1977–78 Washington Bullets season

Washington Bullets
1977–78 Washington Bullets season
	First NBA Championship
Head coach	Dick Motta
Arena	Capital Centre
Results
Record	44–38 (.537)
Place	Division: 2nd (Central); Conference: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finish	NBA Champions
	Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WDCA; (Jim Karvellas, Gus Johnson)
Radio	WTOP-AM; (Frank Herzog)
< 1976–77	1978–79 >

The Bullets got off to a slow start as they lost 6 of their first 10 games. On January 13, the Bullets beat the defending Champion Portland Trail Blazers to improve to 24-15.^[1] 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 around .500 the rest of the season, the Bullets managed to make the playoffs. The Bullets finished the 1977-78 NBA season with a 44-38 record.^[1]

Offseason

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	College/HS/Club Team
1	4	Greg Ballard (SF) (from Atlanta)	United States	Oregon
1	17	Bo Ellis (F)	United States	Marquette
2	39	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	VPI
7	147	Calvin Brown	United States	American
8	166	Pat McKinley	United States	Towson State

Roster

Depth chart

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Reserve
C	Wes Unseld		Joe Pace
PF	Elvin Hayes	Mitch Kupchak
SF	Bob Dandridge	Greg Ballard
SG	Kevin Grevey	Charles Johnson	Phil Walker
PG	Tom Henderson	Larry Wright	Phil Chenier

Season standings

Central Division v t e	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 v t e
#	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

Game Log

1977–78 game log
Total: 44–38 (Home: 29–12; Road: 15–26)

October: 1–3 (Home: 1–0; Road: 0–3)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
1	October 21, 1977 8:05 p.m. EDT	Detroit	W 117–109	Capital Centre 13,276	1–0
2	October 22, 1977 8:05 p.m. EDT	@ New York	L 114–141	Madison Square Garden 15,261	1–1
3	October 28, 1977 8:05 p.m. EDT	@ Indiana	L 127–136	Market Square Arena 12,542	1–2
4	October 29, 1977 8:35 p.m. EDT	@ Kansas City	L 106–120	Kemper Arena 9,220	1–3

November: 9–4 (Home: 6–2; Road: 3–2)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
5	November 4, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Phoenix	W 113–96	Capital Centre 8,742	2–3
6	November 5, 1977 9:05 p.m. EST	@ Houston	L 105–116	The Summit 9,449	2–4
7	November 6, 1977 8:35 p.m. EST	@ New Orleans	W 108–97	Louisiana Superdome 26,474	3–4
8	November 10, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Milwaukee	L 103–106	Capital Centre 7,139	3–5
9	November 12, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Philadelphia	W 116–98	Capital Centre 18,355	4–5
10	November 13, 1977 7:05 p.m. EST	@ Detroit	L 102–104	Cobo Center 5,149	4–6
11	November 15, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Seattle	W 111–109	Capital Centre 5,593	5–6
12	November 18, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	New York	W 123–103	Capital Centre 17,242	6–6
13	November 19, 1977 8:35 p.m. EST	@ Kansas City	W 131–125 (OT)	Kemper Arena 6,534	7–6
14	November 21, 1977 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Buffalo	W 114–97	Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 6,125	8–6
15	November 22, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Denver	L 114–119	Capital Centre 8,363	8–7
16	November 26, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Houston	W 93–91	Capital Centre 18,387	9–7
17	November 30, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	San Antonio	W 116–105	Capital Centre 7,092	10–7

