View source for 1953 NBA Finals

{{Short description|1953 basketball championship series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{NBA Finals summary
| image =<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:1952 NBA finals.png|300px]] -->
| league = NBA
| year = 1953
| runnerup = [[1952–53 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]]
| runnerup_coach = [[Joe Lapchick]]
| runnerup_games = 1
| champion = [[1952–53 Minneapolis Lakers season|Minneapolis Lakers]]
| champion_coach = [[John Kundla]]
| champion_games = 4
| date= April 4–10
| MVP = <!-- None awarded -->
| HOFers = '''Lakers:'''<br />[[George Mikan]] (1959)<br />[[Jim Pollard]] (1978)<br />[[Slater Martin]] (1982)<br />[[Vern Mikkelsen]] (1995)<br />'''Knicks:'''<br />[[Harry Gallatin]] (1991)<br />[[Al McGuire]] (1992, coach)<br />[[Dick McGuire]] (1993)<br />[[Nat Clifton]] (2014)<br />[[Carl Braun (basketball)|Carl Braun]] (2019)<br />'''Coaches:'''<br />Joe Lapchick (1966, player)<br />John Kundla (1995)
| ECF result = [[1952–53 New York Knicks season|Knicks]] defeated [[1952–53 Boston Celtics season|Celtics]], 3–1
| WCF result = [[1952–53 Minneapolis Lakers season|Lakers]] defeated [[1952–53 Fort Wayne Pistons season|Pistons]], 3–2
}}

The '''1953 NBA World Championship Series''' was the championship round of the [[1953 NBA playoffs]], which concluded the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA)'s [[1952–53 NBA season|1952–53 season]]. The Western Division champion [[1952-53 Minneapolis Lakers season|Minneapolis Lakers]] faced the Eastern Division champion [[1952-53 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]] in a best-of-seven series with Minneapolis having home-court advantage.<ref name=BBR53/> By winning four games to one, the Lakers won their fifth title in six years dating from 1948, the club's final season in the [[National Basketball League (United States)|National Basketball League]].

The five games were played in seven days, beginning Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and 5, in Minneapolis and concluding there on the following Friday. Meanwhile, two mid-week games were played in New York City. The entire postseason tournament spanned 25 days in which Minneapolis played 12 games, New York 11.<ref name=BBR53/>

==Series summary==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Game !! Date !! Home team !! Result !! Road team
|-
| Game 1 || April 4 || Minneapolis Lakers || 88–96 (0–1) || '''New York Knicks'''
|-
| Game 2 || April 5 || '''Minneapolis Lakers''' || 73–71 (1–1) || New York Knicks
|-
| Game 3 || April 7 || New York Knicks || 75–90 (1–2) || '''Minneapolis Lakers'''
|-
| Game 4 || April 8 || New York Knicks || 69–72 (1–3) || '''Minneapolis Lakers'''
|-
| Game 5 || April 10 || New York Knicks || 84–91 (1–4) || '''Minneapolis Lakers'''
|-
|}
''Lakers win series 4–1''

==Team rosters==
<!--This code was copied from a navigation box. Please feel free to edit this to a more suitable format for this article-->

