1952-53 National Basketball Association season

Seasons

1951-52

1952-53

1953-54

Teams and Alignment

Division	Team	Primary Venue	Municipality
Eastern Division	Baltimore Bullets	Baltimore Coliseum	Baltimore
	Boston Celtics	Boston Garden	Boston
	New York Knickerbockers	Madison Square Garden (1925)	Manhattan, New York
	Philadelphia Warriors	Philadelphia Convention Hall	Philadelphia
	Syracuse Nationals	Upstate Medical University Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial	Syracuse, New York
Western Division	Fort Wayne Pistons	Allen County War Memorial Coliseum	Fort Wayne, Indiana
	Indianapolis Olympians	Hinkle Fieldhouse	Indianapolis
	Milwaukee Hawks	UWM Panther Arena	Milwaukee
	Minneapolis Lakers	Minneapolis Auditorium (1927)	Minneapolis
	Rochester Royals	Edgerton Park Arena	Rochester, New York

Changes

• Fort Wayne Pistons relocate from North Side High School Gym to Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
• Philadelphia Warriors relocate primary venue from Philadelphia Arena to Philadelphia Convention Hall.

Regular Season Results

Division	Team	W	L	GB
Eastern Division	New York Knickerbockers	47	23
	Syracuse Nationals	47*	24	0.5
	Boston Celtics	46	25*	1.5
	Baltimore Bullets	16	54	31
	Philadelphia Warriors	12	57*	34.5
Western Division	Minneapolis Lakers	48	22
	Rochester Royals	44	26	4
	Fort Wayne Pistons	36	33	11.5
	Indianapolis Olympians	28*	43	20.5
	Milwaukee Hawks	27*	44*	21.5

*Syracuse Nationals host and defeat Boston Celtics 72-68 in tiebreaker game that counted for regular season standings. Milwaukee Hawks host and defeated by Indianapolis Olympians 74-69 in tiebreaker game that counted for regular season standings. One Milwaukee Hawks victory over Philadelphia Warriors in Chicago expunged and replayed in Pittsburgh, resulting in a Philadelphia Warriors victory.

Postseason Results

Team (Best-of-Three)		Team (Best-of-Five)		Team (Best-of-Seven)		Champions
New York Knickerbockers	2	New York Knickerbockers	3	New York Knickerbockers	1	Minneapolis Lakers
Baltimore Bullets	0
Syracuse Nationals	0	Boston Celtics	1
Boston Celtics	2
Minneapolis Lakers	2	Minneapolis Lakers	3	Minneapolis Lakers	4
Indianapolis Olympians	0
Rochester Royals	1	Fort Wayne Pistons	2
Fort Wayne Pistons	2

Special Event Results

Event	Away	Score	Home
NBA All-Star Game	Eastern Conference	75-79	Western Conference

