1950 NBA playoffs

Bracket

The NBA was created in 1949 by merger of two competing professional basketball leagues, the BAA and NBL. For its first season only, the NBA teams were arranged in three divisions: Eastern, comprising the five surviving BAA Eastern Division teams plus Syracuse from the NBL; Central, comprising the five surviving BAA Western Division teams; and Western, comprising all the NBL teams except Syracuse. Within each division the top four teams were matched in two rounds of short series to generate a champion, after which the three division champions contended for the NBA title. With three contenders the third round of the tournament comprised a bye for one and a best-of-three match between the other two.

| RD1-text2 = | RD1-text4 = | RD1-text6 =

| RD1-seed05=C1 | RD1-team05=Minneapolis* | RD1-score05=2 | RD1-seed06=C4 | RD1-team06=Chicago | RD1-score06=0

| RD1-seed07=C3 | RD1-team07=Fort Wayne | RD1-score07=2 | RD1-seed08=C2 | RD1-team08=Rochester | RD1-score08= 0

| RD1-seed01=E1 | RD1-team01=Syracuse* | RD1-score01=2 | RD1-seed02=E4 | RD1-team02=Philadelphia | RD1-score02=0

| RD1-seed03=E3 | RD1-team03=Washington | RD1-score03=0 | RD1-seed04=E2 | RD1-team04=New York | RD1-score04=2

| RD1-seed09=W1 | RD1-team09=Indianapolis* | RD1-score09=2 | RD1-seed10=W4 | RD1-team10=Sheboygan | RD1-score10=1

| RD1-seed11=W3 | RD1-team11=Tri-Cities | RD1-score11=1 | RD1-seed12=W2 | RD1-team12=Anderson | RD1-score12=2

| RD2-seed03=C1 | RD2-team03=Minneapolis* | RD2-score03=2 | RD2-seed04=C3 | RD2-team04=Fort Wayne | RD2-score04=0

| RD2-seed01=E1 | RD2-team01=Syracuse* | RD2-score01=2 | RD2-seed02=E2 | RD2-team02=New York | RD2-score02=1

| RD2-seed05=W1 | RD2-team05=Indianapolis* | RD2-score05=1 | RD2-seed06=W2 | RD2-team06=Anderson | RD2-score06=2

| RD3-seed01=3 | RD3-team01=Anderson | RD3-score01=0 | RD3-seed02=2 | RD3-team02=Minneapolis | RD3-score02=2

| RD4-seed01=1 | RD4-team01=Syracuse | RD4-score01=2 | RD4-seed02=2 | RD4-team02=Minneapolis | RD4-score02=4

Division Tiebreakers

Central Division Tiebreakers

[[Chicago Stags]] @ [[Fort Wayne Pistons]]

[[Minneapolis Lakers]] @ [[Rochester Royals]]

Division Semifinals

Central Division Semifinals

(1) [[Minneapolis Lakers]] vs. (4) [[Chicago Stags]]

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.

(2) [[Rochester Royals]] vs. (3) [[Fort Wayne Pistons]]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

Eastern Division Semifinals

(1) [[Syracuse Nationals]] vs. (4) [[Philadelphia Warriors]]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

(2) [[New York Knicks]] vs. (3) [[Washington Capitols]]

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Capitols winning the first meeting.

Western Division Semifinals

(1) [[Indianapolis Olympians]] vs. (4) [[Sheboygan Red Skins]]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

(2) [[Anderson Packers]] vs. (3) [[Tri-Cities Blackhawks]]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

Division Finals

Central Division Finals

(1) [[Minneapolis Lakers]] vs. (3) [[Fort Wayne Pistons]]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

Eastern Division Finals

(1) [[Syracuse Nationals]] vs. (2) [[New York Knicks]]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

Western Division Finals

(1) [[Indianapolis Olympians]] vs. (2) [[Anderson Packers]]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

NBA Semifinals: (2) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) Anderson Packers

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

NBA Finals: (1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers

Main article: 1950 NBA Finals

• Bob Harrison hits the game-winning shot from 40 feet at the buzzer.

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

Notes

Notes identifying the "last playoff meeting" (latest previous meeting) or "first playoff meeting" between two teams refer to BAA and NBA playoffs only—for this inaugural NBA season, that is, only to the BAA playoffs of 1946–47 to 1948–49. (This follows NBA recognition of BAA history as part of its own.) All of the Western teams were new to the NBA; so was Syracuse, which participated in all but one of the Eastern playoff matches. As Syracuse advanced from the East, two of the three division champions who composed the two-round League Finals were new to the NBA. Furthermore, only Chicago among the three Central Division playoff teams had been a member of the BAA for more than one season (compare 1947–48) as the other three had moved from NBL to BAA in 1948.

References

References

1. "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
2. "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
3. "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
4. "Team Rivalry Finder — New York Knicks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
5. "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
6. [http://www.nba.com/history/nba-season-recaps/index.html "NBA Season Recaps"]. ''NBA History'' (nba.com/history). July 1, 2014. Retrieved 2015-03-03.