Overview
The Minneapolis Lakers defeated the New York Knicks, four games to one, in a best-of-seven series to end the 1952-53 season. The NBA held its Finals series from April 4-10, 1953. The 1953 Finals marked the first time in league history the teams that won their divisions in the regular season met to play for the championship.
The Knicks made their third straight Finals appearance, second straight against the Lakers where they lost four games to three in the 1952 Finals.
New York traded 1952 Finals star Max Zaslofsky to the Fort Wayne Pistons midway through the season, but gained the service of 6-foot-5 Carl Braun, who had left the team after the 1950 season to do a stint in the Army. Braun replaced Zaslofsky as the Knicks' scoring leader, and posted 14 points per game.
The Knicks finished first in the Eastern Division for the first time in franchise history, but their record still wasn't good enough for home-court advantage in the Finals as the Lakers finished one game better to win the West.
The Lakers had won three of the last four NBA championships, and returned all of their key players from the 1952 season. Minneapolis was once again led in scoring by George Mikan, who finished second in the league with 20.6 points per game. Mikan also posted a league-leading 14.4 rebounds per game.
Minneapolis' big man nucleus of Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard gave the Knicks trouble in 1952, and they all returned for the 1953 rematch.
The Knicks made their third straight Finals appearance, second straight against the Lakers where they lost four games to three in the 1952 Finals.
New York traded 1952 Finals star Max Zaslofsky to the Fort Wayne Pistons midway through the season, but gained the service of 6-foot-5 Carl Braun, who had left the team after the 1950 season to do a stint in the Army. Braun replaced Zaslofsky as the Knicks' scoring leader, and posted 14 points per game.
The Knicks finished first in the Eastern Division for the first time in franchise history, but their record still wasn't good enough for home-court advantage in the Finals as the Lakers finished one game better to win the West.
The Lakers had won three of the last four NBA championships, and returned all of their key players from the 1952 season. Minneapolis was once again led in scoring by George Mikan, who finished second in the league with 20.6 points per game. Mikan also posted a league-leading 14.4 rebounds per game.
Minneapolis' big man nucleus of Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard gave the Knicks trouble in 1952, and they all returned for the 1953 rematch.
Road to the Finals
| nbsp; | Knicks | Lakers |
| Regular Season | 47-23, 1st in Eastern Division | 48-22, 1st in Western Division |
| Div. Semifinals | Def. Baltimore Bullets, 2-0 | Def. Indianapolis Olympians, 2-0 |
| Div. Finals | Def. Boston Celtics, 3-1 | Def. Fort Wayne Pistons, 3-2 |
Game 1 -- Knicks 96, Lakers 88
The Lakers were, once again, unable to play games at their home arena of Minneapolis Auditorium because of scheduling conflicts with a sportsman's convention. However, their backup home court of St. Paul Auditorium was also unavailable for Game 1. This meant the Finals kicked off at the Minneapolis Armory, where the Lakers had played just one game in two years.
The Armory was only about half-filled with 5,000 fans, but the Lakers still had some semblance of home-court advantage. The Knicks had not won a game anywhere in Minneapolis over the course of five seasons. When the Lakers built up a 10-point lead in the third quarter, it appeared that trend might continue.
Alternatively, led by Ernie Vandeweghe, the Knicks went on a run that outpaced the Lakers in the fourth quarter for the win.
George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen fouled out, and made it difficult for Minneapolis to post much of a comeback. Big men Harry Gallatin and Carl Braun posted 22 and 21 points respectively to go along with 17 from Vandeweghe. Mikan had a game-high 25 points, 13 coming on free throws.
Mikan, Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard combined for 60 of the Lakers' 88 points, but the rest of the Minneapolis squad was off the mark for most of the night. The Knicks won their first game in Minneapolis in five seasons, stole home-court advantage and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
The Armory was only about half-filled with 5,000 fans, but the Lakers still had some semblance of home-court advantage. The Knicks had not won a game anywhere in Minneapolis over the course of five seasons. When the Lakers built up a 10-point lead in the third quarter, it appeared that trend might continue.
Alternatively, led by Ernie Vandeweghe, the Knicks went on a run that outpaced the Lakers in the fourth quarter for the win.
George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen fouled out, and made it difficult for Minneapolis to post much of a comeback. Big men Harry Gallatin and Carl Braun posted 22 and 21 points respectively to go along with 17 from Vandeweghe. Mikan had a game-high 25 points, 13 coming on free throws.
