1952 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
Dates March 18 – April 25, 1952
Teams 8
Final positions
Champions Minneapolis Lakers (3rd title)← 1951 1953 →
The 1952 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1951–52 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Minneapolis Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
For the first time in NBA history, all teams that made the playoffs the year before meet again, but this time with different outcomes. This would happen again in 1957, in 1966, and then 1973 before a few more teams add to the playoffs in 1975, 1977 and 1984.
The first NBA dynasty, the Lakers, won their third NBA title in the last 4 years and what would become their first of 3 straight titles.
Bracket Division Semifinals Division Finals NBA Finals E1 Syracuse 2 E4 Philadelphia 1 E1 Syracuse* 1 Eastern Division E3 New York 3 E3 New York 2 E2 Boston 1 E3 New York 3 W2 Minneapolis 4 W1 Rochester 2 W4 Fort Wayne 0 W1 Rochester* 1 Western Division W2 Minneapolis 3 W3 Indianapolis 0 W2 Minneapolis 2
* Division winner Bold Series winnerItalic Team with home-court advantage in NBA FinalsDivision Semifinals Eastern Division Semifinals (1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (4) Philadelphia Warriors Philadelphia Warriors 83, Syracuse Nationals 102 Scoring by quarter: 19–25 , 21–24 , 22–28 , 21–25 Pts :Paul Arizin 22 Rebs :Paul Arizin 13 Asts :Andy Phillip 6Pts: Dolph Schayes 31 Rebs: Dolph Schayes 18 Asts: Seymour , Osterkorn 4 eachSyracuse leads series, 1–0
Philadelphia Warriors 73, Syracuse Nationals 84 Scoring by quarter: 24 –22, 20–20, 11–19 , 18–23 Pts :Paul Arizin 26 Rebs :Paul Arizin 15 Asts :Andy Phillip 7Pts: Red Rocha 20 Rebs: Wally Osterkorn 12 Asts: Paul Seymour 4Syracuse wins series, 2–1
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers/Nationals winning the first two meetings.
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) New York Knicks New York Knicks 94, Boston Celtics 105 Scoring by quarter: 18–21 , 21–32 , 25 –24, 30 –28Pts :Max Zaslofsky 20 Asts :Dick McGuire 7Pts: Bob Cousy 31 Asts: Bill Sharman 7Boston leads series, 1–0
Boston Celtics 97, New York Knicks 101 Scoring by quarter: 25 –22, 22–29 , 25–26 , 25 –24Pts :Ed Macauley 36 Asts :Bob Donham 9Pts: Connie Simmons 22 Asts: Dick McGuire 7Series tied, 1–1
Madison Square Garden III , Manhattan , New York Referees: Chuck Solodare, Jocko Collins
New York Knicks 88 , Boston Celtics 87 (2OT)Scoring by quarter: 13–20 , 26 –21, 25 –17, 15–21 , Overtime: 4–4, 5 –4Pts :Max Zaslofsky 21 Asts :Dick McGuire 9Pts: Bob Cousy 34 Asts: Bob Cousy 8New York wins series, 2–1
Boston Garden , Boston , Massachusetts Referees: Chuck Solodare, Jocko Collins
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings.
Western Division Semifinals (1) Rochester Royals vs. (4) Fort Wayne Pistons Fort Wayne Pistons 78, Rochester Royals 95 Scoring by quarter: 22–22, 14–17 , 18–23 , 24–33 Pts :Larry Foust 17Pts: Bobby Wanzer 26Rochester leads series, 1–0
Rochester Royals 92 , Fort Wayne Pistons 86Scoring by quarter: 30 –17, 14–26 , 23 –15, 25–28 Pts :Bob Davies 29Pts: Jack Kerris 17Rochester wins series, 2–0
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with both teams splitting the first two meetings.
