1949–50 Syracuse Nationals season
Introduction The '''1949–50 Syracuse Nationals season''' was the first season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Nationals played its previous three seasons in the National Basketball League, which merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA.Al Cervi, nicknamed ''"Digger"'' for his superior defensive skills, guided the team with his competitive nature while serving as a player-coach. As the Syracuse Post-Standard describes, "The Nationals shot poorly but succeeded because they played Cervi-style basketball: nasty, with an emphasis on defense. "The Nationals went to the NBA Finals after beating the Philadelphia Warriors and New York Knicks, but lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in six games.
Draft picks  Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
Roster  Syracuse Nationals 1949–50 roster Players  Coaches Pos. #  Nat. Name  Ht. Wt. From
Regular season ===Standings======Record vs. opponents===1949–50 NBA recordsTeamANDBALBOSCHIDENFWPINDMINNYKPHIROCSHESTLSYRTCBWASWAT Anderson  —  1–1  0–2  1–1  4–3  1–1  2–5  1–1  1–1  1–1  0–2  5–2  2–0  3–4  7–2  1–1  7–0 Baltimore  1–1  —  2–4  1–5  1–1  3–3  1–1  1–5  1–5  3–3  3–3  2–0  3–3  0–2  0–2  2–4  1–1 Boston  2–0  4–2  —  0–6  1–1  2–4  1–1  1–5  1–5  3–3  0–6  1–1  2–4  0–2  0–2  3–3  1–1 Chicago  1–1  5–1  6–0  —  2–0  2–4  1–1  2–4  2–4  4–2  2–4  2–0  5–1  0–2  1–1  3–3  2–0 Denver  3–4  1–1  1–1  0–2  —  0–2  0–7  0–2  0–2  0–2  0–2  3–4  0–2  1–6  0–7  0–2  2–5 Fort Wayne  1–1  3–3  4–2  4–2  2–0  —  1–1  2–4  4–2  4–2  3–3  2–0  5–1  0–2  2–0  2–4  1–1 Indianapolis  5–2  1–1  1–1  1–1  7–0  1–1  —  1–1  1–1  2–0  1–1  5–2  1–1  2–7  4–3  1–1  5–2 Minneapolis  1–1  5–1  5–1  4–2  2–0  4–2  1–1  —  5–1  4–2  3–3  1–1  5–1  1–1  2–0  6–0  2–0 New York  1–1  5–1  5–1  4–2  2–0  2–4  1–1  1–5  —  1–5  1–5  1–1  4–2  0–2  1–1  5–1  2–0 Philadelphia  1–1  3–3  3–3  2–4  2–0  2–4  0–2  2–4  1–5  —  1–5  2–0  2–4  0–2  1–1  2–4  2–0 Rochester  2–0  3–3  6–0  4–2  2–0  3–3  1–1  3–3  5–1  5–1  —  1–1  5–1  1–1  2–0  6–0  2–0 Sheboygan  2–5  0–2  1–1  0–2  4–3  0–2  2–5  1–1  1–1  0–2  1–1  —  0–2  1–6  3–4  2–0  4–3 St. Louis  0–2  3–3  4–2  1–5  2–0  1–5  1–1  1–5  2–4  4–2  1–5  2–0  —  1–1  2–0  0–6  1–1 Syracuse  4–3  2–0  2–0  2–0  6–1  2–0  7–2  1–1  2–0  2–0  1–1  6–1  1–1  —  6–1  1–1  6–1 Tri-Cities  2–7  2–0  2–0  1–1  7–0  0–2  3–4  0–2  1–1  1–1  0–2  4–3  0–2  1–6  —  1–1  4–3 Washington  1–1  4–2  3–3  3–3  2–0  4–2  1–1  0–6  1–5  4–2  0–6  0–2  6–0  1–1  1–1  —  1–1 Waterloo  0–7  1–1  1–1  0–2  5–2  1–1  2–5  0–2  0–2  0–2  0–2  3–4  1–1  1–6  3–4  1–1  —===Game log=== 1  November 3  Denver Nuggets  78–58  State Fair Coliseum  Al Cervi (17)  1–0 2  November 5  vs Denver Nuggets  84–51  (Auburn, New York)  Billy Gabor (12)  2–0 3  November 6  Philadelphia Warriors  82–72  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (17)  3–0 4  November 9  Indianapolis Olympians  103–73  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (22)  4–0 5  November 10  @ St. Louis Bombers  67–73  St. Louis Arena  Gabor, Hannum (13)  4–1 6  November 12  @ Anderson Packers  84–69  Anderson High School Wigwam  Al Cervi (23)  5–1 7  November 13  New York Knicks  80–66  State Fair Coliseum  Billy Gabor (20)  6–1 8  November 15  @ New York Knicks  77–74  Madison Square Garden III  Dolph Schayes (13)  7–1 9  November 17  Tri-Cities