Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-03-30
Shift 10 Gotham
Court Fails 10
CheerMentor
NorIunder, Hermsen,
Hertzbere Star in
Washington Win
Bv Bill Fuchs
By Bill Fuchs

The Washington Caps will
move into Madison Square Gar
den tomorrow night for their Sec
ond game in the Basket Ball As
ISOLATION of America seminal
series and Knick Coach Joe Lap
chick frankly doesn't give his
charges much hope.
I'm a pessimist at heart any
way" Lapchick said following his
teams It'll defeat by the Caps
last night at the Armory. "but
what I saw tonight doesn't give
me any encouragement at all.
Washington just has too much
class"
When asked how he thought
the Caps provided they win the
Eastern Division title would fare
against Minneapolis. Western Dr.
vision winner, in the champion
ship series, the former Original
Celtic star said:
Minneapolis willthave to beat
Washington, not the other way
around. This club always has to
be beaten"
Reminded that the Knicks
dropped the first game to Balti-
more before sweeping the next
two in the quarter finals, Lapchick
smiled.
Sees Big Odds Against Knicks.
The odds against that are great
anyway" he said. ITO do it twice
in a row. don't think so. Our
only hope is that John Palmer
and Carl Braun will come through.
We have some good boys on our
club. but they don't have the ex-
perience that makes a good pro
team. I was surprised to see us
finish the season ahead of Phila-
delphia and Baltimore. I thought
they had better clubs. by far"
The Knicks will be playing on
their home court tomorrow night,
but that doesn't make Lapchick
happy either. The Knicks have
been a road club" all season,
gaining what little they had above
the 500 mark they finished with
$3.50 on rival courts.
Big Jack Nichols, John Nor
lander and 6-foot-9-inch Kleggie
Hermsen put on Washington's
Ilast-period rally which spelled de-
feat for the Knicks before 3,787
fans last night.
Nichols is the greatest addition
the Caps made this season." said
Lapcnick. "They didn't get him
until mid-season. but that's when
they needed him most"
Cap Trio Clicks.
Norlander, Sonny Hertzberg and
Hermsen were the big guns for the
Caps in the first period. which
ended with Washington ahead,
2l-17. The Caps made only four
field goals the second period and
Dick OKeefe, playing one OF his
best games OF the season. put in
three Of them. Dicks's foul shot
and field goal in the dying Sec
onds gave the Caps 1885 COM
mand at intermission. The score
was tied six times and the lead
switched seven times in that first
half.
Set shots by Fred Scolari, max
ing his first playoff appearance,
and Bones Mckinney and a free
throw by Hermsen stretched the
Caps lead to seven points In the
third, but the Knicks tied it up
midway in the period. Hermsen
and Mckinney put the Caps
ahead again and the Knicks never
again caught up.
Norlander led the Caps with
5-6-16; Nichols had 6-2-14;
Hermsen, 4-5-13; Hertzberg, As
10; O'Keefe. 1913; Mckinney,
2-3-7; Scolari. 2-0-4, and Dick
Schulz, who was suffering from
cold, was scoreless.
Harry Gallatin led New York
with II points. while Ray Lump
tailed Is and Braun IA.
Minneapolis took the Western
Division playoffs by eliminating
Rochester, 67-55, at st. Paul.