# 1948–49 Washington Capitols season

The 1948–49 BAA season was the Capitols' 3rd season in the NBA/BAA. They became the first team to win 15 straight games to start the season, a BAA record and then an NBA record at the time, which would since be tied 45 years later by the Houston Rockets in 1993 before Golden State Warriors surpassed it in 2015. The Cleveland Cavaliers would later tie this mark as well in 2024.

## Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 12 | Jack Nichols | F/C | United States | Washington |
| – | – | Fred Bartell | – | United States | Oregon |
| – | – | Ed Hughes | – | United States | San Jose State |
| – | – | Thorton Jenkins | – | United States | Missouri |
| – | – | Leo Katkaveck | G | United States | NC State |
| – | – | C. T. Parker | – | United States | Louisiana Tech |
| – | – | Jack Parkinson | G | United States | Kentucky |
| – | – | Don Walker | – | United States | Sam Houston State |
| – | – | Al Williams | – | United States | Arkansas |

## 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 | Philadelphia | 77–70 | Hermsen, McKinney (17) | 1–0 |
| 2 | November 4 | @ Providence | 99–95 (3OT) | Bob Feerick (22) | 2–0 |
| 3 | November 6 | Minneapolis | 67–62 | Bones McKinney (24) | 3–0 |
| 4 | November 10 | Rochester | 73–66 | Fred Scolari (12) | 4–0 |
| 5 | November 11 | @ Baltimore | 70–68 | Bones McKinney (15) | 5–0 |
| 6 | November 13 | Fort Wayne | 80–71 | Kleggie Hermsen (20) | 6–0 |
| 7 | November 17 | @ New York | 73–62 | Hermsen, Hertzberg (12) | 7–0 |
| 8 | November 20 | Boston | 90–75 | Kleggie Hermsen (15) | 8–0 |
| 9 | November 21 | @ Rochester | 80–77 | Bob Feerick (19) | 9–0 |
| 10 | November 23 | @ Boston | 71–68 | Kleggie Hermsen (16) | 10–0 |
| 11 | November 25 | @ Philadelphia | 81–73 | Bones McKinney (18) | 11–0 |
| 12 | November 27 | Indianapolis | 94–76 | McKinney, Scolari (19) | 12–0 |
| 13 | December 1 | Providence | 75–63 | Feerick, McKinney (16) | 13–0 |
| 14 | December 2 | @ Providence | 66–61 | Kleggie Hermsen (15) | 14–0 |
| 15 | December 4 | Baltimore | 83–82 | Bones McKinney (21) | 15–0 |
| 16 | December 7 | @ Indianapolis | 78–94 | Bones McKinney (17) | 15–1 |
| 17 | December 8 | @ Minneapolis | 94–83 | Bones McKinney (20) | 16–1 |
| 18 | December 10 | vs St. Louis | 83–88 (OT) | Sidney Hertzberg (21) | 16–2 |
| 19 | December 11 | St. Louis | 87–63 | Feerick, Hertzberg (14) | 17–2 |
| 20 | December 15 | Philadelphia | 92–81 | Bones McKinney (22) | 18–2 |
| 21 | December 18 | Boston | 69–60 | Bones McKinney (21) | 19–2 |
| 22 | December 22 | Providence | 102–77 | Bob Feerick (24) | 20–2 |
| 23 | December 25 | Fort Wayne | 88–74 | Bob Feerick (20) | 21–2 |
| 24 | December 26 | @ Fort Wayne | 73–91 | Kleggie Hermsen (19) | 21–3 |
| 25 | December 29 | @ Minneapolis | 68–91 | Bones McKinney (20) | 21–4 |
| 26 | December 30 | @ St. Louis | 81–68 | Bob Feerick (20) | 22–4 |
| 27 | January 1 | Chicago | 92–90 | Bob Feerick (22) | 23–4 |
| 28 | January 4 | @ Philadelphia | 84–78 | Leo Katkaveck (15) | 24–4 |
| 29 | January 5 | Baltimore | 68–88 | Hermsen, Norlander, Schulz (10) | 24–5 |
| 30 | January 8 | Indianapolis | 89–81 | Fred Scolari (15) | 25–5 |
| 31 | January 10 | @ Boston | 94–83 | Fred Scolari (21) | 26–5 |
| 32 | January 12 | @ Baltimore | 92–106 | Bob Feerick (17) | 26–6 |
