1947 BAA playoffs

The 1947 BAA playoffs was the postseason tournament that followed the inaugural Basketball Association of America 1946–47 season. After its 1948–49 season, the BAA merged with the older National Basketball League to create the National Basketball Association or NBA. The tournament concluded with the Philadelphia Warriors defeating the Chicago Stags, 4 games to 1, in the BAA Finals.

The six qualified teams all began tournament play on Wednesday, April 2, and the Finals concluded on Tuesday, April 22. Philadelphia and Chicago played 10 and 11 games in the span of 21 days but their final series was compact, five games in seven days. Greater details on the first ever playoffs held in BAA/NBA history would be explored in Charley Rosen's book called "The First Tip-Off: The Incredible Story of the Birth of the NBA", with an entire chapter dedicated to the intricate details (including why the playoff formatting was the way it was during this season) and behind the scenes business (alongside later interviews with players and personnel that were involved with the playoff teams that season) that occurred both before and during the 1947 BAA playoffs., pp. 211–223

For the inaugural BAA/NBA playoffs, the BAA would see not one, but two major competitive professional basketball tournaments taking place at around the exact same time as the 1947 BAA playoffs. The first event was the 1947 NBL playoffs, which took place from March 18–April 9, 1947, and involved a rivaling team from Chicago in the Chicago American Gears that eventually were crowned champions of the NBL for the 1946–47 season's playoffs over the Rochester Royals. The second event was the 1947 World Professional Basketball Tournament, which was held in Chicago (home of the Stags) from April 7–11, 1947, and involved 14 teams from the rivaling National Basketball League alongside independently ran teams, the future Baltimore Bullets BAA/NBA team from the rivaling American Basketball League, and the Portland Indians from the short-lived Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League; that tournament would end with the NBL's Indianapolis Kautskys defeating the NBL's Toledo Jeeps in the championship round. Despite the Stags seeing worthwhile success throughout this season, they would end up debating on whether to fold operations following this season's conclusion due in part to the staggering competition they had to deal with late in the season for financial purposes.

Playoffs There were no byes. Western and Eastern champions Chicago and Washington immediately played a long semifinal series with Washington having home-court advantage. Chicago won the sixth game in Washington one day before Philadelphia concluded its two short series with other runners-up. In the 1947 BAA Finals, the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags 4–1.

Bracket

First round

(E2) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (W2) St. Louis Bombers