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1951–52 Minneapolis Lakers season

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(Redirected from 1951-52 Minneapolis Lakers season) Pro basketball team season (won NBA championship)

NBA professional basketball team season
1951–52 Minneapolis Lakers season
NBA champions
Head coachJohn Kundla
ArenaMinneapolis Auditorium
Results
Record40–26 (.606)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finishNBA Champions
(Defeated Knicks 4–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
RadioWLOL
< 1950–51 1952–53 >

The 1951–52 Minneapolis Lakers season was the fourth season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA widened the foul lane before the 1951–52 season in an attempt to slow down George Mikan. Despite the change, it had little effect on Mikan. He still averaged 23.8 points per game, although he lost the scoring title to Paul Arizin, from the Philadelphia Warriors. The Lakers went into the campaign with essentially the same lineup. Rochester took first place in the Western Division by a game, but the Lakers ousted the Royals in four games in the division finals. The NBA Finals would have the Lakers oppose the New York Knickerbockers. Games 3 and 4 of the Finals were played at the 69th Regiment Armory instead of at Madison Square Garden. This was because of a famous circus being in town at the time. The teams split those games, as well as Games 5 and 6. Game 7 was dominated by Minneapolis. The Lakers pounded out an 82–65 win, at home, to claim their third NBA crown in their first four seasons. HoopsHype later ranked this squad as the team with the 14th easiest route to the NBA Finals championship.

Offseason

NBA draft

Main article: 1951 NBA draft

Roster

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (August 2023)

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Rochester Royals 41 25 .621 – 28–5 12–18 1–2 22–14
x-Minneapolis Lakers 40 26 .606 1 21–5 13–20 6–1 24–12
x-Indianapolis Olympians 34 32 .515 7 25–6 4–24 5–2 18–18
x-Fort Wayne Pistons 29 37 .439 12 22–11 6–24 1–2 17–19
Milwaukee Hawks 17 49 .258 24 8–13 3–22 6–14 9–27

Record vs. opponents

1951-52 NBA Records
Team BAL BOS FWP IND MIL MIN NYK PHI ROC SYR
Baltimore – 1–8 2–4 2–4 4–2 0–6 2–7 4–5 2–4 3–6
Boston 8–1 – 3–3 3–3 5–1 3–3 4–5 6–3 3–3 4–5
Fort Wayne 4–2 3–3 – 5–4 4–5 5–4 3–3 2–4 3–6 0–6
Indianapolis 4–2 3–3 4–5 – 7–2 4–5 3–3 2–4 3–6 4–2
Milwaukee 2–4 1–5 5–4 2–7 – 1–8 2–4 1–5 1–8 2–4
Minneapolis 6–0 3–3 4–5 5–4 8–1 – 4–2 2–4 7–2 1–5
New York 7–2 5–4 3–3 3–3 4–2 2–4 – 6–3 2–4 5–4
Philadelphia 5–4 3–6 4–2 4–2 5–1 4–2 3–6 – 2–4 3–6
Rochester 4–2 3–3 6–3 6–3 8–1 2–7 4–2 4–2 – 4–2
Syracuse 6–3 5–4 6–0 2–4 4–2 5–1 4–5 6–3 2–4 —

