracuse 102, Boston 97

Division Finals

(1) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals: Warriors win series 3-2

  • Game 1 @ Philadelphia (March 23): Philadelphia 109, Syracuse 87
  • Game 2 @ Syracuse (March 25): Syracuse 122, Philadelphia 118
  • Game 3 @ Philadelphia (March 27): Philadelphia 119, Syracuse 96
  • Game 4 @ Syracuse (March 28): Syracuse 108, Philadelphia 104
  • Game 5 @ Philadelphia (March 29): Philadelphia 109, Syracuse 104

NBA Finals
Main article: 1956 NBA Finals

(1) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (1) Fort Wayne Pistons: Warriors win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ Philadelphia (March 31): Philadelphia 98, Fort Wayne 94
  • Game 2 @ Fort Wayne (April 1): Fort Wayne 84, Philadelphia 83
  • Game 3 @ Philadelphia (April 3): Philadelphia 100, Fort Wayne 96
  • Game 4 @ Fort Wayne (April 5): Philadelphia 107, Fort Wayne 105
  • Game 5 @ Philadelphia (April 7): Philadelphia 99, Fort Wayne 88

References
  1. "How the Blazers, Grizzlies, Spurs and Suns make the West play-in". ESPN.com. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
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