1948–49 Washington Capitols season

The 1948–49 BAA season was the Capitols' 3rd season in the NBA/BAA.^[1] They became the first team to win 15 straight games to start the season, a BAA record and then an NBA record at the time, which would since be tied 45 years later by the Houston Rockets in 1993 before Golden State Warriors surpassed it in 2015. The Cleveland Cavaliers would later tie this mark as well in 2024.

1948–49 Washington Capitols season
Division champions
Head coach	Red Auerbach
Arena	Washington Coliseum
Results
Record	38–22 (.633)
Place	Division: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finish	BAA Finals (eliminated 2-4)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Radio	WTOP
< 1947–48 1949–50 >

Draft

Main article: 1948 BAA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	12	Jack Nichols	F/C	United States	Washington
–	–	Fred Bartell	–	United States	Oregon
–	–	Ed Hughes	–	United States	San Jose State
–	–	Thorton Jenkins	–	United States	Missouri
–	–	Leo Katkaveck	G	United States	NC State
–	–	C. T. Parker	–	United States	Louisiana Tech
–	–	Jack Parkinson	G	United States	Kentucky
–	–	Don Walker	–	United States	Sam Houston State
–	–	Al Williams	–	United States	Arkansas

Roster

1948–49 Washington Capitols roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From G/F 10 Bob Feerick 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1920-01-02 Santa Clara F/C 11 Kleggie Hermsen 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1923-03-12 Minnesota G 29 Sonny Hertzberg 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1922-07-29 CCNY G 23 Leo Katkaveck 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1923-04-17 NC State SF 17 Bones McKinney 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1919-01-01 North Carolina PF 15 Jack Nichols 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 222 lb (101 kg) 1926-04-09 Washington F 16 Johnny Norlander 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1921-03-05 Hamline G/F 13 Dick O'Keefe 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1923-09-29 Santa Clara G/F 22 Dick Schulz 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1917-01-03 Wisconsin PG 20 Fred Scolari 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1922-03-01 San Francisco F/C 15 Jack Toomay 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1922-08-09 Pacific G/F 18 Matt Zunic 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1919-12-19 George Washington

Head coach Red Auerbach Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

Season standings

#	Eastern Division v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	x-Washington Capitols	38	22	.633	–
2	x-New York Knicks	32	28	.533	6
3	x-Baltimore Bullets	29	31	.483	9
4	x-Philadelphia Warriors	28	32	.467	10
5	Boston Celtics	25	35	.417	13
6	Providence Steamrollers	12	48	.200	26

Record vs. opponents

1948–49 BAA records
Team	BAL	BOS	CHI	FWP	IND	MIN	NYK	PHI	PRO	ROC	STL	WAS
Baltimore	—	4–2	1–4	4–1	5–0	1–4	2–4	4–2	2–4	1–4	2–3	3–3
Boston	2–4	—	0–5	4–1	3–2	2–3	3–3	3–3	3–3	1–4	3–2	1–5
Chicago	4–1	5–0	—	4–2	5–1	2–4	3–2	2–3	5–0	2–4	3–3	3–2
Fort Wayne	1–4	1–4	2–4	—	3–3	2–4	1–4	5–0	4–1	0–6	1–4	2–3
Indianapolis	0–5	2–3	1-5	3–3	—	0–6	1–4	1–4	4–1	1–5	3–3	2–3
Minneapolis	4–1	3–2	4–2	4–2	6–0	—	4–1	4–1	5–0	4–2	4–2	2–3
New York	4–2	3–3	2–3	4–1	4–1	1–4	—	2–4	5–1	1–4	3–2	2–3
Philadelphia	2–4	3–3	3–2	0–5	4–1	1–4	4–2	—	6–0	0–5	3–2	2–4
Providence	4–2	3–3	0–5	1–4	1–4	0–5	1–5	0–6	—	2–3	0–5	0–6
Rochester	4–1	4–1	4–2	6–0	5–1	2–4	4–1	5–0	3–2	—	6–0	2–3
St. Louis	3–2	2–3	3–3	4–1	3–3	2–4	2–3	2–3	5–0	0–6	—	2–3
Washington	3–3	5–1	2–3	3–2	3–2	3–2	3–2	4–2	6–0	3–2	3–2	—

