1946–47 Washington Capitols season

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1946–47 Washington Capitols season
Division champions
Head coachRed Auerbach
ArenaUline Arena
Results
Record49–11 (.817)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishLost BAA Semifinals
Stats at Basketball Reference
RadioWTOP
1947–48 >

The 1946–47 Washington Capitols season was the inaugural season of the Washington Capitols in the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The 49–11 record not only set a BAA record for the best record held in the newly created league's history (as well as remain the best record of its existence while operating as the National Basketball Association successor that still has the BAA's history as a part of its official history up until the 1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers season broke that record for the NBA 20 years later[1]), but also held the record for the least amount of losses a BAA/NBA team could have in one season of play until the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls season broke that mark nearly 50 years later (which later got broken by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors). Despite their fantastic record and being led by a young, legendary head coach named Red Auerbach, the Capitols would be eliminated in the BAA's semifinal round following a quarterfinal bye they had alongside the Western Division champion Chicago Stags with a 4–2 series defeat to the Stags, failing to advance into the league's very first championship series in the 1947 BAA Finals.[2]

Roster

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1946–47 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 19 Bob Gantt 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1922-06-22 Duke
C 12 John Mahnken 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1922-06-16 Georgetown
SF 17 Bones McKinney 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1919-01-01 North Carolina
F 16 Johnny Norlander 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1921-03-05 Hamline
G 6–21 Buddy O'Grady 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1920-01-19 Georgetown
G 4 Marty Passaglia 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1919-04-22 Santa Clara
PG 14–23 Fred Scolari 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1922-03-01 San Francisco
F 15–22 Irv Torgoff 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1917-03-06 Long Island
Head coach

Red Auerbach

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

Regular season

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Season standings

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#
Eastern Division
Team W L PCT GB
1 x-Washington Capitols 49 11 .817 –
2 x-Philadelphia Warriors 35 25 .583 14
3 x-New York Knicks 33 27 .550 16
4 Providence Steamrollers 28 32 .467 21
5 Boston Celtics 22 38 .367 27
6 Toronto Huskies 22 38 .367 27

