The 1953–54 Syracuse Nationals season was the 5th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the Eastern Division Finals, the Nationals swept the Boston Celtics 2-0 to make it to the NBA Finals. The Nationals would go on to lose the Finals in 7 games to the Minneapolis Lakers. Regular season Season standings x – clinched playoff spot Record vs. opponents Game log Playoffs |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | March 17 | @ Boston | W 96–95 (OT) | Dolph Schayes (20) | Dolph Schayes (13) | Earl Lloyd (8) | Boston Garden | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | March 18 | New York | W 75–68 | Dolph Schayes (23) | Dolph Schayes (16) | Paul Seymour (6) | Onondaga War Memorial | 2–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | March 21 | @ New York | W 103–99 | Dolph Schayes (36) | Dolph Schayes (21) | Paul Seymour (6) | Madison Square Garden III | 3–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | March 22 | Boston | W 98–85 | Dolph Schayes (25) | Dolph Schayes (16) | Paul Seymour (7) | Onondaga War Memorial | 4–0 |- |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | March 25 | Boston | W 109–94 | Dolph Schayes (27) | Dolph Schayes (21) | Bill Gabor (6) | Onondaga War Memorial | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | March 27 | @ Boston | W 83–76 | Wally Osterkorn (16) | — | George King (8) | Boston Garden | 2–0 |- |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | March 31 | @ Minneapolis | L 68–79 | Bob Lavoy (15) | Wally Osterkorn (8) | Paul Seymour (6) | Minneapolis Auditorium4,579 | 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | April 3 | @ Minneapolis | W 62–60 | Wally Osterkorn (20) | Wally Osterkorn (17) | Lavoy, Seymour (3) | Minneapolis Auditorium6,277 | 1–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | April 4 | Minneapolis | L 67–81 | Bob Lavoy (18) | Bob Lavoy (15) | Paul Seymour (7) | Onondaga War Memorial8,719 | 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | April 8 | Minneapolis | W 80–69 | Paul Seymour (25) | Bob Lavoy (11) | Paul Seymour (6) | Onondaga War Memorial7,655 | 2–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | April 10 | Minneapolis | L 73–84 | Dolph Schayes (17)