1978–79 Philadelphia 76ers season

1978–79 Philadelphia 76ers season
Head coachBilly Cunningham
General managerPat Williams
ArenaThe Spectrum
Results
Record47–35 (.573)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Atlantic)
Conference: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finishEast Conference Semifinals
(eliminated 3–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWKBS-TV
PRISM
RadioWCAU
< 1977–78 1979–80 >

The 1978–79 NBA season was the 76ers 30th season in the NBA and 16th season in Philadelphia. Coach Billy Cunningham began to mold a unit that played a team concept, as opposed to one made up of stars focusing on their own individual talents. The trade for forward Bobby Jones and the drafting of point guard Maurice Cheeks, further solidified this progression. The Sixers would finish the regular season at 47–35. They would lose in the Eastern Conference semi-finals to the San Antonio Spurs. From 1977 through 1983 (seven seasons), this would be the only year that the team failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.[1]

Draft picks

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Main article: 1978 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
2 36 Maurice Cheeks PG  United States West Texas A&M
2 43 Glenn Hagan G  United States St. Bonaventure
4 87 Brett Vroman C  United States UNLV
5 109 Mark Haymore PF/C  United States UMass
6 130 Osborne Lockhart  United States Minnesota
7 151 Anthony Murray  United States Alabama
8 169 Alan Cunningham F  United States Colorado State
10 201 Dennis James  United States Widener

Roster

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Philadelphia 76ers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 14 Bibby, Henry 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1949–11–24 UCLA
F/C 23 Bryant, Joe 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1954–10–19 La Salle
F/C 42 Catchings, Harvey 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1951–09–02 Hardin–Simmons
G 10 Cheeks, Maurice 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1956–09–08 West Texas A&M
G 20 Collins, Doug 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1951-07-28 Illinois State
C 53 Dawkins, Darryl 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 251 lb (114 kg) 1957-01-11 Maynard Evans HS (FL)
F 6 Erving, Julius 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1950-02-22 UMass
F 24 Jones, Bobby 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1951–12–18 North Carolina
C 11 Jones, Caldwell 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1950–08–04 Albany State
F 50 Mix, Steve 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1947–12–30 Toledo
G 22 Money, Eric 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1955–02–06 Arizona
G 4 Redmond, Marlon 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1955–04–15 San Francisco
G 30 Skinner, Al 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1952–06–16 UMass
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

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Season standings

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Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Washington Bullets 54 28 .659 – 31–10 23–18 11–5
x-Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 7 31–10 16–25 9–7
x-New Jersey Nets 37 45 .451 17 25–16 12–29 7–9
New York Knicks 31 51 .378 23 23–18 8–33 7–9
Boston Celtics 29 53 .354 25 21–20 8–33 6–10
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Washington Bullets 54 28 .659 –
2 y-San Antonio Spurs 48 34 .585 6
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 7
4 x-Houston Rockets 47 35 .573 7
5 x-Atlanta Hawks 46 36 .561 8
6 x-New Jersey Nets 37 45 .451 17
7 New York Knicks 31 51 .378 23
8 Cleveland Cavaliers 30 52 .366 24
8 Detroit Pistons 30 52 .366 24
10 Boston Celtics 29 53 .354 25
11 New Orleans Jazz 26 56 .317 28
z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1978-79 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA WAS
Atlanta — 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2
Boston 2–2 — 1–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–2 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–3 2–2 0–4
Chicago 1–3 2–1 — 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 0–3 0–4 0–4 1–3
Cleveland 1–3 2–2 3–1 — 1–2 1–3 2–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4
Denver 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–1 — 2–2 4–0 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 0–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3
Detroit 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 — 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–3 1–3
Golden State 3–1 1–2 1–3 1–2 0–4 3–1 — 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2
Houston 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 — 0–4 3–1 2–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 4–0 0–4 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2
Indiana 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 4–0 — 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 2–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 0–4 1–3
Kansas City 2–2 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 — 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–0
Los Angeles 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–2 4–0 2–2 — 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–0 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2
Milwaukee 0–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 — 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3
New Jersey 2–2 3–1 2–2 1–3 0–4 4–0 3–1 1–3 2–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 — 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–0 2–2 0–4 2–2 0–4 1–3
New Orleans 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 0–4 1–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 — 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–4 0–3 0–4
New York 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 0–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 — 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3
Philadelphia 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–0 3–1 1–3 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 — 1–3 1–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1
Phoenix 1–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 1–3 4–0 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–3 3–1 4–0 3–1 — 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3
Portland 2–2 3–1 0–4 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 1–3 — 2–1 2–2 1–3 3–1
San Antonio 1–3 4–0 3–0 4–0 1–3 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–2 — 4–0 2–2 1–3
San Diego 1–3 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 0–4 — 2–2 0–3
Seattle 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 3–0 1–3 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 — 2–2
Washington 2–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–3 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 3–0 2–2 —

Playoffs

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1979 playoff game log
First Round: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 11 New Jersey W 122–114 Julius Erving (37) George McGinnis (14) Henry Bibby (8) Spectrum
8,846 		1–0
2 April 13 @ New Jersey W 111–101 Caldwell Jones (24) Caldwell Jones (21) three players tied (5) Rutgers Athletic Center
9,126 		2–0
Conference Semifinals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 15 @ San Antonio L 106–119 Darryl Dawkins (25) Caldwell Jones (15) Julius Erving (7) HemisFair Arena
10,253 		0–1
2 April 17 @ San Antonio L 120–121 Julius Erving (25) Caldwell Jones (11) Henry Bibby (10) HemisFair Arena
16,709 		0–2
3 April 20 San Antonio W 123–115 Julius Erving (39) Caldwell Jones (12) Maurice Cheeks (9) Spectrum
14,039 		1–2
4 April 22 San Antonio L 112–115 Maurice Cheeks (33) Steve Mix (9) Maurice Cheeks (9) Spectrum
11,163 		1–3
5 April 26 @ San Antonio W 120–97 Julius Erving (32) Caldwell Jones (14) Maurice Cheeks (12) HemisFair Arena
16,055 		2–3
6 April 29 San Antonio W 92–90 Caldwell Jones (20) Caldwell Jones (17) Maurice Cheeks (6) Spectrum
18,276 		3–3
7 May 2 @ San Antonio L 108–111 Julius Erving (34) Caldwell Jones (14) Maurice Cheeks (13) HemisFair Arena
16,055 		3–4
1979 schedule

Awards and records

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References

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  1. ^ 1978-79 Philadelphia 76ers
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