1950–51 Minneapolis Lakers season

The 1950–51 Minneapolis Lakers season was the franchise's third season in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] In 1950–51, the NBA reduced the number of teams to 11. The two-time defending champion Lakers continued to dominate by winning the Western Division with a 44–24 record. In the playoffs, the Lakers needed three games to eliminate the Indianapolis Olympians in the first round. In the Western Finals, the Lakers took Game 1, but were ultimately defeated for the championship by the Rochester Royals, who came back to win the next three games.[2]

1950–51 Minneapolis Lakers season
Division champions
Head coachJohn Kundla
ArenaMinneapolis Auditorium
Results
Record44–24 (.647)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Western)
Playoff finishDivision finals
(lost to Royals 1–3)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
RadioWLOL
< 1949–50 1951–52 >

Off-season

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NBA draft

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Regular season

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Standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Minneapolis Lakers 44 24 .647 29–3 12–21 3–0 24–12
x-Rochester Royals 41 27 .603 3 29–5 12–22 18–15
x-Fort Wayne Pistons 32 36 .471 12 27–7 5–27 0–2 18–6
x-Indianapolis Olympians 31 37 .456 13 19–12 10–24 2–1 15–20
Tri-Cities Blackhawks 25 43 .368 19 22–13 2–28 1–2 12–24

Record vs. opponents

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1950-51 NBA Records
Team BAL BOS FWP IND MIN NYK PHI ROC SYR TCB WAS
Baltimore 3–6 4–2 2–4 2–4 2–5 3–6 1–5 3–5 3–3 1–2
Boston 6–3 5–1 4–1 3–3 4–4 4–4 2–4 2–5 4–2 4–3
Fort Wayne 2–4 1–5 5–3 5–3 2–4 3–3 3–5 3–3 5–5 3–1
Indianapolis 4–2 1–4 3–5 3–7 5–1 1–5 5–4 3–3 4–4 2–2
Minneapolis 4–2 3–3 3–5 7–3 3–3 4–2 4–4 4–2 10–0 2–0
New York 5–2 4–4 4–2 1–5 3–3 5–3 3–3 5–5 4–2 2–1
Philadelphia 6–3 4–4 3–3 5–1 2–4 3–5 4–2 6–2 4–2 3–0
Rochester 5–3 5–2 3–3 3–3 2–4 5–5 2–6 4–2 5–3 5–0
Syracuse 5–3 5–2 3–3 3–3 2–4 5–5 2–6 2–4 3–3 2–0
Tri-Cities 3–3 2–4 5–5 4–4 0–10 2–4 2–4 3–5 3–3 1–1
Washington 2–1 3–4 1–3 2–2 0–2 1–2 0–3 0–5 0–2 1–1

