The 1949-50 New York Knicks season was the team’s fourth season in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which became the National Basketball Association (NBA) following a merger before the start of the season. The Knicks, led by head coach Joe Lapchick, featured notable players such as Harry Gallatin, Vince Boryla, and Carl Braun. The team’s performance was a mix of highs and lows, culminating in a solid campaign that saw them reach the playoffs.
During the regular season, the Knicks finished with a record of 40 wins and 28 losses, placing them second in the Eastern Division. This strong performance was underpinned by a balanced team effort, with no single player dominating the scoring but several contributing significantly. Their defense was also a key component, as they managed to limit their opponents effectively throughout the season.
In the playoffs, the Knicks faced off against the Washington Capitols in the first round. They successfully overcame the Capitols in a best-of-three series, winning 2-0. However, their playoff run was halted in the Eastern Division Finals, where they were defeated by the Syracuse Nationals in a closely contested series, losing 2-1. This season marked a step forward for the Knicks, establishing them as a competitive force in the still-developing NBA landscape.
- Regular Season Record: 40-28
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 2-0, Division Finals: 1-2
New York Knicks Roster and Stats for 1949-50 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Carl Braun | 67 | 15.4 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 17.0 | 0.0 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Harry Gallatin | 68 | 11.8 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 13.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Connie Simmons | 60 | 11.4 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 8.4 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Vince Boryla | 59 | 10.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 15.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ernie Vandeweghe | 43 | 9.9 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 8.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick McGuire | 68 | 8.6 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 12.6 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Harry Donovan | 44 | 5.8 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tex Ritter | 60 | 5.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 9.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ray Lumpp | 57 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Paul Noel | 62 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Bartels | 1 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Butch van Breda Kolff | 54 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gene James | 24 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
New York Knicks in the 1950 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Washington Capitols
In the 1950 NBA Playoffs, the New York Knicks faced off against the Washington Capitols in the Eastern Division Semifinals. The Knicks emerged victorious by winning the series 2-0, showcasing their defensive prowess and balanced scoring attack. This victory propelled them into the Eastern Division Finals, highlighting their potential as a formidable contender in the league's early years.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1950 | @ Washington Capitols | W 90-87 | |
| Mar 22, 1950 | vs. Washington Capitols | W 103-83 |
1950 Conference Championship vs. Syracuse Nationals
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 1950 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 91-83 | |
| Mar 30, 1950 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 80-76 | |
| Apr 02, 1950 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 91-80 |
New York Knicks 1949-50 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1949-50 season for the New York Knicks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 01, 1949 | @ Chicago Stags | W 89-87 | |
| Nov 02, 1949 | @ Waterloo Hawks | W 68-60 | |
| Nov 03, 1949 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 87-72 | |
| Nov 05, 1949 | @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks | W 76-72 | |
| Nov 06, 1949 | @ Sheboygan Red Skins | L 99-93 | |
| Nov 08, 1949 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | W 79-64 | |
| Nov 10, 1949 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | L 83-79 | |
| Nov 12, 1949 | @ Rochester Royals | L 94-73 | |
| Nov 13, 1949 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 80-66 | |
| Nov 15, 1949 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 77-74 | |
| Nov 18, 1949 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 85-78 | |
| Nov 19, 1949 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 85-69 | |
| Nov 22, 1949 | @ Washington Capitols | W 89-74 | |
| Nov 23, 1949 | vs. Washington Capitols | W 87-67 | |
| Nov 24, 1949 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 75-70 | |
| Nov 26, 1949 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 96-84 | |
| Nov 27, 1949 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 77-72 | |
| Nov 30, 1949 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 102-92 | |
| Dec 01, 1949 | @ St. Louis Bombers | W 85-68 | |
| Dec 03, 1949 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 85-55 | |
| Dec 08, 1949 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 82-60 | |
| Dec 10, 1949 | vs. Chicago Stags | W 93-91 | |
| Dec 14, 1949 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 94-84 | |
| Dec 17, 1949 | vs. St. Louis Bombers | W 81-76 | |
| Dec 19, 1949 | @ Anderson Packers | W 86-83 | |
| Dec 20, 1949 | @ Chicago Stags | L 79-77 | |
| Dec 21, 1949 | @ St. Louis Bombers | L 75-52 | |
| Dec 23, 1949 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 83-72 | |
| Dec 26, 1949 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 83-80 | |
| Dec 27, 1949 | @ Boston Celtics | L 97-78 | |
| Dec 28, 1949 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 79-72 | |
| Dec 31, 1949 | @ Washington Capitols | L 70-64 | |
| Jan 01, 1950 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 81-59 | |
| Jan 05, 1950 | vs. Waterloo Hawks | W 82-70 | |
| Jan 07, 1950 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 88-80 | |
| Jan 11, 1950 | vs. Washington Capitols | W 73-72 | |
| Jan 14, 1950 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 82-80 | |
| Jan 19, 1950 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | L 94-83 | |
| Jan 22, 1950 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 81-71 | |
| Jan 24, 1950 | vs. Sheboygan Red Skins | W 101-68 | |
| Jan 25, 1950 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 96-66 | |
| Jan 26, 1950 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 79-77 | |
| Jan 28, 1950 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 58-55 | |
| Jan 29, 1950 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 92-70 | |
| Jan 31, 1950 | vs. Tri-Cities Blackhawks | L 83-77 | |
| Feb 01, 1950 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 96-81 | |
| Feb 02, 1950 | @ St. Louis Bombers | W 87-73 | |
| Feb 04, 1950 | @ Washington Capitols | W 76-71 | |
| Feb 05, 1950 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 73-65 | |
| Feb 08, 1950 | vs. St. Louis Bombers | L 84-82 | |
| Feb 11, 1950 | vs. Chicago Stags | W 85-75 | |
| Feb 15, 1950 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 80-67 | |
| Feb 18, 1950 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 84-80 | |
| Feb 19, 1950 | @ Rochester Royals | L 105-92 | |
| Feb 21, 1950 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 84-73 | |
| Feb 22, 1950 | vs. Washington Capitols | W 89-81 | |
| Feb 25, 1950 | vs. Chicago Stags | W 86-79 | |
| Mar 01, 1950 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 82-76 | |
| Mar 02, 1950 | @ Boston Celtics | W 81-72 | |
| Mar 04, 1950 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | L 84-75 | |
| Mar 08, 1950 | vs. St. Louis Bombers | W 80-78 | |
| Mar 09, 1950 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 91-79 | |
| Mar 11, 1950 | @ Anderson Packers | L 91-89 | |
| Mar 12, 1950 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 87-66 | |
| Mar 14, 1950 | @ Chicago Stags | L 85-75 | |
| Mar 15, 1950 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 88-84 | |
| Mar 17, 1950 | @ Boston Celtics | W 98-96 | |
| Mar 18, 1950 | @ Rochester Royals | L 77-74 |