Blackhawks  79–76  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (20)  8–1 10  November 20  Denver Nuggets  102–76  State Fair Coliseum  Billy Gabor (22)  9–1 11  November 21  vs Denver Nuggets  77–67  (Oneida, New York)  Andrew Levane (20)  10–1 12  November 24  Anderson Packers  125–123 (5OT)  State Fair Coliseum  Johnny Macknowski (21)  11–1 13  November 27  Waterloo Hawks  80–62  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (27)  12–1 14  November 30  @ Boston Celtics  87–71  Boston Garden  Billy Gabor (16)  13–1 15  December 4  Indianapolis Olympians  67–61  State Fair Coliseum  Al Cervi (18)  14–1 16  December 7  @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks  77–69  Wharton Field House  Dolph Schayes (31)  15–1 17  December 8  @ Sheboygan Red Skins  86–72  Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory  Dolph Schayes (18)  16–1 18  December 10  @ Rochester Royals  63–69  Edgerton Park Arena  Peterson, Schayes (15)  16–2 19  December 11  Sheboygan Red Skins  89–72  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (23)  17–2 20  December 14  Fort Wayne Pistons  96–83  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (29)  18–2 21  December 15  @ Anderson Packers  88–100  Anderson High School Wigwam  Al Cervi (17)  18–3 22  December 18  Chicago Stags  86–73  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (23)  19–3 23  December 20  @ Waterloo Hawks  95–70  McElroy Auditorium  Ratkovicz, Schayes (14)  20–3 24  December 21  @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks  96–84  Wharton Field House  Billy Gabor (23)  21–3 25  December 22  @ Sheboygan Red Skins  83–74  Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory  Alex Hannum (17)  22–3 26  December 25  Anderson Packers  94–88  State Fair Coliseum  Paul Seymour (24)  23–3 27  December 28  @ Washington Capitols  85–87  Uline Arena  Billy Gabor (23)  23–4 28  December 29  vs Philadelphia Warriors  64–62  (Atlantic City, New Jersey)  Dolph Schayes (18)  24–4 29  January 1  Washington Capitols  79–73  State Fair Coliseum  Billy Gabor (20)  25–4 30  January 5  Tri-Cities Blackhawks  82–73  State Fair Coliseum  Al Cervi (18)  26–4 31  January 8  Waterloo Hawks  84–68  State Fair Coliseum  Billy Gabor (19)  27–4 32  January 10  @ Waterloo Hawks  84–86 (OT)  McElroy Auditorium  Paul Seymour (14)  27–5  33  January 11  @ Minneapolis Lakers  88–98  Minneapolis Auditorium  Al Cervi (19)  27–6  34  January 12  @ Fort Wayne Pistons  64–62  North Side High School Gym  Al Cervi (17)  28–6 35  January 15  Indianapolis Olympians  82–69  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (23)  29–6 36  January 19  Denver Nuggets  107–86  State Fair Coliseum  Johnny Macknowski (19)  30–6 37  January 22  Anderson Packers  75–77 (OT)  State Fair Coliseum  George Ratkovicz (15)  30–7  38  January 26  Rochester Royals  76–72  State Fair Coliseum  Billy Gabor (20)  31–7  39  January 29  Sheboygan Red Skins  85–70  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (21)  32–7  40  January 30  vs Indianapolis Olympians  91–75  (Louisville, Kentucky)  Dolph Schayes (24)  33–7  41  February 1  @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks  83–91  Wharton Field House  Dolph Schayes (25)  33–8  42  February 2  @ Indianapolis Olympians  73–67  Butler Fieldhouse  George Ratkovicz (16)  34–8 43  February 3  Waterloo Hawks  103–79  State Fair Coliseum  Billy