# 1948–49 New York Knicks season

The 1948–49 New York Knicks season was the third season for the team in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which later became the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks had a 32–28 record in 1948–49 and finished second in the Eastern Division, six games behind the Washington Capitols. New York qualified for the playoffs, and defeated the Baltimore Bullets 2–1 in a best-of-three series to earn a place in the Eastern Division finals. In the division championship series, the Knicks lost to the Capitols, two games to one. Before the 1949–50 season, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the NBA.

## Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 4 | Dolph Schayes | F/C | United States | NYU |
| – | – | Gene Berce | G/F | United States | Marquette |
| – | – | Leland Byrd | – | United States | West Virginia |
| – | – | Harry Gallatin | F/C | United States | Northeast Missouri |
| – | – | Keith Grimes | – | United States | East Central |
| – | – | Mel McGaha | G | United States | Arkansas |
| – | – | Ed Peterson | C | United States | Cornell |
| – | – | Tex Ritter | G | United States | Eastern Kentucky |
| – | – | Dick Shrider | G | United States | Ohio |
| – | – | John Stanich | – | United States | UCLA |
Source:

## Regular season
### Season standings

| # | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | x-Washington Capitols | 38 | 22 | .633 | – |
| 2 | x-New York Knicks | 32 | 28 | .533 | 6 |
| 3 | x-Baltimore Bullets | 29 | 31 | .483 | 9 |
| 4 | x-Philadelphia Warriors | 28 | 32 | .467 | 10 |
| 5 | Boston Celtics | 25 | 35 | .417 | 13 |
| 6 | Providence Steamrollers | 12 | 48 | .200 | 26 |

### Record vs. opponents

1948–49 BAA Records :
| Team | BAL | BOS | CHI | FWP | IND | MIN | NYK | PHI | PRO | ROC | STL | WAS |
| Baltimore | — | 4–2 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–3 |
| Boston | 2–4 | — | 0–5 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 1–5 |
| Chicago | 4–1 | 5–0 | — | 4–2 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–2 |
| Fort Wayne | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | — | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 0–6 | 1–4 | 2–3 |
| Indianapolis | 0–5 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — | 0–6 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–3 |
| Minneapolis | 4–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 6–0 | — | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 |
| New York | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 1–4 | — | 2–4 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 2–3 |
| Philadelphia | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 4–2 | — | 6–0 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 2–4 |
| Providence | 4–2 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 0–6 | — | 2–3 | 0–5 | 0–6 |
| Rochester | 4–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | — | 6–0 | 2–3 |
| St. Louis | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 0–6 | — | 2–3 |
| Washington | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | — |

