1959–60 Detroit Pistons season

1959–60 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach	Red Rocha Dick McGuire
Arena	Detroit Olympia
Results
Record	30–45 (.400)
Place	Division: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finish	West Division Semifinals (eliminated 0–2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WJBK
Radio	WXYZ

The 1959–60 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 12th season in the NBA and third season in the city of Detroit. The team played at Olympia Stadium in Detroit.

The team finished with a 30-45 (.400) record, second in the Western Division, advancing to the playoffs, dropping the Western Conference semi-final 2–0 to the Minneapolis Lakers. The team was led guard Gene Shue (22.8 ppg, NBA All-Star) and center Walter Dukes (15.2 ppg, 13.4 rpg). The Pistons also featured rookie Bailey Howell who put up outstanding numbers (17.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg) on his way to a Hall of Fame career.

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division	Wins	Losses	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Division
x-St. Louis Hawks	46	29	.613	–	28–5	12–20	6–4	27–12
x-Detroit Pistons	30	45	.400	16	17–14	6–21	7–10	20–19
x-Minneapolis Lakers	25	50	.333	21	9–15	9–21	7–14	17–22
Cincinnati Royals	19	56	.253	27	9–22	2–20	8–14	14–25

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1959-60 NBA Records
Team	BOS	CIN	DET	MIN	NYK	PHI	STL	SYR
Boston	—	8–1	9–0	8–1	12–1	8–5	6–3	8–5
Cincinnati	1–8	—	5–8	5–8	2–7	0–9	4–9	2–7
Detroit	0–9	8–5	—	7–6	4–5	2–7	5–8	4–5
Minneapolis	1–8	8–5	6–7	—	4–5	2–7	3–10	1–8
New York	1–12	7–2	5–4	5–4	—	4–9	3–6	2–11
Philadelphia	5–8	9–0	7–2	7–2	9–4	—	4–5	8–5
St. Louis	3–6	9–4	8–5	10–3	6–3	5–4	—	5–4
Syracuse	5–8	7–2	5–4	8–1	11–2	5–8	4–5	—