Game log

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1946–47 game log
Total: 49–11
November: 9–3 (home: 4–0; road: 5–3)
Game Date Team Score High points Location
Attendance		 Record
1 November 2 @ Detroit W 50–33 Bob Feerick, Fred Scolari (14) Detroit Olympia 1–0
2 November 4 @ Pittsburgh W 71–56 Bob Feerick (14) Duquesne Gardens 2–0
3 November 9 @ St. Louis L 69–70 Johnny Norlander (22) St. Louis Arena 2–1
4 November 10 @ Cleveland L 68–92 Johnny Norlander (21) Cleveland Arena 2–2
5 November 14 @ Philadelphia L 65–68 Bones McKinney (26) Philadelphia Arena 2–3
6 November 16 @ Chicago W 73–65 Johnny Norlander (18) Chicago Stadium 3–3
7 November 20 St. Louis W 54–51 John Mahnken (14) Uline Arena 4–3
8 November 21 @ Providence W 66–58 Irv Torgoff (16) Rhode Island Auditorium 5–3
9 November 23 Toronto W 74–50 Bob Feerick (20) Uline Arena 6–3
10 November 26 @ Toronto W 78–68 John Mahnken (21) Maple Leaf Gardens 7–3
11 November 27 Chicago W 75–67 Bob Feerick (21) Uline Arena 8–3
12 November 30 Pittsburgh W 49–40 Bob Feerick (14) Uline Arena 9–3
December: 10–0 (home: 7–0; road: 3–0)
Game Date Team Score High points Location
Attendance		 Record
13 December 4 Providence W 80–62 Fred Scolari (16) 10–3
14 December 7 Detroit W 75–64 John Mahnken (18) 11–3
15 December 11 Detroit W 81–66 Johnny Norlander (17) 12–3
16 December 12 @ Philadelphia W 64–49 Fred Scolari (15) 13–3
17 December 14 Cleveland W 72–52 Fred Scolari (16) 14–3
18 December 18 St. Louis W 68–47 Bones McKinney (15) 15–3
19 December 21 Philadelphia W 68–56 Fred Scolari (20) 16–3
20 December 26 @ Providence W 78–66 Bob Feerick (21) 17–3
21 December 28 New York W 70–49 Bob Feerick (17) 18–3
22 December 30 @ Boston W 70–60 (OT) Bones McKinney (22) 19–3
January
Game Date Team Score High points Location
Attendance		 Record
23 January 1 @ Detroit L 57–62 Fred Scolari (19) 19–4
24 January 2 @ St. Louis L 57–66 Bones McKinney (13) 19–5
25 January 4 Cleveland W 78–64 Bones McKinney (21) 20–5
26 January 6 @ Pittsburgh W 63–49 Bob Feerick (21) 21–5
27 January 8 Providence W 77–69 Bob Feerick (22) 22–5
28 January 11 Toronto W 81–66 Bob Feerick (24) 23–5
29 January 15 @ New York W 65–63 Bob Feerick (18) 24–5
30 January 16 @ Boston L 38–47 Fred Scolari (17) 24–6
31 January 18 Chicago W 87–72 Feerick, Scolari (22) 25–6
32 January 22 Philadelphia W 57–55 Feerick, McKinney (19) 26–6
33 January 25 Pittsburgh W 84–71 Bob Feerick (17) 27–6
34 January 27 @ Boston W 80–57 Bones McKinney (13) 28–6
35 January 29 Boston W 69–57 Bones McKinney (22) 29–6
36 January 31 @ Toronto L 74–83 Fred Scolari (16) 29–7
February
Game Date Team Score High points Location
Attendance		 Record
37 February 2 @ Cleveland W 107–81 Bob Feerick (22) 30–7
38 February 5 @ Detroit W 67–46 Bob Feerick (16) 31–7
39 February 8 @ St. Louis W 68–65 Feerick, Norlander (14) 32–7
40 February 9 @ Chicago L 67–85 Fred Scolari (22) 32–8
41 February 10 @ Pittsburgh L 69–75 Fred Scolari (17) 32–9
42 February 12 @ New York L 72–76 Bob Feerick (21) 32–10
43 February 15 Philadelphia W 70–60 Bob Feerick (16) 33–10
44 February 19 Toronto W 69–59 Feerick, McKinney (15) 34–10
45 February 20 @ Providence W 82–74 Bones McKinney (25) 35–10
46 February 22 Pittsburgh W 93–61 Fred Scolari (29) 36–10
47 February 23 @ Cleveland W 91–83 Bob Feerick (20) 37–10
48 February 24 Boston W 83–59 Bob Feerick (24)| 38–10
49 February 26 @ New York W 84–60 Irv Torgoff (16) 39–10
March
Game Date Team Score High points Location
Attendance		 Record
50 March 1 Boston W 75–52 Bob Feerick (30) 40–10
51 March 5 Detroit W 99–67 Feerick, Scolari (22) 41–10
52 March 7 @ Toronto W 86–70 Bob Feerick (19) 42–10
53 March 8 St. Louis W 74–73 Fred Scolari (19) 43–10
54 March 11 @ Philadelphia W 80–77 Bob Feerick (24) 44–10
55 March 13 @ Chicago W 86–69 Bob Feerick (16) 45–10
56 March 15 New York W 78–63 Bob Feerick (26) 46–10
57 March 19 Providence W 96–95 (OT) Bob Feerick (35) 47–10
58 March 22 New York L 63–68 Fred Scolari (21) 47–11
59 March 26 Chicago W 105–77 Bones McKinney (18) 48–11
60 March 29 Cleveland W 79–69 Bob Feerick (22) 49–11

Playoffs

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Semifinals

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(E1) Washington Capitols vs. (W1) Chicago Stags: Stags win series 4-2

  • Game 1 @ Washington (April 2): Chicago 81, Washington 65
  • Game 2 @ Washington (April 3): Chicago 69, Washington 53
  • Game 3 @ Chicago (April 8): Chicago 67, Washington 55
  • Game 4 @ Washington (April 10): Washington 76, Chicago 69
  • Game 5 @ Chicago (April 12): Washington 67, Chicago 55
  • Game 6 @ Chicago (April 13): Chicago 66, Washington 61

Awards and records

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Koppett, Leonard (2003). Total Basketball: The Ultimate Basketball Encyclopedia. SPORT Media Publishing, Inc. ISBN 1-894963-01-6., p. 31
  2. ^ 1946-47 Washington Capitols