# 1958–59 Minneapolis Lakers season

The 1958–59 Minneapolis Lakers season was the 11th season for the franchise in the NBA.
The Lakers would make it to the NBA Finals, only to be swept by the Boston Celtics in four games in their penultimate season in Minnesota.

## Preseason
### Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
| 6 | 40 | Alvin Inniss | Center | United States | St. Francis (NY) |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Western Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
| x-St. Louis Hawks | 49 | 23 | .681 | – | 28–3 | 14–15 | 7–5 | 27–9 |
| x-Minneapolis Lakers | 33 | 39 | .458 | 16 | 15–7 | 9–17 | 9–15 | 18–18 |
| x-Detroit Pistons | 28 | 44 | .389 | 21 | 13–17 | 8–20 | 7–7 | 17–19 |
| Cincinnati Royals | 19 | 53 | .264 | 30 | 9–19 | 2–25 | 8–9 | 10–26 |
    x - clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1958-59 NBA Records :
| Team | BOS | CIN | DET | MIN | NYK | PHI | STL | SYR |
| Boston | — | 8–1 | 8–1 | 9–0 | 7–5 | 9–3 | 4–5 | 7–5 |
| Cincinnati | 1–8 | — | 3–9 | 6–6 | 3–6 | 2–7 | 1–11 | 3–6 |
| Detroit | 1–8 | 9–3 | — | 4–8 | 3–6 | 5–4 | 4–8 | 2–7 |
| Minneapolis | 0–9 | 6–6 | 8–4 | — | 4–5 | 6–3 | 4–8 | 5–4 |
| New York | 5–7 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 5–4 | — | 5–7 | 4–5 | 9–3 |
| Philadelphia | 3–9 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 3–6 | 7–5 | — | 4–5 | 4–8 |
| St. Louis | 5–4 | 11–1 | 8–4 | 8–4 | 5–4 | 5–4 | — | 7–2 |
| Syracuse | 5–7 | 6–3 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 3–9 | 8–4 | 2–7 | — |

