1955–56 St. Louis Hawks season
The 1955–56 St. Louis Hawks season was the 10th season for the franchise. After 4 last-place seasons in Milwaukee, the Hawks relocated to St. Louis. The city had once been home to the St. Louis Bombers, an early BAA franchise that folded in 1950. The Hawks were on the verge of becoming one of the top teams in the NBA. Led by second year forward Bob Pettit, Pettit would earn the very first MVP award in NBA history.[1] The Hawks would finish in third place with a 33–39 record.
| 1955–56 St. Louis Hawks season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Red Holzman |
| Arena | Kiel Auditorium |
| Results | |
| Record | 33–39 (.458) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | West Division Finals(eliminated 2–3) |
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KTVI |
| Radio | KMOX |
In the playoffs against the Minneapolis Lakers, the Hawks were triumphant in Game 1 by a single point. Game 2 was played in Minneapolis, and the Hawks were blown out by 58 points in Game 2. The third game was contested in St. Louis. Once again, the Hawks would win by 1 point to advance to the Western Finals. In the three games, the Hawks were outscored by 56 points. In the Western Finals, the Hawks would win the first 2 games against the Fort Wayne Pistons. However, the Pistons would rebound to take the next 3 games and win the series.[1]
Regular season
Season standings
| Western Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Fort Wayne Pistons | 37 | 35 | .514 | - | 19-7 | 10-17 | 8-11 | 19-17 |
| x-Minneapolis Lakers | 33 | 39 | .458 | 4 | 14-12 | 6-21 | 13-6 | 19-17 |
| x-St. Louis Hawks | 33 | 39 | .458 | 4 | 15-11 | 11-17 | 7-11 | 18-18 |
| Rochester Royals | 31 | 41 | .431 | 6 | 15-14 | 6-21 | 10-6 | 16-20 |
Record vs. opponents
| 1955-56 NBA Records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BOS | FWP | MIN | NYK | PHI | ROC | STL | SYR |
| Boston | — | 4–5 | 7–2 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 8–4 |
| Fort Wayne | 5–4 | — | 5–7 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 4–5 |
| Minneapolis | 2–7 | 7–5 | — | 5–4 | 3–6 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 4–5 |
| New York | 7–5 | 4–5 | 4–5 | — | 6–6 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 4–8 |
| Philadelphia | 7–5 | 5–4 | 6–3 | 6–6 | — | 6–3 | 6–3 | 9–3 |
| Rochester | 4–5 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 3–6 | 3–6 | — | 6–6 | 5–4 |
| St. Louis | 4–5 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 5–4 | 3–6 | 6–6 | — | 3–6 |
| Syracuse | 4–8 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 8–4 | 3–9 | 4–5 | 6–3 | — |
Playoffs
West Division Second Place Tiebreaker
St. Louis Hawks vs. Minneapolis Lakers: Lakers win series 1-0
- Game 1 @ St. Louis: Minneapolis 103, St. Louis 97
West Division Semifinals
(2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) St. Louis Hawks: Hawks win series 2-1
- Game 1 @ St. Louis: St. Louis 116, Minneapolis 115
- Game 2 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 133, St. Louis 75
- Game 3 @ Minneapolis: St. Louis 116, Minneapolis 115
West Division Finals
(1) Fort Wayne Pistons vs. (3) St. Louis Hawks: Pistons win series 3-2
- Game 1 @ Fort Wayne: St. Louis 86, Fort Wayne 85
- Game 2 @ St. Louis: St. Louis 84, Fort Wayne 74
- Game 3 @ Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne 107, St. Louis 84
- Game 4 @ St. Louis: Fort Wayne 93, St. Louis 84
- Game 5 @ Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne 102, St. Louis 97