Game log

1959–60 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 18	@ Minneapolis	106–105	Gene Shue (22)	1–0
2	October 24	@ Cincinnati	103–108	Bailey Howell (17)	1–1
3	October 28	Syracuse	102–117	Bailey Howell (22)	2–1
4	October 31	@ Philadelphia	112–120	Gene Shue (23)	2–2
5	November 4	New York	107–101	Bailey Howell (15)	2–3
6	November 6	@ Minneapolis	118–113 (2OT)	Gene Shue (22)	3–3
7	November 7	Minneapolis	113–111 (OT)	Gene Shue (28)	3–4
8	November 8	@ Syracuse	107–118	Earl Lloyd (19)	3–5
9	November 10	N Boston	109–128	Gene Shue (28)	3–6
10	November 11	Philadelphia	119–105	Walter Dukes (22)	3–7
11	November 12	N Minneapolis	93–107	Archie Dees (23)	4–7
12	November 14	Cincinnati	103–111	Bailey Howell (22)	5–7
13	November 15	@ New York	103–94	Gene Shue (26)	6–7
14	November 17	Boston	132–129 (2OT)	Gene Shue (35)	6–8
15	November 18	N Cincinnati	110–93	Bailey Howell (27)	7–8
16	November 20	@ Minneapolis	85–105	Chuck Noble (15)	7–9
17	November 21	@ St. Louis	109–107	Bailey Howell (27)	8–9
18	November 22	New York	104–115	Chuck Noble (26)	9–9
19	November 24	N Cincinnati	104–91	Gene Shue (43)	10–9
20	November 25	St. Louis	104–97	Gene Shue (22)	10–10
21	November 28	@ Boston	110–136	Bailey Howell (20)	10–11
22	December 4	Minneapolis	101–120	Chuck Noble (25)	11–11
23	December 5	@ New York	108–124	Gene Shue (20)	11–12
24	December 6	@ Philadelphia	116–118	Bailey Howell (25)	11–13
25	December 9	N Cincinnati	119–129	Gene Shue (26)	11–14
26	December 10	N St. Louis	129–111	Archie Dees (26)	11–15
27	December 13	New York	129–147	Walter Dukes (38)	12–15
28	December 16	St. Louis	107–106	Bailey Howell (33)	12–16
29	December 19	Syracuse	112–120	Gene Shue (32)	13–16
30	December 20	@ St. Louis	86–102	Walter Dukes (20)	13–17
31	December 22	Boston	136–104	Bailey Howell (25)	13–18
32	December 25	@ Cincinnati	103–121	Walter Dukes (19)	13–19
33	December 26	Minneapolis	108–105	Bailey Howell (25)	13–20
34	December 27	@ Minneapolis	109–119	Gene Shue (30)	13–21
35	December 30	N New York	124–109	Gene Shue (26)	13–22
36	January 1	St. Louis	107–119	Gene Shue (28)	14–22
37	January 2	@ St. Louis	113–114	Walter Dukes (27)	14–23
38	January 3	Cincinnati	112–114	Gene Shue (31)	15–23
39	January 5	@ New York	110–121	Gene Shue (23)	15–24
40	January 7	N Philadelphia	120–105	Earl Lloyd (20)	15–25
41	January 8	N Syracuse	118–107	Dukes, Howell (25)	15–26
42	January 9	Boston	126–103	Bailey Howell (19)	15–27
43	January 10	@ Syracuse	103–108	Gene Shue (26)	15–28
44	January 13	N New York	113–114	Gene Shue (29)	16–28
45	January 16	N Minneapolis	98–105	Howell, Shue (18)	17–28
46	January 17	Cincinnati	110–115	Bailey Howell (28)	18–28
47	January 23	Philadelphia	110–130	Dees, Shue (22)	19–28
48	January 25	N Philadelphia	127–117	Gene Shue (24)	19–29
49	January 26	N Syracuse	114–121	Gene Shue (31)	20–29
50	January 27	Syracuse	144–108	Bailey Howell (22)	20–30
51	January 29	@ St. Louis	125–130 (OT)	Bailey Howell (26)	20–31
52	January 30	St. Louis	107–117	Walter Dukes (26)	21–31
53	January 31	@ Boston	128–146	Gene Shue (22)	21–32
54	February 3	Cincinnati	105–117	Gene Shue (28)	22–32
55	February 4	@ Cincinnati	121–102	Chuck Noble (25)	23–32
56	February 6	Minneapolis	101–116	Archie Dees (27)	24–32
57	February 7	@ Minneapolis	102–104	Gene Shue (25)	24–33
58	February 9	Philadelphia	113–122	Gene Shue (30)	25–33
59	February 10	N Boston	121–153	Gene Shue (25)	25–34
60	February 12	N Cincinnati	101–133	Noble, Shue (16)	25–35
61	February 13	Minneapolis	123–117 (OT)	Gene Shue (34)	25–36
62	February 16	St. Louis	111–104	Gene Shue (31)	25–37
63	February 19	Boston	136–116	Chuck Noble (29)	25–38
64	February 20	@ Cincinnati	107–110	Gene Shue (26)	25–39
65	February 21	@ Syracuse	120–122	Gene Shue (39)	25–40
66	February 24	Syracuse	110–128	Gene Shue (37)	26–40
67	February 25	N Boston	107–121	Ed Conlin (27)	26–41
68	February 27	@ St. Louis	97–127	Archie Dees (25)	27–41
69	February 28	Philadelphia	113–111	Gene Shue (22)	27–42
70	March 1	N Cincinnati	108–106	Dick McGuire (22)	28–42
71	March 2	St. Louis	100–116	Bailey Howell (28)	29–42
72	March 3	@ Philadelphia	101–110	Gene Shue (23)	29–43
73	March 6	@ New York	112–120	Bailey Howell (22)	29–44
74	March 8	@ St. Louis	101–122	Gene Shue (18)	29–45
75	March 9	Minneapolis	116–117	Shellie McMillon (26)	30–45

Playoffs

1960 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points Location Series 1 March 12 Minneapolis L 112–113 Bailey Howell (29) Grosse Pointe South High School 0–1 2 March 13 @ Minneapolis L 99–114 Gene Shue (27) Minneapolis Armory 0–2
1960 schedule

Awards and records

• Gene Shue, All-NBA First Team