1962–63 Detroit Pistons season

1962–63 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach	Dick McGuire
Arena	Cobo Arena
Results
Record	34–46 (.425)
Place	Division: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finish	West Division Semifinals (eliminated 1–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

The 1962–63 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 15th season in the NBA and sixth season in the city of Detroit.

The Pistons finished with a 34-46 (.425) record, 3rd place in the Western Division. The team would advance to the 1963 NBA Playoffs, losing their first round series 3–1 to the St. Louis Hawks. The team was led by forward Bailey Howell (22.7 ppg, 11.5 rpg, NBA All-Star), guard Don Ohl (19.3 ppg) and rookie forward Dave DeBusschere from the University of Detroit (12.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, All-Rookie Team), who was the team's top pick in the 1962 NBA Draft.

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Los Angeles Lakers	53	27	.663	–	27–7	20–17	6–3	33–13
x-St. Louis Hawks	48	32	.600	5	30–7	13–18	5–7	29–17
x-Detroit Pistons	34	46	.425	19	14–16	8–19	12–11	19–27
San Francisco Warriors	31	49	.388	22	13–20	11–25	7–4	18–28
Chicago Zephyrs	25	55	.313	28	17–17	3–23	5–15	13–27

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1962-63 NBA Records
Team	BOS	CHI	CIN	DET	LAL	NYK	SFW	STL	SYR
Boston	—	8–2	9–3	8–0	4–5	10–2	8–1	5–3	6–6
Chicago	2–8	—	4–6	3–7	3–7	4–6	4–6	3–7	2–8
Cincinnati	3–9	6–4	—	4–4	3–6	10–2	6–3	3–5	7–5
Detroit	0–8	7–3	4–4	—	1–11	8–1	7–5	4–8	3–6
Los Angeles	5–4	7–3	6–3	11–1	—	5–3	8–4	7–5	4–4
New York	2–10	6–4	2–10	1–8	3–5	—	2–6	3–6	2–10
San Francisco	1–8	6–4	3–6	5–7	4–8	6–2	—	3–9	3–5
St. Louis	3–5	7–3	5–3	8–4	5–7	6–3	9–3	—	5–4
Syracuse	6–6	8–2	5–7	6–3	4–4	10–2	5–3	4–5	—

