December 12

## 1946

**Corning Evening Leader**- Bisons Slate Syracuse 5; Cancel Bears

Elmira--The Buffalo Bisons will not play the Washington Bears in an exhibition Saturday at the Armory. They will play the Syracuse Nationals of the National League. This information was revealed by General Manager Leo Ferris of the Bisons late this morning: his reasons are more than valid and result in what is certain to be another top game at the armory. The Bears, says Ferris, failed to fulfill their obligations in a game in which they were slaughtered by the Syracuse team in Syracuse last night. Practically all of their star players failed to appear. Rather than risk a recurrence of that fiasco here, Ferris contacted the Bear's Manager Charles Cooper and cancelled the date. As a result of court action, the Bisons have postponed a scheduled exhibition in Utica tonight against Syracuse and moved the contest to Elmira where it will be the feature attraction of Saturday night's basketball doubleheader.

**Syracuse Herald Journal**- Detroit Gems Face Syracuse Pros At Armory Tonight

Nats Eager To Avenge Early Loss; Syracuse Cuts Four From Squad

The Syracuse Nationals take over the Armory court tonight opposing the Detroit Gems in a National League engagement which marks the home league debut of Mike Novak, recently purchased six foot nine inch center. Last night four members of the Nats were given outright releases reducing the squad to nine men. In the only previous game between the two teams Detroit took a 61 to 54 decision over Syracuse on the Detroit floor but at that time John Chaney was the tallest Syracusan in the lineup and tonight’s game will find Syracuse a slight favorite. Novak and John Gee will combine for the first time tonight to give Syracuse more height than on any previous occasion. Coach Benny Borgmann has not indicated whether or not both will start but it is believed that if the going gets tough they will see joint action. Club officials last night announced the release of Les Rothman, Mort Hill, John Moiseichik, and Charlie Butler. Chick Meehan is still absent because of his eye injury and Bill McCahan is resting a pulled leg muscle. Detroit will be directed by Coach Joel Mason and will choose its starters from among Fred Campbell, Paul Juntinen, Del Loranger, Ed Parry, Bob Dykstra, Dave Latter, Casey LoPata, Howard McCarthy, Frank Sabo and Frank Moukulus. The majority of the Gem players are mid-western college products.

## 1954

**Syracuse Herald American**- Boston Celtics Score Over Syracuse By 94 To 90

Nats Home For Game Tonight; Lloyd, Macauley In Fight; Ousted

The Boston Celtics were limited in their lowest home court points production of the season by the Syracuse Nats here yesterday, but managed to rally in the final minute of play to grab a hairline 94-90 triumph. The nationally televised game resulted in a fight that forced starting centers, Ed Macauley and Earl Lloyd, to be ousted from the game midway through the second period. At that time Lloyd had 12 points and Macauley failed to score. Tonight Syracuse, which still retains leadership of the Eastern Division chase, faces the Philadelphia Warriors at the War Memorial stamping grounds. The Nats, after trailing throughout the first three periods, rallied tremendously in the final stanza and took the lead on four different occasions only to see Boston fight back for victory. Dolph Schayes' 26th point of the game tied the count at 88-88 with 1 minute 15 seconds to play and the Nats had an opportunity to go ahead after Bill Sharman intercepted a George King pass to go ahead after Bob Cousy who dunked the basket with 40 seconds to play. Syracuse gambled on a long down-court heave and again Cousy came up with the ball. This time Barksdale was fouled by Schayes and he received two shots and was given a third free throw since it was Syracuse’s eighth foul of the quarter. He sank the last two and followed with a basket to make the Celts lead, 94-88, with 25 seconds remaining. Schayes sank another hoop to conclude game scoring as Boston was content to let the clock run out. The Macauley-Schayes fisticuffs broke out after a series of jostling plays under the hoop. Players from both benches rushed to the floor and Bob Brannum and Dwight Morrison of the Celts pounced on Lloyd. As the players were being escorted from the floor additional fighting broke out between the principals and they were banished. It was only the third time this season that Boston has failed to net 100 or more points at home. Their previous low total was 95 set against New York in a 95-93 victory. Sharman was the leading Celt scorer with 26 points including eight from the foul line. Schayes 28 paced Syracuse while Paul Seymour added 21. Boston sank 35 field goals compared to 34 by the Nats and the Celts collected 24 of 35 charity tosses while Syracuse made good on 22 of only 27. Actually the tide turned a moment before Sharman’s jumping shot. Syracuse led 83-81 with 2:45 to play when Nichols missed a hook. Schayes rebounded, but Brannum picked the ball from his hands and converted a three-pointer, that gave Boston incentive for its final drive. The fisticuffs erupted in the second period when Lloyd-Macauley squared off. The battle-lust spread swiftly to other players. Bob Brannum and Red Morrison leaped from the Celtic bench to get into the tussle. Seymour and Macauley got into a battle as Brannum took on Lloyd, Frank Ramsey and Bill Kenville of the Nats tangled and police entered the fray with nearly every player engaged in the fight.