December: 10–6 (Home: 6–1; Road: 4–5)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
18	December 2, 1977 9:00 p.m. EST	@ Milwaukee	W 108–95	Milwaukee Arena 10,938	11–7
19	December 3, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Boston	W 103–93	Capital Centre 18,424	12–7
20	December 4, 1977 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Cleveland	W 100–94	The Coliseum 9,765	13–7
21	December 6, 1977 8:30 p.m. EST	@ Chicago	L 108–116	Chicago Stadium 10,093	13–8
22	December 7, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Cleveland	W 96–95	Capital Centre 7,627	14–8
23	December 9, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	New Orleans	W 101–97	Capital Centre 10,292	15–8
24	December 11, 1977 7:35 p.m. EST	New Jersey	L 95–106	Capital Centre 5,744	15–9
25	December 13, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Golden State	W 102–96	Capital Centre 8,693	16–9
26	December 16, 1977 9:35 p.m. EST	@ Denver	W 117–112 (OT)	McNichols Sports Arena 15,922	17–9
27	December 17, 1977 11:00 p.m. EST	@ Portland	L 104–117	Memorial Coliseum 12,666	17–10
28	December 18, 1977 10:00 p.m. EST	@ Seattle	L 109–111 (OT)	Seattle Center Coliseum 13,563	17–11
29	December 20, 1977 11:00 p.m. EST	@ Los Angeles	L 115–120	The Forum 13,475	17–12
30	December 25, 1977 7:35 p.m. EST	Atlanta	W 100–93	Capital Centre 8,358	18–12
31	December 26, 1977 8:10 p.m. EST	@ Atlanta	W 113–106	The Omni 8,321	19–12
32	December 28, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	Buffalo	W 106–87	Capital Centre 6,857	20–12
33	December 30, 1977 8:05 p.m. EST	@ Philadelphia	L 119–126	The Spectrum 18,276	20–13

January: 6–8 (Home: 5–2; Road: 1–6)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
34	January 3, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Denver	L 100–101	Capital Centre 9,457	20–14
35	January 6, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Indiana	W 146–114	Capital Centre 9,215	21–14
36	January 8, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	@ New Jersey	W 99–98	Rutgers Athletic Center 4,196	22–14
37	January 10, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Kansas City	W 123–115	Capital Centre 7,700	23–14
38	January 11, 1978 8:10 p.m. EST	@ Atlanta	L 95–100	Charlotte Coliseum 2,162	23–15
39	January 13, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Portland	W 102–93	Capital Centre 17,610	24–15
40	January 14, 1978 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Buffalo	L 93–130	Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 5,036	24–16
41	January 18, 1978 11:00 p.m. EST	@ Golden State	L 106–113	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 10,155	24–17
42	January 20, 1978 11:00 p.m. EST	@ Los Angeles	L 99–121	The Forum 13,064	24–18
43	January 22, 1978 6:45 p.m. EST	@ Phoenix	L 101–114	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,660	24–19
44	January 24, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Detroit	L 101–104	Capital Centre 6,717	24–20
45	January 26, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Chicago	W 135–107	Capital Centre 7,442	25–20
46	January 29, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	Los Angeles	W 119–112	Capital Centre 17,779	26–20
47	January 31, 1978 8:30 p.m. EST	@ San Antonio	L 109–129	HemisFair Arena 9,000	26–21

February: 5–8 (Home: 4–1; Road: 1–7)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
48	February 2, 1978 8:00 p.m. EST	@ Cleveland	L 93–110	The Coliseum 7,553	26–22
49	February 3, 1978 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Boston	L 94–116	Boston Garden 12,206	26–23
	February 5, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	NBA All-Star Game Eastern Conference wins	W 133–125	The Omni 15,429
50	February 7, 1978 11:00 p.m. EST	@ Golden State	L 102–105	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 9,935	26–24
51	February 8, 1978 11:00 p.m. EST	@ Seattle	W 106–100	Seattle Center Coliseum 12,126	27–24
52	February 12, 1978 6:45 p.m. EST	@ Phoenix	L 109–121	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,467	27–25
53	February 14, 1978 9:35 p.m. EST	@ Denver	L 98–103	McNichols Sports Arena 15,636	27–26
54	February 16, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Buffalo	W 123–109	Capital Centre 6,857	28–26
55	February 17, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	@ Indiana	L 111–123	Market Square Arena 10,637	28–27
56	February 19, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	New Orleans	W 130–111	Capital Centre 16,505	29–27
57	February 22, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Portland	L 97–105	Capital Centre 11,554	29–28
58	February 24, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Phoenix	W 121–120 (OT)	Capital Centre 12,432	30–28
59	February 26, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	Golden State	W 121–110	Capital Centre 13,814	31–28
60	February 28, 1978 9:00 p.m. EST	@ Milwaukee	L 135–136 (OT)	Milwaukee Arena 10,938	31–29

