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1949–50 Tri-Cities Blackhawks season

1949–50 Tri-Cities Blackhawks season
Head coachRoger Potter (1–6)
Red Auerbach (28–29)
ArenaWharton Field House
Results
Record29–35 (.453)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finishWest Division Semifinals
(eliminated 1–2)
Stats at Basketball Reference
RadioWQUA
< 1948–49 1950–51 >

The 1949–50 season was the Tri-Cities Blackhawks' fourth season of play and first in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This season was notable for it being the only season to have legendary head coach Red Auerbach (previously of the Washington Capitols) coaching the team, though he only be coaching for the vast majority of this season following previous head coach Roger Potter being fired for a dismal 1–6 start to the season. By the end of the season, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks would join the Indianapolis Olympians as the only teams from the Central Division from this season to end up playing beyond this season in the end, as four of the Central Division's teams would defect from the NBA to create a short-lived rivaling professional basketball league to compete against the NBA called the National Professional Basketball League. Not only that, but the Blackhawks franchise were the only team from that season's Central Division to survive up to this present day, albeit with them playing under the most recent name of the Atlanta Hawks instead, as the Olympians would fold operations after a few seasons due to two key players of theirs being permanently banned from the NBA and subsequently being forced to sell their shares of the team at a significant loss.

Roster

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1949–50 Tri-Cities Blackhawks roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
G/F Gene Berce 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Marquette
F/C 13 John Chaney 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) LSU
SF 11 Dike Eddleman 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 189 lb (86 kg) Illinois
F/C 12 Gene Englund 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Wisconsin
G/F 18 Dee Gibson 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Western Kentucky
G 8 Billy Hassett 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Notre Dame
C 20 Bill Henry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Rice
PF 12 Jack Kerris 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Loyola Chicago
PG 4 Walt Kirk 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 173 lb (78 kg) Illinois
C 12 John Mahnken 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Georgetown
PF 15 Jack Nichols 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 222 lb (101 kg) Washington
F/C 9 George Nostrand 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Wyoming
C 15 Don Otten 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Bowling Green
F/C 20 Mac Otten 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Bowling Green
SG Red Owens 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Baylor
G/F 7 Warren Perkins 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Tulane
F/C 96 Don Ray 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Western Kentucky
G/F Dick Schulz 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) Wisconsin
F/C 21 Mike Todorovich 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Wyoming
G/F 8 Gene Vance 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Illinois
G/F 6 Whitey Von Nieda 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Penn State
G 17 Murray Wier 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 155 lb (70 kg) Iowa
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

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On October 29, the Blackhawks defeated the Denver Nuggets in the first ever NBA game following the NBL–BAA merger.[1]

Season standings

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Western Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Indianapolis Olympians 39 25 .609 – 24–7 12–16 3–2 26–9
x-Anderson Packers 37 27 .578 2 22–9 12–18 3–0 25–12
x-Tri-Cities Blackhawks 29 35 .453 10 20–13 6–20 3–2 20–17
x-Sheboygan Red Skins 22 40 .355 17 17–14 5–22 0–4 15–20
Waterloo Hawks 19 43 .306 20 16–15 2–22 1–6 13–22
Denver Nuggets 11 51 .177 28 9–16 1–25 1–10 8–27

Record vs. opponents

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1949–50 NBA records
Team AND BAL BOS CHI DEN FWP IND MIN NYK PHI ROC SHE STL SYR TCB WAS WAT
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

