| ||||||||||
| Dates: | March 31–April 12 | |||||||||
| Eastern Finals: | Nationals defeated Celtics, 2–0 | |||||||||
| Western Finals: | Lakers defeated Royals, 2–1 | |||||||||
| NBA Finals | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ← 1953 | ||||||||||
| 1955 → | ||||||||||
The 1954 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1954 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1953–54 season.
The defending two-time NBA champion and Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Division champion Syracuse Nationals in a best-of-seven series with Minneapolis having home-court advantage. The Lakers won their third consecutive NBA championship and their fifth title in seven years dating from 1948, the club's final season as a member of the National Basketball League.
Minneapolis won game one and the teams thereafter alternated victories, with the Lakers winning the decisive game by a seven-point margin at home. The seven games were played in thirteen days, beginning Wednesday, March 31 and concluding Monday, April 12. The entire postseason tournament spanned 28 days in which both Minneapolis and Syracuse played 13 games.
1954 NBA Playoffs[]
| Minneapolis Lakers (Western Division Champion) | Syracuse Nationals (Eastern Division Champion) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46–26 (.639)
1st Western, 2nd Overall |
Regular season | 42–30 (.583)
2nd Eastern (tied), 1st Overall | ||
| (1) Minneapolis Lakers (3–0) (2) Rochester Royals (2–1) (3) Fort Wayne Pistons (0–4) |
Division Round Robin Semifinals | (1) New York Knicks (0–4) (2) Boston Celtics (2–2) (3) Syracuse Nationals (4–0) | ||
| Defeated the (2) Rochester Royals, 2–1 | Division Finals | Defeated the (2) Boston Celtics, 2–0 | ||
Series summary[]
| Game | Date | Away Team | Result | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | March 31 | Syracuse | 68–79 | Minneapolis |
| Game 2 | April 3 | Syracuse | 62–60 | Minneapolis |
| Game 3 | April 4 | Minneapolis | 81–67 | Syracuse |
| Game 4 | April 8 | Minneapolis | 69–80 | Syracuse |
| Game 5 | April 10 | Minneapolis | 84–73 | Syracuse |
| Game 6 | April 11 | Syracuse | 65–63 | Minneapolis |
| Game 7 | April 22 | Syracuse | 80–87 | Minneapolis |
| Preceded by 1953 |
NBA Finals 1954 |
Succeeded by 1955 |