Lowest-Scoring NBA Games in History

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.

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%)

Read more: Captain Hook’s Revenge Game Atari Review: A Fun Pirate Adventure?


NBA’s Lowest-Scoring Games of All Time

Below is a list of the lowest-scoring games in NBA history:

RankGameTotal PointsDateType
1Minneapolis Lakers 18-19 Fort Wayne Pistons37November 22, 1950Regular Season
2Detroit Falcons 33-50 Washington Capitols83November 2, 1946Regular Season
3Boston Celtics 47-38 Washington Capitols85January 16, 1947Regular Season
4Washington Capitols 49-40 Pittsburgh Ironmen89November 30, 1946Regular Season
5Pittsburgh Ironmen 44-46 Boston Celtics90December 2, 1946Regular Season
6Boston Celtics 48-43 Pittsburgh Ironmen91January 23, 1946Regular Season
7St. Louis Bombers 46-50 Toronto Huskies96December 15, 1946Regular Season
8Cleveland Rebels 49-47 Detroit Falcons96December 1, 1946Regular Season
9Boston Celtics 49-48 New York Knicks97February 6, 1947Regular Season
10New York Knicks 46-52 Boston Celtics98January 25, 1947Regular 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!

Challengeas

As a publisher and editor at challengeas.com, I deliver current news and create high-quality content. My passion for information and communication shapes the media landscape.

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