1949-50 Season
Record: 51-17, first place in Central Division
The BAA and the NBL merged before the 1949-50 season, changing their name to the NBA. The Lakers had three promising first-year players joining George Mikan: forward Vern Mikkelsen and guards Slater Martin and Bud Grant (who went on to greater fame as coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.)
The Lakers were placed in the Central Division and ended the season tied with Rochester for first place, forcing a one-game playoff to determine the division title, which was won by the Lakers, 78-76.
Playoffs: For the second season in a row, the Lakers had little problem advancing to the NBA Finals, sweeping the Chicago Stags in the Central Division semifinals, the Fort Wayne Pistons in the division finals, and the Anderson Duffey Packers in the NBA semifinals.
The first NBA Finals pitted the Lakers against the Syracuse Nationals. The Lakers won Game 1 in Syracuse when guard Bob Harrison made a 40-foot shot at the buzzer to give Minneapolis a two-point victory. The Nationals evened the series the next night. When the Finals reconvened in Minnesota five days later, Minneapolis pounded out a 91-77 win, then followed that with a victory in Game 4. After Syracuse took Game 5, the Lakers came back with a 110-95 victory in Game 6 to earn their first NBA title. Mikan, who led the league in scoring during the regular season with 27.4 points per game, scored 31.3 points per game in the playoffs.
Playoff Results
Central Division Semifinals
- at Lakers 85, Chicago 75
- Lakers 75, at Chicago 67
Central Division Finals
- at Lakers 93, Fort Wayne 79
- Lakers 89, at Fort Wayne 82
NBA Semifinals
- at Lakers 75, Anderson 50
- Lakers 90, at Anderson 71
NBA Finals
- Lakers 68, at Syracuse 66
- at Syracuse 91, Lakers 85
- Lakers 91, Syracuse 77 (at St. Paul)
- Lakers 77, Syracuse 69 (at St. Paul)
- at Syracuse 83, Lakers 76
- at Lakers 110, Syracuse 95