March: 10–7 (Home: 5–5; Road: 5–2)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
61	March 1, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	San Antonio	W 125–110	Capital Centre 8,425	32–29
62	March 3, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	@ Detroit	W 124–108	Cobo Center 5,033	33–29
63	March 5, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	Houston	W 106–88	Capital Centre 14,344	34–29
64	March 10, 1978 9:05 p.m. EST	@ Houston	W 117–114	The Summit 7,506	35–29
65	March 11, 1978 8:30 p.m. EST	@ San Antonio	L 101–116	HemisFair Arena 9,465	35–30
66	March 14, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Seattle	W 120–115	Capital Centre 7,804	36–30
67	March 16, 1978 8:30 p.m. EST	@ Chicago	L 107–111	Chicago Stadium 11,972	36–31
68	March 17, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Indiana	L 99–105	Capital Centre 8,196	36–32
69	March 19, 1978 7:35 p.m. EST	Milwaukee	L 106–117	Capital Centre 9,492	36–33
70	March 21, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Boston	W 119–107	Capital Centre 17,252	37–33
71	March 22, 1978 8:35 p.m. EST	@ New Orleans	W 124–109	Louisiana Superdome 13,143	38–33
72	March 24, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	@ New Jersey	W 107–104	Rutgers Athletic Center 5,833	39–33
73	March 25, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Atlanta	W 98–95	Capital Centre 8,190	40–33
74	March 26, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	New Jersey	L 104–118	Capital Centre 5,750	40–34
75	March 29, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Kansas City	L 105–108 (OT)	Capital Centre 6,717	40–35
76	March 30, 1978 8:00 p.m. EST	@ New York	W 123–108	Madison Square Garden 12,702	41–35
77	March 31, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Cleveland	L 101–102	Capital Centre 8,660	41–36

April: 3–2 (Home: 2–1; Road: 1–1)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
78	April 2, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	New York	L 109–114	Capital Centre 7,193	41–37
79	April 5, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Los Angeles	W 125–119	Capital Centre 14,761	42–37
80	April 6, 1978 7:30 p.m. EST	@ Boston	W 112–103	Providence Civic Center 10,755	43–37
81	April 8, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	@ Philadelphia	L 114–131	The Spectrum 14,711	43–38
82	April 9, 1978 1:45 p.m. EST	Philadelphia	W 123–113	Capital Centre 17,952	44–38

1977–78 season schedule

Notes:

^a All times are EASTERN time. (UTC–4 and UTC–5 starting October 30)

Game Officials

Game	Opponent	Officials
1	Detroit
2	@ New York
3	@ Indiana
4	@ Kansas City
5	Phoenix
6	@ Houston
7	@ New Orleans
8	Milwaukee	Bernie Fryer and Jack Madden
9	Philadelphia
10	@ Detroit
11	Seattle	Ed Middleton and John Vanak
12	New York
13	@ Kansas City
14	@ Buffalo
15	Denver
16	Houston
17	San Antonio
18	@ Milwaukee	Jim Capers and Hue Hollins
19	Boston
20	@ Cleveland
21	@ Chicago
22	Cleveland
23	New Orleans
24	New Jersey
25	Golden State
26	@ Denver
27	@ Portland	Joe Gushue and Bill Saar
28	@ Seattle	Bernie Fryer and Earl Strom
29	@ Los Angeles
30	Atlanta
31	@ Atlanta
32	Buffalo
33	@ Philadelphia
34	Denver
35	Indiana
36	@ New Jersey
37	Kansas City
38	@ Atlanta
39	Portland	Hugh Evans and Earl Strom
40	@ Buffalo
41	@ Golden State
42	@ Los Angeles
43	@ Phoenix
44	Detroit
45	Chicago
46	Los Angeles
47	@ San Antonio
48	@ Cleveland
49	@ Boston
50	@ Golden State
51	@ Seattle	Don Murphy and Mel Whitworth
52	@ Phoenix
53	@ Denver
54	Buffalo
55	@ Indiana
56	New Orleans
57	Portland	Jack Madden and Tommy Nunez
58	Phoenix
59	Golden State
60	@ Milwaukee	Joe Gushue and Mike Mathis
61	San Antonio
62	@ Detroit
63	Houston
64	@ Houston
65	@ San Antonio
66	Seattle	Jim Capers and Joe Crawford
67	@ Chicago
68	Indiana
69	Milwaukee	Don Murphy and Bill Saar
70	Boston
71	@ New Orleans
72	@ New Jersey
73	Atlanta
74	New Jersey
75	Kansas City
76	@ New York
77	Cleveland
78	New York
79	Los Angeles
80	@ Boston
81	@ Philadelphia
82	Philadelphia