Gabor (32)  35–8 44  February 5  Baltimore Bullets  96–87  State Fair Coliseum  Johnny Macknowski (22)  36–8 45  February 8  Sheboygan Red Skins  106–81  State Fair Coliseum  Billy Gabor (19)  37–8 46  February 11  @ Baltimore Bullets  77–76  Baltimore Coliseum  Al Cervi (18)  38–8 47  February 12  Waterloo Hawks  102–98  State Fair Coliseum  Andrew Levane (21)  39–8  48  February 16  Tri-Cities Blackhawks  105–74  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (17)  40–8  49  February 19  Indianapolis Olympians  82–78  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (29)  41–8  50  February 21  @ Denver Nuggets  78–89  Denver Auditorium Arena  Dolph Schayes (31)  41–9  51  February 23  @ Denver Nuggets  108–80  Denver Auditorium Arena  Dolph Schayes (25)  42–9  52  February 24  vs Indianapolis Olympians  72–67  (Chicago)  George Ratkovicz (19)  43–9  53  February 26  Chicago Stags  73–64  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (24)  44–9  54  February 27  @ Anderson Packers  73–97  Anderson High School Wigwam  Dolph Schayes (17)  44–10  55  February 28  @ Indianapolis Olympians  72–110  Butler Fieldhouse  Alex Hannum (13)  44–11  56  March 1  @ Waterloo Hawks  93–72  McElroy Auditorium  Dolph Schayes (24)  45–11 57  March 2  @ Sheboygan Red Skins  85–95  Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory  Dolph Schayes (26)  45–12  58  March 5  Minneapolis Lakers  84–75  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (28)  46–12  59  March 9  St. Louis Bombers  85–74  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (19)  47–12  60  March 12  Boston Celtics  96–72  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (21)  48–12  61  March 14  @ Indianapolis Olympians  65–68  Butler Fieldhouse  George Ratkovicz (20)  48–13  62  March 16  @ Sheboygan Red Skins  88–75  Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory  Dolph Schayes (18)  49–13  63  March 18  @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks  89–88 (OT)  Wharton Field House  Johnny Macknowski (25)  50–13  64  March 19  Anderson Packers  72–67  State Fair Coliseum  Dolph Schayes (20)  51–13   1949–50 Schedule
Playoffs  1 March 22 Philadelphia  W 93–76 George Ratkovicz (25) Dolph Schayes (6) State Fair Coliseum 1–0 2 March 23 @ Philadelphia  W 59–53 Dolph Schayes (16) Al Cervi (2) Philadelphia Arena 2–0 1 March 26 New York  W 91–83 (OT) Dolph Schayes (26) Andrew Levane (4) State Fair Coliseum 1–0 2 March 30 @ New York  L 76–80 George Ratkovicz (17) Al Cervi (4) Madison Square Garden III 1–1 3 April 2 New York  W 91–80 Dolph Schayes (24) Schayes, Cervi (3) State Fair Coliseum 2–1 1 April 8 Minneapolis  L 66–68 Dolph Schayes (19) — State Fair Coliseum7,552 0–1 2 April 9 Minneapolis  W 91–85 George Ratkovicz (17) — State Fair Coliseum8,280 1–1 3 April 14 @ Minneapolis  L 77–91 Johnny Macknowski (25) Paul Seymour (5) St. Paul Auditorium10,288 1–2 4 April 16 @ Minneapolis  L 69–77 Schayes, Hannum (18) Bill Gabor (6) St. Paul Auditorium10,512 1–3 5 April 20 Minneapolis  W 83–76 Dolph Schayes (19) — State Fair Coliseum9,024 2–3 6 April 23 @ Minneapolis  L 95–110 Dolph Schayes (23) Johnny Macknowski (5) Minneapolis Auditorium9,812 2–4* Nationals had a bye in the NBA Semifinals as the team with the best record amongst teams who advanced past the Division Finals.
Awards and records *Al Cervi, All-NBA Second Team*Dolph Schayes, All-NBA Second Team
References