Record: 46-26, first place in Western Division
Hampered by bad knees most of the season, George Mikan averaged only 18.1 points per game, but the Lakers still finished with the best record in the NBA.
Playoffs: The NBA experimented with a round-robin format in the first round. Minneapolis survived, then defeated Rochester in the Western Division finals to advance to the NBA Finals. Waiting for them there: the Syracuse Nationals, who surprised the Lakers with a two-point win in Game 2, at Minneapolis. The Lakers won two of three in Syracuse to take a 3-2 lead heading back home, but Syracuse won Game 6 before the Lakers won their third title in a row with an 87-80 Game 7 victory.