1977–78 Washington Bullets season
1977–78 Washington Bullets season | |
---|---|
NBA champions | |
Conference champions | |
Head coach | Dick Motta |
General manager | Bob Ferry |
Owner(s) | Abe Pollin |
Arena | Capital Centre |
Results | |
Record | 44–38 (.537) |
Place | Division: 2nd (Central) Conference: 3rd (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated SuperSonics 4–3) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WDCA–TV 20 (Jim Karvellas, Gus Johnson) |
Radio | WTOP–AM 1500 (Frank Herzog) |
The 1977–78 NBA season was the team's 17th season in the NBA and their 5th season in the city of Washington, D.C.[1] It would prove to be their most successful season, as they would win their first and only NBA championship as of 2021. In the NBA Finals, they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in seven games.
The Bullets got off to a slow start in the regular season, losing 6 of their first 10 games. On January 13, the Bullets beat the defending Champion Portland Trail Blazers to improve to 24–15, capping an 18–5 run over 23 games.[2] Injuries would begin to have an effect on the team as the Bullets struggled, as they would lose 13 of their next 18 games. Hovering a few games above .500 for the rest of the season, the Bullets managed to make the playoffs with a 44–38 record.[2] This would be considered the worst team in NBA history to win a championship with its record of 44–38. The 1968–69 Boston Celtics, 1974–75 Golden State Warriors, 1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers, and 1994–95 Houston Rockets are the only other NBA championship teams to have won below 50 games in non-lockout seasons since 1958; all of them won more than 44 games.
Offseason[]
NBA Draft[]
Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | College/HS/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Greg Ballard (SF) (from Atlanta) | United States | Oregon |
1 | 11 | Bo Ellis (F) | United States | Marquette |
1 | 1 | Phil Walker (G) | United States | Millersville |
3 | 57 | Steve Puidokas (from Chicago) | United States | Washington State |
3 | 61 | Jerry Schellenberg | United States | Wake Forest |
4 | 83 | David Reavis | United States | Georgia |
5 | 105 | Bruce Parkinson | United States | Purdue |
6 | 127 | Ernie Wansley | United States | Virginia Tech |
7 | 147 | Calvin Brown | United States | American |
8 | 166 | Pat McKinley | United States | Towson State |
Roster[]
Washington Bullets roster
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Season standings[]
Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 32–9 | 20–21 | 15–5 |
x-Washington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 8 | 29–12 | 15–26 | 14–6 |
x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 9 | 27–14 | 16–25 | 9–11 |
x-Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 11 | 29–12 | 12–29 | 8–12 |
New Orleans Jazz | 39 | 43 | .476 | 13 | 27–14 | 12–29 | 8–12 |
Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 24 | 21-20 | 7-34 | 6–14 |
# | Eastern Conference | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | z-Philadelphia 76ers | 55 | 27 | .671 | – |
2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | 3 |
3 | x-Washington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 11 |
4 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 |
5 | x-New York Knicks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 |
6 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 14 |
7 | New Orleans Jazz | 39 | 43 | .476 | 16 |
8 | Boston Celtics | 32 | 50 | .390 | 23 |
9 | Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 27 |
10 | Buffalo Braves | 27 | 55 | .329 | 28 |
11 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 31 |
Regular season[]
Record vs. opponents[]
1977–78 NBA records | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | ATL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CLE | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NOJ | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SEA | WAS |
Atlanta | — | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–3 |
Boston | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 |
Buffalo | 1–3 | 1–3 | — | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
Chicago | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | — | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 |
Cleveland | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | — | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 |
Denver | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
Detroit | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 |
Golden State | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