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

East First Round

As the playoffs began, the Bullets began to get healthy. They started to play solid basketball at the right time as they swept the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

(3) Washington Bullets vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks: Bullets win series 2-0

Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 103, Atlanta 94
Game 2 @ Atlanta: Washington 107, Atlanta 103 (OT)

East Conference Semifinals

In the second round, the Bullets stunned the Central Division champion San Antonio Spurs in 6 games.^[1] Game 6 started out oddly as Spurs guard Mike Gale was forced to a wear an inside out Bullets uniform after losing his uniform at the airport.^[1] In the 3rd period the Spurs would make a run and take a 62-61 lead when the lights went out at the Cap Centre. When the lights came back on the Bullets would come out shooting on the way to a 103-100 win.^[1]

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Washington Bullets: Bullets win series 4-2

Game 1 @ San Antonio: San Antonio 114, Washington 103
Game 2 @ San Antonio: Washington 121, San Antonio 117
Game 3 @ Washington: Washington 118, San Antonio 105
Game 4 @ Washington: Washington 98, San Antonio 95
Game 5 @ San Antonio: San Antonio 116, Washington 105
Game 6 @ Washington: Washington 103, San Antonio 100

East Conference Finals

In the Eastern Finals, the Bullets took a 3-1 series lead against the defending Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers. The Bullets lost Game 5 on the road and returned home to play Game 6. In the closing seconds, Wes Unseld would rebound a shot of his own miss to give the Bullets a dramatic 101-99 victory.

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (3) Washington Bullets: Bullets win series 4-2

Game 1 @ Philadelphia: Washington 122, Philadelphia 117 (OT)
Game 2 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 110, Washington 104
Game 3 @ Washington: Washington 123, Philadelphia 108
Game 4 @ Washington: Washington 121, Philadelphia 105
Game 5 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 107, Washington 94
Game 6 @ Washington: Washington 101, Philadelphia 99

NBA Finals

After being swept in their previous trip to the NBA Finals, the Bullets lost Game 1 on the road against the Seattle SuperSonics, and a 19-point lead vanished in the process.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1]

(E3) Washington Bullets vs. (W4) Seattle SuperSonics: Bullets win series 4-3

Game 1 @ Seattle: Seattle 106, Washington 102
Game 2 @ Washington: Washington 106, Seattle 98
Game 3 @ Washington: Seattle 93, Washington 92
Game 4 @ Seattle: Washington 120, Seattle 116 (OT)
Game 5 @ Seattle: Seattle 98, Washington 94
Game 6 @ Washington: Washington 117, Seattle 82
Game 7 @ Seattle: Washington 105, Seattle 99

Game Log

1978 playoff game log

Eastern Conference First Round: 2–0 (Home: 1–0; Road: 1–0)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
1	April 12, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	Atlanta	W 103–94	Bob Dandridge (20)	Wes Unseld (15)		Capital Centre 9,326	Lead 1–0
2	April 14, 1978 8:10 p.m. EST	@ Atlanta	W 107–103 (OT)	Kevin Grevey (41)			The Omni 15,601	Won 2–0

Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–2 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–1)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 16, 1978 1:30 p.m. EST	@ San Antonio	L 103–114	HemisFair Arena 9,669	Trail 1–0
2	April 18, 1978 8:30 p.m. EST	@ San Antonio	W 121–117	HemisFair Arena 9,871	Tied 1–1
3	April 21, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	San Antonio	W 118–105	Capital Centre 17,417	Lead 2–1
4	April 23, 1978 1:30 p.m. EST	San Antonio	W 98–95	Capital Centre 13,459	Lead 3–1
5	April 25, 1978 8:30 p.m. EST	@ San Antonio	L 105–116	HemisFair Arena 9,709	Lead 3–2
6	April 28, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST	San Antonio	W 103–100	Capital Centre 19,035	Won 4–2