Game log

1948–49 game log Total: 38–22
November Game Date Team Score High points Location Attendance Record 1 November 3 Philadelphia W 77–70 Hermsen, McKinney (17) 1–0 2 November 4 @ Providence W 99–95 (3OT) Bob Feerick (22) 2–0 3 November 6 Minneapolis W 67–62 Bones McKinney (24) 3–0 4 November 10 Rochester W 73–66 Fred Scolari (12) 4–0 5 November 11 @ Baltimore W 70–68 Bones McKinney (15) 5–0 6 November 13 Fort Wayne W 80–71 Kleggie Hermsen (20) 6–0 7 November 17 @ New York W 73–62 Hermsen, Hertzberg (12) 7–0 8 November 20 Boston W 90–75 Kleggie Hermsen (15) 8–0 9 November 21 @ Rochester W 80–77 Bob Feerick (19) 9–0 10 November 23 @ Boston W 71–68 Kleggie Hermsen (16) 10–0 11 November 25 @ Philadelphia W 81–73 Bones McKinney (18) 11–0 12 November 27 Indianapolis W 94–76 McKinney, Scolari (19) 12–0
December Game Date Team Score High points Location Attendance Record 13 December 1 Providence W 75–63 Feerick, McKinney (16) 13–0 14 December 2 @ Providence W 66–61 Kleggie Hermsen (15) 14–0 15 December 4 Baltimore W 83–82 Bones McKinney (21) 15–0 16 December 7 @ Indianapolis L 78–94 Bones McKinney (17) 15–1 17 December 8 @ Minneapolis W 94–83 Bones McKinney (20) 16–1 18 December 10 vs St. Louis L 83–88 (OT) Sidney Hertzberg (21) 16–2 19 December 11 St. Louis W 87–63 Feerick, Hertzberg (14) 17–2 20 December 15 Philadelphia W 92–81 Bones McKinney (22) 18–2 21 December 18 Boston W 69–60 Bones McKinney (21) 19–2 22 December 22 Providence W 102–77 Bob Feerick (24) 20–2 23 December 25 Fort Wayne W 88–74 Bob Feerick (20) 21–2 24 December 26 @ Fort Wayne L 73–91 Kleggie Hermsen (19) 21–3 25 December 29 @ Minneapolis L 68–91 Bones McKinney (20) 21–4 26 December 30 @ St. Louis W 81–68 Bob Feerick (20) 22–4
January Game Date Team Score High points Location Attendance Record 27 January 1 Chicago W 92–90 Bob Feerick (22) 23–4 28 January 4 @ Philadelphia W 84–78 Leo Katkaveck (15) 24–4 29 January 5 Baltimore L 68–88 Hermsen, Norlander, Schulz (10) 24–5 30 January 8 Indianapolis W 89–81 Fred Scolari (15) 25–5 31 January 10 @ Boston W 94–83 Fred Scolari (21) 26–5 32 January 12 @ Baltimore L 92–106 Bob Feerick (17) 26–6 33 January 15 New York W 75–73 Fred Scolari (17) 27–6 34 January 16 @ Chicago L 70–92 Jack Nichols (15) 27–7 35 January 20 @ Providence W 88–81 Bones McKinney (20) 28–7 36 January 22 Boston W 95–64 Bones McKinney (17) 29–7 37 January 23 @ New York W 97–93 Bones McKinney (26) 30–7 38 January 26 @ Baltimore L 86–96 Fred Scolari (18) 30–8 39 January 28 @ Boston L 90–91 Fred Scolari (17) 30–9 40 January 30 @ Minneapolis L 79–84 Bob Feerick (19) 30–10
February Game Date Team Score High points Location Attendance Record 41 February 1 @ Indianapolis L 69–83 Fred Scolari (20) 30–11 42 February 2 Indianapolis W 83–57 Kleggie Hermsen (33) 31–11 43 February 3 @ St. Louis W 74–65 Kleggie Hermsen (27) 32–11 44 February 5 New York L 73–83 Jack Nichols (15) 32–12 45 February 6 @ Fort Wayne L 72–82 Bones McKinney (19) 32–13 46 February 9 Rochester W 99–94 (2OT) McKinney, Scolari (20) 33–13 47 February 12 Philadelphia L 88–91 Bob Feerick (17) 33–14 48 February 15 @ Rochester L 79–91 Jack Nichols (17) 33–15 49 February 19 Baltimore W 92–88 Jack Nichols (18) 34–15 50 February 23 Providence W 100–88 Jack Nichols (24) 35–15 51 February 26 Chicago L 90–103 Feerick, McKinney, Norlander (15) 35–16 52 February 28 @ Chicago W 67–57 Jack Nichols (13) 36–16
March Game Date Team Score High points Location Attendance Record 53 March 1 @ Rochester L 64–67 Jack Nichols (14) 36–17 54 March 2 St. Louis L 75–82 Fred Scolari (14) 36–18 55 March 5 Chicago L 95–106 Bob Feerick (21) 36–19 56 March 9 @ New York L 74–90 Jack Nichols (25) 36–20 57 March 12 Fort Wayne W 87–60 Jack Nichols (29) 37–20 58 March 16 Minneapolis W 85–72 Jack Nichols (17) 38–20 59 March 17 @ Philadelphia L 81–84 Kleggie Hermsen (26) 38–21 60 March 19 New York L 70–82 Bones McKinney (18) 38–22

Playoffs

East Division Semifinals

(1) Washington Capitols vs. (4) Philadelphia Warriors: Capitols win series 2-0

• Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 92, Philadelphia 70
• Game 2 @ Philadelphia: Washington 80, Philadelphia 78

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Capitols and Warriors.

East Division Finals

(1) Washington Capitols vs. (2) New York Knicks: Capitols win series 2-1

• Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 77, New York 71
• Game 2 @ New York: New York 86, Washington 84 (OT)
• Game 3 @ Washington: Washington 84, New York 76

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Capitols and Knicks.

BAA Finals

Main article: 1949 BAA Finals

(E1) Washington Capitols vs. (W2) Minneapolis Lakers: Lakers win series 4-2

• Game 1 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 88, Washington 84
• Game 2 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 76, Washington 62
• Game 3 @ Washington: Minneapolis 94, Washington 74
• Game 4 @ Washington: Washington 83, Minneapolis 71
• Game 5 @ Washington: Washington 74, Minneapolis 65
• Game 6 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 77, Washington 56

Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Capitols and Lakers.

Awards and records

• Bob Feerick, All-NBA Second Team
• Bones McKinney, All-NBA Second Team