| 33 | January 15 | New York | 75–73 | Fred Scolari (17) | 27–6 |
| 34 | January 16 | @ Chicago | 70–92 | Jack Nichols (15) | 27–7 |
| 35 | January 20 | @ Providence | 88–81 | Bones McKinney (20) | 28–7 |
| 36 | January 22 | Boston | 95–64 | Bones McKinney (17) | 29–7 |
| 37 | January 23 | @ New York | 97–93 | Bones McKinney (26) | 30–7 |
| 38 | January 26 | @ Baltimore | 86–96 | Fred Scolari (18) | 30–8 |
| 39 | January 28 | @ Boston | 90–91 | Fred Scolari (17) | 30–9 |
| 40 | January 30 | @ Minneapolis | 79–84 | Bob Feerick (19) | 30–10 |
| 41 | February 1 | @ Indianapolis | 69–83 | Fred Scolari (20) | 30–11 |
| 42 | February 2 | Indianapolis | 83–57 | Kleggie Hermsen (33) | 31–11 |
| 43 | February 3 | @ St. Louis | 74–65 | Kleggie Hermsen (27) | 32–11 |
| 44 | February 5 | New York | 73–83 | Jack Nichols (15) | 32–12 |
| 45 | February 6 | @ Fort Wayne | 72–82 | Bones McKinney (19) | 32–13 |
| 46 | February 9 | Rochester | 99–94 (2OT) | McKinney, Scolari (20) | 33–13 |
| 47 | February 12 | Philadelphia | 88–91 | Bob Feerick (17) | 33–14 |
| 48 | February 15 | @ Rochester | 79–91 | Jack Nichols (17) | 33–15 |
| 49 | February 19 | Baltimore | 92–88 | Jack Nichols (18) | 34–15 |
| 50 | February 23 | Providence | 100–88 | Jack Nichols (24) | 35–15 |
| 51 | February 26 | Chicago | 90–103 | Feerick, McKinney, Norlander (15) | 35–16 |
| 52 | February 28 | @ Chicago | 67–57 | Jack Nichols (13) | 36–16 |
| 53 | March 1 | @ Rochester | 64–67 | Jack Nichols (14) | 36–17 |
| 54 | March 2 | St. Louis | 75–82 | Fred Scolari (14) | 36–18 |
| 55 | March 5 | Chicago | 95–106 | Bob Feerick (21) | 36–19 |
| 56 | March 9 | @ New York | 74–90 | Jack Nichols (25) | 36–20 |
| 57 | March 12 | Fort Wayne | 87–60 | Jack Nichols (29) | 37–20 |
| 58 | March 16 | Minneapolis | 85–72 | Jack Nichols (17) | 38–20 |
| 59 | March 17 | @ Philadelphia | 81–84 | Kleggie Hermsen (26) | 38–21 |
| 60 | March 19 | New York | 70–82 | Bones McKinney (18) | 38–22 |

## Playoffs
### East Division Semifinals

(1) Washington Capitols vs. (4) Philadelphia Warriors: Capitols win series 2-0
* Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 92, Philadelphia 70
* Game 2 @ Philadelphia: Washington 80, Philadelphia 78
Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Capitols and Warriors.

### East Division Finals

(1) Washington Capitols vs. (2) New York Knicks: Capitols win series 2-1
* Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 77, New York 71
* Game 2 @ New York: New York 86, Washington 84 (OT)
* Game 3 @ Washington: Washington 84, New York 76
Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Capitols and Knicks.

### BAA Finals

(E1) Washington Capitols vs. (W2) Minneapolis Lakers: Lakers win series 4-2
* Game 1 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 88, Washington 84
* Game 2 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 76, Washington 62
* Game 3 @ Washington: Minneapolis 94, Washington 74
* Game 4 @ Washington: Washington 83, Minneapolis 71
* Game 5 @ Washington: Washington 74, Minneapolis 65
* Game 6 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 77, Washington 56
Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Capitols and Lakers.

## Awards and records

* Bob Feerick, All-NBA Second Team
* Bones McKinney, All-NBA Second Team