Markets and Venues

Combined Statistical Area	Metropolitan / Micropolitan Statistical Area	Metropolitan Division	County / Equivalent	Municipality	Venue	Team / Event	Regular	Postseason	Total
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH Combined Statistical Area	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metropolitan Statistical Area	Boston, MA Metropolitan Division	Suffolk County, Massachusetts	Boston	Boston Garden	Boston Celtics	19	Three	22
						New York Knickerbockers	Five		Five
						Philadelphia Warriors	Four		Four
					Matthews Arena	Boston Celtics	Five		Five
						New York Knickerbockers	One		One
	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Metropolitan Statistical Area		Providence County, Rhode Island	Providence, Rhode Island	Rhode Island Auditorium	Boston Celtics	One		One
	Worcester, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area		Worcester County, Massachusetts	Worcester, Massachusetts	Worcester Memorial Auditorium	Boston Celtics	Two		Two
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY Combined Statistical Area	Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area		Erie County, New York	Buffalo, New York	Buffalo Memorial Auditorium	Baltimore Bullets	One		One
						Rochester Royals	One		One
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area	Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metropolitan Division	Cook County, Illinois	Chicago	Chicago Stadium	Milwaukee Hawks	One		One
						Philadelphia Warriors	One expunged		One
Cincinnati-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN Combined Statistical Area	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area		Hamilton County, Ohio	Cincinnati	Cincinnati Gardens	Milwaukee Hawks	One		One
						Philadelphia Warriors	One		One
Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area	Cleveland, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area		Cuyahoga County, Ohio	Cleveland	Cleveland Arena	Philadelphia Warriors	One		One
Duluth-Grand Rapids, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area	Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area		St. Louis County, Minnesota	Hibbing, Minnesota	Hibbing Memorial Building Arena	Minneapolis Lakers	One		One
Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN Combined Statistical Area	Fargo, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area		Clay County, Minnesota	Moorhead, Minnesota	Memorial Auditorium	Minneapolis Lakers	Two		Two
Fort Wayne-Huntington-Auburn, IN Combined Statistical Area	Fort Wayne, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area		Allen County, Indiana	Fort Wayne, Indiana	Allen County War Memorial Coliseum	Fort Wayne Pistons	33	Three	36
						Milwaukee Hawks	Two		Two
						Indianapolis Olympians	One		One
						NBA All-Star Game			One
Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area			Grand Forks County, North Dakota	Grand Forks, North Dakota	Hyslop Sports Center	Minneapolis Lakers	One		One
Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area		Dauphin County, Pennsylvania	Hershey, Pennsylvania	Hersheypark Arena	Philadelphia Warriors	One		One
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN Combined Statistical Area	Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area		Marion County, Indiana	Indianapolis	Hinkle Fieldhouse	Indianapolis Olympians	33	One	34
						Milwaukee Hawks	Three		Three
Louisville/Jefferson County--Elizabethtown, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area		Jefferson County, Kentucky	Louisville, Kentucky	Louisville Gardens	Milwaukee Hawks	One		One
Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area	Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area		Milwaukee County, Wisconsin	Milwaukee	UWM Panther Arena	Milwaukee Hawks	21 + one tiebreaker		22
						Fort Wayne Pistons	Two		Two
						Minneapolis Lakers	Two		Two
						Indianapolis Olympians	One		One
						Philadelphia Warriors	One		One
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area		Hennepin County, Minnesota	Minneapolis	Minneapolis Armory	Minneapolis Lakers		Three	Three
					Minneapolis Auditorium (1927)	Minneapolis Lakers	26	Two	28
						Milwaukee Hawks	One		One
			Ramsey County, Minnesota	St. Paul, Minnesota	Roy Wilkins Auditorium	Minneapolis Lakers	Three	One	Four
New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area	New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division	New York County, New York	Manhattan, New York	69th Regiment Armory	New York Knickerbockers	Seven	Three	10
					Madison Square Garden (1925)	New York Knickerbockers	18	Three	21
						Boston Celtics	Six		Six
						Philadelphia Warriors	Three		Three
						Rochester Royals	Two		Two
						Baltimore Bullets	One		One
	Trenton-Princeton, NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area		Mercer County, New Jersey	Trenton, New Jersey	Trenton Armory	Baltimore Bullets	One		One
						Philadelphia Warriors	One		One
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area	Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division	Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Philadelphia Arena	Philadelphia Warriors	Eight		Eight
						New York Knickerbockers	Three		Three
						Milwaukee Hawks	Two		Two
						Boston Celtics	One		One
					Philadelphia Convention Hall	Philadelphia Warriors	Nine		Nine
						Syracuse Nationals	Two		Two
						Boston Celtics	One		One
Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville, PA-OH-WV Combined Statistical Area	Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area		Allegheny County, Pennsylvania	Pittsburgh	Duquesne Garden	Philadelphia Warriors	One		One
Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area	Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area		Wake County, North Carolina	Raleigh, North Carolina	James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum	Philadelphia Warriors	One		One
Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY Combined Statistical Area	Rochester, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area		Monroe County, New York	Rochester, New York	Edgerton Park Arena	Rochester Royals	32	Two	34
Sheboygan, WI			Sheboygan County, Wisconsin	Sheboygan, Wisconsin	Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory	Milwaukee Hawks	One		One
Syracuse-Auburn, NY Combined Statistical Area	Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area		Onondaga County, New York	Syracuse, New York	Upstate Medical University Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial	Syracuse Nationals	33 + one tiebreaker	One	35
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area		Baltimore		Baltimore Coliseum	Baltimore Bullets	31	One	32
						Philadelphia Warriors	Four		Four
						Milwaukee Hawks	One		One
						New York Knickerbockers	One		One
	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area	Washington, DC-MD Metropolitan Division	District of Columbia		Uline Arena	Baltimore Bullets	One		One
Total							349 + one expunged + two tiebreaker	23	376