The First Season: Game 26

65 years ago, a new league, the Basketball Association of America (eventually to become the National Basketball Association), appeared on the hoops firmament. Numbering among the league's charter membership were the Philadelphia Warriors, a franchise that would move to San Francisco in 1962, and then to Oakland in 1971, to become the Golden State Warriors we know and love. This is the story of their first season.


January 11, 1947

Continuing their swing through the bottom-feeders of the BAA, the Warriors next traveled to Detroit to take on the Falcons. Losers of 10 of their last 11, the Falcons had now descended to a last place tie with the Ironmen in the Western Division at 9-20. Center Stan Miasek was still of the offensive focus of the team, playing a bruising inside game, while head coach Glenn Curtis was under the gun trying to revive the team's fortunes and keep his job. The teams had split their previous two meetings, both in Philadelphia.

Using the same tactics against the Warriors that the Toronto Huskies had used in the previous game, the Falcons tried to disrupt Joe Fulks and his teammates with tough, physical play. The game was a nip-and-tuck struggle throughout. At halftime, the Warriors led 31-27, but in the second half, both Pete Rosenberg for the Warriors and Ariel Maughn for the Falcons fouled out as the hacking and elbowing continued. In the fourth quarter, the lid blew off entirely as Angelo Musi and Detroit guard George Pearcy started throwing punches. The benches cleared and a free-for-all threatened to erupt before the teams could be calmed down. As befitting a game with so many fouls, free throws settled the matter. Joe Fulks, who otherwise played his usual fine game, missed a couple of key charity shots late. Meanwhile, with the score tied at 56 and less than a minute to play, Falcon guard Hal Brown sank both his opportunities to give Detroit a 58-56 win.

Fulks took game honors with 20 in the losing effort, but was the only Warrior in double figures. Miasek and Maughn led the Falcons with 12. The Warriors, now at 14-12 were a full 8 games behind Washington in the East and 6 games behind the Knicks for second place. Fortunately for them, the Steamrollers were doing no better, having lost to the hapless Celtics keeping them locked firmly in fourth.

Box

January 11, 1947
Detroit Olympia
Detroit, Michigan
Attendance n/a

Falcons 58, Warriors 56

Philadelphia scoring

Joe Fulks 20p
Howie Dallmar 8p
Art Hillhouse 8p
Angelo Musi 8p
Pete Rosenberg 6p
Jerry Fleishman 4p
Jerry Rullo 2p
Matt Guokas

Detroit scoring

Stan Miasek 12p
Ariel Maughn 12p
George Pearcy 10p
Hal Brown 9p
Tom King 6p
John Janisch 4p
Howie McCarty 4p
Grady Lewis 1p
Chet Aubuchon
Bob Dille