Game log

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# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 November 1 at Baltimore 71–81 George Mikan (34) 0–1
2 November 4 at Washington 91–85 George Mikan (27) 1–1
3 November 5 at Syracuse 87–90 George Mikan (29) 1–2
4 November 9 at Boston 71–76 George Mikan (24) 1–3
5 November 12 Philadelphia 70–83 George Mikan (25) 2–3
6 November 15 Syracuse 71–72 (OT) George Mikan (28) 3–3
7 November 16 at New York 69–71 George Mikan (27) 3–4
8 November 18 at Rochester 86–77 (2OT) George Mikan (47) 4–4
9 November 19 Rochester 77–90 George Mikan (23) 5–4
10 November 22 Fort Wayne 18–19 George Mikan (15) 5–5
11 November 23 at Fort Wayne 63–73 George Mikan (32) 5–6
12 November 26 Baltimore 71–85 George Mikan (23) 6–6
13 November 29 Tri-Cities 66–85 Slater Martin (19) 7–6
14 December 1 at Indianapolis 65–66 George Mikan (22) 7–7
15 December 3 Philadelphia 83–95 George Mikan (38) 8–7
16 December 6 New York 62–84 Jim Pollard (17) 9–7
17 December 9 at Tri-Cities 88–79 George Mikan (37) 10–7
18 December 10 Tri-Cities 101–114 George Mikan (29) 11–7
19 December 13 Rochester 82–72 George Mikan (43) 11–8
20 December 15 at Indianapolis 82–71 George Mikan (32) 12–8
21 December 16 at Tri-Cities 86–71 George Mikan (21) 13–8
22 December 17 Indianapolis 60–79 George Mikan (29) 14–8
23 December 19 at Philadelphia 67–71 George Mikan (25) 14–9
24 December 20 at Baltimore 84–91 George Mikan (39) 14–10
25 December 23 at Boston 81–87 George Mikan (31) 14–11
26 December 25 Washington 79–93 George Mikan (35) 15–11
27 December 27 Baltimore 63–81 George Mikan (19) 16–11
28 December 28 at Rochester 67–75 George Mikan (41) 16–12
29 December 31 Philadelphia 73–83 George Mikan (24) 17–12
30 January 1 at Fort Wayne 70–83 Vern Mikkelsen (20) 17–13
31 January 3 Fort Wayne 64–86 Vern Mikkelsen (23) 18–13
32 January 4 at Syracuse 80–77 George Mikan (27) 19–13
33 January 5 Boston 54–69 Vern Mikkelsen (17) 20–13
34 January 7 Rochester 57–69 Vern Mikkelsen (26) 21–13
35 January 10 New York 65–70 George Mikan (21) 22–13
36 January 11 at Tri-Cities 113–109 George Mikan (34) 23–13
37 January 14 Indianapolis 84–86 (OT) George Mikan (28) 24–13
38 January 16 at Indianapolis 68–82 George Mikan (21) 24–14
39 January 18 at New York 78–95 George Mikan (27) 24–15
40 January 20 N Fort Wayne 89–70 George Mikan (27) 25–15
41 January 21 Tri-Cities 82–89 George Mikan (31) 26–15
42 January 23 N Baltimore 89–79 Vern Mikkelsen (20) 27–15
43 January 25 at Philadelphia 90–71 George Mikan (24) 28–15
44 January 28 Indianapolis 75–101 George Mikan (34) 29–15
45 January 31 Tri-Cities 78–106 George Mikan (35) 30–15
46 February 3 at Indianapolis 89–84 George Mikan (29) 31–15
47 February 4 Boston 84–98 George Mikan (29) 32–15
48 February 7 at Fort Wayne 86–96 George Mikan (20) 32–16
49 February 8 Rochester 58–69 George Mikan (37) 33–16
50 February 11 Indianapolis 78–91 George Mikan (27) 34–16
51 February 14 Baltimore 71–99 George Mikan (28) 35–16
52 February 16 at Indianapolis 76–71 George Mikan (32) 36–16
53 February 17 at Rochester 82–87 George Mikan (30) 36–17
54 February 18 at Syracuse 80–91 George Mikan (25) 36–18
55 February 21 Syracuse 76–82 George Mikan (36) 37–18
56 February 24 Fort Wayne 78–95 George Mikan (32) 38–18
57 February 25 Indianapolis 75–73 Mikan, Pollard (20) 38–19
58 February 27 N Tri-Cities 77–83 George Mikan (33) 39–19
59 February 28 at Fort Wayne 73–77 George Mikan (39) 39–20
60 March 1 at Philadelphia 77–97 Jim Pollard (26) 39–21
61 March 4 at Boston 86–92 George Mikan (44) 39–22
62 March 6 at Rochester 79–90 George Mikan (18) 39–23
63 March 8 at New York 94–97 (OT) George Mikan (40) 39–24
64 March 10 at Tri-Cities 99–88 George Mikan (46) 40–24
65 March 11 Boston 96–98 (2OT) George Mikan (40) 41–24
66 March 14 Syracuse 76–100 George Mikan (40) 42–24
67 March 17 at Tri-Cities 92–91 (OT) George Mikan (38) 43–24
68 March 18 New York 68–86 Vern Mikkelsen (19) 44–24

Player stats

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Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average

Player GP REB AST STL BLK PTS AVG

Playoffs

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1951 playoff game log
Division semifinals: 2–1 (home: 2–0; road: 0–1)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 21 Indianapolis W 95–81 George Mikan (41) Minneapolis Auditorium 1–0
2 March 23 @ Indianapolis L 88–108 Vern Mikkelsen (30) Butler Fieldhouse 1–1
3 March 25 Indianapolis W 85–80 George Mikan (30) Minneapolis Auditorium 2–1
Division finals: 1–3 (home: 1–1; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 29 Rochester W 76–73 Vern Mikkelsen (23) Minneapolis Auditorium 1–0
2 March 31 Rochester L 66–70 Jim Pollard (20) Minneapolis Auditorium 1–1
3 April 1 @ Rochester L 70–83 George Mikan (23) Edgerton Park Arena 1–2
4 April 3 @ Rochester L 75–80 George Mikan (32) Edgerton Park Arena 1–3
1951 schedule

Awards and honors

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Transactions

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References

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General
Specific
  1. ^ 1950–51 Minneapolis Lakers
  2. ^ "Minneapolis Lakers – Sports Ecyclopedia".