# 1948–49 Rochester Royals season

The 1948–49 BAA season was the Royals' first season in the BAA (later known as the NBA).

## Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 10 | Bobby Wanzer | G | United States | Seton Hall |
| – | – | Alex Athas | – | United States | Tulane |
| – | – | Bill Gabor | G/F | United States | Syracuse |
| – | – | Ed Keim | – | United States | Niagara |
| – | – | Leo Kubiak | G/F | United States | Bowling Green |
| – | – | Johnny Macknowski | F | United States | Seton Hall |
| – | – | Lionel Melamed | – | United States | CCNY |
| – | – | Hank O'Keefe | – | United States | Canisius |
| – | – | Warren Stickel | – | United States | Syracuse |
| – | – | Paul Yesavi | – | United States | Niagara |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| # | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | x-Rochester Royals | 45 | 15 | .750 | – |
| 2 | x-Minneapolis Lakers | 44 | 16 | .733 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Stags | 38 | 22 | .633 | 7 |
| 4 | x-St. Louis Bombers | 29 | 31 | .483 | 16 |
| 5 | Fort Wayne Pistons | 22 | 38 | .367 | 23 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Jets | 18 | 42 | .300 | 27 |

### 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 6 | Indianapolis | 69–58 | Arnie Johnson (11) | 1–0 |
| 2 | November 10 | @ Washington | 66–73 | Arnie Risen (17) | 1–1 |
| 3 | November 11 | @ Philadelphia | 83–75 | Arnie Risen (21) | 2–1 |
| 4 | November 13 | Boston | 95–63 | Red Holzman (16) | 3–1 |
| 5 | November 14 | Minneapolis | 92–75 | Arnie Risen (19) | 4–1 |
| 6 | November 16 | New York | 75–63 | Arnie Risen (13) | 5–1 |
| 7 | November 18 | @ Providence | 103–74 | Red Holzman (18) | 6–1 |
| 8 | November 21 | Washington | 77–80 | Davies, Risen (17) | 6–2 |
| 9 | November 23 | Baltimore | 108–90 | Red Holzman (24) | 7–2 |
| 10 | November 27 | Chicago | 105–103 (2OT) | Arnie Risen (26) | 8–2 |
| 11 | December 1 | @ New York | 73–72 | Arnie Risen (28) | 9–2 |
| 12 | December 4 | Philadelphia | 105–101 (OT) | Arnie Risen (20) | 10–2 |
| 13 | December 6 | @ Boston | 87–79 | Bob Davies (19) | 11–2 |
| 14 | December 7 | Providence | 89–90 | Andy Duncan (20) | 11–3 |
| 15 | December 10 | Minneapolis | 75–96 | Andy Duncan (15) | 11–4 |
| 16 | December 12 | @ Minneapolis | 58–67 | Arnie Risen (12) | 11–5 |
| 17 | December 14 | @ Chicago | 85–78 | Arnie Risen (26) | 12–5 |
| 18 | December 18 | Fort Wayne | 84–64 | Bobby Wanzer (21) | 13–5 |
| 19 | December 19 | @ Fort Wayne | 83–78 (OT) | Red Holzman (17) | 14–5 |
| 20 | December 21 | @ Indianapolis | 84–71 | Arnie Risen (25) | 15–5 |
| 21 | December 25 | St. Louis | 90–82 | Arnie Risen (19) | 16–5 |
| 22 | December 26 | @ Minneapolis | 90–99 | Andy Duncan (22) | 16–6 |
| 23 | December 29 | @ New York | 74–77 | Arnie Risen (16) | 16–7 |
| 24 | December 30 | @ Baltimore | 89–100 | Bobby Wanzer (22) | 16–8 |
| 25 | January 1 | St. Louis | 106–83 | Bobby Wanzer (18) | 17–8 |
