# 1947–48 Baltimore Bullets season

The 1947–48 BAA season was the Bullets' first season in the Basketball Association of America (later named the NBA), after playing their first three seasons in the American Basketball League. This was also their second overall championship season after previously winning the 1946 ABL Championship over the Philadelphia Sphas and their only BAA/NBA championship that they won with a 4–2 series win over the defending champion Philadelphia Warriors. With their departure from the NBA during the 1954–55 season, the Baltimore Bullets are currently considered the only defunct NBA team to ever win a championship under the BAA/NBA name.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 10 | Larry Killick | – | United States | Vermont |
| – | – | Robert Bolyard | – | United States | Toledo |
| – | – | Elmer Gainer | F/C | United States | DePaul |
| – | – | Harry Gallatin | F/C | United States | Northeast Missouri |
| – | – | Scotty Hamilton | – | United States | West Virginia |
| – | – | Hugh Hampton | – | United States | High Point |
| – | – | Bob Jake | – | United States | Vermont |
| – | – | Charles Raynor | – | United States | Houston |
| – | – | Chick Reiser | G/F | United States | NYU |
| – | – | John Rusinko | – | United States | Penn State |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| # | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte | Western Divisionvte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | x-St. Louis Bombers | 29 | 19 | .604 | – |
| 2 | x-Baltimore Bullets | 28 | 20 | .583 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Stags | 28 | 20 | .583 | 1 |
| 4 | x-Washington Capitols | 28 | 20 | .583 | 1 |

### Record vs. opponents

1947–48 BAA records :
| Team | BAL | BOS | CHI | NYK | PHI | PRO | STL | WAS |
| Baltimore | — | 5–1 | 5–3 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 6–0 | 3–5 | 2–6 |
| Boston | 1–5 | — | 3–3 | 1–7 | 4–4 | 6–2 | 2–4 | 3–3 |
| Chicago | 3–5 | 3–3 | — | 6–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–5 | 5–3 |
| New York | 1–5 | 7–1 | 0–6 | — | 4–4 | 7–1 | 4–2 | 3–3 |
| Philadelphia | 4–2 | 4–4 | 2-4 | 1–7 | — | 8–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 |
| Providence | 0–6 | 2–6 | 2–4 | 1–7 | 0–8 | — | 0–6 | 1–5 |
| St. Louis | 5–3 | 4–2 | 5–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 6–0 | — | 4–4 |
| Washington | 6–2 | 3–3 | 3–5 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–4 | — |

