On November 22, 1950, the Pistons defeated the Lakers by a score of… 19-18

The worst game in NBA history was played on November 22, 1950. The two-time defending champion, undefeated at home in 29 games, the Minneapolis Lakers of Djordje Mikan host Fort Wayne Pistons. Convinced that they cannot win fairly, the latter will spoil the match by playing anti-play.

With 24 seconds left at that time, coach Murray Mendenhall asked his point guard Boag Johnson to hold onto the ball as long as possible. The Lakers were forced to commit intentional fouls in order to regain their skin after their opponents’ layups (at the time, a foul until the opponent had shot allowed only one layup). But soon both teams stop playing.

8-7 to the Fort Wayne Pistons at the end of the first quarter, then 13-11 to the Lakers at halftime. The 7,021 Minneapolis fans in attendance toss coins onto the field, newspapers or game programs. Many eventually left the gym, leaving the Pistons trailing 17-16 at the end of the third quarter.

“A pregnant woman hit me on the head with an umbrella”

Trailing by a point (18-17) with a few seconds left in the match, the Pistons managed to serve their center Johnny Oldham for a layup, and he managed to score despite the presence of George Mikan. “He was our best scorer tonight (with five points), we called him Topnik.” joked his teammate Fred Shouse. The Fort Wayne Pistons still managed, and won 19-18 on the floor of the undefeated Lakers.

However, the hardest part begins for the visitors, who, despite the fans present, have to go back to the dressing room…

“Everyone was very upset”confirms the hero of the day Johnny Oldham. “We got punched on the way to the dressing room. A pregnant woman hit me on the scalp with an umbrella. I also got hit on the back of the head with a wet towel. We just wanted to get back to the dressing room, but it was a long way.”

There is consternation in the press and in the governing bodies of the league. Per the Minneapolis Tribune, the Pistons did “black eye in professional basketball”. In the locker room, says Lakers coach John Kundla “Just a few more matches like this and we can close the door”.

The worst game in NBA history will therefore also be one of the most influential. The league will therefore think of a way to pick up the pace and prevent this trench warfare. A few weeks later, a meeting between the Rochester Royals and the Indianapolis Olympians would provide another argument for this necessity. This match actually went to six overtimes… with only one try in those six overtimes.

Eventually, the NBA will adoptA 24-second clock 1954 to prevent teams from “freezing” games. With immediate effect as the average will increase from 79 points per game to 93, then 107 in the fourth year of use.

Article originally published in 2021