| 26 | January 2 | @ St. Louis | 89–64 | Novak, Risen (14) | 18–8 |
| 27 | January 6 | @ Indianapolis | 62–73 | Arnie Risen (11) | 18–9 |
| 28 | January 8 | Chicago | 88–91 | Arnie Risen (25) | 18–10 |
| 29 | January 9 | @ Chicago | 90–75 | Bob Davies (26) | 19–10 |
| 30 | January 11 | Philadelphia | 83–71 | Arnie Risen (21) | 20–10 |
| 31 | January 13 | @ Baltimore | 102–85 | Bobby Wanzer (18) | 21–10 |
| 32 | January 15 | Fort Wayne | 73–62 | Davies, Wanzer (14) | 22–10 |
| 33 | January 19 | vs Indianapolis | 70–66 | Bob Davies (33) | 23–10 |
| 34 | January 20 | @ St. Louis | 84–74 | Bob Davies (26) | 24–10 |
| 35 | January 22 | New York | 103–98 (2OT) | Bob Davies (22) | 25–10 |
| 36 | January 23 | @ Fort Wayne | 81–80 (OT) | Bob Davies (29) | 26–10 |
| 37 | January 29 | Baltimore | 90–86 | Arnie Risen (22) | 27–10 |
| 38 | February 1 | @ Boston | 76–68 | Bobby Wanzer (21) | 28–10 |
| 39 | February 3 | @ Providence | 80–88 | Arnie Risen (26) | 28–11 |
| 40 | February 5 | Fort Wayne | 80–61 | Red Holzman (15) | 29–11 |
| 41 | February 6 | @ Minneapolis | 85–74 | Arnie Risen (22) | 30–11 |
| 42 | February 8 | Providence | 97–65 | Arnie Risen (20) | 31–11 |
| 43 | February 9 | @ Washington | 94–99 (2OT) | Bob Davies (29) | 31–12 |
| 44 | February 10 | @ Baltimore | 90–76 | Arnie Risen (27) | 32–12 |
| 45 | February 12 | Chicago | 87–73 | Davies, Risen (23) | 33–12 |
| 46 | February 15 | Washington | 91–79 | Arnie Risen (17) | 34–12 |
| 47 | February 17 | @ St. Louis | 68–63 | Bob Davies (19) | 35–12 |
| 48 | February 18 | @ Indianapolis | 65–53 | Bob Davies (14) | 36–12 |
| 49 | February 19 | Indianapolis | 87–73 | Arnie Risen (25) | 37–12 |
| 50 | February 22 | Philadelphia | 92–86 | Arnie Risen (17) | 38–12 |
| 51 | February 26 | Boston | 64–59 | Arnie Johnson (17) | 39–12 |
| 52 | March 1 | Washington | 67–64 | Arnie Johnson (14) | 40–12 |
| 53 | March 5 | Providence | 81–64 | Bobby Wanzer (14) | 41–12 |
| 54 | March 6 | @ Fort Wayne | 78–66 | Arnie Risen (29) | 42–12 |
| 55 | March 10 | @ Philadelphia | 73–71 | Bob Davies (25) | 43–12 |
| 56 | March 12 | St. Louis | 104–74 | Arnie Risen (21) | 44–12 |
| 57 | March 15 | @ Boston | 83–86 | Arnie Risen (28) | 44–13 |
| 58 | March 16 | @ New York | 94–89 | Bob Davies (29) | 45–13 |
| 59 | March 19 | Minneapolis | 85–99 | Red Holzman (15) | 45–14 |
| 60 | March 20 | @ Chicago | 61–98 | Fran Curran (15) | 45–15 |

## Playoffs

1949 playoff game log :
Division Semifinals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 22
St. Louis
W 93–64
Bob Davies (23)
Edgerton Park Arena
1–0
2
March 23
@ St. Louis
W 66–64
Bobby Wanzer (17)
St. Louis Arena
2–0 :
Division Finals: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 27
Minneapolis
L 79–80
Arnie Risen (17)
Edgerton Park Arena
0–1
2
March 29
@ Minneapolis
L 55–67
Arnie Risen (21)
St. Paul Auditorium
0–2 :
1949 schedule :

## Awards and records

* Bob Davies, All-NBA First Team