### Game log

| # | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record |
| 1 | November 3 | @ Fort Wayne | 80–76 | Irv Rothenberg (19) | 1–0 |
| 2 | November 5 | @ Indianapolis | 87–71 | Butch van Breda Kolff (17) | 2–0 |
| 3 | November 9 | @ St. Louis | 56–60 | Carl Braun (18) | 2–1 |
| 4 | November 11 | Minneapolis | 68–77 | Bud Palmer (21) | 2–2 |
| 5 | November 13 | Baltimore | 91–87 | Butch van Breda Kolff (17) | 3–2 |
| 6 | November 16 | @ Rochester | 63–75 | Bud Palmer (14) | 3–3 |
| 7 | November 17 | Washington | 62–73 | Carl Braun (11) | 3–4 |
| 8 | November 18 | @ Baltimore | 67–55 | Carl Braun (15) | 4–4 |
| 9 | November 20 | Philadelphia | 91–86 | Bud Palmer (28) | 5–4 |
| 10 | November 27 | Fort Wayne | 80–70 | Bud Palmer (16) | 6–4 |
| 11 | November 30 | @ Providence | 88–61 | Bud Palmer (16) | 7–4 |
| 12 | December 1 | Rochester | 72–73 | Carl Braun (22) | 7–5 |
| 13 | December 4 | Indianapolis | 66–63 | Carl Braun (26) | 8–5 |
| 14 | December 8 | Providence | 83–74 (OT) | Irv Rothenberg (17) | 9–5 |
| 15 | December 9 | @ Providence | 74–63 | Tommy Byrnes (19) | 10–5 |
| 16 | December 11 | Baltimore | 72–71 | Carl Braun (22) | 11–5 |
| 17 | December 12 | @ Fort Wayne | 89–78 | Carl Braun (21) | 12–5 |
| 18 | December 13 | @ Indianapolis | 80–74 | Carl Braun (14) | 13–5 |
| 19 | December 17 | @ Philadelphia | 78–87 | Carl Braun (19) | 13–6 |
| 20 | December 18 | St. Louis | 88–79 | Carl Braun (26) | 14–6 |
| 21 | December 19 | @ Boston | 75–77 | Bud Palmer (24) | 14–7 |
| 22 | December 22 | Minneapolis | 97–79 | Paul Noel (21) | 15–7 |
| 23 | December 25 | Chicago | 64–70 | Bud Palmer (16) | 15–8 |
| 24 | December 29 | Rochester | 77–74 | Sid Tanenbaum (17) | 16–8 |
| 25 | January 1 | Philadelphia | 88–80 | Butch van Breda Kolff (16) | 17–8 |
| 26 | January 2 | @ Chicago | 79–81 | Braun, Knorek (15) | 17–9 |
| 27 | January 4 | @ Indianapolis | 58–63 | Sid Tanenbaum (18) | 17–10 |
| 28 | January 7 | @ Boston | 69–67 | Harry Gallatin (21) | 18–10 |
| 29 | January 8 | Baltimore | 81–83 | Harry Gallatin (16) | 18–11 |
| 30 | January 12 | Boston | 81–64 | Bud Palmer (18) | 19–11 |
| 31 | January 15 | @ Washington | 73–75 | Irv Rothenberg (16) | 19–12 |
| 32 | January 17 | St. Louis | 71–79 | Sid Tanenbaum (16) | 19–13 |
| 33 | January 20 | @ Baltimore | 68–82 | Braun, Palmer (11) | 19–14 |
| 34 | January 22 | @ Rochester | 98–103 (2OT) | Palmer, Ritter (18) | 19–15 |
| 35 | January 23 | Washington | 93–97 | Braun, Palmer (23) | 19–16 |
| 36 | January 26 | Providence | 89–77 | Bud Palmer (19) | 20–16 |
| 37 | January 27 | @ Philadelphia | 96–102 | Carl Braun (28) | 20–17 |
| 38 | January 29 | Philadelphia | 73–78 | Carl Braun (14) | 20–18 |
| 39 | February 5 | @ Washington | 83–73 | Lumpp, Palmer (19) | 21–18 |
| 40 | February 6 | Chicago | 75–87 | Ray Lumpp (23) | 21–19 |
| 41 | February 9 | @ St. Louis | 95–83 | Carl Braun (22) | 22–19 |
| 42 | February 10 | @ Minneapolis | 75–95 | Bud Palmer (14) | 22–20 |
| 43 | February 12 | Fort Wayne | 85–58 | Ray Lumpp (23) | 23–20 |
| 44 | February 13 | @ Fort Wayne | 73–82 | Bud Palmer (15) | 23–21 |
| 45 | February 15 | vs St. Louis | 79–75 (OT) | Butch van Breda Kolff (22) | 24–21 |
| 46 | February 17 | @ Philadelphia | 82–86 | Ray Lumpp (22) | 24–22 |
| 47 | February 19 | Boston | 77–87 | Ray Lumpp (20) | 24–23 |
| 48 | February 22 | Minneapolis | 74–101 | Joe Colone (21) | 24–24 |
| 49 | February 24 | @ Providence | 84–89 | Bud Palmer (22) | 24–25 |
| 50 | February 26 | Indianapolis | 81–76 | Bud Palmer (20) | 25–25 |
| 51 | March 2 | Chicago | 81–79 | Ray Lumpp (21) | 26–25 |
| 52 | March 3 | Providence | 86–65 | Ray Lumpp (20) | 27–25 |
| 53 | March 5 | Boston | 66–61 | Carl Braun (14) | 28–25 |
| 54 | March 9 | Washington | 90–74 | Bud Palmer (19) | 29–25 |
| 55 | March 10 | @ Baltimore | 99–94 | Carl Braun (26) | 30–25 |
| 56 | March 12 | @ Chicago | 85–80 | Carl Braun (24) | 31–25 |
| 57 | March 13 | @ Minneapolis | 90–100 | Carl Braun (20) | 31–26 |
| 58 | March 16 | Rochester | 89–94 | Harry Gallatin (17) | 31–27 |
| 59 | March 18 | @ Boston | 56–70 | Gene James (11) | 31–28 |
| 60 | March 19 | @ Washington | 82–70 | Ray Lumpp (23) | 32–28 |

## Playoffs

1949 playoff game log :
Division semifinals: 2–1 (home: 2–0; road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 23
@ Baltimore
L 81–82
Carl Braun (21)
Baltimore Coliseum
0–1
2
March 24
Baltimore
W 84–74
Carl Braun (20)
Madison Square Garden III
1–1
3
March 26
Baltimore
W 103–99 (OT)
Harry Gallatin (21)
Madison Square Garden III
2–1 :
Division finals: 1–2 (home: 1–0; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 29
@ Washington
L 71–77
Harry Gallatin (17)
National Guard Armory
0–1
2
March 31
Washington
W 86–84 (OT)
Carl Braun (30)
Madison Square Garden III
1–1
3
April 2
@ Washington
L 76–84
Braun, Gallatin (15)
National Guard Armory
1–2 :
1949 schedule :