# 1947–48 Boston Celtics season

The 1947–48 Boston Celtics season was the second season of the Boston Celtics in the Basketball Association of America (BAA/NBA). This was the first season in which the Celtics qualified for the playoffs, where they lost in the BAA Quarterfinals to the Chicago Stags.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 3 | Bulbs Ehlers | G/F | United States | Purdue |
| – | – | Bob Alemeida | – | United States | – |
| – | – | Hank Biasatti | G | Italy Canada | Long Island |
| – | – | Johnny Ezersky | G/F | United States | Rhode Island State |
| – | – | George Felt | – | United States | Northwestern |
| – | – | Jack Hewson | F/C | United States | Temple |
| – | – | John Kelly | – | United States | Notre Dame |
| – | – | George Petrovick | – | United States | – |
| – | – | Gene Stump | G/F | United States | DePaul |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| # | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | x-Philadelphia Warriors | 27 | 21 | .563 | – |
| 2 | x-New York Knicks | 26 | 22 | .542 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Boston Celtics | 20 | 28 | .417 | 7 |
| 4 | Providence Steamrollers | 6 | 42 | .125 | 21 |

### 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 | November 13 | @ Baltimore | 74–85 | Sadowski, Simmons (16) | 0–1 |
| 2 | November 14 | Philadelphia | 74–79 (OT) | Ed Sadowski (27) | 0–2 |
| 3 | November 15 | @ Washington | 73–69 | Ed Sadowski (14) | 1–2 |
| 4 | November 18 | St. Louis | 50–65 | Ed Sadowski (14) | 1–3 |
| 5 | November 20 | @ Philadelphia | 67–57 | Ed Sadowski (18) | 2–3 |
| 6 | November 21 | Baltimore | 73–89 | Ed Sadowski (18) | 2–4 |
| 7 | November 22 | @ Providence | 65–62 | Cecil Hankins (12) | 3–4 |
| 8 | November 25 | New York | 75–91 | Ed Sadowski (15) | 3–5 |
| 9 | November 26 | @ New York | 65–63 | Ed Sadowski (19) | 4–5 |
| 10 | November 28 | Washington | 92–83 | Ed Sadowski (22) | 5–5 |
| 11 | December 2 | Baltimore | 69–77 (OT) | Ed Sadowski (18) | 5–6 |
| 12 | December 5 | Providence | 73–69 | Ed Sadowski (24) | 6–6 |
| 13 | December 10 | New York | 75–79 | Ed Sadowski (25) | 6–7 |
| 14 | December 12 | Philadelphia | 69–67 | Mel Riebe (22) | 7–7 |
| 15 | December 17 | Providence | 67–66 | Mel Riebe (17) | 8–7 |
| 16 | December 19 | St. Louis | 78–70 | Ed Sadowski (30) | 9–7 |
| 17 | December 20 | @ New York | 58–70 | Saul Mariaschin (20) | 9–8 |
| 18 | December 23 | Chicago | 75–83 | Ed Sadowski (22) | 9–9 |
| 19 | December 27 | @ Providence | 74–63 | Mel Riebe (15) | 10–9 |
| 20 | December 30 | Philadelphia | 70–64 | Ed Sadowski (28) | 11–9 |
| 21 | January 1 | @ St. Louis | 48–58 | Bulbs Ehlers (12) | 11–10 |
| 22 | January 3 | @ Washington | 60–95 | Connie Simmons (12) | 11–11 |
| 23 | January 10 | @ Providence | 57–70 | Ed Sadowski (19) | 11–12 |
| 24 | January 11 | Washington | 84–56 | Mel Riebe (21) | 12–12 |
| 25 | January 16 | Chicago | 75–61 | Ed Sadowski (23) | 13–12 |
| 26 | January 18 | @ Chicago | 48–72 | Ed Sadowski (11) | 13–13 |
| 27 | January 22 | @ Philadelphia | 61–54 | Noszka, Riebe, Sadowski (11) | 14–13 |
| 28 | January 23 | New York | 58–74 | Mel Riebe (18) | 14–14 |
| 29 | January 25 | @ St. Louis | 54–72 | Ed Sadowski (18) | 14–15 |
| 30 | January 27 | Philadelphia | 68–77 | Ed Sadowski (21) | 14–16 |
| 31 | January 30 | Providence | 69–79 | Ed Sadowski (22) | 14–17 |
| 32 | January 31 | @ New York | 64–66 | Ed Sadowski (28) | 14–18 |
| 33 | February 6 | New York | 57–68 | Ed Sadowski (18) | 14–19 |
| 34 | February 8 | @ New York | 68–80 | Ed Sadowski (30) | 14–20 |
| 35 | February 12 | @ Philadelphia | 60–69 | Ed Sadowski (20) | 14–21 |
| 36 | February 13 | Providence | 79–73 | Ed Sadowski (23) | 15–21 |
| 37 | February 14 | @ Washington | 58–72 | Ed Sadowski (16) | 15–22 |
| 38 | February 19 | @ Baltimore | 76–79 (OT) | Ed Sadowski (33) | 15–23 |
| 39 | February 22 | Chicago | 77–97 | Mel Riebe (20) | 15–24 |
| 40 | February 26 | @ St. Louis | 92–94 (2OT) | Ed Sadowski (34) | 15–25 |
| 41 | February 27 | @ Chicago | 83–69 | Ehlers, Sadowski (22) | 16–25 |
| 42 | February 29 | Baltimore | 65–62 | Ed Sadowski (20) | 17–25 |
| 43 | March 4 | @ Philadelphia | 62–82 | Ed Sadowski (16) | 17–26 |
| 44 | March 5 | St. Louis | 71–68 | Ed Sadowski (32) | 18–26 |
| 45 | March 6 | @ Baltimore | 68–81 | Mike Bloom (14) | 18–27 |
| 46 | March 13 | @ Providence | 86–64 | Mel Riebe (22) | 19–27 |
| 47 | March 16 | Washington | 62–76 | Ed Sadowski (18) | 19–28 |
| 48 | March 18 | @ Chicago | 77–72 | Ed Sadowski (23) | 20–28 |