BOSTON: Barksdale (4-8-16), Cousy (5-2-12), Sharman (9-8-26), Macauley (0-0-0), Nichols (3-0-6), Brannum (8-2-18), Ramsey (3-3-9), Morrison (3-1-7), Palazzi (0-0-0) TOTALS (35-24-94). SYRACUSE: Schayes (10-8-28), Rocha (1-4-6), Lloyd (5-2-12), Simmons (6-0-12), Kerr (0-1-1), Seymour (9-3-21), King (2-2-6), Kenville (1-2-4), Farley (0-0-0) TOTALS (34-22-90).

Officials- Serafin and Stutz.

From Highlighting Sports By Jack Slattery

“With the new 24-second rule every team has a better chance to win the title. And I think our club has a better chance of winning it than ever before. In fact, I expect them to win. I’ll be mighty disappointed if they don’t.” Believe it or not, those are Al Cervi’s words. And Al was talking about the National Basketball Association championship and his Syracuse Nats. The man actually said he expected his club to win the title. In a day when it is standard operating procedure for coaches in all sports to wring blood out of a crying towel a statement like this is positively revolutionary. A bit more radical and you might expect the man from Wisconsin to be checking Cervi’s background. Al continued: “The new rule no longer places a premium on possession. The fellows with the power on offensive and defensive boards no longer are prohibitive favorites to win. In the past almost everyone looked to the Lakers to win the championship the minute they entered the playoffs. They simply were too powerful. Controlled the ball most of the time and that was the story in a nutshell. But those days are gone. I honestly expect the Nats to win. And I don’t even mind if you write it. They are a great bunch. A good ball team and I don’t know why it should be any secret that I firmly expect them to be champions.” I confessed to Cervi that I simply couldn’t understand how they could continue to win in the face of injuries that have hounded them from the post-season playoffs last year right up through the start of this year and right up to tonight when they play the Philadelphia Warriors in the War Memorial. Cervi’s reply: “Team play wins games. This is, and all of my clubs have been made up of excellent team players. I place no one individual above another. I don’t care if one guy gets 40 and another gets eight. The team’s the thing. Those statistics they publish are great. Great for the newspaper and radio guys to make stories out of. But as far as I am concerned they can junk them. Know what I’d do if I had my way? Well, suppose we play a ball game and score 100 points. Know what I’d do? I’d take the 100 points and divide them equally among the number of fellows who got into the game. Team play wins ball games. You can have your scorers, your this and that’s. I want a team. How come all the Nats’ teams have been team clubs and I expect this one to win? Well, though it is essentially a coordinated unit the fact that so many of the players have individually reached their peak probably answers that question. I don’t put Dolph Schayes ahead of Earl Lloyd. I don’t put Paul Seymour ahead of George King. One without the other is helpless.”

