# 1948–49 Minneapolis Lakers season

The 1948–49 BAA season was the Lakers' first season in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) (which later became the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the conclusion of this season).
This season saw the Lakers win their first BAA championship, defeating the Washington Capitols in six games in the BAA Finals.
The last remaining active member of the 1948–49 Minneapolis Lakers was center George Mikan, who played his final NBA game in the 1955–56 season, although he missed the 1954–55 season. After long being honored by the Lakers following their eventual move to Los Angeles, Mikan's #99 would eventually be retired properly (albeit posthumously) on October 30, 2022.

## Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 9 | Chuck Hanger | – | United States | California |
| – | – | Cliff Crandall | – | United States | Oregon State |
| – | – | Arnie Ferrin | G/F | United States | Utah |
| – | – | Earl Gardner | F | United States | DePauw |
| – | – | Dee Gibson | G/F | United States | Western Kentucky |
| – | – | Ken Jastrow | – | United States | Denver |
| – | – | Bob Lowther | – | United States | LSU |
| – | – | Johnny Orr | F | United States | Beloit |
| – | – | Junior Skogland | – | United States | Gustavus Adolphus |
| – | – | Quentin Stinson | – | United States | Southern Illinois |

## 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 |
    x – clinched playoff spot

### 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 4 | @ Baltimore | 84–72 | Herm Schaefer (23) | 1–0 |
| 2 | November 6 | @ Washington | 62–67 | George Mikan (27) | 1–1 |
| 3 | November 9 | @ Boston | 55–77 | George Mikan (29) | 1–2 |
| 4 | November 11 | @ New York | 77–68 | George Mikan (34) | 2–2 |
| 5 | November 13 | @ Providence | 90–67 | George Mikan (38) | 3–2 |
| 6 | November 14 | @ Rochester | 75–92 | George Mikan (36) | 3–3 |
| 7 | November 17 | Boston | 72–74 | George Mikan (21) | 3–4 |
| 8 | November 19 | @ Chicago | 85–81 | Herm Schaefer (28) | 4–4 |
| 9 | November 21 | Baltimore | 94–81 | George Mikan (33) | 5–4 |
| 10 | November 23 | @ Indianapolis | 88–82 | George Mikan (33) | 6–4 |
| 11 | November 24 | Providence | 117–89 | George Mikan (20) | 7–4 |
| 12 | November 27 | @ St. Louis | 87–71 | George Mikan (26) | 8–4 |
| 13 | November 28 | Philadelphia | 88–67 | Herm Schaefer (25) | 9–4 |
| 14 | November 30 | vs Boston | 94–84 | George Mikan (32) | 10–4 |
| 15 | December 1 | @ Fort Wayne | 74–84 | George Mikan (44) | 10–5 |
| 16 | December 4 | @ Chicago | 100–104 (OT) | George Mikan (47) | 10–6 |
| 17 | December 5 | St. Louis | 78–68 | George Mikan (27) | 11–6 |
| 18 | December 8 | Washington | 83–94 | George Mikan (34) | 11–7 |
| 19 | December 10 | @ Rochester | 96–75 | George Mikan (31) | 12–7 |
| 20 | December 12 | Rochester | 67–58 | George Mikan (22) | 13–7 |
| 21 | December 15 | Indianapolis | 79–61 | Jim Pollard (19) | 14–7 |
| 22 | December 19 | Chicago | 94–84 | George Mikan (31) | 15–7 |
| 23 | December 21 | @ Philadelphia | 64–72 | George Mikan (18) | 15–8 |
| 24 | December 22 | @ New York | 79–97 | George Mikan (24) | 15–9 |
| 25 | December 26 | Rochester | 99–90 | George Mikan (32) | 16–9 |
| 26 | December 29 | Washington | 91–68 | George Mikan (34) | 17–9 |
| 27 | January 1 | Fort Wayne | 92–72 | George Mikan (22) | 18–9 |