Mikan, Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard combined for 60 of the Lakers' 88 points, but the rest of the Minneapolis squad was off the mark for most of the night. The Knicks won their first game in Minneapolis in five seasons, stole home-court advantage and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Game 2 -- Lakers 73, Knicks 71
Game 2 looked like it was shaping up to be a blowout as the Lakers held New York to just 30 points in the first half. Minneapolis held a 17-point lead at halftime, but the Knicks' scoring kicked into gear in the second half.
Vince Boryla, Connie Simmons and Ernie Vandeweghe combined to score 37 points in the second half with all of Vandeweghe's 14 points coming after intermission. New York outscored the Lakers 24-11 in the third quarter and cut the Minneapolis lead to just four points.
The Knicks would tie the game a few times in the fourth quarter, but once the Lakers gained a slim lead late in the game they sat on the ball. Without a shot clock to force a change of possession, New York was forced to foul to try to get the ball back. The game devolved into a fouling exhibition, but the Knicks missed too many free throws, they were 19 of 31 from the line as a team. Minneapolis' George Mikan, Jim Pollard and Jim Holstein all made their free throws in the final seconds to seal the Lakers' victory.
Mikan fouled out of the game with 37 seconds remaining, but not before collecting 18 points as the game's leading scorer. The series was tied at 1-all and headed to New York City for three games.
Vince Boryla, Connie Simmons and Ernie Vandeweghe combined to score 37 points in the second half with all of Vandeweghe's 14 points coming after intermission. New York outscored the Lakers 24-11 in the third quarter and cut the Minneapolis lead to just four points.
The Knicks would tie the game a few times in the fourth quarter, but once the Lakers gained a slim lead late in the game they sat on the ball. Without a shot clock to force a change of possession, New York was forced to foul to try to get the ball back. The game devolved into a fouling exhibition, but the Knicks missed too many free throws, they were 19 of 31 from the line as a team. Minneapolis' George Mikan, Jim Pollard and Jim Holstein all made their free throws in the final seconds to seal the Lakers' victory.
Mikan fouled out of the game with 37 seconds remaining, but not before collecting 18 points as the game's leading scorer. The series was tied at 1-all and headed to New York City for three games.
Game 3 -- Lakers 90, Knicks 75
Prior to the start of Game 3 at New York's 69th Regiment Armory, New York coach Joe Lapchick was quoted as saying the Knicks thought they could take the three home games, and the series wouldn't need to return to Minneapolis. The Armory was packed with a standing-room-only crowd of 5,100 fans, including New York governor Thomas Dewey and his son.
The Knicks trailed early once again, down 34-22 midway through the second quarter, but New York rallied from a double-digit deficit for the third straight game. They went on a 17-6 run to take the lead early in the third quarter. Connie Simmons led the Knicks' charge once again, and finished with a team-high 18 points. But it was all Minneapolis from that point on.
The Minneapolis effort was led by George Mikan with 20 points and 19 from Jim Pollard. Guard Slater Martin added 13 for the Lakers, and Minneapolis took a 2-1 lead in the series.
The Knicks trailed early once again, down 34-22 midway through the second quarter, but New York rallied from a double-digit deficit for the third straight game. They went on a 17-6 run to take the lead early in the third quarter. Connie Simmons led the Knicks' charge once again, and finished with a team-high 18 points. But it was all Minneapolis from that point on.
The Minneapolis effort was led by George Mikan with 20 points and 19 from Jim Pollard. Guard Slater Martin added 13 for the Lakers, and Minneapolis took a 2-1 lead in the series.
Game 4 -- Lakers 71, Knicks 69
The crowd at New York's 69th Regiment Armory saw the Lakers get off to a good start once again in Game 4. Minneapolis' George Mikan came out of the gate strong by scoring 16 of the Lakers' 21 first-quarter points. Despite the Lakers' fast start, the Knicks kept pace and the game was tied at 65 with about 10 minutes remaining.
Whitey Skoog gave the Lakers a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter, putting back a Jim Pollard miss to make the score 71-67. Connie Simmons made a couple of late free throws to cut the margin to two points, and the Knicks controlled the ensuing jump ball on their end of the court.
Center Harry Gallatin missed a close-range shot that proved to be the Knicks' last chance. Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton got the rebound, his 16th of the game, but New York didn't get off another shot.
The Lakers lost Mikan relatively early when he fouled out with about eight minutes remaining in the game, after scoring 27 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Vern Mikkelsen was still strong in the middle for Minneapolis, and posted 11 points and 11 rebounds. Knicks star Connie Simmons led his team with 17 points, but it wasn't enough for the Knicks. New York was down 3-1 in the series, and a game away from elimination.