A Vote For The Coach, Too

“You know, there’s a funny thing about Lloyd’s play, though. Every time Earl has had a hot night we have won. I don’t know if it is just coincidence or not, but it’s worked that way every time this season. This gang of mine just don’t want to get beat. A good example of that is George King. The guy was in misery and yet, on his own, he went to Rochester with us Thursday. He didn’t have to go, but he knew our eight healthy guys were getting tired. So he went along, dressed and played about two and a half minutes. See what I mean about being a unit? I won’t name any names. But I will say that I have seen a couple of clubs quit when they fell behind. Not this ball club. This club won lots of ball games it didn’t figure to win. And I’ve seen other clubs down a point or two and they throw in the sponge. That’s because they were made up of a bunch of individuals. And our gang figures it differently. I bet you not one single guy on the club cares if another teammate scored 100 points and they never scored. Winning ‘em is all the cared about. Now, does that help answer your wondering how come we win ‘em when we should be getting beat?” Yes, sir, Mr. Cervi. Yes, sir, coach. But I’ve a pet theory of my own that will add a bit to the winning picture. My answer is that human bundle of atomic energy that’s off on the bench at the Nats’ end of the court a couple hundred times a game. He helps, too.

**Syracuse Post Standard**- Celtics In Strong Finish For 94-90 Win Over Nats

Barksdale Star As Fight Marks NBA Contest; Macauley, Lloyd Ejected; Schayes Nets 28 Points

Boston, Dec. 11--The Syracuse Nationals dropped their fourth game in their last 15, being downed by the Celtics on the Garden floor this afternoon, 94 to 90, in a nationally televised NBA contest before 5,447 fans. Fisticuffs broke out half way through the second period and Earl Lloyd and Ed Macauley were banished for fighting. Lloyd had 12 points at the time and the lanky Celtic veteran had been held scoreless. Adept work by a sextet of Hub police prevented a near riot, as both benches were cleared in a threatening free-for-all, which must have thrilled home TV viewers. As for the ball game, the yeoman work of big Dolph Schayes and Paul Seymour all but pulled this one out. The Nats, however, while outplaying the Celtics in the matter of vital basket setups, were guilty of posing possession no less than 20 times, while Boston suffered through similar errors only 11 times. The Nats made the mistake of not sagging off the Celtics late in the fourth period, when they were ahead 85-84 with two minutes left. Playing the Celtics closer than they should, they ran into fouls, accumulating their seventh of the period when the tilt was tied 86-all and a minute left. Here Bill Sharman sank both charity tosses, after being held by Seymour at the key on the drive. The Omni-present Schayes tied things momentarily with a two-pointer underneath, but here the inimitable Bob Cousy, with his left thigh heavily taped, intercepted an errant Syracuse pass. Cousy set up Sharman for a long one-handed push and a 90-88 Celtic bulge with 40 seconds left. There was another Celtic interception and Don Barksdale, fouled in the act of shooting, dunked two of three, taking advantage of the penalty toss here, after one miss, to make it read 92-88. A Sharman final hoop offset Schayes' rebound count, with Cousy dribbling out the final seconds of possession. Al Cervi said after the game, "Bob Brannum and Barksdale beat me," and added, "we still should have made them come to us, when we were ahead. That was our mistake." Schayes had 10 in 22 from the floor, made eight in nine free throws and too 16 rebounds. Sharman was Boston's high with 26, while Cousy had seven assists, many of the spectacular variety.

BOSTON: Barksdale (4-8-16), Brannum (8-2-18), Cousy (5-2-12), Macauley (0-0-0), Morrison (3-1-7), Nichols (3-0-6), Palazzi (0-0-0), Ramsey (3-3-9), Sharman (9-8-26) TOTALS (35-24-94). SYRACUSE: Farley (0-0-0), Kenville (1-2-4), Kerr (0-1-1), King (2-2-6), Lloyd (5-2-12), Rocha (1-4-6), Schayes (10-8-28), Seymour (9-3-21), Simmons (6-0-12) TOTALS (34-22-90).

Officials- Serafin and Stutz.