1953–54 Minneapolis Lakers season explained

The 1953–54 Minneapolis Lakers season was the sixth season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Lakers won the Western Division with a 46–26 record. George Mikan was hampered by knee troubles as he averaged only 18.1 points per game. The Lakers signed a promising rookie named Clyde Lovellette, who was able to alleviate the pressure on Mikan.^[1] In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers won three straight to face the Rochester Royals in the Western Finals. The Lakers beat the Royals to qualify for the NBA Finals. In the Finals, the Lakers and Syracuse Nationals alternated wins. In the end, the Lakers emerged with their third straight title, and fifth overall in the franchise's first six seasons in the NBA. They became the first NBA team to win three consecutive NBA championships.^[2] In the seventh and final game, the Lakers won by a score of 87–80, for the franchise's final NBA title before their relocation to Los Angeles in 1960. Following the season, Mikan announced his retirement.^[1]

The Lakers would not win another NBA championship until 1972.

NBA draft

See main article: article and 1953 NBA draft.

Regular season

Record vs. opponents

1953–54 NBA records
width=100	Team	BAL	BOS	FWP	MIL	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SYR
Baltimore	—	1–9	0–8	2–6	2–6	3–7	4–6	1–7	3–7
Boston	9–1	—	4–4	6–2	3–5	5–5	6–4	4–4	5–5
Fort Wayne	8–0	4–4	—	9–2	5–5	3–5	6–2	3–8	2–6
Milwaukee	6–2	2–6	2–9	—	3–8	3–5	3–5	1–9	1–7
Minneapolis	6–2	5–3	5–5	8–3	—	5–3	6–2	6–5	5–3
New York	7–3	5–5	5–3	5–3	3–5	—	7–3	7–1	5–5
Philadelphia	6–4	4–6	2–6	5–3	2–6	3–7	—	1–7	6–4
Rochester	7–1	4–4	8–3	9–1	5–6	1–7	7–1	—	3–5
Syracuse	7–3	5–5	6–2	7–1	3–5	5–5	4–6	5–3	—

