What is the lowest scoring game in NBA history?

As of 2014, the lowest-scoring game in National Basketball Association (NBA) history was a contest with the final score of 19-18. The game took place in 1950 between the Minneapolis Lakers and the Fort Wayne Pistons.

The contest between the Pistons and the Lakers preceded the addition of a shot clock to the game. This allowed teams to take as long as they wanted to put up a shot. In the Lakers-Pistons game, both teams held the ball for long periods of time while not shooting well from the field. In 1954, the NBA established the shot clock. Starting that year, teams had 24 seconds to put up a shot and the shot had to hit the rim of the basket in order to reset the clock.