1953 NBA playoffs

Postseason tournament August 2023 NBA playoffs 1953 1952–53 March 17 – April 10, 1953 8 Minneapolis Lakers 4 New York Knicks Fort Wayne Pistons Boston Celtics 1952 1954 The 1953 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1952–53 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Minneapolis Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won their fourth championship in the last five years, and defeated the Knicks in the Finals for the second straight season to complete their run. Not only did the four Western Division teams meet for the third straight year, but the Eastern Division teams this year, had a slight change. The Philadelphia Warriors did not make the playoffs, but the Baltimore Bullets did. They would be swept by the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks in 2 games. The Indianapolis Olympians played their last game, a Game 2 loss to the Lakers in the first round. They folded at the end of the season, and major professional basketball did not return to Indianapolis, Indiana until the Indiana Pacers were founded for the inaugural 1967–68 season of the American Basketball Association. The Boston Celtics earned their first playoff series victory with a two-game sweep of the Syracuse Nationals. The 1952–53 Baltimore Bullets hold the distinction of having the worst regular-season record of any playoff qualifier in league history, at 16–54. Bracket Division Semifinals Division Finals NBA Finals Eastern Division Western Division E1 New York* 2 E4 Baltimore 0 E3 Boston 2 E2 Syracuse 0 W1 Minneapolis* 2 W4 Indianapolis 0 W3 Fort Wayne 2 W2 Rochester 1 E1 New York* 3 E3 Boston 1 W1 Minneapolis* 3 W3 Fort Wayne 2 E1 New York* 1 W1 Minneapolis* 4* Division winner Bold Series winner Italic Team with home-court advantage in NBA Finals Division Semifinals Eastern Division Semifinals (1) New York Knicks vs. (4) Baltimore Bullets #eee March 17 Boxscore Baltimore Bullets 62 New York Knicks 80 13–12 19–21 11–20 19–27 Jim Baechtold 17 Connie Simmons 25 Madison Square Garden III, Manhattan, New York New York leads series, 1–0 March 20 Boxscore New York Knicks 90 Baltimore Bullets 81 20–14 23–24 21–24 26–19 Vince Boryla 20 Baechtold, Miller 21 each Baltimore Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland New York wins series, 2–0 This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team splitting the first two meetings. +Previous playoff seriesTied 1–1 in all-time playoff series#fff 1948 Baltimore Bullets 2 New York Knicks 1 1948 BAA First Round #fff 1949 Baltimore Bullets 1 New York Knicks 2 1949 Eastern Division Semifinals (2) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) Boston Celtics #eee March 19 Boxscore Boston Celtics 87 Syracuse Nationals 81 16–19 19–14 18–16 34–32 Bob Cousy 20 Paul Seymour 18 Onondaga War Memorial, Syracuse, New York Boston leads series, 1–0 March 21 Boxscore Syracuse Nationals 105 Boston Celtics 111 4OT 22–21 20–19 17–22 18–15 9–9, 4–4, 9–9, 6–12 Red Rocha 19 George King 4 Bob Cousy 50 Macauley, Sharman 5 each Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Boston wins series, 2–0 Al Cervi’s final NBA game. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=BOS&opp_id=PHI&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com February 19, 2021 This series featured the last quadruple overtime game until 2019. Western Division Semifinals (1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (4) Indianapolis Olympians #eee March 22 Boxscore Indianapolis Olympians 69 Minneapolis Lakers 85 14–21 17–21 25–21 13–22 Joe Graboski 22 Vern Mikkelsen 18 Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis leads series, 1–0 March 23 Boxscore Minneapolis Lakers 81 Indianapolis Olympians 79 24–19 10–13 25–17 22–30 Pollard, Mikkelsen 16 each Paul Walther 17 Butler Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Minneapolis wins series, 2–0 This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings. +Previous playoff seriesMinneapolis leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1951 Indianapolis Olympians 1 Minneapolis Lakers 2 1951 Western Division Semifinals #fff 1952 Indianapolis Olympians 0 Minneapolis Lakers 2 1952 Western Division Semifinals (2) Rochester Royals vs. (3) Fort Wayne Pistons #eee March 20 Boxscore Fort Wayne Pistons 84 Rochester Royals 77 14–16 23–21 21–20 26–20 Fred Schaus 20 Arnie Risen 17 Edgerton Park Arena, Rochester, New York Fort Wayne leads series, 1–0 March 22 Boxscore Rochester Royals 83 Fort Wayne Pistons 71 21–19 19–19 17–13 26–20 Bobby Wanzer 19 Larry Foust 24 War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana Series tied, 1–1 #eee March 24 Boxscore Fort Wayne Pistons 67 Rochester Royals 65 23–18 13–13 15–18 16–16 Larry Foust 18 Bobby Wanzer 17 Edgerton Park Arena, Rochester, New York Fort Wayne wins series, 2–1 This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Royals winning two of the first three meetings. