1948–49 Washington Capitols season

NBA professional basketball team season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1948–49 BAA season was the Capitols' third season in the NBA/BAA.[1] They became the first team to win 15 straight games to start the season, which was both a BAA record and then an NBA record at the time, which would since be tied 45 years later by the Houston Rockets in 1993 before Golden State Warriors surpassed it in 2015. The Cleveland Cavaliers would later tie this mark as well in 2024. After ending their previous season with a surprising tiebreaker exit from playoff contention, the Capitols would return to the kind of greatness they had in their first season of play with a 38–22 resulting in them having the best record in the Eastern Division (though not the best overall record this time around), which led to them making it all the way to the 1949 BAA Finals, where they ended up losing to one of the new entrants of the league, the NBL-turned-BAA's Minneapolis Lakers (who were led primarily by superstar center George Mikan), 4–2. With the Capitols later folding on January 9, 1951, they would end up joining the Chicago Stags in 1947 and last season's champions in the original Baltimore Bullets ABL/BAA/NBA franchise as the only three BAA/NBA teams to have folded operations after making it to a BAA/NBA Finals championship series.[2]

Head coachRed Auerbach
OwnerMike Uline
ArenaWashington Coliseum
Record38–22 (.633)
Quick facts Washington Capitols season, Head coach ...
1948–49 Washington Capitols season
Division champions
Head coachRed Auerbach
OwnerMike Uline
ArenaWashington Coliseum
Results
Record38–22 (.633)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishBAA Finals
(eliminated 2-4 by Lakers)
Stats at Basketball Reference
RadioWTOP
< 1947–48 1949–50 >
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Following the conclusion of the final BAA season before it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to become the NBA, legendary head coach Red Auerbach would quit his role as head coach of the Capitols due to team owner Mike Uline refusing to adhere to Auerbach's demands of having a multi-year contract with the team following Uline's prior problems with multi-year contracts with previous teams he had owned in the past, which led to the Capitols replacing Auerbach with player-coach Bob Feerick as the new head coach of the team for the next season.[3] After briefly being an assistant coach for Duke University, he would return to be the head coach for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks for most of the 1949–50 NBA season before later coaching the Boston Celtics for the rest of his tenure, eventually winning nine NBA Finals championships with them.[4]

Draft

Main article: 1948 BAA draft
More information Round, Pick ...
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
112Jack NicholsF/C United StatesWashington
––Fred Bartell– United StatesOregon
––Ed Hughes– United StatesSan Jose State
––Thorton Jenkins– United StatesMissouri
––Leo KatkaveckG United StatesNC State
––C. T. Parker– United StatesLouisiana Tech
––Jack ParkinsonG United StatesKentucky
––Don Walker– United StatesSam Houston State
––Al Williams– United StatesArkansas
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Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
1948–49 Washington Capitols roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
G/F 10 Bob Feerick 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1920-01-02 Santa Clara
F/C 11 Kleggie Hermsen 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1923-03-12 Minnesota
G 29 Sonny Hertzberg 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1922-07-29 CCNY
G 23 Leo Katkaveck 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1923-04-17 NC State
SF 17 Bones McKinney 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1919-01-01 North Carolina
PF 15 Jack Nichols 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 222 lb (101 kg) 1926-04-09 Washington
F 16 Johnny Norlander 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1921-03-05 Hamline
G/F 13 Dick O'Keefe 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1923-09-29 Santa Clara
G/F 22 Dick Schulz 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1917-01-03 Wisconsin
PG 20 Fred Scolari 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1922-03-01 San Francisco
F/C 15 Jack Toomay 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1922-08-09 Pacific
G/F 18 Matt Zunic 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1919-12-19 George Washington
Head coach

Red Auerbach

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

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Regular season

Season standings

More information #, Team ...
#
Eastern Division
Team W L PCT GB
1 x-Washington Capitols3822.633–
2 x-New York Knicks3228.5336
3 x-Baltimore Bullets2931.4839
4 x-Philadelphia Warriors2832.46710
5 Boston Celtics2535.41713
6 Providence Steamrollers1248.20026
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Game log