### Game log

| # | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record |
| 1 | Wednesday, November 12 | @ Washington | 55–63 | Kleggie Hermsen (18) | 0–1 |
| 2 | Thursday, November 13 | Boston | 85–74 | Chick Reiser (19) | 1–1 |
| 3 | Saturday, November 15 | @ Chicago | 67–63 | Paul Hoffman (14) | 2–1 |
| 4 | Thursday, November 20 | New York | 68–56 | Chick Reiser (19) | 3–1 |
| 5 | Friday, November 21 | @ Boston | 89–73 | Buddy Jeannette (17) | 4–1 |
| 6 | Saturday, November 22 | Chicago | 75–72 | Chick Reiser (19) | 5–1 |
| 7 | Thursday, November 27 | @ Providence | 76–61 | Jeannette, Meinhold (13) | 6–1 |
| 8 | Saturday, November 29 | @ St. Louis | 71–67 | Kleggie Hermsen (21) | 7–1 |
| 9 | Tuesday, December 2 | @ Boston | 77–69 (OT) | Chick Reiser (22) | 8–1 |
| 10 | Wednesday, December 3 | @ Philadelphia | 73–58 | Buddy Jeannette (15) | 9–1 |
| 11 | Thursday, December 4 | St. Louis | 51–65 | Mike Bloom (12) | 9–2 |
| 12 | Saturday, December 6 | @ Chicago | 65–73 | Buddy Jeannette (17) | 9–3 |
| 13 | Thursday, December 11 | Washington | 69–71 (OT) | Mike Bloom (18) | 9–4 |
| 14 | Saturday, December 13 | New York | 66–80 | Kleggie Hermsen (17) | 9–5 |
| 15 | Wednesday, December 17 | @ Washington | 64–66 | Jeannette, Schulz (16) | 9–6 |
| 16 | Thursday, December 18 | St. Louis | 74–67 | Chick Reiser (16) | 10–6 |
| 17 | Sunday, December 21 | @ Chicago | 83–93 | Kleggie Hermsen (23) | 10–7 |
| 18 | Thursday, December 25 | Chicago | 87–70 | Kleggie Hermsen (21) | 11–7 |
| 19 | Sunday, December 28 | @ St. Louis | 63–67 | Dick Schulz (16) | 11–8 |
| 20 | Thursday, January 1 | Philadelphia | 60–72 | Chick Reiser (13) | 11–9 |
| 21 | Saturday, January 3 | @ New York | 79–70 | Kleggie Hermsen (18) | 12–9 |
| 22 | Tuesday, January 6 | Providence | 82–64 | Chick Reiser (17) | 13–9 |
| 23 | Thursday, January 8 | Chicago | 78–75 | Hoffman, Jeannette (15) | 14–9 |
| 24 | Sunday, January 11 | @ St. Louis | 54–69 | Paul Hoffman (12) | 14–10 |
| 25 | Thursday, January 15 | @ Providence | 98–78 | Bloom, Hoffman (19) | 15–10 |
| 26 | Friday, January 16 | @ Philadelphia | 63–72 | Chick Reiser (16) | 15–11 |
| 27 | Saturday, January 17 | Philadelphia | 77–79 | Mike Bloom (18) | 15–12 |
| 28 | Thursday, January 22 | St. Louis | 68–71 | Mike Bloom (14) | 15–13 |
| 29 | Saturday, January 24 | @ New York | 72–58 | Chick Reiser (16) | 16–13 |
| 30 | Tuesday, January 27 | @ Chicago | 74–78 | Chick Reiser (20) | 16–14 |
| 31 | Friday, January 30 | Washington$^a$ | 95–71 | Chick Reiser (18) | 17–14 |
| 32 | Saturday, January 31 | @ Providence | 68–62 | Kleggie Hermsen (22) | 18–14 |
| 33 | Wednesday, February 4 | @ Washington | 72–77 | Paul Hoffman (18) | 18–15 |
| 34 | Thursday, February 5 | Providence | 100–74 | Hoffman, Jeannette (19) | 19–15 |
| 35 | Thursday, February 12 | New York | 96–86 | Kleggie Hermsen (24) | 20–15 |
| 36 | Sunday, February 15 | @ St. Louis | 63–69 | Paul Hoffman (17) | 20–16 |
| 37 | Thursday, February 19 | @ Boston | 79–76 (OT) | Paul Hoffman (17) | 21–16 |
| 38 | Saturday, February 21 | @ Washington | 72–85 | Kleggie Hermsen (14) | 21–17 |
| 39 | Tuesday, February 24 | @ Philadelphia | 71–83 | Paul Hoffman (16) | 21–18 |
| 40 | Thursday, February 26 | Washington | 97–70 | Connie Simmons (17) | 22–18 |
| 41 | Saturday, February 28 | @ New York | 78–56 | Connie Simmons (14) | 23–18 |
| 42 | Sunday, February 29 | @ Boston | 62–65 | Grady Lewis (12) | 23–19 |
| 43 | Thursday, March 4 | St. Louis | 84–75 | Carl Meinhold (16) | 24–19 |
| 44 | Saturday, March 6 | Boston | 81–68 | Connie Simmons (23) | 25–19 |
| 45 | Thursday, March 11 | Chicago | 86–83 | Carl Meinhold (16) | 26–19 |
| 46 | Saturday, March 13 | Philadelphia | 64–62 | Chick Reiser (18) | 27–19 |
| 47 | Thursday, March 18 | Washington | 64–71 | Hermsen, Hoffman (15) | 27–20 |
| 48 | Saturday, March 20 | Providence | 75–58 | Buddy Jeannette (19) | 28–20 |
a: Game Played at Fifth Regiment Armory

## Playoffs
### Western Division tiebreaker

Chicago Stags vs. Baltimore Bullets: Bullets win series 1-0
* Game 1 @ Chicago (Thursday, March 25): Baltimore 75, Chicago 72

### First round

(W2) Baltimore Bullets vs. (E2) New York Knicks: Bullets win series 2-1
* Game 1 @ Baltimore (Saturday, March 27): Baltimore 85, New York 81
* Game 2 @ New York (Easter Sunday, March 28): New York 79, Baltimore 69
* Game 3 @ Baltimore (Thursday, April 1): Baltimore 84, New York 77

### Semifinals

(W2) Baltimore Bullets vs. (W3) Chicago Stags: Bullets win series 2-0
* Game 1 @ Chicago (Wednesday, April 7): Baltimore 73, Chicago 67
* Game 2 @ Baltimore (Thursday, April 8): Baltimore 89, Chicago 72

### BAA Finals

(E1) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (W2) Baltimore Bullets: Bullets win series 4-2
* Game 1 @ Philadelphia (Saturday, April 10): Philadelphia 71, Baltimore 60
* Game 2 @ Philadelphia (Tuesday, April 13): Baltimore 66, Philadelphia 63
* Game 3 @ Baltimore (Thursday, April 15): Baltimore 72, Philadelphia 70
* Game 4 @ Baltimore (Saturday, April 17): Baltimore 78, Philadelphia 75
* Game 5 @ Philadelphia (Tuesday, April 20): Philadelphia 91, Baltimore 82
* Game 6 @ Baltimore (Wednesday, April 21): Baltimore 88, Philadelphia 73

## Transactions
### Trades

| January 20, 1948 | To Baltimore BulletsGrady Lewis | To St. Louis BombersIrv Rothenberg |
| February 9, 1948 | To Baltimore BulletsConnie Simmons | To Boston CelticsMike Bloom |

### Purchases

| Player | Date purchased | Former team |
| Jerry Rullo | October 14, 1947 | Philadelphia Warriors |