On This Date in Sports April 21, 1951: Royals' Crown
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The Rochester Royals hold off the New York Knicks 79-75 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to win their first NBA Championship. It is the first NBA Finals to go seven games. The Royals won the first three games before the Knicks won the next three to force a seventh game. Arnie Risen led the way for Rochester, scoring 24 points with 13 rebounds. It would be the first of three straight losses in the NBA Finals for the Knicks and a one-year interruption in the Minneapolis Lakers' six-year dynasty.
It was the era of George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers. Following the merger between the BAA and the NBL, the NBA became the domain of Mikan's Lakers as they won two straight NBA Championships. The only way to stop these Lakers was to hold on to the ball, which led to the lowest-scoring game in league history against the Fort Wayne Pistons at 19-18. The Lakers again were the best in the league, posting a record of 44-24. However, a funny thing happened on the way to their third title, as they were upset by the Rochester Royals in the Division Finals 3-1. The Royals, coached by Lester Harrison, finished second in the West with a record of 41-27. After surviving a best-of-three series with the Pistons, the Royals lost the opener against the Lakers but won the next three games to reach their first NBA Finals.
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The New York Knickerbockers were among the first teams in the Basketball Association of America. However, it took five years for them to reach their first appearance in the NBA Finals. The Knicks, coached by Joe Laphick, had a lackluster season, finishing third in the East at 36-30. In the playoffs, they came alive, beating the Boston Celtics in two games, before surviving a five-game battle with the Syracuse Nationals, winning the finale 83-81.
It was Excelsior in the NBA Finals, as the Rochester Royals and New York Knickerbockers met in a battle of upstate versus the City, as the NBA Championship and Empire State bragging rights were on the line. The NBA Finals began in Rochester's Edgerton Park Arena, a tiny arena that sat less than 5,000 fans. Game 1 was all Royals, as Rochester rocked the Knicks 92-65 as Arnie Risen had a game-high 24 points and 15 rebounds. The Knicks would not fare much better in Game 2, losing 99-84 despite a big game from Max Zaslofsky. Bob Davies led the way for Rochester with 24 points.
The series shifted to New York for Game 3, but Madison Square Garden was unavailable due to a contract with the circus. Instead, the game was played at the 69th Regiment Armory. The Royals continued to rule the court, as they took a commanding 3-0 series lead, winning 78-71 as Arnie Risen continued to rise to the occasion with 27 points to lead all scorers. Looking to complete the sweep, Rochester got 26 points from Risen but fell 79-73 as the Knicks kept hope alive with big efforts on the boards from Harry Gallatin and Nat Clifton, who combined for 31 rebounds. Clifton made history when the series began as the first African American to play in the NBA Finals.
Back in Rochester for Game 5, the Knicks got big games from Connie Simmons and Max Zaslofsky, who combined for 50 points as the Knicks continued to fight back, winning 92-89. Zaslofsky again had a big night in Game 6 as the Knicks evened the series with an 80-73 win.
The first Game 7 in NBA history was at Edgerton Park Arena in Rochester. Much as they had the entire series, the Knicks battled back from an early deficit. However, with the game tied late, Bob Davies sank a pair of free throws to give the Royals the lead, on the way to a 79-75 win.
The Knicks would return to the NBA Finals the next two seasons, losing to the Minneapolis Lakers, who would win three straight titles and five titles in six years. The Knicks would not win an NBA Championship until 1970 when they were coached by Red Holzman, who was a member of the Royals, coming off the bench in the 1951 NBA Finals. The Royals later moved to Cincinnati. They later became the Kansas City Kings and are now the Sacramento Kings. They have not returned to the Finals since. At 70 years, it is the longest drought for any team in the four major sports to play for a championship. To date, no team in the NBA has won a series after trailing 3-0. The Knicks are one of just three teams to force a seventh game after losing the first three games, along with the 1994 Denver Nuggets against the Utah Jazz and the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers against the Dallas Mavericks.