Game log

1962–63 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 16	N Los Angeles	122–106	Ray Scott (37)	0–1
2	October 20	@ St. Louis	111–120	Ray Scott (26)	0–2
3	October 23	@ San Francisco	113–140	Don Ohl (22)	0–3
4	October 26	@ San Francisco	131–132 (OT)	Bailey Howell (28)	0–4
5	October 27	@ Los Angeles	118–134	Bailey Howell (21)	0–5
6	October 31	Boston	115–100	Bailey Howell (16)	0–6
7	November 3	@ Boston	114–125	Ray Scott (21)	0–7
8	November 8	Cincinnati	114–116	Bailey Howell (29)	1–7
9	November 10	@ Cincinnati	124–135	Bailey Howell (25)	1–8
10	November 11	@ St. Louis	100–117	Ray Scott (19)	1–9
11	November 13	N Cincinnati	109–127	Ray Scott (24)	1–10
12	November 14	San Francisco	115–123	Don Ohl (26)	2–10
13	November 17	N New York	113–121 (OT)	Don Ohl (26)	3–10
14	November 18	Los Angeles	116–98	Willie Jones (16)	3–11
15	November 21	Syracuse	122–120	Dukes, Ohl (23)	3–12
16	November 22	@ St. Louis	91–106	Bailey Howell (23)	3–13
17	November 23	St. Louis	121–93	Bailey Howell (28)	3–14
18	November 24	@ Chicago	103–104	Bailey Howell (31)	3–15
19	November 27	N Boston	115–125	Bailey Howell (29)	3–16
20	November 28	New York	101–143	Bailey Howell (37)	4–16
21	December 1	N New York	115–117	Howell, Ohl (29)	5–16
22	December 4	N Syracuse	129–130	Don Ohl (32)	6–16
23	December 5	Boston	106–93	Ray Scott (22)	6–17
24	December 7	San Francisco	116–123	Bailey Howell (30)	7–17
25	December 8	@ New York	78–87	Don Ohl (23)	7–18
26	December 9	N St. Louis	119–123	Don Ohl (32)	8–18
27	December 10	N Chicago	109–100	Don Ohl (25)	9–18
28	December 12	New York	106–115	Bailey Howell (25)	10–18
29	December 13	N Boston	93–103	Ray Scott (34)	10–19
30	December 15	St. Louis	112–94	Ray Scott (21)	10–20
31	December 16	N Chicago	106–110	Bob Ferry (28)	10–21
32	December 18	N Chicago	110–113	Don Ohl (25)	10–22
33	December 19	Chicago	113–115	Bailey Howell (25)	11–22
34	December 21	San Francisco	122–113	Bailey Howell (27)	11–23
35	December 22	N Chicago	122–110	Don Ohl (32)	12–23
36	December 25	@ Cincinnati	120–131	Bailey Howell (31)	12–24
37	December 26	@ Chicago	123–116	Dave DeBusschere (30)	13–24
38	December 30	Los Angeles	135–130	Bailey Howell (28)	13–25
39	January 2	Cincinnati	118–138	Bailey Howell (23)	14–25
40	January 4	N St. Louis	121–100	Johnny Egan (20)	14–26
41	January 5	St. Louis	90–92	Bob Ferry (21)	15–26
42	January 6	@ New York	103–102	Don Ohl (21)	16–26
43	January 8	N New York	93–109	Bailey Howell (28)	17–26
44	January 9	Los Angeles	123–115	Ray Scott (29)	17–27
45	January 11	Chicago	112–116	Bailey Howell (21)	18–27
46	January 12	N Syracuse	115–146	Don Ohl (24)	19–27
47	January 13	@ Syracuse	114–148	Bailey Howell (26)	19–28
48	January 21	@ Los Angeles	94–124	Bailey Howell (25)	19–29
49	January 22	@ San Francisco	115–107	Howell, Ohl (23)	20–29
50	January 23	@ Los Angeles	119–123	Don Ohl (43)	20–30
51	January 24	N San Francisco	138–114	Bailey Howell (32)	20–31
52	January 25	@ Chicago	113–111	Don Ohl (37)	21–31
53	January 31	N Los Angeles	127–122	Bob Ferry (29)	21–32
54	February 1	Los Angeles	119–109	Don Ohl (31)	21–33
55	February 3	@ Boston	128–137	Ray Scott (32)	21–34
56	February 5	N St. Louis	120–105	Bailey Howell (36)	21–35
57	February 6	San Francisco	117–116	Bailey Howell (33)	21–36
58	February 8	Syracuse	162–135	Don Ohl (25)	21–37
59	February 10	@ St. Louis	102–95	Bailey Howell (22)	22–37
60	February 12	San Francisco	115–120	Bob Ferry (29)	23–37
61	February 13	@ San Francisco	134–132 (OT)	Don Ohl (35)	24–37
62	February 14	@ Los Angeles	111–128	Don Ohl (22)	24–38
63	February 16	Cincinnati	110–99	Ray Scott (16)	24–39
64	February 17	@ Syracuse	124–143	Jackie Moreland (26)	24–40
65	February 19	@ New York	121–112	Don Ohl (30)	25–40
66	February 20	Boston	117–113	Bailey Howell (25)	25–41
67	February 22	Syracuse	117–126	Bailey Howell (31)	26–41
68	February 23	@ Cincinnati	105–102	Bailey Howell (25)	27–41
69	February 24	N Cincinnati	119–110	Bailey Howell (33)	28–41
70	February 25	N Los Angeles	113–107	Ray Scott (26)	28–42
71	February 28	Chicago	104–112	Bailey Howell (24)	29–42
72	March 1	N St. Louis	113–115	Don Ohl (34)	30–42
73	March 2	@ Syracuse	128–152	Bailey Howell (28)	30–43
74	March 3	Syracuse	127–123	Dave DeBusschere (31)	30–44
75	March 5	N San Francisco	102–111	Don Ohl (42)	31–44
76	March 7	Boston	115–104	Bailey Howell (28)	31–45
77	March 8	N San Francisco	123–131 (OT)	Don Ohl (41)	32–45
78	March 10	Los Angeles	116–124	Bailey Howell (29)	33–45
79	March 13	New York	89–112	Don Ohl (24)	34–45
80	March 17	@ St. Louis	105–119	Dave DeBusschere (19)	34–46

Playoffs

1963 playoff game log
Division Semifinals: 1–3 (home: 1–1; road: 0–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 March 20 @ St. Louis L 99–118 Dave DeBusschere (30) Dave DeBusschere (18) Don Ohl (6) Kiel Auditorium 5,818 0–1 2 March 22 @ St. Louis L 108–122 Scott, Ohl (29) Scott, Howell (9) Don Ohl (6) Kiel Auditorium 0–2 3 March 24 St. Louis W 107–103 DeBusschere, Ferry (23) Dave DeBusschere (26) Jones, Ohl (4) Cobo Arena 3,232 1–2 4 March 26 St. Louis L 100–104 Don Ohl (32) Ray Scott (14) Ray Scott (6) Cobo Arena 3,257 1–3
1963 schedule

Awards and records

• Bailey Howell, All-NBA Second Team
• Dave DeBusschere, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team