## Playoffs

1948 playoff game log :
First Round: 1–2 (home: 1–2; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocationSeries
1
March 28
Chicago
L 72–79
Sadowski, Riebe (22)
Boston Garden
0–1
2
March 31
Chicago
W 81–77
Saul Mariaschin (17)
Boston Garden
1–1
3
April 2
Chicago
L 74–81
Ed Sadowski (26)
Boston Garden
1–2 :
1948 schedule :

## Awards and records

* Ed Sadowski, All-NBA First Team

## Transactions
### Trades

| April 29, 1947 | To Boston CelticsCecil Hankins | To St. Louis BombersWyndol Gray |
| October 27, 1947 | To Boston CelticsGeorge Munroe Cash | To St. Louis BombersJohn Abramovic |
| February 9, 1948 | To Boston CelticsMike Bloom | To Baltimore BulletsConnie Simmons |

### Free agency
#### Additions

| Player | Former team |
| John Janisch | Detroit Falcons |
| Saul Mariaschin | Harvard Crimson |
| Stan Noszka | Pittsburgh Ironmen |
| Mel Riebe | Cleveland Rebels |
| Ed Sadowski | Cleveland Rebels |

#### Subtractions

| Player | Reason left | New team |
| Al Brightman | Signed contract | Seattle Athletics |
| Hal Crisler | Retired from basketball to pursue career in American football | |
| Bob Duffy | | |
| Don Eliason | | |
| Warren Fenley | | |
| Mel Hirsch | | |
| Jerry Kelly | Signed contract | Providence Steamrollers |
| Harold Kottman | Signed contract | St. Paul Saints |
| Dick Murphy | Signed contract | Elizabeth Braves |
| John Simmons | Signed contract | Kansas City Blues |
| Virgil Vaughn | | |