| 28 | January 5 | St. Louis | 101–76 | George Mikan (31) | 19–9 |
| 29 | January 8 | @ St. Louis | 59–64 | George Mikan (22) | 19–10 |
| 30 | January 9 | St. Louis | 74–58 | George Mikan (29) | 20–10 |
| 31 | January 12 | Providence | 98–64 | George Mikan (26) | 21–10 |
| 32 | January 16 | Indianapolis | 75–66 | Jim Pollard (21) | 22–10 |
| 33 | January 18 | @ Indianapolis | 81–56 | George Mikan (19) | 23–10 |
| 34 | January 20 | Fort Wayne | 83–65 | George Mikan (29) | 24–10 |
| 35 | January 23 | Philadelphia | 89–71 | George Mikan (33) | 25–10 |
| 36 | January 26 | Chicago | 84–49 | Jim Pollard (20) | 26–10 |
| 37 | January 30 | Washington | 84–79 | George Mikan (48) | 27–10 |
| 38 | February 2 | @ Fort Wayne | 82–79 (OT) | George Mikan (31) | 28–10 |
| 39 | February 3 | @ Philadelphia | 78–76 | George Mikan (30) | 29–10 |
| 40 | February 6 | Rochester | 74–85 | George Mikan (32) | 29–11 |
| 41 | February 10 | New York | 95–75 | George Mikan (21) | 30–11 |
| 42 | February 11 | @ Chicago | 97–105 | George Mikan (36) | 30–12 |
| 43 | February 13 | Baltimore | 91–74 | Jim Pollard (32) | 31–12 |
| 44 | February 16 | Chicago | 90–71 | George Mikan (25) | 32–12 |
| 45 | February 18 | @ Boston | 85–71 | George Mikan (28) | 33–12 |
| 46 | February 19 | @ Providence | 94–80 | George Mikan (29) | 34–12 |
| 47 | February 22 | @ New York | 101–74 | George Mikan (48) | 35–12 |
| 48 | February 24 | Fort Wayne | 77–73 | George Mikan (31) | 36–12 |
| 49 | February 26 | @ Baltimore | 115–114 (2OT) | George Mikan (53) | 37–12 |
| 50 | February 27 | @ Fort Wayne | 50–74 | George Mikan (14) | 37–13 |
| 51 | March 3 | @ Indianapolis | 82–79 | George Mikan (24) | 38–13 |
| 52 | March 6 | Providence | 68–59 | George Mikan (21) | 39–13 |
| 53 | March 9 | Boston | 74–67 | George Mikan (22) | 40–13 |
| 54 | March 10 | @ St. Louis | 71–88 | George Mikan (26) | 40–14 |
| 55 | March 12 | vs Indianapolis | 97–69 | Arnie Ferrin (22) | 41–14 |
| 56 | March 13 | New York | 100–90 | George Mikan (51) | 42–14 |
| 57 | March 16 | @ Washington | 72–85 | George Mikan (24) | 42–15 |
| 58 | March 17 | @ Baltimore | 67–101 | Jim Pollard (22) | 42–16 |
| 59 | March 19 | @ Rochester | 99–85 | George Mikan (46) | 43–16 |
| 60 | March 20 | Philadelphia | 91–78 | George Mikan (28) | 44–16 |

## Playoffs

1949 playoff game log :
Division Semifinals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 23
Chicago
W 84–77
George Mikan (37)
Minneapolis Auditorium
1–0
2
March 24
@ Chicago
W 101–85
George Mikan (38)
Chicago Stadium
2–0 :
Division Finals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 27
@ Rochester
W 80–79
George Mikan (32)
Edgerton Park Arena
1–0
2
March 29
Rochester
W 67–55
George Mikan (31)
St. Paul Auditorium
2–0 :
BAA Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 4
Washington
W 88–84
George Mikan (42)
Minneapolis Auditorium 8,210
1–0
2
April 6
Washington
W 76–62
Don Carlson (16)
Minneapolis Auditorium 10,212
2–0
3
April 8
@ Washington
W 94–74
George Mikan (35)
Uline Arena 4,919
3–0
4
April 9
@ Washington
L 71–83
George Mikan (27)
Uline Arena 4,471
3–1
5
April 11
@ Washington
L 65–74
George Mikan (22)
Uline Arena 3,840
3–2
6
April 13
Washington
W 77–56
George Mikan (29)
St. Paul Auditorium 10,482
4–2 :
1949 schedule :

## Awards and records

* George Mikan, All-BAA First Team
* Jim Pollard, All-BAA First Team