Portland Indians
Encyclopedia
The Portland Indians were a professional basketball
team in Portland, Oregon
. They were a member of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
for the duration of the league, which only lasted two seasons: 1946–47 and 1947–48. They played their home games in the Portland Armory
.
in Chicago, the Indians went instead, but lost to the Sheboygan Redskins
in the first round.
In the 1947–48 season, the Indians entered the round-robin playoffs as a wildcard team, eventually reaching the best-of-five championship series against the Seattle Athletics. Portland won the first two games in Seattle, and Seattle won the third game in Portland. The fourth game was also played in Portland. With Portland leading 81–80 with 20 seconds left, the timekeeper sounded the final horn as Seattle scored an open layup. Whether or not this was done inadvertently is not known, but the basket was disallowed and Portland was initially given the victory. Eventually, both teams agreed to replay the game two days later and Portland won the game 76–74, and with it, the championship.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. They were a member of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
The Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League was a professional basketball league with teams from the Pacific Northwest in the United States and Canada...
for the duration of the league, which only lasted two seasons: 1946–47 and 1947–48. They played their home games in the Portland Armory
First Regiment Armory Annex
The First Regiment Armory Annex, commonly known as the Portland Armory, is a historic building in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was built in 1891 by Multnomah County to house the Oregon National Guard. In 2000, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places...
.
Notable players
- Norm BakerNorm BakerNorman Henry Baker was a Canadian basketball and lacrosse player, voted Canada's top basketball player of the first half of the 20th century in a Canadian Press poll in December 1950....
(member of Canada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
) - Don DurdanDon DurdanDonald Edgar Durdan was a professional American football and basketball player.-Early life:Durdan was born in Arcata, California and attended Eureka High School, where he played running back on the high school football team...
(Oregon State BeaversOregon State BeaversThe Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
basketball and football player, in Oregon Sports Hall of FameOregon Sports Hall of FameThe Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
) - John MandicJohn MandicJohn J. Mandic was an NBA player who played from 1948-1950. He played in college for Oregon State University. He played in 56 games for the Indianapolis Jets, 3 games for the Baltimore Bullets, and 22 for the Washington Capitols over the 1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons.-External links:* - John...
(Oregon State Beavers, NBA, in Oregon Sports Hall of Fame) - Urgel (Slim) WintermuteSlim WintermuteUrgel "Slim" Wintermute was an American collegiate and professional basketball player.-Collegiate career:...
(player/coach) (member of 1939 Oregon DucksOregon DucksThe Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipNCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
team, in Oregon Sports Hall of Fame)
League championships
In the 1946–47 season, the Indians posted the best overall record, but finished second in the round-robin playoffs to the Bellingham Fircrests. When the Fircrests declined an invitation to the World Professional Basketball TournamentWorld Professional Basketball Tournament
World Professional Basketball Tournament was an invitational tournament for professional basketball teams in the United States held in Chicago, Illinois by the Chicago Herald American. The annual event was held from 1939 to 1948...
in Chicago, the Indians went instead, but lost to the Sheboygan Redskins
Sheboygan Redskins
The Sheboygan Red Skins were a National Basketball League, National Basketball Association, National Professional Basketball League and professional independent team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA.- Barnstorming roots :...
in the first round.
In the 1947–48 season, the Indians entered the round-robin playoffs as a wildcard team, eventually reaching the best-of-five championship series against the Seattle Athletics. Portland won the first two games in Seattle, and Seattle won the third game in Portland. The fourth game was also played in Portland. With Portland leading 81–80 with 20 seconds left, the timekeeper sounded the final horn as Seattle scored an open layup. Whether or not this was done inadvertently is not known, but the basket was disallowed and Portland was initially given the victory. Eventually, both teams agreed to replay the game two days later and Portland won the game 76–74, and with it, the championship.