NBA's Color Line Is Broken. The NBA went from an unwieldy 17-team league to a more manageable 11 teams in two divisions, with Minneapolis, Rochester and Fort Wayne reverting to the Western Division.The Eastern Division began the season with six teams, but Washington, which had lost Coach Red Auerbach a year earlier, disbanded after going 10-25.or the first time, the NBA Finals came down to a seventh game and Rochester prevailed 79-75, in a close, exciting finale. Chuck Cooper joined Red Auerbach in Boston. The Royals led by as many as 16 points during the first half, but the Knicks battled back to take a two-point lead with two minutes to go.