Basketball history was made on November 22, 1950, when the Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers in what remains the lowest-scoring game in NBA history. The final score? A shockingly low 19-18, with a combined total of just 37 points.
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Why Was This Game So Low-Scoring?
At the time, the Minneapolis Lakers were a dominant force in the league. To counter their strength, Pistons’ coach Murray Mendenhall devised an unconventional strategy: hold onto the ball as long as possible to limit the Lakers’ scoring opportunities. This defensive approach resulted in a slow-paced, low-scoring game that frustrated fans and players alike.
Minneapolis Lakers’ head coach John Kundla famously reacted to this strategy, saying:
“If this is basketball, I don’t want to be a part of this game anymore. Play like that will kill professional basketball.”
Just four years later, in 1954, the NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock, an idea pioneered by Daniel Biasone, owner of the Syracuse Nationals. This rule change revolutionized the game, ensuring a faster pace and higher scores.
NBA Playoff Lowest-Scoring Game
While the 1950 Pistons-Lakers matchup holds the record for the lowest-scoring regular-season game, the lowest-scoring NBA playoff game occurred on March 30, 1948. In that game, the Philadelphia Warriors faced off against the St. Louis Bombers, ending with a score of 51-56.
Unlike the Pistons-Lakers game, the low score in this match wasn’t due to strategic ball-holding but rather poor shooting performance. Both teams struggled to make shots, with shooting percentages dropping below 20%:
- St. Louis Bombers: 20/76 field goals (26.3%)
- Philadelphia Warriors: 20/113 field goals (17.7%)
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NBA’s Lowest-Scoring Games of All Time
Below is a list of the lowest-scoring games in NBA history:
Rank | Game | Total Points | Date | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Minneapolis Lakers 18-19 Fort Wayne Pistons | 37 | November 22, 1950 | Regular Season |
2 | Detroit Falcons 33-50 Washington Capitols | 83 | November 2, 1946 | Regular Season |
3 | Boston Celtics 47-38 Washington Capitols | 85 | January 16, 1947 | Regular Season |
4 | Washington Capitols 49-40 Pittsburgh Ironmen | 89 | November 30, 1946 | Regular Season |
5 | Pittsburgh Ironmen 44-46 Boston Celtics | 90 | December 2, 1946 | Regular Season |
6 | Boston Celtics 48-43 Pittsburgh Ironmen | 91 | January 23, 1946 | Regular Season |
7 | St. Louis Bombers 46-50 Toronto Huskies | 96 | December 15, 1946 | Regular Season |
8 | Cleveland Rebels 49-47 Detroit Falcons | 96 | December 1, 1946 | Regular Season |
9 | Boston Celtics 49-48 New York Knicks | 97 | February 6, 1947 | Regular Season |
10 | New York Knicks 46-52 Boston Celtics | 98 | January 25, 1947 | Regular Season |
For basketball enthusiasts and historians, these games are key moments that shaped the evolution of the NBA. The introduction of the 24-second shot clock played a crucial role in ensuring such low-scoring games became a thing of the past.
Final Thoughts
The lowest-scoring game in NBA history may never be broken due to the modern fast-paced nature of the league. However, these historic moments serve as a reminder of how far basketball has come and how rule changes have transformed the sport into what it is today.
For more NBA history and stats, stay tuned to our blog!