Eastern Conference Finals: 4–2 (Home: 3–0; Road: 1–2)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 30, 1978 1:30 p.m. EDT	@ Philadelphia	W 122–117 (OT)	The Spectrum 13,708	Lead 1–0
2	May 3, 1978 8:05 p.m. EDT	@ Philadelphia	L 104–110	The Spectrum 18,276	Tied 1–1
3	May 5, 1978 8:05 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia	W 123–108	Capital Centre 19,035	Lead 2–1
4	May 7, 1978 1:30 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia	W 121–105	Capital Centre 19,035	Lead 3–1
5	May 10, 1978 8:05 p.m. EDT	@ Philadelphia	L 94–107	The Spectrum 18,276	Lead 3–2
6	May 12, 1978 8:05 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia	W 101–99	Capital Centre 19,035	Won 4–2

NBA Finals: 4–3 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–2)

Game	Date Time	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Series
1	May 21, 1978 3:00 p.m. EDT	@ Seattle	L 102–106	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098	Trail 0–1
2	May 25, 1978 9:00 p.m. EDT	Seattle	W 106–98	Capital Centre 19,035	Tied 1–1
3	May 28, 1978 1:30 p.m. EDT	Seattle	L 92–93	Capital Centre 19,035	Trail 1–2
4	May 30, 1978 9:00 p.m. EDT	@ Seattle	W 120–116 (OT)	Kingdome 39,457	Tied 2–2
5	June 2, 1978 9:00 p.m. EDT	@ Seattle	L 94–98	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098	Trail 2–3
6	June 4, 1978 1:30 p.m. EDT	Seattle	W 117–82	Capital Centre 19,035	Tied 3–3
7	June 7, 1978 9:00 p.m. EDT	@ Seattle	W 105–99	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098	Won 4–3

1977–78 season schedule

Notes:

^a All times are EASTERN time. (UTC–3 and UTC–4 starting April 30)

Game Officials

Game	Round	Opponent	Officials	Alternate
Game 1	1978 NBA Eastern Conference First Round	Atlanta
Game 2	1978 NBA Eastern Conference First Round	@ Atlanta
Game 1	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals	@ San Antonio
Game 2	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals	@ San Antonio
Game 3	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals	San Antonio
Game 4	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals	San Antonio	Jake O'Donnell and Ed Middleton	Mike Mathis
Game 5	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals	@ San Antonio
Game 6	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals	San Antonio
Game 1	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Finals	@ Philadelphia	Earl Strom and Hugh Evans
Game 2	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Finals	@ Philadelphia
Game 3	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Finals	Philadelphia
Game 4	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Finals	Philadelphia
Game 5	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Finals	@ Philadelphia
Game 6	1978 NBA Eastern Conference Finals	Philadelphia	Earl Strom and John Vanak
Game 1	1978 NBA Finals	@ Seattle	Darell Garretson and Ed Rush
Game 2	1978 NBA Finals	Seattle	Joe Gushue and Jake O'Donnell
Game 3	1978 NBA Finals	Seattle	Earl Strom and John Vanak
Game 4	1978 NBA Finals	@ Seattle	Jack Madden and Don Murphy
Game 5	1978 NBA Finals	@ Seattle	Joe Gushue and Jake O'Donnell
Game 6	1978 NBA Finals	Seattle	Darell Garretson and Don Murphy
Game 7	1978 NBA Finals	@ Seattle	Jack Madden and Earl Strom

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

Wes Unseld, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award

28th NBA All-Star Game

Elvin Hayes, F, Eastern Conference All-Stars, 2 Points, 1–7 Field Goals, 4 Rebounds, 1 Steal

