| ||||||||||
| Dates | March 31–April 12 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hall of Famers | Lakers: George Mikan (1959) Jim Pollard (1978) Clyde Lovellette (1988) Vern Mikkelsen (1995) Slater Martin (1982) Nationals: Dolph Schayes (1973) Earl Lloyd (2003) Coaches: John Kundla (1995) Al Cervi (1985, player) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Nationals defeated Celtics, 2–0 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Lakers defeated Royals, 2–1 | |||||||||
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 Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Division champion Syracuse Nationals in a best-of-seven series with Minneapolis having home-court advantage.[1] The Lakers won their third consecutive NBA championship and their fifth title in seven years dating from 1949.
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.[1][2]