# 1946–47 New York Knicks season

The 1946–47 New York Knicks season was the first season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks, the shortened form of Knickerbockers, named for Father Knickerbocker (a popular symbol of New York), are one of only two teams of the original National Basketball Association still located in its original city (the other being the Boston Celtics). The Knickerbockers first head coach was Neil Cohalan.

## Regular season

The Knicks' (and the BAA's) first game was played on November 1, 1946, against the Toronto Huskies as the New York Knickerbockers at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, where the Knickerbockers won 68–66.

### Season standings

| # | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | x-Washington Capitols | 49 | 11 | .817 | – |
| 2 | x-Philadelphia Warriors | 35 | 25 | .583 | 14 |
| 3 | x-New York Knicks | 33 | 27 | .550 | 16 |
| 4 | Providence Steamrollers | 28 | 32 | .467 | 21 |
| 5 | Boston Celtics | 22 | 38 | .367 | 27 |
| 6 | Toronto Huskies | 22 | 38 | .367 | 27 |

### Record vs. opponents

1946-47 BAA Records :
| Team | BOS | CHI | CLE | DET | NYK | PHI | PIT | PRO | STL | TOR | WAS |
| Boston | — | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 1–5 |
| Chicago | 6–0 | — | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 1–5 |
| Cleveland | 4–2 | 1–5 | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 6–0 | 1–5 |
| Detroit | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | — | 1–5 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 1–5 |
| New York | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2-4 | 5–1 | — | 2–4 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 |
| Philadelphia | 5–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | — | 5–1 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–5 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–5 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 1–5 | — | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–5 |
| Providence | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | — | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–6 |
| St. Louis | 5–1 | 4–3 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | — | 2–4 | 2–4 |
| Toronto | 2–4 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | — | 1–5 |
| Washington | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 5–1 | — |