### Game log

| # | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record |
| 1 | October 22 | Cincinnati | 79–99 | Elgin Baylor (25) | 1–0 |
| 2 | October 25 | @ Cincinnati | 94–110 | Dick Garmaker (23) | 1–1 |
| 3 | October 26 | Detroit | 100–108 | Vern Mikkelsen (22) | 2–1 |
| 4 | October 29 | St. Louis | 112–100 | Baylor, Garmaker, Leonard (13) | 2–2 |
| 5 | November 1 | @ St. Louis | 108–101 | Elgin Baylor (29) | 3–2 |
| 6 | November 6 | Philadelphia | 101–103 | Elgin Baylor (26) | 4–2 |
| 7 | November 8 | New York | 108–100 | Jim Krebs (18) | 4–3 |
| 8 | November 9 | @ Syracuse | 97–101 | Elgin Baylor (34) | 4–4 |
| 9 | November 11 | @ Boston | 113–116 (OT) | Elgin Baylor (36) | 4–5 |
| 10 | November 13 | N Detroit | 110–119 | Elgin Baylor (28) | 4–6 |
| 11 | November 15 | @ Philadelphia | 101–106 | Elgin Baylor (26) | 4–7 |
| 12 | November 16 | @ New York | 90–98 | Elgin Baylor (18) | 4–8 |
| 13 | November 20 | Syracuse | 102–121 | Elgin Baylor (37) | 5–8 |
| 14 | November 22 | @ St. Louis | 109–114 | Elgin Baylor (30) | 5–9 |
| 15 | November 23 | Detroit | 124–109 | Elgin Baylor (30) | 5–10 |
| 16 | November 24 | N Boston | 104–123 | Baylor, Leonard (22) | 5–11 |
| 17 | November 25 | @ Detroit | 98–90 | Elgin Baylor (19) | 6–11 |
| 18 | November 28 | Cincinnati | 93–114 | Elgin Baylor (26) | 7–11 |
| 19 | November 29 | @ Syracuse | 108–105 | Elgin Baylor (35) | 8–11 |
| 20 | November 30 | @ Cincinnati | 84–77 | Elgin Baylor (21) | 9–11 |
| 21 | December 6 | N Cincinnati | 128–132 (3OT) | Elgin Baylor (30) | 9–12 |
| 22 | December 9 | @ New York | 97–110 | Elgin Baylor (23) | 9–13 |
| 23 | December 11 | Syracuse | 101–99 (OT) | Elgin Baylor (31) | 9–14 |
| 24 | December 14 | New York | 100–99 | Elgin Baylor (21) | 9–15 |
| 25 | December 18 | Detroit | 104–113 | Elgin Baylor (26) | 10–15 |
| 26 | December 20 | Philadelphia | 88–99 | Elgin Baylor (33) | 11–15 |
| 27 | December 25 | N Detroit | 97–98 (OT) | Larry Foust (21) | 11–16 |
| 28 | December 26 | N Boston | 99–107 | Vern Mikkelsen (20) | 11–17 |
| 29 | December 27 | Boston | 112–94 | Vern Mikkelsen (16) | 11–18 |
| 30 | December 28 | @ Cincinnati | 116–120 | Bobby Leonard (20) | 11–19 |
| 31 | December 29 | N Philadelphia | 95–93 | Elgin Baylor (21) | 11–20 |
| 32 | December 30 | N Syracuse | 113–118 | Dick Garmaker (27) | 12–20 |
| 33 | January 1 | @ Syracuse | 106–105 | Elgin Baylor (22) | 13–20 |
| 34 | January 2 | New York | 97–107 | Dick Garmaker (27) | 14–20 |
| 35 | January 4 | @ Philadelphia | 111–95 | Elgin Baylor (28) | 15–20 |
| 36 | January 5 | @ Boston | 106–118 | Elgin Baylor (30) | 15–21 |
| 37 | January 6 | N St. Louis | 112–95 | Vern Mikkelsen (17) | 15–22 |
| 38 | January 7 | N St. Louis | 89–78 | Elgin Baylor (21) | 15–23 |
| 39 | January 8 | N St. Louis | 93–95 | Dick Garmaker (22) | 16–23 |
| 40 | January 11 | N Boston | 106–109 (OT) | Dick Garmaker (20) | 16–24 |
| 41 | January 12 | N Boston | 108–117 | Elgin Baylor (30) | 16–25 |
| 42 | January 13 | @ St. Louis | 95–110 | Boo Ellis (18) | 16–26 |
| 43 | January 15 | @ Syracuse | 105–111 | Elgin Baylor (19) | 16–27 |
| 44 | January 16 | N Cincinnati | 91–95 | Larry Foust (23) | 16–28 |
| 45 | January 18 | Philadelphia | 98–119 | Elgin Baylor (30) | 17–28 |
| 46 | January 25 | @ Philadelphia | 111–125 | Elgin Baylor (41) | 17–29 |
| 47 | January 28 | Syracuse | 109–112 | Elgin Baylor (38) | 18–29 |
| 48 | January 29 | N Syracuse | 117–91 | Vern Mikkelsen (16) | 18–30 |
| 49 | January 30 | N Detroit | 88–86 | Elgin Baylor (23) | 19–30 |
| 50 | January 31 | N St. Louis | 120–96 | Elgin Baylor (16) | 19–31 |
| 51 | February 7 | Philadelphia | 97–109 | Vern Mikkelsen (27) | 20–31 |
| 52 | February 8 | @ Detroit | 115–103 | Elgin Baylor (27) | 21–31 |
| 53 | February 9 | New York | 122–128 | Elgin Baylor (31) | 22–31 |
| 54 | February 10 | N Cincinnati | 118–100 | Vern Mikkelsen (43) | 23–31 |
| 55 | February 11 | N Cincinnati | 106–105 | Larry Foust (36) | 24–31 |
| 56 | February 12 | N Cincinnati | 114–119 | Baylor, Fleming (28) | 24–34 |
| 57 | February 14 | @ St. Louis | 96–139 | Elgin Baylor (26) | 24–33 |
| 58 | February 15 | St. Louis | 98–109 | Elgin Baylor (26) | 25–33 |
| 59 | February 17 | @ Detroit | 97–90 | Larry Foust (22) | 26–33 |
| 60 | February 18 | Detroit | 95–105 | Elgin Baylor (29) | 27–33 |
| 61 | February 20 | N New York | 106–116 | Baylor, Garmaker (20) | 28–33 |
| 62 | February 22 | @ St. Louis | 106–120 | Dick Garmaker (27) | 28–34 |
| 63 | February 25 | N Cincinnati | 116–96 | Elgin Baylor (55) | 29–34 |
| 64 | February 27 | @ Boston | 139–173 | Elgin Baylor (28) | 29–35 |
| 65 | February 28 | @ New York | 107–112 | Elgin Baylor (34) | 29–36 |
| 66 | March 1 | N Philadelphia | 98–100 | Elgin Baylor (23) | 30–36 |
| 67 | March 3 | N Boston | 112–119 | Elgin Baylor (24) | 30–37 |
| 68 | March 4 | @ Cincinnati | 122–128 | Elgin Baylor (33) | 30–38 |
| 69 | March 5 | N New York | 115–135 | Elgin Baylor (32) | 31–38 |
| 70 | March 6 | @ Detroit | 99–98 | Larry Foust (23) | 32–38 |
| 71 | March 8 | St. Louis | 104–120 | Elgin Baylor (36) | 33–38 |
| 72 | March 11 | Detroit | 123–118 | Elgin Baylor (39) | 33–39 |