(2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) Indianapolis Olympians Indianapolis Olympians 70, Minneapolis Lakers 78 Scoring by quarter: 18–19 , 21 –18, 14–18 , 17–23 Pts :Barnhorst , Graboski 17 eachPts: George Mikan 24Minneapolis leads series, 1–0
Minneapolis Lakers 94 , Indianapolis Olympians 87Scoring by quarter: 23–24 , 21–25 , 25 –21, 25 –17Pts :George Mikan 36Pts: Joe Graboski 29Minneapolis wins series, 2–0
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
Division Finals Eastern Division Finals (1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) New York Knicks New York Knicks 87 , Syracuse Nationals 85Scoring by quarter: 13–23 , 23 –22, 28 –13, 23–27 Pts :Max Zaslofsky 26Pts: Dolph Schayes 25New York leads series, 1–0
New York Knicks 92, Syracuse Nationals 102 Scoring by quarter: 22 –21, 27–27, 17–27 , 26–27 Pts :Harry Gallatin 16Pts: Paul Seymour 21Series tied, 1–1
Syracuse Nationals 92, New York Knicks 99 Scoring by quarter: 19–24 , 23–29 , 22 –14, 28–32 Pts :Red Rocha 22Pts: Max Zaslofsky 20New York leads series, 2–1
Syracuse Nationals 93, New York Knicks 100 Scoring by quarter: 16–20 , 22 –20, 17–28 , 38 –32Pts :Dolph Schayes 22Pts: Max Zaslofsky 20New York wins series, 3–1
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with both teams splitting the first two meetings.
Western Division Finals (1) Rochester Royals vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers Minneapolis Lakers 78, Rochester Royals 88 Scoring by quarter: 25–28 , 17–19 , 23–23, 13–18 Pts :George Mikan 47Pts: Bob Davies 26Rochester leads series, 1–0
Minneapolis Lakers 83 , Rochester Royals 78 (OT)Scoring by quarter: 27 –17, 15–17 , 17–20 , 14–19 , Overtime: 10 –5Pts :Vern Mikkelsen 19Pts: Arnie Risen 24Series tied, 1–1
Rochester Royals 67, Minneapolis Lakers 77 Scoring by quarter: 14–14, 15–22 , 19 –18, 19–23 Pts :Arnie Johnson 16Pts: Jim Pollard 22Minneapolis leads series, 2–1
Rochester Royals 80, Minneapolis Lakers 82 Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 26 –23, 19–22 , 15–17 Pts :Bob Davies 21Pts: Saul , Mikkelsen 18 eachMinneapolis wins series, 3–1
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with both teams splitting the first two meetings.
NBA Finals: (W2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (E3) New York Knicks New York Knicks 79, Minneapolis Lakers 83 (OT)Scoring by quarter: 18–21 , 14–19 , 27 –20, 12 –11, Overtime: 8–12 Pts :Simmons , McGuire 15 each Rebs :Nat Clifton 12 Asts :Dick McGuire 5Pts: Jim Pollard 34 Rebs: George Mikan 16 Asts: Pollard , Mikan 4 eachMinneapolis leads series, 1–0
St. Paul Auditorium , Saint Paul, Minnesota Attendance: 8,722 Referees: Sid Borgia, Stan Stutz
Minneapolis Lakers 82 , New York Knicks 77Scoring by quarter: 19–20 , 22–26 , 19 –16, 22 –15Pts :George Mikan 26 Rebs :George Mikan 17 Asts :Pep Saul 8Pts: Max Zaslofsky 17 Rebs: Nat Clifton 10 Asts: Dick McGuire 10Minneapolis leads series, 2–1
Minneapolis Lakers 89, New York Knicks 90 (OT)Scoring by quarter: 21–23 , 21 –18, 20 –16, 15–20 , Overtime: 12–13 Pts :Slater Martin 32 Rebs :George Mikan 17 Asts :Pep Saul 5Pts: Connie Simmons 30 Rebs: Nat Clifton 12 Asts: Dick McGuire 6Series tied, 2–2
69th Regiment Armory , Manhattan , New York Attendance: 5,200 Referees: Sid Borgia, Stan Stutz
New York Knicks 89, Minneapolis Lakers 102 Scoring by quarter: 26–33 , 22 –16, 17–28 , 24–25 Pts :Nat Clifton 17 Rebs :Clifton , Gallatin 8 each Asts :six players 1 eachPts: Mikkelsen , Mikan 32 each Rebs: George Mikan 17 Asts: Pep Saul 5Minneapolis leads series, 3–2
St. Paul Auditorium , Saint Paul, Minnesota Attendance: 7,244 Referees: Sid Borgia, Stan Stutz
New York Knicks 65, Minneapolis Lakers 82 Scoring by quarter: 12–18 , 17–18 , 8–13 , 28–33 Pts :Max Zaslofsky 21 Rebs :Nat Clifton 10 Asts :Nat Clifton 3Pts: George Mikan 22 Rebs: George Mikan 19 Asts: Slater Martin 6Minneapolis wins series, 4–3
Minneapolis Auditorium , Minneapolis , Minnesota Attendance: 8,612 Referees: Sid Borgia, Stan Stutz
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.
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