Whitey Skoog gave the Lakers a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter, putting back a Jim Pollard miss to make the score 71-67. Connie Simmons made a couple of late free throws to cut the margin to two points, and the Knicks controlled the ensuing jump ball on their end of the court.
Center Harry Gallatin missed a close-range shot that proved to be the Knicks' last chance. Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton got the rebound, his 16th of the game, but New York didn't get off another shot.
The Lakers lost Mikan relatively early when he fouled out with about eight minutes remaining in the game, after scoring 27 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Vern Mikkelsen was still strong in the middle for Minneapolis, and posted 11 points and 11 rebounds. Knicks star Connie Simmons led his team with 17 points, but it wasn't enough for the Knicks. New York was down 3-1 in the series, and a game away from elimination.
Game 5 -- Lakers 91, Knicks 84
The 69th Regiment Armory was filled with 5,200 fans that came out to see the Knicks attempt to avoid elimination. Knicks coach Joe Lapchick shook up his lineup in an effort to jump-start the New York offense. He started Ernie Vandeweghe over Dick McGuire.
The teams went back and forth early. Ironically, the Lakers would be sparked by the early loss of their star George Mikan, who missed the last seven minutes of the second quarter after picking up his fourth foul.
Despite the absence of Mikan, Jim Pollard, Pep Saul and Slater Martin carried the Minneapolis offense to a big lead over the Knicks. The Lakers went on an 11-0 run to start the third quarter, and built up an 18-point lead. The Knicks rallied by relying on the strength of their defense. Lapchick put on the full-court press, and New York crept back into the game.
As the game got closer, things got tense. Knicks forward Vince Boryla got into a scuffle with Minneapolis guard Bob Harrison, and they had to be separated by the referees. New York came all the way back to trail the Lakers by a single point with 40 seconds to go, 85-84, but the Knicks did not get a chance at another shot.
Vern Mikkelsen drained a free throw to push the lead to two, then Mikan converted a three-point play. Saul drained a layup with five seconds remaining, and it was all over for New York.
As Lapchick had predicted prior to Game 3, the series didn't need to go back to Minnesota, but it was Minneapolis who took the three games in New York, and won their fourth title in five seasons.
Pollard finished the game with 17 points, and led six Lakers in double figures. Slater Martin and Saul each added 13 points. Despite his early foul trouble, Mikan posted 14 points, and averaged 20.8 points per game over the course of the 1953 Finals.
The Knicks' downfall was their poor shooting. They only made 30 percent of their field goals in Game 5, while the Lakers shot at a 47 percent clip. Carl Braun was the high man with 17 as the Knicks lost in the Finals for the third straight year.
The Lakers received a $16,500 team bonus for winning the NBA title, up from $7,500 the previous season. As the runners-up, the Knicks took home $14,500.
The teams went back and forth early. Ironically, the Lakers would be sparked by the early loss of their star George Mikan, who missed the last seven minutes of the second quarter after picking up his fourth foul.
Despite the absence of Mikan, Jim Pollard, Pep Saul and Slater Martin carried the Minneapolis offense to a big lead over the Knicks. The Lakers went on an 11-0 run to start the third quarter, and built up an 18-point lead. The Knicks rallied by relying on the strength of their defense. Lapchick put on the full-court press, and New York crept back into the game.
As the game got closer, things got tense. Knicks forward Vince Boryla got into a scuffle with Minneapolis guard Bob Harrison, and they had to be separated by the referees. New York came all the way back to trail the Lakers by a single point with 40 seconds to go, 85-84, but the Knicks did not get a chance at another shot.
Vern Mikkelsen drained a free throw to push the lead to two, then Mikan converted a three-point play. Saul drained a layup with five seconds remaining, and it was all over for New York.
As Lapchick had predicted prior to Game 3, the series didn't need to go back to Minnesota, but it was Minneapolis who took the three games in New York, and won their fourth title in five seasons.
Pollard finished the game with 17 points, and led six Lakers in double figures. Slater Martin and Saul each added 13 points. Despite his early foul trouble, Mikan posted 14 points, and averaged 20.8 points per game over the course of the 1953 Finals.
The Knicks' downfall was their poor shooting. They only made 30 percent of their field goals in Game 5, while the Lakers shot at a 47 percent clip. Carl Braun was the high man with 17 as the Knicks lost in the Finals for the third straight year.
The Lakers received a $16,500 team bonus for winning the NBA title, up from $7,500 the previous season. As the runners-up, the Knicks took home $14,500.