===Minneapolis Lakers=== 
{{NBA roster header|team=1952–53 Minneapolis Lakers
| bg1 = #7BA4DB | color1 =#FBE122
| bg2 = #FBE122 | color2 =#7BA4DB
}}
<!-- list of players --> 
{{player2 | num = 16	| first =Bob | last =Harrison	| dab=basketball |pos = SG| ft =6| in =1	| lbs =190	| DOB =  1927-08-12| college =Michigan}}
{{player2 | num = 11	| first =Lew | last =Hitch	| pos = PF| ft =6| in =8	| lbs =200	| DOB =  1929-07-16| college =Kansas State }}
{{player2 | num =  12, 13| first =Jim | last =Holstein| pos =SF	| ft =6| in =3	| lbs =180	| DOB =1930-09-24| college =Cincinnati}}
{{player2 | num = 22	| first =Slater | last =Martin	| pos = PG| ft =5| in =10	| lbs =170	| DOB =  1925-10-22| college =Texas }}
{{player2 | num = 99	| first =George | last =Mikan	| pos = C| ft =6| in =10	| lbs =245	| DOB =  1924-06-18| college =DePaul }}
{{player2 | num = 19	| first =Vern | last =Mikkelsen	| pos = PF| ft =6| in =7	| lbs =230	| DOB =  1928-10-21| college =Hamline University }} 
{{player2 | num = 17	| first =Jim | last =Pollard	| pos = SF| ft =6| in =4	| lbs =185	| DOB = 1922-07-09 | college =Stanford }}
{{player2 | num = 18	| first =Pep | last =Saul	| pos = SG| ft =6| in =2	| lbs =185	| DOB = 1924-02-16 | college =Seton Hall }}
{{player2 | num = |first=Dick | last =Schnittker| pos =F| ft =6| in =5	| lbs =200	| DOB =1928-05-27| college =Ohio State}}
{{player2 | num = 12	| first =Howie | last =Schultz	| pos = PF| ft =6| in =6	| lbs =200	| DOB = 1922-07-03 | college =Hamline University }}
{{player2 | num = 20	| first =Whitey | last =Skoog	| pos = SG| ft =5| in =11	| lbs =180	| DOB =  1926-11-02| college =Minnesota }}

<!-- end player list -->
{{NBA roster footer
| head_coach = 
*[[John Kundla]]
| asst_coach =
| roster_url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MNL/1953.html
}}

===New York Knicks===
{{NBA roster header|team=New York Knicks|season=1952–53 Eastern Division Champions}}
<!-- List of players -->
{{player2 | num =12| first =Vince | last =Boryla| pos =SF| ft = 6| in =5| lbs =210| DOB = 1927-03-11| college =  Denver}}
{{player2 | num =4	| first =Carl | last =Braun	| dab=basketball| pos =SG| ft = 6| in =5| lbs =180| DOB = 1927-09-25| college =Colgate}} 
{{player2 | num =8| first =Nat | last =Clifton	| pos =PF| ft = 6| in =6| lbs =220| DOB = 1922-10-13| college = Xavier University of Louisiana}}
{{player2 | num =| first =Jerry | last =Fleishman	| pos =G-F| ft = 6| in =2| lbs =190	| DOB = 1922-02-14| college =NYU}}
{{player2 | num =11| first =Harry | last =Gallatin| pos =PF| ft = 6| in =6| lbs =210| DOB = 1927-04-26| college = Truman State }} 
{{player2 | num =3, 16| first =Al | last =McGuire| pos =	PG| ft =6| in =2| lbs =180| DOB = 1928-09-07| college = St. John's}}
{{player2 | num =15| first =Dick | last =McGuire| pos =PG| ft =6| in =0	| lbs =180| DOB = 1926-01-25| college = St. John's}} 
{{player2 | num =5	| first =Sherwin | last =Raiken| pos =	G| ft = 6| in =2| lbs =185	| DOB = 1928-10-29| college =Villanova}}
{{player2 | num =18| first =Connie | last =Simmons| pos =C| ft =6| in =8	| lbs =222| DOB = 1925-03-15| college = [[Flushing High School]]}}
{{player2 | num =14, 17	| first =Dick | last =Surhoff| pos =SF| ft = 6| in =4| lbs =210	| DOB =1929-11-16| college =Long Island University}}
{{player2 | num =9| first =Ernie | last =Vandeweghe| pos =SF| ft =6| in =3| lbs =195| DOB =  1928-09-12| college = Colgate}} 

<!-- end player list -->
{{NBA roster footer
| head_coach = 
*[[Joe Lapchick]]
| asst_coach =
| roster_url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/1953.html
}}