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=GSW&opp_id=PHI&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com February 19, 2021Rochester leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series#fff 1950 Fort Wayne Pistons 2 Rochester Royals 0 1950 Central Division Semifinals #fff 1951 Fort Wayne Pistons 1 Rochester Royals 2 1951 Western Division Semifinals #fff 1952 Fort Wayne Pistons 0 Rochester Royals 2 1952 Western Division Semifinals Division Finals Eastern Division Finals (1) New York Knicks vs. (3) Boston Celtics #eee March 25 Boxscore Boston Celtics 91 New York Knicks 95 27–26 15–16 18–27 31–26 Bob Cousy 28 Chuck Cooper 6 Connie Simmons 18 Dick McGuire 8 Madison Square Garden III, Manhattan, New York New York leads series, 1–0 March 26 Boxscore New York Knicks 70 Boston Celtics 86 10–23 19–13 15–21 26–29 Harry Gallatin 17 Carl Braun 7 Macauley, Cousy 21 each Bob Cousy 13 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Series tied, 1–1 #eee March 28 Boxscore Boston Celtics 82 New York Knicks 101 22–20 15–23 18–32 27–26 Bob Cousy 18 Ed Macauley 5 Harry Gallatin 23 Dick McGuire 11 Madison Square Garden III, Manhattan, New York Phil Fox, Charles Eckman New York leads series, 2–1 March 29 Boxscore New York Knicks 82 Boston Celtics 75 17–26 14–19 22–11 29–19 Carl Braun 18 Nat Clifton 9 Ed Macauley 25 Bob Cousy 8 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Phil Fox, Charles Eckman New York wins series, 3–1 This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=BOS&opp_id=NYK&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus New York Knicks (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com February 19, 2021New York leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1951 Boston Celtics 0 New York Knicks 2 1951 Eastern Division Semifinals #fff 1952 Boston Celtics 1 New York Knicks 2 1952 Eastern Division Semifinals Western Division Finals (1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) Fort Wayne Pistons #eee March 26 Boxscore Fort Wayne Pistons 73 Minneapolis Lakers 83 16–24 14–19 12–13 31–27 Larry Foust 16 George Mikan 21 Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis leads series, 1–0 March 28 Boxscore Fort Wayne Pistons 75 Minneapolis Lakers 82 18–16 17–23 18–17 22–26 Larry Foust 21 George Mikan 20 Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Jocko Collins, Arnie Heft Minneapolis leads series, 2–0 #eee March 30 Boxscore Minneapolis Lakers 95 Fort Wayne Pistons 98 16–29 28–18 17–24 34–27 George Mikan 23 Fred Scolari 27 War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana Minneapolis leads series, 2–1 April 1 Boxscore Minneapolis Lakers 82 Fort Wayne Pistons 85 20–25 18–22 23–11 21–27 George Mikan 25 Larry Foust 20 War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana Series tied, 2–2 #eee April 2 Boxscore Fort Wayne Pistons 58 Minneapolis Lakers 74 9–23 16–11 12–19 21–21 Larry Foust 16 Mikan, Martin 18 each Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis wins series, 3–2 This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=DET&opp_id=LAL&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com February 19, 2021Minneapolis leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1950 Fort Wayne Pistons 0 Minneapolis Lakers 2 1950 Central Division Finals NBA Finals: (W1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (E1) New York Knicks 1953 NBA Finals #eee April 4 Boxscore New York Knicks 96 Minneapolis Lakers 88 19–18 24–29 23–20 30–21 Carl Braun 21 George Mikan 25 Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota 5,000 Sid Borgia, Arnie Heft New York leads series, 1–0 April 5 Boxscore New York Knicks 71 Minneapolis Lakers 73 16–26 14–21 24–11 17–15 Connie Simmons 17 George Mikan 18 Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota 4,848 Sid Borgia, Arnie Heft Series tied, 1–1 #eee April 7 Boxscore Minneapolis Lakers 90 New York Knicks 75 21–14 18–24 26–22 25–15 George Mikan 20 Connie Simmons 18 69th Regiment Armory, Manhattan, New York 5,100 Minneapolis leads series, 2–1 April 8 Boxscore Minneapolis Lakers 71 New York Knicks 69 21–16 20–18 13–16 17–19 George Mikan 27 Connie Simmons 17 69th Regiment Armory, Manhattan, New York 5,200 Minneapolis leads series, 3–1 #eee April 10 Boxscore Minneapolis Lakers 91 New York Knicks 84 19–18 25–17 25–25 22–24 Jim Pollard 17 Vern Mikkelsen 6 Carl Braun 19 Ernie Vandeweghe 4 69th Regiment Armory, Manhattan, New York 5,200 Minneapolis wins series, 4–1 This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=LAL&opp_id=NYK&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus New York Knicks (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com February 19, 2021Minneapolis leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1952 Minneapolis Lakers 4 New York Knicks 3 1952 NBA Finals References External links Basketball-Reference.com's 1953 NBA Playoffs page Category:NBA playoffs Playoffs fi:NBA-kausi 1952–1953#Pudotuspelit