### Game log

1946–47 game log :
November
GameDateOpponentScoreLocationHigh pointsRecord
1November 1@ TorontoW 68–66Maple Leaf GardensLeo Gottlieb (14)1–0
2November 2@ ChicagoL 47–63Chicago StadiumLeo Gottlieb (12)1–1
3November 7@ St. LouisW 68–63St. Louis ArenaHertzberg, Schectman (11)2–1
4November 11ChicagoL 68–78 (OT)Madison Square GardenSonny Hertzberg (19)2–2
5November 16PittsburghW 64–62 (OT)Madison Square GardenKaplowitz, Schectman (14)3–2
6November 18DetroitW 61–57Madison Square GardenSonny Hertzberg (14)4–2
7November 20ChicagoW 72–69Madison Square GardenSonny Hertzberg (19)5–2
8November 23ClevelandW 82–76 (OT)Madison Square GardenSonny Hertzberg (18)6–2
9November 25@ PittsburghW 62–46Duquesne GardensStan Stutz (15)7–2
10November 27St. LouisW 67–60Madison Square GardenTommy Byrnes (17)8–2
11November 28@ ProvidenceW 60–58Rhode Island AuditoriumTommy Byrnes (18)9–2
12November 30PhiladelphiaW 64–60 (OT)Madison Square GardenTommy Byrnes (17)10–2 :
December
GameDateOpponentScoreLocationHigh pointsRecord
13December 4DetroitW 70–57Madison Square GardenRalph Kaplowitz (15)11–2
14December 5@ PhiladelphiaL 51–62Philadelphia ArenaRalph Kaplowitz (13)11–3
15December 7@ BostonW 90–65Boston GardenStan Stutz (29)12–3
16December 8BostonW 62–44Madison Square GardenStan Stutz (21)13–3
17December 11ProvidenceW 83–68Madison Square GardenSonny Hertzberg (16)14–3
18December 15@ ClevelandL 52–70Cleveland ArenaSonny Hertzberg (16)14–4
19December 18ClevelandL 53–56Madison Square GardenLeo Gottlieb (9)14–5
20December 20@ TorontoL 70–74Maple Leaf GardensSonny Hertzberg (22)14–6
21December 21@ ProvidenceL 61–63Rhode Island AuditoriumStan Stutz (17)14–7
22December 28@ WashingtonL 49–70Uline ArenaSonny Hertzberg (12)14–8 :
January
GameDateOpponentScoreLocationHigh pointsRecord
23January 4@ DetroitW 62–50Detroit OlympiaLeo Gottlieb (22)15–8
24January 5@ St. LouisW 59–57St. Louis ArenaLeo Gottlieb (21)16–8
25January 8TorontoL 63–76Madison Square GardenLeo Gottlieb (16)16–9
26January 10@ BostonL 62–66Boston GardenBob Cluggish (10)16–10
27January 13@ PittsburghW 53–50Duquesne GardensOssie Schectman (19)17–10
28January 15WashingtonL 63–65Madison Square GardenOssie Schectman (19)17–11
29January 18BostonL 45–58Madison Square GardenSonny Hertzberg (10)17–12
30January 19@ ClevelandL 72–79Cleveland ArenaTommy Byrnes (18)17–13
31January 22ChicagoW 74–64Madison Square GardenTommy Byrnes (22)18–13
32January 25BostonL 46–52Madison Square GardenBud Palmer (12)18–14
33January 29PittsburghW 64–60Madison Square GardenBud Palmer (13)19–14
34January 30@ PhiladelphiaL 58–65Philadelphia ArenaBud Palmer (16)19–15 :
February
GameDateOpponentScoreLocationHigh pointsRecord
35February 1PhiladelphiaL 63–71Madison Square GardenPalmer, Schectman (12)19–16
36February 2@ DetroitL 63–65Detroit OlympiaStan Stutz (22)19–17
37February 5St. LouisL 46–71Madison Square GardenStan Stutz (8)19–18
38February 6@ BostonL 48–49Boston GardenLeo Gottlieb (8)19–19
39February 8TorontoW 69–46Madison Square GardenBud Palmer (16)20–19
40February 12WashingtonW 76–72Madison Square GardenLee Knorek (21)21–19
41February 15ClevelandL 84–90Madison Square GardenOssie Schectman (18)21–20
42February 16@ DetroitW 66–58Detroit OlympiaPalmer, Stutz (14)22–20
43February 19ProvidenceL 62–69Madison Square GardenOssie Schectman (16)22–21
44February 21PittsburghW 77–49Madison Square GardenBud Palmer (15)23–21
45February 23@ ChicagoL 68–82Chicago StadiumOssie Schectman (18)23–22
46February 26WashingtonL 60–84Madison Square GardenBud Palmer (13)23–23
47February 27@ ProvidenceW 73–65Rhode Island AuditoriumStan Stutz (19)24–23 :
March
GameDateOpponentScoreLocationHigh pointsRecord
48March 1TorontoW 63–48Madison Square GardenBud Palmer (15)25–23
49March 6@ PhiladelphiaW 61–59Philadelphia ArenaOssie Schectman (14)26–23
50March 8DetroitW 64–61Madison Square GardenBud Palmer (11)27–23
51March 13St. LouisW 78–74 (2OT)Madison Square GardenKnorek, Stutz (20)28–23
52March 15@ WashingtonL 63–78Uline ArenaLeo Gottlieb (12)28–24
53March 16@ ClevelandW 81–69Cleveland ArenaSonny Hertzberg (21)29–24
54March 19@ ChicagoW 65–57Chicago StadiumSonny Hertzberg (16)30–24
55March 20@ St. LouisL 49–51St. Louis ArenaBud Palmer (11)30–25
56March 22@ WashingtonW 68–63Uline ArenaSonny Hertzberg (23)31–25
57March 24@ PittsburghW 65–51Duquesne GardensBud Palmer (20)32–25
58March 26ProvidenceW 91–84 (2OT)Madison Square GardenTommy Byrnes (22)33–25
59March 28@ TorontoL 61–71Maple Leaf GardensTommy Byrnes (14)33–26
60March 30@ PhiladelphiaL 72–76Philadelphia ArenaLee Knorek (17)33–27 :
1946–47 Schedule :

## Playoffs

1947 playoff game log :
First Round: 2–1 (home: 2–0; road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 2
@ Cleveland
L 51–77
Lee Knorek (10)
Cleveland Arena
0–1
2
April 5
Cleveland
W 86–74
Stan Stutz (30)
Madison Square Garden III 10,321
1–1
3
April 9
Cleveland
W 93–71
Bud Palmer (26)
Madison Square Garden III 5,124
2–1 :
BAA Semifinals: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
April 12
@ Philadelphia
L 70–82
Lee Knorek (20)
Philadelphia Arena
0–1
2
April 14
Philadelphia
L 53–72
Tommy Byrnes (11)
Madison Square Garden III
0–2 :
1947 schedule :

## Player statistics
### Season

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |

## Transactions
### Trades

| January 21, 1947 | To New York KnicksBob Fitzgerald | To Toronto HuskiesBob Mullens |

### Sales

| Player | Date sold | New team |
| Jake Weber | December 2, 1946 | Providence Steamrollers |
| Ralph Kaplowitz | January 16, 1947 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Hank Rosenstein | January 26, 1947 | Providence Steamrollers |
| Nat Militzok | February, 1947 | Toronto Huskies |