==Game summaries==
{{basketballbox
 | bg = #eee | date = April 4 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195304040MNL.html Boxscore]
 | team1 = '''[[New York Knicks]]''' | score1 = '''96'''
 | team2 = [[Minneapolis Lakers]] | score2 = 88
 | Q1 = '''19'''–18 | Q2 = 24–'''29''' | Q3 = '''23'''–20 | Q4 = '''30'''–21
 | points1 = [[Carl Braun (basketball)|Carl Braun]] 21 | points2 = [[George Mikan]] 25
 | place = [[Minneapolis Auditorium]], [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]] | attendance = 5,000
 | referee = Sid Borgia, Arnie Heft | series = New York leads series, 1–0
}}
{{basketballbox
 | bg =  | date = April 5 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195304050MNL.html Boxscore]
 | team1 = [[New York Knicks]] | score1 = 71
 | team2 = '''[[Minneapolis Lakers]]''' | score2 = '''73'''
 | Q1 = 16–'''26''' | Q2 = 14–'''21''' | Q3 = '''24'''–11 | Q4 = '''17'''–15
 | points1 = [[Connie Simmons]] 17 | points2 = [[George Mikan]] 18
 | place = [[Minneapolis Auditorium]], [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]] | attendance = 4,848
 | referee = Sid Borgia, Arnie Heft | series = Series tied, 1–1
}}
{{basketballbox
 | bg = #eee | date = April 7 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195304070NYK.html Boxscore]
 | team1 = '''[[Minneapolis Lakers]]''' | score1 = '''90'''
 | team2 = [[New York Knicks]] | score2 = 75
 | Q1 = '''21'''–14 | Q2 = 18–'''24''' | Q3 = '''26'''–22 | Q4 = '''25'''–15
 | points1 = [[George Mikan]] 20 | points2 = [[Connie Simmons]] 18
 | place = [[69th Regiment Armory]], [[Manhattan]], [[New York (state)|New York]] | attendance = 5,100
 | series = Minneapolis leads series, 2–1
}}
{{basketballbox
 | bg =  | date = April 8 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195304080NYK.html Boxscore]
 | team1 = '''[[Minneapolis Lakers]]''' | score1 = '''71'''
 | team2 = [[New York Knicks]] | score2 = 69
 | Q1 = '''21'''–16 | Q2 = '''20'''–18 | Q3 = 13–'''16''' | Q4 = 17–'''19'''
 | points1 = [[George Mikan]] 27 | points2 = [[Connie Simmons]] 17
 | place = [[69th Regiment Armory]], [[Manhattan]], [[New York (state)|New York]] | attendance = 5,200
 | series = Minneapolis leads series, 3–1
}}
{{basketballbox
 | bg = #eee | date = April 10 | report = [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195304100NYK.html Boxscore]
 | team1 = '''[[Minneapolis Lakers]]''' | score1 = '''91'''
 | team2 = [[New York Knicks]] | score2 = 84
 | Q1 = '''19'''–18 | Q2 = '''25'''–17 | Q3 = 25–25 | Q4 = 22–'''24'''
 | points1 = [[Jim Pollard]] 17 | assist1 = [[Vern Mikkelsen]] 6
 | points2 = [[Carl Braun (basketball)|Carl Braun]] 19 | assist2 = [[Ernie Vandeweghe]] 4
 | place = [[69th Regiment Armory]], [[Manhattan]], [[New York (state)|New York]] | attendance = 5,200
 | series = Minneapolis wins series, 4–1
}}

==References==
{{reflist |25em |refs=

<ref name=BBR53>
[https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1953.html "1952–53 NBA Season Summary"]. Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-04-10.<br />&nbsp; Select "Previous Season" from the heading for 1951–52, and so on. Select "Finals" from League Playoffs for the daily schedule of the final series, and so on.</ref>
}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120222200859/http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19521953.html 1953 Finals] at NBA.com
* [https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1953.html 1953 NBA Playoffs] at Basketball-Reference.com

{{NBA Finals}}
{{Minneapolis Lakers 1952–53 NBA champions}}
{{Los Angeles Lakers}}
{{New York Knicks}}
{{1952–53 NBA season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1953 Nba Finals}}
[[Category:NBA Finals]]
[[Category:1952–53 NBA season|Finals]]
[[Category:New York Knicks games|NBA Finals]]
[[Category:Minneapolis Lakers games|NBA Finals]]
[[Category:1953 in sports in Minnesota|NBA Finals]]
[[Category:1953 in sports in New York City|NBA Finals]]
[[Category:April 1953 sports events in the United States|NBA Finals]]
[[Category:Basketball competitions in New York City]]
[[Category:Basketball competitions in Minneapolis]]
[[Category:1950s in Minneapolis]]
[[Category:1950s in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Rose Hill, Manhattan]]