The 1958-59 season was a challenging one for the Philadelphia 76ers, who were then known as the Syracuse Nationals. They competed in the NBA Eastern Division, finishing the regular season with a record of 35 wins and 37 losses. This performance placed them fourth in the division, allowing them to secure a spot in the playoffs.
In the postseason, the Nationals faced the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division Semifinals. The series was fiercely contested, but Syracuse ultimately fell to the Celtics, losing in a 2-0 series sweep. Despite their early exit, standout performances from players like Dolph Schayes, who was a key figure in their lineup, provided some positive takeaways for the team. This season served as a building block for future improvements as the franchise continued to evolve in the competitive landscape of the NBA.
- Regular Season Record: 35-37
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 2-0, Division Finals: 3-4
Philadelphia 76ers Roster and Stats for 1958-59 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Dolph Schayes | 72 | 21.3 | 11.1 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 28.2 | 11.8 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Red Kerr | 72 | 17.8 | 11.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 14.4 | 12.0 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| George Yardley | 15 | 16.7 | 5.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 25.1 | 8.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Larry Costello | 70 | 15.8 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 17.7 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Conlin | 57 | 11.9 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Hal Greer | 68 | 11.1 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 11.6 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Hopkins | 67 | 10.0 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 8.2 | 5.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Al Bianchi | 72 | 9.9 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 9.1 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Togo Palazzi | 71 | 8.4 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 4.5 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| George Dempsey | 34 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Connie Dierking | 64 | 4.6 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Paul Seymour | 21 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tommy Kearns | 1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Philadelphia 76ers in the 1959 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. New York Knicks
In the 1959 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers were not involved in the second round as the team did not exist in its current form at that time. The franchise was known as the Syracuse Nationals, who reached the Eastern Division Finals but were defeated by the Boston Celtics. The Nationals' performance showcased their competitive edge, yet they couldn't overcome the era-dominant Celtics, led by Bill Russell.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | W 129-123 | |
| Mar 15, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 131-115 |
1959 Conference Championship vs. Boston Celtics
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 131-109 | |
| Mar 21, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 120-118 | |
| Mar 22, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 133-111 | |
| Mar 25, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 119-107 | |
| Mar 28, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 129-108 | |
| Mar 29, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 133-121 | |
| Apr 01, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 130-125 |
Philadelphia 76ers 1958-59 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1958-59 season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 103-94 | |
| Oct 25, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 110-109 | |
| Nov 01, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 130-108 | |
| Nov 05, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 117-115 | |
| Nov 08, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 103-98 | |
| Nov 09, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 101-97 | |
| Nov 12, 1958 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 116-115 | |
| Nov 14, 1958 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 111-109 | |
| Nov 15, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 96-92 | |
| Nov 18, 1958 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 120-94 | |
| Nov 20, 1958 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 121-102 | |
| Nov 22, 1958 | @ New York Knicks | L 114-99 | |
| Nov 23, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 110-107 | |
| Nov 26, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 112-107 | |
| Nov 27, 1958 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 107-98 | |
| Nov 28, 1958 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 101-93 | |
| Nov 29, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 108-105 | |
| Dec 04, 1958 | @ Boston Celtics | L 116-114 | |
| Dec 06, 1958 | @ Boston Celtics | W 101-92 | |
| Dec 07, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 108-104 | |
| Dec 09, 1958 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 106-90 | |
| Dec 10, 1958 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 97-94 | |
| Dec 11, 1958 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 101-99 | |
| Dec 13, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 115-100 | |
| Dec 14, 1958 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 101-95 | |
| Dec 16, 1958 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-104 | |
| Dec 20, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 121-120 | |
| Dec 21, 1958 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-94 | |
| Dec 27, 1958 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 106-102 | |
| Dec 29, 1958 | @ Boston Celtics | L 107-105 | |
| Dec 30, 1958 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 118-113 | |
| Jan 01, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 106-105 | |
| Jan 02, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 117-107 | |
| Jan 04, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 118-94 | |
| Jan 06, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | L 118-108 | |
| Jan 07, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 111-99 | |
| Jan 08, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 145-138 | |
| Jan 11, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 127-110 | |
| Jan 14, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 119-104 | |
| Jan 15, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 111-105 | |
| Jan 16, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 102-89 | |
| Jan 18, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 120-118 | |
| Jan 21, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 134-112 | |
| Jan 24, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 123-102 | |
| Jan 25, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 109-104 | |
| Jan 27, 1959 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 121-107 | |
| Jan 28, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 112-109 | |
| Jan 29, 1959 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | W 117-91 | |
| Jan 31, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | L 119-117 | |
| Feb 01, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 139-137 | |
| Feb 03, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | L 115-114 | |
| Feb 04, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 113-111 | |
| Feb 05, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | L 111-98 | |
| Feb 06, 1959 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 122-103 | |
| Feb 08, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 113-104 | |
| Feb 09, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 99-94 | |
| Feb 11, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 118-114 | |
| Feb 14, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 124-121 | |
| Feb 15, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 121-101 | |
| Feb 19, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 113-105 | |
| Feb 21, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 113-112 | |
| Feb 22, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 139-108 | |
| Feb 24, 1959 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 113-109 | |
| Feb 26, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 130-111 | |
| Feb 27, 1959 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 128-113 | |
| Mar 01, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 140-115 | |
| Mar 03, 1959 | @ New York Knicks | W 127-120 | |
| Mar 04, 1959 | @ Boston Celtics | L 120-114 | |
| Mar 05, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 142-118 | |
| Mar 06, 1959 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 118-114 | |
| Mar 08, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 133-103 | |
| Mar 11, 1959 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 132-130 |