More information 1948–49 game log Total: 38–22, Game ...
1948–49 game log
Total: 38–22
November
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocation
Attendance		Record
1 November 3 Philadelphia W 77–70 Hermsen, McKinney (17) 1–0
2 November 4 @ Providence W 99–95 (3OT) Bob Feerick (22) 2–0
3 November 6 Minneapolis W 67–62 Bones McKinney (24) 3–0
4 November 10 Rochester W 73–66 Fred Scolari (12) 4–0
5 November 11 @ Baltimore W 70–68 Bones McKinney (15) 5–0
6 November 13 Fort Wayne W 80–71 Kleggie Hermsen (20) 6–0
7 November 17 @ New York W 73–62 Hermsen, Hertzberg (12) 7–0
8 November 20 Boston W 90–75 Kleggie Hermsen (15) 8–0
9 November 21 @ Rochester W 80–77 Bob Feerick (19) 9–0
10 November 23 @ Boston W 71–68 Kleggie Hermsen (16) 10–0
11 November 25 @ Philadelphia W 81–73 Bones McKinney (18) 11–0
12 November 27 Indianapolis W 94–76 McKinney, Scolari (19) 12–0
December
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocation
Attendance		Record
13 December 1 Providence W 75–63 Feerick, McKinney (16) 13–0
14 December 2 @ Providence W 66–61 Kleggie Hermsen (15) 14–0
15 December 4 Baltimore W 83–82 Bones McKinney (21) 15–0
16 December 7 @ Indianapolis L 78–94 Bones McKinney (17) 15–1
17 December 8 @ Minneapolis W 94–83 Bones McKinney (20) 16–1
18 December 10 vs St. Louis L 83–88 (OT) Sidney Hertzberg (21) 16–2
19 December 11 St. Louis W 87–63 Feerick, Hertzberg (14) 17–2
20 December 15 Philadelphia W 92–81 Bones McKinney (22) 18–2
21 December 18 Boston W 69–60 Bones McKinney (21) 19–2
22 December 22 Providence W 102–77 Bob Feerick (24) 20–2
23 December 25 Fort Wayne W 88–74 Bob Feerick (20) 21–2
24 December 26 @ Fort Wayne L 73–91 Kleggie Hermsen (19) 21–3
25 December 29 @ Minneapolis L 68–91 Bones McKinney (20) 21–4
26 December 30 @ St. Louis W 81–68 Bob Feerick (20) 22–4
January
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocation
Attendance		Record
27 January 1 Chicago W 92–90 Bob Feerick (22) 23–4
28 January 4 @ Philadelphia W 84–78 Leo Katkaveck (15) 24–4
29 January 5 Baltimore L 68–88 Hermsen, Norlander, Schulz (10) 24–5
30 January 8 Indianapolis W 89–81 Fred Scolari (15) 25–5
31 January 10 @ Boston W 94–83 Fred Scolari (21) 26–5
32 January 12 @ Baltimore L 92–106 Bob Feerick (17) 26–6
33 January 15 New York W 75–73 Fred Scolari (17) 27–6
34 January 16 @ Chicago L 70–92 Jack Nichols (15) 27–7
35 January 20 @ Providence W 88–81 Bones McKinney (20) 28–7
36 January 22 Boston W 95–64 Bones McKinney (17) 29–7
37 January 23 @ New York W 97–93 Bones McKinney (26) 30–7
38 January 26 @ Baltimore L 86–96 Fred Scolari (18) 30–8
39 January 28 @ Boston L 90–91 Fred Scolari (17) 30–9
40 January 30 @ Minneapolis L 79–84 Bob Feerick (19) 30–10
February
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocation
Attendance		Record
41 February 1 @ Indianapolis L 69–83 Fred Scolari (20) 30–11
42 February 2 Indianapolis W 83–57 Kleggie Hermsen (33) 31–11
43 February 3 @ St. Louis W 74–65 Kleggie Hermsen (27) 32–11
44 February 5 New York L 73–83 Jack Nichols (15) 32–12
45 February 6 @ Fort Wayne L 72–82 Bones McKinney (19) 32–13
46 February 9 Rochester W 99–94 (2OT) McKinney, Scolari (20) 33–13
47 February 12 Philadelphia L 88–91 Bob Feerick (17) 33–14
48 February 15 @ Rochester L 79–91 Jack Nichols (17) 33–15
49 February 19 Baltimore W 92–88 Jack Nichols (18) 34–15
50 February 23 Providence W 100–88 Jack Nichols (24) 35–15
51 February 26 Chicago L 90–103 Feerick, McKinney, Norlander (15) 35–16
52 February 28 @ Chicago W 67–57 Jack Nichols (13) 36–16
March
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsLocation
Attendance		Record
53 March 1 @ Rochester L 64–67 Jack Nichols (14) 36–17
54 March 2 St. Louis L 75–82 Fred Scolari (14) 36–18
55 March 5 Chicago L 95–106 Bob Feerick (21) 36–19
56 March 9 @ New York L 74–90 Jack Nichols (25) 36–20
57 March 12 Fort Wayne W 87–60 Jack Nichols (29) 37–20
58 March 16 Minneapolis W 85–72 Jack Nichols (17) 38–20
59 March 17 @ Philadelphia L 81–84 Kleggie Hermsen (26) 38–21
60 March 19 New York L 70–82 Bones McKinney (18) 38–22
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Playoffs

East Division Semifinals

(1) Washington Capitols vs. (4) Philadelphia Warriors: Capitols win series 2-0

  • Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 92, Philadelphia 70
  • Game 2 @ Philadelphia: Washington 80, Philadelphia 78

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first and only meeting between the Capitols and Warriors.[5]

East Division Finals

(1) Washington Capitols vs. (2) New York Knicks: Capitols win series 2-1

  • Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 77, New York 71
  • Game 2 @ New York: New York 86, Washington 84 (OT)
  • Game 3 @ Washington: Washington 84, New York 76

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Capitols and Knicks.

BAA Finals

Main article: 1949 BAA Finals

(E1) Washington Capitols vs. (W2) Minneapolis Lakers: Lakers win series 4-2

  • Game 1 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 88, Washington 84
  • Game 2 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 76, Washington 62
  • Game 3 @ Washington: Minneapolis 94, Washington 74
  • Game 4 @ Washington: Washington 83, Minneapolis 71
  • Game 5 @ Washington: Washington 74, Minneapolis 65
  • Game 6 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 77, Washington 56

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first and only meeting between the Capitols and Lakers.[6]

Awards and records

References

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