Media

Local TV Schedule

Date	Opponent	Local TV
October 22, 1977	@ New York	WDCA
December 2, 1977	@ Milwaukee	WDCA
December 6, 1977	@ Chicago	WDCA
December 30, 1977	@ Philadelphia	WDCA
February 2, 1978	@ Cleveland	WDCA
February 3, 1978	@ Boston	WDCA
February 14, 1978	@ Denver	WDCA
February 28, 1978	@ Milwaukee	WDCA
March 3, 1978	@ Detroit	WDCA
March 11, 1978	@ San Antonio	WDCA
April 6, 1978	@ Boston	WDCA
April 8, 1978	@ Philadelphia	WDCA
April 14, 1978	@ Atlanta	WDCA
April 18, 1978	@ San Antonio	WDCA
April 25, 1978	@ San Antonio	WDCA
May 3, 1978	@ Philadelphia	WDCA
May 10, 1978	@ Philadelphia	WDCA

National TV Schedule

Date	Opponent	Network
January 8, 1978	@ New Jersey	CBS
January 22, 1978	@ Phoenix	CBS
January 29, 1978	Los Angeles	CBS
February 12, 1978	@ Phoenix	CBS
February 19, 1978	New Orleans	CBS
February 26, 1978	Golden State	CBS
March 26, 1978	New Jersey	CBS
April 2, 1978	New York	CBS
April 9, 1978	Philadelphia	CBS
April 16, 1978	@ San Antonio	CBS
April 23, 1978	San Antonio	CBS
April 30, 1978	@ Philadelphia	CBS
May 7, 1978	Philadelphia	CBS
May 21, 1978	@ Seattle	CBS
May 25, 1978	Seattle	CBS
May 28, 1978	Seattle	CBS
May 30, 1978	@ Seattle	CBS
June 2, 1978	@ Seattle	CBS
June 4, 1978	Seattle	CBS
June 7, 1978	@ Seattle	CBS