Houston | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–2 | — | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 |
Indiana | 1–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | — | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
Kansas City | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 |
Los Angeles | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 |
Milwaukee | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
New Jersey | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | — | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
New Orleans | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 4–0 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 |
New York | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | — | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 |
Philadelphia | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | — | 2–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 |
Phoenix | 1–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
Portland | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | — | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 |
San Antonio | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 |
Seattle | 1–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | — | 1–3 |
Washington | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | — |
Game log[]
Key: Win Loss
show1977–78 Regular Season Game Log (44–38) (Home: 29–12; Road: 15–26) |
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Notes:
Player stats[]
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elvin Hayes | 81 | 1075 | 149 | 96 | 159 | 1598 | 19.7 |
Bob Dandridge | 75 | 442 | 287 | 101 | 44 | 1450 | 19.3 |
Mitch Kupchak | 67 | 460 | 71 | 28 | 42 | 1066 | 15.9 |
Kevin Grevey | 81 | 290 | 155 | 61 | 17 | 1253 | 15.5 |
Phil Chenier | 36 | 102 | 73 | 36 | 9 | 509 | 14.1 |
Tom Henderson | 75 | 193 | 406 | 93 | 15 | 857 | 11.4 |
Larry Wright | 70 | 102 | 260 | 68 | 15 | 642 | 9.2 |
Charles Johnson | 39 | 93 | 82 | 31 | 1 | 324 | 8.3 |
Wes Unseld | 80 | 955 | 326 | 98 | 45 | 607 | 7.6 |
Greg Ballard | 76 | 266 | 62 | 30 | 13 | 372 | 4.9 |
Phil Walker | 40 | 52 | 54 | 14 | 5 | 178 | 4.5 |
Joe Pace | 49 | 134 | 23 | 12 | 24 | 191 | 3.9 |
Total | 82 | 4164 | 1948 | 668 | 386 | 9047 | 110.3 |
Playoffs[]
1978 playoff game log | |
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show
First Round: 2–0 (Home: 1–0; Road: 1–0) | |
show
Conference Semifinals: 4–2 (Home: 3–0; Road: 1–2) | |
show
Conference Finals: 4–2 (Home: 3–0; Road: 1–2) | |
show
NBA Finals: 4–3 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–2) | |
1978 schedule |
NBA Finals[]
After being swept in their previous two trips to the NBA Finals (by Milwaukee in 1971 and Golden State in 1975), the Bullets lost Game 1 on the road against the Seattle SuperSonics, and a 19-point lead vanished in the process.[2] In Game 4, the Bullets rose to the occasion beating the Sonics 120–116 to even the series at 2 games apiece. After losing Game 5 in Seattle, the Bullets kept their hopes alive with a dominating 117–82 win at the Capital Centre.[2] Game 7 returned to Seattle and the Bullets were a heavy underdog. Kevin Grevey suffered a sprained wrist above his shooting hand, and Bob Dandridge was forced to see some action at guard. Dandridge would play strongly and scored 19 points to tie with Charles Johnson, who hit a half court shot at the end of the 3rd quarter, for the team high. Wes Unseld scored 15 points while pulling down 9 rebounds as the Bullets emerged with a 105–99 victory to win their first NBA Championship.[2]
Playoffs player stats[]
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elvin Hayes | 21 | 279 | 43 | 32 | 52 | 457 | 21.8 |
Bob Dandridge | 19 | 123 | 74 | 30 | 14 | 402 | 21.1 |
Kevin Grevey | 21 | 61 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 325 | 15.5 |
Charles Johnson | 21 | 53 | 48 | 30 | 0 | 215 | 10.2 |
Mitch Kupchak | 21 | 127 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 213 | 10.1 |
Tom Henderson | 21 | 47 | 106 | 27 | 5 | 202 | 9.6 |
Wes Unseld | 18 | 216 | 79 | 17 | 7 | 169 | 9.4 |
Larry Wright | 21 | 31 | 67 | 17 | 2 | 171 | 8.1 |
Greg Ballard | 19 | 79 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 74 | 3.9 |
Joe Pace | 9 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 2.8 |
Phil Walker | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1.5 |
Total | 21 | 1038 | 502 | 178 | 95 | 2259 | 114.1 |
Awards and honors[]
References[]
- Eastern Conference (NBA) championship seasons
- NBA championship seasons
- Washington Wizards seasons
- 1977–78 NBA season
- 1977 in sports in Washington, D.C.
- 1978 in sports in Washington, D.C.