Game log

	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 30		59–69	George Mikan (12)	0–1
2	October 31		67–91	George Mikan (16)	0–2
3	November 1		84–79	Jim Pollard (20)	1–2
4	November 4		77–75	George Mikan (24)	2–2
5	November 5		77–65	Slater Martin (20)	3–2
6	November 7	New York	62–70	George Mikan (22)	4–2
7	November 10		62–78	Slater Martin (12)	4–3
8	November 13	@ Milwaukee	92–84	George Mikan (26)	5–3
9	November 14		91–98 (3OT)	George Mikan (30)	5–4
10	November 15	N Boston	89–74	Jim Pollard (17)	6–4
11	November 17	N Fort Wayne	83–66	Clyde Lovellette (19)	7–4
12	November 19		107–79	Vern Mikkelsen (24)	8–4
13	November 21	Rochester	70–76	George Mikan (36)	9–4
14	November 22	@ Milwaukee	57–55	George Mikan (24)	10–4
15	November 26	Philadelphia	80–88	George Mikan (23)	11–4
16	November 29	Boston	82–95	George Mikan (28)	12–4
17	December 3	N Syracuse	74–87	George Mikan (27)	13–4
18	December 5	Syracuse	80–90	George Mikan (18)	14–4
19	December 12	New York	67–71	Martin, Mikkelsen (14)	15–4
20	December 13	N Rochester	87–70	Frank Saul (16)	15–5
21	December 15	@ New York	79–80 (OT)	George Mikan (17)	15–6
22	December 16	N Milwaukee	69–63 (OT)	George Mikan (21)	16–6
23	December 17	@ Baltimore	64–75	George Mikan (18)	16–7
24	December 19	@ Rochester	91–78	Slater Martin (20)	17–7
25	December 20	@ Syracuse	76–81	Slater Martin (17)	17–8
26	December 25	N Baltimore	78–88	Vern Mikkelsen (15)	17–9
27	December 26	Fort Wayne	71–77	George Mikan (16)	18–9
28	December 27	@ Fort Wayne	79–75	George Mikan (21)	19–9
29	December 30	Fort Wayne	97–80	George Mikan (17)	19–10
30	January 2	New York	74–78	George Mikan (26)	20–10
31	January 4	N Rochester	85–84	George Mikan (32)	20–11
32	January 7	Rochester	71–89	Mikan, Mikkelsen (20)	21–11
33	January 9	@ Milwaukee	78–67	Lovellette, Mikan (17)	22–11
34	January 10	Boston	85–99	Mikan, Pollard (16)	23–11
35	January 13	@ Boston	84–88	George Mikan (21)	23–12
36	January 14	@ Syracuse	71–96	George Mikan (19)	23–13
37	January 16	Milwaukee	64–58	Clyde Lovellette (12)	23–14
38	January 17	@ Fort Wayne	83–86	Vern Mikkelsen (24)	23–15
39	January 18	N Milwaukee	91–72	Vern Mikkelsen (18)	24–15
40	January 23	Fort Wayne	72–75	George Mikan (16)	25–15
41	January 26	@ Milwaukee	84–69	Lovellette, Martin (14)	26–15
42	January 27	Baltimore	73–76	Jim Pollard (24)	27–15
43	January 28	N Baltimore	104–82	George Mikan (24)	28–15
44	January 30	Milwaukee	64–80	Jim Pollard (13)	29–15
45	January 31	Boston	67–82	Jim Pollard (22)	30–15
46	February 2	@ Rochester	87–78	George Mikan (23)	31–15
47	February 3	N New York	79–91	Frank Saul (18)	32–15
48	February 4	@ Baltimore	82–70	George Mikan (20)	33–15
49	February 6	Philadelphia	94–97	George Mikan (26)	34–15
50	February 7	@ Fort Wayne	83–90	Jim Pollard (18)	34–16
51	February 8	N Philadelphia	91–106	George Mikan (20)	35–16
52	February 9	N Philadelphia	67–70	George Mikan (23)	36–16
53	February 11	Baltimore	82–110	Dick Schnittker (17)	37–16
54	February 12	N Milwaukee	62–71	George Mikan (21)	37–17
55	February 13	N Philadelphia	77–86	George Mikan (27)	38–17
56	February 14	Rochester	77–105	George Mikan (16)	39–17
57	February 16	N Rochester	79–85	Jim Pollard (24)	40–17
58	February 18	Boston	105–92	George Mikan (17)	40–18
59	February 20	Syracuse	68–83	George Mikan (14)	41–18
60	February 21	@ Syracuse	73–100	Lovellette, Mikan, Skoog (14)	41–19
61	February 22	N Philadelphia	79–72	Vern Mikkelsen (17)	41–20
62	February 23	@ New York	100–82	Mikan, Mikkelsen (20)	42–20
63	February 25	@ Philadelphia	72–81	Mikan, Mikkelsen (17)	42–21
64	February 27	@ Baltimore	95–85	George Mikan (29)	43–21
65	February 28	@ Fort Wayne	77–94	Lovellette, Mikan (15)	43–22
66	March 2	Syracuse	87–91	George Mikan (27)	44–22
67	March 5	@ Boston	106–128	George Mikan (30)	44–23
68	March 6	@ Rochester	59–74	George Mikan (15)	44–24
69	March 7	Milwaukee	63–65	Vern Mikkelsen (17)	45–24
70	March 9	N Rochester	70–61	George Mikan (11)	45–25
71	March 10	New York	85–76	Jim Pollard (17)	45–26
72	March 13	Fort Wayne	66–93	Slater Martin (27)	46–26

Playoffs

Awards and honors

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Minneapolis Lakers – Sports Ecyclopedia.
Book: Numbelievable! . 95 . Michael X. . Ferraro . John . Veneziano . Triumph Books . Chicago . 2007 . 978-1-57243-990-0.