Local Radio Schedule

Date	Opponent	Flagship Station
October 21, 1977	Detroit	WTOP-AM
October 22, 1977	@ New York	WTOP-AM
October 28, 1977	@ Indiana	WTOP-AM
October 29, 1977	@ Kansas City	WTOP-AM
November 4, 1977	Phoenix	WTOP-AM
November 6, 1977	@ New Orleans	WTOP-AM
November 10, 1977	Milwaukee	WTOP-AM
November 12, 1977	Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
November 13, 1977	@ Detroit	WTOP-AM
November 15, 1977	Seattle	WTOP-AM
November 18, 1977	New York	WTOP-AM
November 19, 1977	@ Kansas City	WTOP-AM
November 21, 1977	@ Buffalo	WTOP-AM
November 22, 1977	Denver	WTOP-AM
November 30, 1977	San Antonio	WTOP-AM
December 2, 1977	@ Milwaukee	WTOP-AM
December 3, 1977	Boston	WTOP-AM
December 4, 1977	@ Cleveland	WTOP-AM
December 6, 1977	@ Chicago	WTOP-AM
December 7, 1977	Cleveland	WTOP-AM
December 9, 1977	New Orleans	WTOP-AM
December 11, 1977	New Jersey	WTOP-AM
December 13, 1977	Golden State	WTOP-AM
December 16, 1977	@ Denver	WTOP-AM
December 17, 1977	@ Portland	WTOP-AM
December 18, 1977	@ Seattle	WTOP-AM
December 20, 1977	@ Los Angeles	WTOP-AM
December 25, 1977	Atlanta	WTOP-AM
December 26, 1977	@ Atlanta	WTOP-AM
December 28, 1977	Buffalo	WTOP-AM
December 30, 1977	@ Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
January 3, 1978	Denver	WTOP-AM
January 6, 1978	Indiana	WTOP-AM
January 8, 1978	@ New Jersey	WTOP-AM
January 10, 1978	Kansas City	WTOP-AM
January 11, 1978	@ Atlanta	WTOP-AM
January 13, 1978	Portland	WTOP-AM
January 14, 1978	@ Buffalo	WTOP-AM
January 18, 1978	@ Golden State	WTOP-AM
January 20, 1978	@ Los Angeles	WTOP-AM
January 22, 1978	@ Phoenix	WTOP-AM
January 24, 1978	Detroit	WTOP-AM
January 26, 1978	Chicago	WTOP-AM
January 29, 1978	Los Angeles	WTOP-AM
January 31, 1978	@ San Antonio	WTOP-AM
February 2, 1978	@ Cleveland	WTOP-AM
February 3, 1978	@ Boston	WTOP-AM
February 7, 1978	@ Golden State	WTOP-AM
February 8, 1978	@ Seattle	WTOP-AM
February 12, 1978	@ Phoenix	WTOP-AM
February 14, 1978	@ Denver	WTOP-AM
February 16, 1978	Buffalo	WTOP-AM
February 19, 1978	New Orleans	WTOP-AM
February 22, 1978	Portland	WTOP-AM
February 24, 1978	Phoenix	WTOP-AM
February 26, 1978	Golden State	WTOP-AM
February 28, 1978	@ Milwaukee	WTOP-AM
March 1, 1978	San Antonio	WTOP-AM
March 3, 1978	@ Detroit	WTOP-AM
March 11, 1978	@ San Antonio	WTOP-AM
March 14, 1978	Seattle	WTOP-AM
March 16, 1978	@ Chicago	WTOP-AM
March 17, 1978	Indiana	WTOP-AM
March 19, 1978	Milwaukee	WTOP-AM
March 21, 1978	Boston	WTOP-AM
March 22, 1978	@ New Orleans	WTOP-AM
March 24, 1978	@ New Jersey	WTOP-AM
March 25, 1978	Atlanta	WTOP-AM
March 26, 1978	New Jersey	WTOP-AM
March 29, 1978	Kansas City	WTOP-AM
March 30, 1978	@ New York	WTOP-AM
March 31, 1978	Cleveland	WTOP-AM
April 2, 1978	New York	WTOP-AM
April 5, 1978	Los Angeles	WTOP-AM
April 6, 1978	@ Boston	WTOP-AM
April 8, 1978	@ Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
April 9, 1978	Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
April 12, 1978	Atlanta	WTOP-AM
April 14, 1978	@ Atlanta	WTOP-AM
April 16, 1978	@ San Antonio	WTOP-AM
April 18, 1978	@ San Antonio	WTOP-AM
April 21, 1978	San Antonio	WTOP-AM
April 23, 1978	San Antonio	WTOP-AM
April 25, 1978	@ San Antonio	WTOP-AM
April 28, 1978	San Antonio	WTOP-AM
April 30, 1978	@ Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
May 3, 1978	@ Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
May 5, 1978	Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
May 7, 1978	Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
May 10, 1978	@ Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
May 12, 1978	Philadelphia	WTOP-AM
May 21, 1978	@ Seattle	WTOP-AM
May 25, 1978	Seattle	WTOP-AM
May 28, 1978	Seattle	WTOP-AM
May 30, 1978	@ Seattle	WTOP-AM
June 2, 1978	@ Seattle	WTOP-AM
June 4, 1978	Seattle	WTOP-AM
June 7, 1978	@ Seattle	WTOP-AM

National Radio Schedule

Date	Opponent	Network
May 21, 1978	@ Seattle	Mutual
May 25, 1978	Seattle	Mutual
May 28, 1978	Seattle	Mutual
May 30, 1978	@ Seattle	Mutual
June 2, 1978	@ Seattle	Mutual
June 4, 1978	Seattle	Mutual
June 7, 1978	@ Seattle	Mutual

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 ^1.7 Washington Wizards (1963-Present)

Bullets on Basketball Reference

[Washington_Wizards_1963-Present-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 ^1.7 Washington Wizards (1963-Present)

[1]