## Playoffs

1959 playoff game log :
Division semifinals: 2–1 (home: 2–0; road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 14
Detroit
W 92–89
Larry Foust (17)
Minneapolis Auditorium
1–0
2
March 15
@ Detroit
L 103–117
Elgin Baylor (26)
Detroit Olympia
1–1
3
March 18
Detroit
W 129–102
Elgin Baylor (30)
Minneapolis Auditorium
2–1 :
Division finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
March 21
@ St. Louis
L 90–124
Elgin Baylor (21)
Kiel Auditorium
0–1
2
March 22
St. Louis
W 106–98
Elgin Baylor (33)
Elgin Baylor (15)
Minneapolis Auditorium
1–1
3
March 24
@ St. Louis
L 97–127
Baylor, Fleming (15)
Elgin Baylor (8)
Kiel Auditorium 9,324
1–2
4
March 26
St. Louis
W 108–98
Elgin Baylor (32)
Minneapolis Auditorium
2–2
5
March 28
@ St. Louis
W 98–97 (OT)
Elgin Baylor (36)
Kiel Auditorium
3–2
6
March 29
St. Louis
W 106–104
Elgin Baylor (33)
Boo Ellis (15)
Minneapolis Auditorium 10,179
4–2 :
NBA Finals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 4
@ Boston
L 115–118
Elgin Baylor (34)
Larry Foust (19)
Boston Garden 8,195
0–1
2
April 5
@ Boston
L 108–128
Vern Mikkelsen (24)
Steve Hamilton (13)
Boston Garden 11,082
0–2
3
April 7
Boston
L 110–123
Larry Foust (26)
Larry Foust (22)
St. Paul Auditorium 11,272
0–3
4
April 9
Boston
L 113–118
Elgin Baylor (30)
Elgin Baylor (14)
Minneapolis Auditorium 8,124
0–4 :
1959 schedule :

## Awards and records

* Elgin Baylor, NBA Rookie of the Year Award
* Elgin Baylor, All-NBA First Team
* Elgin Baylor, NBA All-Star Game
* Dick Garmaker, NBA All-Star Game
* Larry Foust, NBA All-Star Game
* Elgin Baylor, NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award