1948 BAA playoffs

The 1948 BAA playoffs was the postseason tournament following the Basketball Association of America 1947–48 season. Following its third, 1948–49 season, the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association or NBA. The tournament concluded with the Baltimore Bullets defeating the Philadelphia Warriors 4 games to 2 in the BAA Finals.

The two Division champions and two teams involved in a 3-way tiebreaker began tournament play on Tuesday, March 23, and the Finals concluded on Wednesday, April 21. Baltimore and Philadelphia played 12 and 13 games in the span of 30 days; their six final games in 12 days.

Due to changes with the rivaling National Basketball League (mainly the removal of the previous defending champions in the Chicago American Gears), the BAA would not face any direct competition with the 1948 NBL playoffs despite their playoff dates overlapping with the BAA's playoff dates once again. Not only that, but with the Chicago Stags being eliminated from playoff contention on April 8 by the eventual BAA champion Baltimore Bullets in the city of Baltimore, they would also see no real competition from the 1948 World Professional Basketball Tournament held in Chicago from April 8–11, 1948, which featured five teams from the rivaling National Basketball League, the Wilkes-Barre Barons from the rivaling American Basketball League that the Bullets used to be a part of, and two independently ran teams in the Bridgeport Newfield Steelers and the all-black New York Renaissance; both of those rivaling professional tournaments would end with the NBL turned future BAA/NBA team known as the Minneapolis Lakers winning both of those events over the Rochester Royals and the New York Renaissance, respectively.

Bracket There were no byes. Western and Eastern champions St. Louis and Philadelphia immediately played a long semifinal series with St. Louis having home-court advantage. Philadelphia won the seventh game in St. Louis, 85–46, two days before Baltimore concluded its sequence of tie-breaker (not shown) and two short series with other runners-up.

Division Tiebreakers

Western Division Tiebreakers

Washington Capitols @ Chicago Stags

Baltimore Bullets @ Chicago Stags

First round

(W2) Baltimore Bullets vs. (E2) New York Knicks

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

(E3) Boston Celtics vs. (W3) Chicago Stags

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

BAA Semifinals

(W1) St. Louis Bombers vs. (E1) Philadelphia Warriors

This was the first game 7 in league history and also the first road team to win game 7. It was also the Warriors' last game 7 win on the road until 2018.

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff seriesPhiladelphia leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series

(W2) Baltimore Bullets vs. (W3) Chicago Stags

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

BAA Finals: (E1) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (W2) Baltimore Bullets

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

1948 BAA playoffs

Bron en licentie