v t e NBA champions
1940s	1947: Philadelphia Warriors 1948: Baltimore Bullets 1949: Minneapolis Lakers
1950s	1950: Minneapolis Lakers 1951: Rochester Royals 1952: Minneapolis Lakers 1953: Minneapolis Lakers 1954: Minneapolis Lakers 1955: Syracuse Nationals 1956: Philadelphia Warriors 1957: Boston Celtics 1958: St. Louis Hawks 1959: Boston Celtics
1960s	1960: Boston Celtics 1961: Boston Celtics 1962: Boston Celtics 1963: Boston Celtics 1964: Boston Celtics 1965: Boston Celtics 1966: Boston Celtics 1967: Philadelphia 76ers 1968: Boston Celtics 1969: Boston Celtics
1970s	1970: New York Knicks 1971: Milwaukee Bucks 1972: Los Angeles Lakers 1973: New York Knicks 1974: Boston Celtics 1975: Golden State Warriors 1976: Boston Celtics 1977: Portland Trail Blazers 1978: Washington Bullets 1979: Seattle SuperSonics
1980s	1980: Los Angeles Lakers 1981: Boston Celtics 1982: Los Angeles Lakers 1983: Philadelphia 76ers 1984: Boston Celtics 1985: Los Angeles Lakers 1986: Boston Celtics 1987: Los Angeles Lakers 1988: Los Angeles Lakers 1989: Detroit Pistons
1990s	1990: Detroit Pistons 1991: Chicago Bulls 1992: Chicago Bulls 1993: Chicago Bulls 1994: Houston Rockets 1995: Houston Rockets 1996: Chicago Bulls 1997: Chicago Bulls 1998: Chicago Bulls 1999: San Antonio Spurs
2000s	2000: Los Angeles Lakers 2001: Los Angeles Lakers 2002: Los Angeles Lakers 2003: San Antonio Spurs 2004: Detroit Pistons 2005: San Antonio Spurs 2006: Miami Heat 2007: San Antonio Spurs 2008: Boston Celtics 2009: Los Angeles Lakers
2010s	2010: Los Angeles Lakers 2011: Dallas Mavericks 2012: Miami Heat 2013: Miami Heat 2014: San Antonio Spurs 2015: Golden State Warriors 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers 2017: Golden State Warriors 2018: Golden State Warriors 2019: Toronto Raptors
2020s	2020: Los Angeles Lakers 2021: Milwaukee Bucks 2022: Golden State Warriors 2023: Denver Nuggets

v t e Washington Wizards
Founded in 1961 Formerly the Chicago Packers (1961–1962), Chicago Zephyrs (1962–1963), Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973), Capital Bullets (1973–1974), and Washington Bullets (1974–1997) Based in Washington, D.C.
Franchise	All-time roster Draft history 1961 Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	International Amphitheatre Chicago Coliseum Baltimore Civic Center Cole Field House Capital Centre/US Airways Arena Capital One Arena
Personnel	Owner Ted Leonsis (majority) President Vacant General manager Vacant Head coach Wes Unseld Jr.
G-League affiliate	Capital City Go-Go
Retired numbers	10 11 25 41 45
NBA Championships	1978
Culture and lore	Wes Unseld 1975 championship upset The Big E Abe Pollin Earl the Pearl Agent Zero Robin Ficker

v t e Sports teams based in the Washington, D.C., area
Baseball	MLB Washington Nationals EL Bowie Baysox CL Fredericksburg Nationals ALPB Southern Maryland Blue Crabs MDL Frederick Keys	Verizon Center Nationals Park Audi Field FedExField
Basketball	NBA Washington Wizards G League Capital City Go-Go WNBA Washington Mystics
Football	NFL Washington Commanders WFA D.C. Divas
Esports	OWL Washington Justice
Hockey	NHL Washington Capitals
Soccer	MLS D.C. United USLC Loudoun United FC NISA Maryland Bobcats FC USL2 Northern Virginia FC NPSL Northern Virginia United FC NWSL Washington Spirit
Roller derby	WFTDA DC Rollergirls
Rugby union	MLR Old Glory DC Capital Geographical Union Washington Irish R.F.C. Washington Renegades RFC West Potomac Rugby Football Club
Rugby league	NARL Washington DC Cavalry
Tennis	WTT Washington Kastles
Ultimate	AUDL DC Breeze
College athletics	NCAA Div. I American Georgetown George Mason George Washington Howard Maryland Mount St. Mary's NCAA Div. II Bowie State Shepherd UDC NCAA Div. III Catholic Gallaudet Hood Mary Washington Marymount
See also: Sports in Washington, D.C.

1977–78 Washington Bullets season

Contents

Offseason

NBA Draft

Roster

Depth chart

Season standings

Regular Season

Game Log

Game Officials

Player stats

Playoffs

East First Round

East Conference Semifinals

East Conference Finals

NBA Finals

Game Log

Game Officials

Playoffs player stats

Awards and honors

28th NBA All-Star Game

Media

Local TV Schedule

National TV Schedule

Local Radio Schedule

National Radio Schedule

References

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