1951 NBA playoffs
The 1951 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 1950–51 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Rochester Royals defeating the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
The eight qualified teams began tournament play on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 20 and 21, and the Finals concluded on Saturday, April 21. Rochester and New York played 14 games in a span of 33 days; their seven final games in fifteen days.
The Rochester Royals were "royalty" in their first nine seasons, from 1945–46 to 1953–54 always one of the strong teams in their league. Rochester had played three seasons in the National Basketball League, winning the 1946 NBL championship and losing the Finals in 1947 and 1948. In one BAA and one NBA season, the team had won 75% of its games before losing in the second round, then first round, of the 1949 and 1950 playoffs. The 1950–51 team won more than 60% of its games, as the Royals would do for three more seasons, and participated in the club's only NBA Finals. That remains true more than 60 years later, covering stints in Rochester, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Sacramento.
The New York Knicks were an original Basketball Association of America franchise, now in its sixth season and participating in the BAA or NBA Finals for the first time. It would be the first three consecutive years as losing finalist.
Another six-year-old, original BAA team, the Boston Celtics had qualified only for the 1948 BAA Playoffs. Now the second-place Eastern Division team, Boston had earned home-court advantage for a first-round series with third-place New York. It was the first playoff meeting in the Celtics–Knicks rivalry and it would be the first of 19 consecutive years in the playoffs.
Division Semifinals
Eastern Division Semifinals
(1) [Philadelphia Warriors] vs. (4) [Syracuse Nationals]
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers/Nationals winning the first meeting.| Philadelphia 76ers/ Syracuse Nationals leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
(2) [Boston Celtics] vs. (3) [New York Knicks]
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.Western Division Semifinals
(1) [Minneapolis Lakers] vs. (4) [Indianapolis Olympians]
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.(2) [Rochester Royals] vs. (3) [Fort Wayne Pistons]
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first meeting.| Fort Wayne leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
Division Finals
Eastern Division Finals
(3) [New York Knicks] vs. (4) [Syracuse Nationals]
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nationals winning the first meeting.| Syracuse leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
Western Division Finals
(1) [Minneapolis Lakers] vs. (2) [Rochester Royals]
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.As of, this is the last time the Royals/Kings won a conference championship.
| Minneapolis leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
NBA Finals: (W2) Rochester Royals vs. (E3) New York Knicks
- This was the first time in NBA playoff history a team has forced a seventh game after falling behind 3–0 in the series, and the only time to date in the NBA Finals.