1960–61 Detroit Pistons season

The 1960–61 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 13th season in the NBA and fourth season in the city of Detroit.^[1] The team played home games at Olympia Stadium.

1960–61 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach	Dick McGuire
Arena	Detroit Olympia
Results
Record	34–45 (.430)
Place	Division: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finish	West Division Semifinals (eliminated 2–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
< 1959–60 1961–62 >

The Pistons finished 34-45 (.430), 3rd in the Western Division. The team advanced to the playoffs, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 3-2 as Laker Elgin Baylor dominated the series with a 39.4 ppg average in the series. Detroit was led on the season by forward Bailey Howell (23.6 ppg, 14.4 rpg, NBA All-Star), center Walter Dukes (11.7 ppg, 14.1 rpg, NBA All-Star) and guard Gene Shue (22.6 ppg, 6.8 apg, NBA All-Star).

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-St. Louis Hawks	51	28	.646	–	29–5	15–20	7–3	25–14
x-Los Angeles Lakers	36	43	.456	15	16–12	8–20	12–11	19–20
x-Detroit Pistons	34	45	.430	17	20–11	3–19	11–15	18–21
Cincinnati Royals	33	46	.418	18	18–13	8–19	7–14	16–23

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1960-61 NBA Records
Team	BOS	CIN	DET	LAL	NYK	PHI	STL	SYR
Boston	—	7–3	8–2	8–2	10–3	8–5	6–4	10–3
Cincinnati	3–7	—	2–11	8–5	8–2	2–8	6–7	4–6
Detroit	2–8	11–2	—	4–9	5–5	5–5	3–10	4–6
Los Angeles	2–8	5–8	9–4	—	7–3	2–8	5–8	6–4
New York	3–10	2–8	5–5	3–7	—	2–11	1–9	5–8
Philadelphia	5–8	8–2	5–5	8–2	11–2	—	3–7	6–7
St. Louis	4–6	7–6	10–3	8–5	9–1	7–3	—	6–4
Syracuse	3–10	6–4	6–4	4–6	8–5	7–6	4–6	—