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1949–50 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 29 Denver 93–85 Billy Hassett (15) 1–0
2 November 1 St. Louis 51–72 Dwight Eddleman (14) 1–1
3 November 3 @ Anderson 87–110 Don Otten (22) 1–2
4 November 5 New York 72–76 Otten, Perkins (13) 1–3
5 November 9 Anderson 99–102 (3OT) Otten, Owens (19) 1–4
6 November 12 Waterloo 99–89 Billy Hassett (15) 2–4
7 November 15 @ Rochester 81–93 Murray Wier (19) 2–5
8 November 17 @ Syracuse 76–79 Don Ray (16) 2–6
9 November 19 Fort Wayne 85–88 Billy Hassett (17) 2–7
10 November 20 @ Waterloo 62–75 John Mahnken (15) 2–8
11 November 22 Boston 80–72 Eddleman, Wier (19) 3–8
12 November 24 @ Sheboygan 113–120 Dwight Eddleman (23) 3–9
13 November 27 Indianapolis 104–88 Red Owens (21) 4–9
14 November 29 @ Indianapolis 76–92 Eddleman, Mahnken, Perkins, Ray (11) 4–10
15 November 30 St. Louis 82–89 Murray Wier (14) 4–11
16 December 1 @ Anderson 72–81 Mike Todorovich (17) 4–12
17 December 3 Boston 87–82 Don Otten (22) 5–12
18 December 7 Syracuse 69–77 Mike Todorovich (15) 5–13
19 December 11 Denver 98–66 Don Otten (19) 6–13
20 December 13 @ Indianapolis 63–84 Mike Todorovich (20) 6–14
21 December 14 Chicago 73–68 Don Otten (16) 7–14
22 December 15 @ Sheboygan 74–89 Dwight Eddleman (11) 7–15
23 December 18 Anderson 69–78 Don Ray (15) 7–16
24 December 21 Syracuse 84–96 Mahnken, Todorovich, Wier (12) 7–17
25 December 26 Minneapolis 76–78 Dwight Eddleman (14) 7–18
26 December 28 @ Fort Wayne 75–81 (OT) Mike Todorovich (16) 7–19
27 December 30 @ Denver 85–83 Mike Todorovich (16) 8–19
28 January 1 Baltimore 79–66 Don Otten (15) 9–19
29 January 3 @ Indianapolis 76–78 Dwight Eddleman (18) 9–20
30 January 5 @ Syracuse 73–82 Mike Todorovich (17) 9–21
31 January 7 Sheboygan 98–86 Dwight Eddleman (24) 10–21
32 January 11 Anderson 88–81 Walt Kirk (19) 11–21
33 January 15 Waterloo 84–80 Don Otten (24) 12–21
34 January 18 Rochester 65–70 Don Otten (15) 12–22
35 January 19 @ Chicago 68–83 Mike Todorovich (16) 12–23
36 January 22 Denver 111–97 Murray Wier (17) 13–23
37 January 23 @ Anderson 99–96 Dwight Eddleman (22) 14–23
38 January 25 Washington 62–65 Don Otten (11) 14–24
39 January 28 Indianapolis 97–81 Mike Todorovich (18) 15–24
40 January 29 @ Waterloo 85–79 Mike Todorovich (25) 16–24
41 January 31 New York 83–77 Mike Todorovich (17) 17–24
42 February 1 Syracuse 91–83 Walt Kirk (16) 18–24
43 February 3 @ Philadelphia 72–83 Mike Todorovich (15) 18–25
44 February 5 Sheboygan 86–71 Mike Todorovich (22) 19–25
45 February 8 Philadelphia 99–94 (OT) Warren Perkins (16) 20–25
46 February 9 @ Sheboygan 82–104 Gene Englund (22) 20–26
47 February 12 Indianapolis 89–95 Nichols, Todorovich (18) 20–27
48 February 15 @ Washington 85–81 Dwight Eddleman (27) 21–27
49 February 16 @ Syracuse 74–105 Dwight Eddleman (17) 21–28
50 February 18 @ Waterloo 116–93 Mike Todorovich (17) 22–28
51 February 19 @ Waterloo 63–84 Walt Kirk (13) 22–29
52 February 20 Baltimore 82–73 Gene Vance (14) 23–29
53 February 22 Anderson 81–90 Gene Englund (18) 23–30
54 February 25 Sheboygan 74–66 Dwight Eddleman (20) 24–30
55 February 26 @ Minneapolis 66–80 Murray Wier (13) 24–31
56 February 27 Denver 110–75 Dwight Eddleman (22) 25–31
57 March 1 Denver 97–80 Todorovich, Wier (17) 26–31
58 March 3 @ Indianapolis 96–83 Dwight Eddleman (23) 27–31
59 March 5 Denver 91–80 Jack Nichols (23) 28–31
60 March 6 @ Anderson 77–88 Gene Vance (13) 28–32
61 March 8 Anderson 67–82 Dwight Eddleman (15) 28–33
62 March 11 Sheboygan 97–79 Dwight Eddleman (19) 29–33
63 March 18 Syracuse 88–89 (OT) Jack Nichols (19) 29–34
64 March 19 @ Waterloo 77–79 Jack Nichols (22) 29–35

Playoffs

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1950 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 1–2 (home: 1–0; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 16 @ Anderson L 77–89 Jack Nichols (27) Anderson High School Wigwam 0–1
2 March 18 Anderson W 76–75 Jack Nichols (23) Wharton Field House 1–1
3 March 24 @ Anderson L 71–94 Dike Eddleman (23) Anderson High School Wigwam 1–2
1950 schedule

References

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  1. ^ Why The NBA Celebrates The Wrong Birthday