Game log

# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 November 3 @ Rochester 93–74 Vern Mikkelsen (25) 1–0
2 November 4 @ Syracuse 67–98 George Mikan (27) 1–1
3 November 9 @ Philadelphia 86–98 George Mikan (41) 1–2
4 November 10 @ New York 89–73 George Mikan (31) 2–2
5 November 11 @ Boston 72–77 Jim Pollard (17) 2–3
6 November 12 @ Baltimore 90–80 George Mikan (31) 3–3
7 November 13 @ Indianapolis 77–71 George Mikan (22) 4–3
8 November 17 Fort Wayne 64–68 (OT) George Mikan (32) 5–3
9 November 22 Rochester 65–70 (2OT) Vern Mikkelsen (21) 6–3
10 November 24 Milwaukee 72–59 George Mikan (19) 7–3
11 November 25 Indianapolis 73–82 George Mikan (31) 8–3
12 November 28 Boston 76–90 George Mikan (34) 9–3
13 December 1 Fort Wayne 69–89 George Mikan (24) 10–3
14 December 2 @ Fort Wayne 61–63 George Mikan (22) 10–4
15 December 5 Syracuse 83–81 (OT) Vern Mikkelsen (23) 10–5
16 December 8 N Baltimore 85–64 Mikan, Pollard (22) 11–5
17 December 9 Indianapolis 85–78 Vern Mikkelsen (25) 11–6
18 December 11 @ Indianapolis 69–85 Mikan, Mikkelsen (16) 11–7
19 December 12 Baltimore 79–99 George Mikan (25) 12–7
20 December 16 Milwaukee 52–99 George Mikan (24) 13–7
21 December 18 @ New York 67–69 George Mikan (19) 13–8
22 December 21 @ Philadelphia 103–105 (3OT) George Mikan (36) 13–9
23 December 22 @ Baltimore 96–90 (3OT) George Mikan (39) 14–9
24 December 23 @ Fort Wayne 79–81 George Mikan (33) 14–10
25 December 25 Boston 93–100 Jim Pollard (25) 15–10
26 December 30 Philadelphia 64–93 George Mikan (22) 16–10
27 January 1 Syracuse 80–82 George Mikan (37) 17–10
28 January 4 N Fort Wayne 79–64 Mikan, Pollard (21) 18–10
29 January 5 N Indianapolis 86–65 George Mikan (20) 19–10
30 January 6 New York 92–107 Jim Pollard (32) 20–10
31 January 8 @ Indianapolis 75–82 George Mikan (27) 20–11
32 January 9 Indianapolis 74–91 George Mikan (29) 21–11
33 January 11 @ Milwaukee 75–63 George Mikan (18) 22–11
34 January 12 N Milwaukee 96–84 Jim Pollard (24) 23–11
35 January 13 Philadelphia 88–81 George Mikan (33) 23–12
36 January 16 @ Boston 108–94 Vern Mikkelsen (36) 24–12
37 January 17 @ Syracuse 105–110 (3OT) Martin, Mikkelsen (19) 24–13
38 January 19 @ Rochester 85–96 Slater Martin (20) 24–14
39 January 20 Rochester 81–91 (2OT) George Mikan (61) 25–14
40 January 23 Syracuse 99–97 (OT) George Mikan (28) 25–15
41 January 26 @ Milwaukee 57–56 Jim Pollard (18) 26–15
42 January 27 Milwaukee 62–91 Vern Mikkelsen (19) 27–15
43 January 30 New York 65–77 Martin, Pollard (14) 28–15
44 January 31 @ Fort Wayne 85–78 Mikan, Pollard (23) 29–15
45 February 1 @ Indianapolis 77–85 George Mikan (25) 29–16
46 February 3 Rochester 75–77 George Mikan (25) 30–16
47 February 7 Rochester 75–86 George Mikan (27) 31–16
48 February 9 Fort Wayne 70–67 George Mikan (29) 31–17
49 February 10 @ Milwaukee 69–70 (2OT) Frank Saul (14) 31–18
50 February 14 N Milwaukee 109–74 Jim Pollard (25) 32–18
51 February 16 N Boston 75–77 Slater Martin (17) 32–19
52 February 17 @ Fort Wayne 87–99 Howie Schultz (19) 32–20
53 February 19 @ New York 96–98 George Mikan (26) 32–21
54 February 20 @ Baltimore 93–78 Vern Mikkelsen (28) 33–21
55 February 21 @ Syracuse 80–88 George Mikan (25) 33–22
56 February 23 @ Rochester 83–73 George Mikan (26) 34–22
57 February 24 @ Fort Wayne 70–83 Jim Pollard (19) 34–23
58 February 25 Philadelphia 95–108 George Mikan (28) 35–23
59 March 1 N Indianapolis 98–88 George Mikan (26) 36–23
60 March 2 @ Milwaukee 96–85 Jim Pollard (26) 37–23
61 March 4 @ Philadelphia 81–83 George Mikan (41) 37–24
62 March 5 @ Boston 74–82 Slater Martin (20) 37–25
63 March 8 @ Rochester 92–94 (OT) Mikan, Pollard (21) 37–26
64 March 9 Rochester 90–96 Jim Pollard (32) 38–26
65 March 12 New York 83–85 Jim Pollard (22) 39–26
66 March 16 Baltimore 82–126 Vern Mikkelsen (23) 40–26

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average

Player GP REB AST STL BLK PTS AVG

Playoffs

1952 playoff game log
Division Semi-finals: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 23 Indianapolis W 78–70 George Mikan (24) Minneapolis Auditorium 1–0
2 March 25 @ Indianapolis W 94–87 George Mikan (36) Butler Fieldhouse 2–0
Division Finals: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points Location Series
1 March 29 @ Rochester L 78–88 George Mikan (47) Edgerton Park Arena 0–1
2 March 30 @ Rochester W 83–78 (OT) Vern Mikkelsen (19) Edgerton Park Arena 1–1
3 April 5 Rochester W 77–67 Jim Pollard (22) Minneapolis Auditorium 2–1
4 April 6 Rochester W 82–80 Saul, Mikkelsen (18) Minneapolis Auditorium 3–1
NBA Finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 12 New York W 83–79 (OT) Jim Pollard (34) George Mikan (16) Pollard, Mikan (4) St. Paul Auditorium
8,722 		1–0
2 April 13 New York L 72–80 George Mikan (18) George Mikan (21) Slater Martin (4) St. Paul Auditorium 1–1
3 April 16 @ New York W 82–77 George Mikan (26) George Mikan (17) Pep Saul (8) 69th Regiment Armory
4,500 		2–1
4 April 18 @ New York L 89–90 (OT) Slater Martin (32) George Mikan (17) Pep Saul (5) 69th Regiment Armory
5,200 		2–2
5 April 20 New York W 102–89 Mikkelsen, Mikan (32) George Mikan (17) Pep Saul (5) St. Paul Auditorium
7,244 		3–2
6 April 23 @ New York L 68–76 George Mikan (28) George Mikan (15) Slater Martin (9) 69th Regiment Armory
3,000 		3–3
7 April 25 New York W 82–65 George Mikan (22) George Mikan (19) Slater Martin (6) Minneapolis Auditorium
8,612 		4–3
1952 schedule

Awards and honors

References

  1. 1951–52 Minneapolis Lakers
  2. ^ LAKERS: Los Angeles Lakers History
  3. "Ranking the easiest paths to an NBA title ever". June 18, 2024.

External links

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