Game log

1960–61 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 22	@ Boston	116–118	Bailey Howell (27)	0–1
2	October 26	Cincinnati	117–131	Gene Shue (30)	1–1
3	October 29	New York	110–115	Bailey Howell (23)	2–1
4	November 2	St. Louis	132–117	Gene Shue (18)	2–2
5	November 4	@ Philadelphia	121–136	Don Ohl (24)	2–3
6	November 5	N Philadelphia	130–123	Howell, Shue (27)	2–4
7	November 9	@ St. Louis	120–126	Gene Shue (20)	2–5
8	November 12	Cincinnati	112–116	Gene Shue (31)	3–5
9	November 13	@ Cincinnati	125–113	Don Ohl (31)	4–5
10	November 15	N Boston	115–114 (OT)	Gene Shue (26)	5–5
11	November 16	Philadelphia	118–119	Bailey Howell (30)	6–5
12	November 17	N St. Louis	112–105	Gene Shue (25)	6–6
13	November 19	@ Los Angeles	122–130	Walter Dukes (32)	6–7
14	November 20	N Los Angeles	135–131	Bailey Howell (36)	6–8
15	November 23	Syracuse	115–122	Gene Shue (24)	7–8
16	November 25	Los Angeles	141–128 (OT)	Bailey Howell (43)	7–9
17	November 26	N New York	127–119	Bailey Howell (28)	7–10
18	November 29	@ New York	107–118	Bailey Howell (25)	7–11
19	November 30	Boston	125–110	Jackie Moreland (22)	7–12
20	December 4	N Cincinnati	116–115	Bailey Howell (31)	8–12
21	December 6	@ St. Louis	110–146	Bailey Howell (18)	8–13
22	December 7	St. Louis	83–113	Bailey Howell (25)	9–13
23	December 10	Syracuse	117–107	Ohl, Shue (19)	9–14
24	December 13	N Philadelphia	110–108	Gene Shue (25)	9–15
25	December 14	Philadelphia	126–134	Bailey Howell (38)	10–15
26	December 16	New York	108–104	Bailey Howell (30)	10–16
27	December 19	N Los Angeles	107–103	Gene Shue (30)	10–17
28	December 20	N Los Angeles	94–97	Bailey Howell (31)	11–17
29	December 24	@ Boston	106–150	Bailey Howell (18)	11–18
30	December 25	@ Cincinnati	119–126	Bailey Howell (30)	11–19
31	December 26	Cincinnati	132–137	Gene Shue (33)	12–19
32	December 29	St. Louis	89–112	Bailey Howell (31)	13–19
33	December 30	N Syracuse	112–121	Bailey Howell (33)	14–19
34	January 1	Los Angeles	105–116	Bailey Howell (26)	15–19
35	January 2	N Los Angeles	123–113	Don Ohl (25)	15–20
36	January 3	N Philadelphia	128–125 (OT)	George Lee (26)	15–21
37	January 5	N New York	104–102	Bailey Howell (19)	15–22
38	January 6	Boston	108–102	Shellie McMillon (20)	15–23
39	January 8	@ Syracuse	115–138	Gene Shue (24)	15–24
40	January 10	N Boston	98–118	Ferry, Shue (17)	15–25
41	January 11	Cincinnati	122–126	Gene Shue (32)	16–25
42	January 12	N Cincinnati	124–112	Bailey Howell (33)	17–25
43	January 14	@ St. Louis	113–135	Gene Shue (24)	17–26
44	January 15	St. Louis	122–137	Don Ohl (25)	18–26
45	January 18	N Cincinnati	144–128	Gene Shue (41)	19–26
46	January 20	New York	128–132	Bailey Howell (29)	20–26
47	January 21	N Cincinnati	130–106	Bailey Howell (29)	21–26
48	January 22	Philadelphia	128–136	Gene Shue (32)	22–26
49	January 24	@ Cincinnati	106–104	Bailey Howell (29)	23–26
50	January 25	Cincinnati	125–138	Gene Shue (24)	24–26
51	January 27	@ Boston	111–140	Dukes, Howell (18)	24–27
52	January 29	@ Los Angeles	113–137	Gene Shue (21)	24–28
53	January 30	@ Los Angeles	116–117	Bailey Howell (27)	24–29
54	January 31	N Los Angeles	112–121	Gene Shue (26)	25–29
55	February 1	N St. Louis	137–131	Don Ohl (22)	25–30
56	February 3	Syracuse	118–121	Bailey Howell (26)	26–30
57	February 4	N Syracuse	104–111	Gene Shue (31)	27–30
58	February 5	Los Angeles	125–120	Bailey Howell (34)	27–31
59	February 7	@ New York	120–131	Don Ohl (33)	27–32
60	February 8	Philadelphia	123–125	Gene Shue (28)	28–32
61	February 10	Boston	134–137	Gene Shue (35)	29–32
62	February 11	N Syracuse	141–111	Gene Shue (21)	29–33
63	February 12	@ Syracuse	122–148	Bob Ferry (25)	29–34
64	February 14	@ St. Louis	134–135	George Lee (31)	29–35
65	February 16	Los Angeles	129–106	Bob Ferry (25)	29–36
66	February 17	N Syracuse	115–113	Bob Ferry (31)	29–37
67	February 18	St. Louis	141–138	Bob Ferry (39)	29–38
68	February 21	N Syracuse	123–118	Gene Shue (35)	29–39
69	February 22	New York	117–123	Gene Shue (29)	30–39
70	February 23	@ Philadelphia	121–129	Bob Ferry (29)	30–40
71	February 26	Boston	113–99	Bailey Howell (17)	30–41
72	March 1	@ Cincinnati	122–137	Don Ohl (33)	30–42
73	March 3	N New York	112–129	George Lee (30)	31–42
74	March 4	@ St. Louis	102–104	Gene Shue (29)	31–43
75	March 5	St. Louis	127–122	Bailey Howell (30)	31–44
76	March 8	Los Angeles	103–120	Bailey Howell (28)	32–44
77	March 9	N Boston	118–119	Gene Shue (30)	32–45
78	March 10	N Philadelphia	103–120	Bailey Howell (35)	33–45
79	March 12	@ New York	120–106	Howell, Lee (24)	34–45

Playoffs

1961 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 2–3 (home: 2–0; road: 0–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds Location Attendance Series 1 March 14 @ Los Angeles L 102–120 Gene Shue (20) Walter Dukes (11) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 0–1 2 March 15 @ Los Angeles L 118–127 McMillon, Shue (24) Walter Dukes (12) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 4,253 0–2 3 March 17 Los Angeles W 124–113 Bob Ferry (30) — Detroit Olympia 3,422 1–2 4 March 18 Los Angeles W 123–114 Gene Shue (29) — Detroit Olympia 2–2 5 March 19 @ Los Angeles L 120–137 Bob Ferry (25) Bob Ferry (16) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 3,705 2–3
1961 schedule

Awards and records

• Gene Shue, All-NBA Second Team

References

1. 1960–61 Detroit Pistons