1978 NBA Finals

1978 basketball championship series August 2023 NBA 1978 Seattle SuperSonics Lenny Wilkens 3 Washington Bullets Dick Motta 4 May 21 – June 7 Wes Unseld(Washington Bullets) SuperSonics:Dennis Johnson (2010)Jack Sikma (2019)Bullets:Bob Dandridge (2021)Elvin Hayes (1990)Wes Unseld (1988)Coaches:Lenny Wilkens (1989, player/1998, coach)Officials:Darell Garretson (2016)Earl Strom (1995) Bullets defeated 76ers, 4–2 SuperSonics defeated Nuggets, 4–2 The 1978 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1977–78 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The series featured the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics against the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets. The Bullets defeated the SuperSonics in seven games to win their first NBA championship. Bullets power forward/center Wes Unseld was named MVP of the series. The 1978 World Championship Series was the first NBA Finals series since the 1958 World Championship Series in which both teams had under 50 wins, and is the only NBA Finals to feature two teams with under 50 wins in an 82-game season. The 1978 Bullets were the last team to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road until the Cleveland Cavaliers did so in 2016. Background For much of the 1977–78 season, the Portland Trail Blazers were extremely likely to return and repeat as NBA champions. The team started with 50 wins in their first 60 games, but due to star center Bill Walton's foot injury, they only managed to go 8–14 the rest of the way.Off on a Wrong Foot - Sports Illustrated Walton and the Trail Blazers would not regain their form for the playoffs and ultimately were upset by their I-5 rivals, the Seattle SuperSonics. Seattle SuperSonics 1977–78 Seattle SuperSonics season The Seattle SuperSonics had a disappointing start to the season, going 5–17 to begin with. Bob Hopkins, who replaced former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell as coach, was fired and Lenny Wilkens returned for a second tour of duty. The Sonics were led by rookie forward Jack Sikma, center Marvin Webster, forwards, Paul Silas and John Johnson, and guards Dennis Johnson and Gus Williams and Fred Brown. With Wilkens' experience being a key factor, the Sonics turned their season around, finishing with 47 wins and the fourth seed in the West. In the playoffs, they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-game miniseries, then defeated the top-seeded and defending champion Portland Trail Blazers (who lost center Bill Walton in the second game of the series) in six games, before a six-game win over the Denver Nuggets in the Conference finals sent them to their first of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. Washington Bullets 1977–78 Washington Bullets season The Washington Bullets franchise made the Finals twice before in the 1970s, but were swept on both occasions, first by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 when they were still in Baltimore, and then by the Cinderella Golden State Warriors in 1975. The Bullets kept some of the personnel from that 1975 team, including All-Stars Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes, but Dick Motta was now in his second year of coaching duty. The Bullets struggled with injuries during the season, but managed to finish with 44 wins, good for the third seed in the East. In the playoffs, the Bullets disposed the Atlanta Hawks in a two-game first round series, then ousted the San Antonio Spurs in six games, before making the finals again with a six-game win over the defending Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers. From a KENS-TV Spurs broadcast in the San Antonio series after Washington took a 3–1 lead, Motta adopted the expression "The 'opera' isn't over 'til the fat lady sings" to warn Bullets fans against braggadocio. Motta also used an upbeat ostinato, "Wait for the fat lady!", to encourage the fans. Road to the Finals 1978 NBA playoffs Seattle SuperSonics (Western Conference champion) Washington Bullets (Eastern Conference champion)SEA4th seed in the West, 6th best league recordRegular seasonWSB3rd seed in the East, 9th best league recordDefeated the (5) Los Angeles Lakers, 2–1First roundDefeated the (6) Atlanta Hawks, 2–0Defeated the (1) Portland Trail Blazers, 4–2Conference semifinalsDefeated the (2) San Antonio Spurs, 4–2Defeated the (2) Denver Nuggets, 4–2Conference finalsDefeated the (1) Philadelphia 76ers, 4–2 Regular season series Washington won the regular season series 3–1. #fff November 15, 1977 Seattle SuperSonics 109 Washington Bullets 111 Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland December 18, 1977 Washington Bullets 109 Seattle SuperSonics 111 Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle February 8, 1978 Washington Bullets 106 Seattle SuperSonics 100 Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle #fff March 14, 1978 Seattle SuperSonics 115 Washington Bullets 120 Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Series summary Game Date Home team Result Road team Game 1 May 21 Seattle SuperSonics 106–102 (1–0) Washington Bullets Game 2 May 25 Washington Bullets 106–98 (1–1) Seattle SuperSonics Game 3 May 28 Washington Bullets 92–93 (1–2) Seattle SuperSonics Game 4 May 30 Seattle SuperSonics 116–120 (OT) (2–2) Washington Bullets Game 5 June 2 Seattle SuperSonics 98–94 (3–2) Washington Bullets Game 6 June 4 Washington Bullets 117–82 (3–3) Seattle SuperSonics Game 7 June 7 Seattle SuperSonics 99–105 (3–4) Washington Bullets Bullets win series 4–3 Game summaries Game 1 #eee May 21 12:00 p.m. PDT Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington CBS Washington Bullets 102 Seattle SuperSonics 106 31–25 27–24 26–24 18–33 Kevin Grevey 27 Fred Brown 30 Elvin Hayes 9 Marvin Webster 14 Tom Henderson 7 Dennis Johnson 5 14,098 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 17 Ed Rush Seattle leads the series, 1–0 The Bullets, behind Kevin Grevey's 27 and Elvin Hayes's 21 points, held a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter at the Seattle Center Coliseum. But, the Sonics staged a comeback in front of the home crowd, led by "instant offense" guard Fred Brown. Brown scored 16 points in the last nine minutes to finish with 30 and give the SuperSonics the win.1978 NBA Finals – Game 1 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197805210SEA.html 18 October 2016 Game 2 #eee May 25 9:00 p.m. EDT Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland CBS Seattle SuperSonics 98 Washington Bullets 106 16–29 36–27 19–24 27–26 Gus Williams 24 Bob Dandridge 34 Marvin Webster 12 Wes Unseld 15 Dennis Johnson, Silas, Williams 4 each Henderson, Unseld 5 each 19,035 No. 7 Joe Gushue No. 11 Jake O'Donnell Series tied, 1–1 In an unusual 1–2–2–1–1 scheduling format, the next two games were played at the Capital Centre, the Bullets' home floor. Wes Unseld defended inside on Marvin Webster and Jack Sikma, pulled down 15 rebounds, and handed out five assists. This work enabled Bob Dandridge to score 34 points and Elvin Hayes 25 as the Bullets evened the series, winning their first NBA Finals game following nine consecutive losses.1978 NBA Finals – Game 2 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197805250WSB.html 18 October 2016 Game 3 #eee May 28 1:30 p.m. EDT Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland CBS Seattle SuperSonics 93 Washington Bullets 92 24–24 25–23 20–20 24–25 Webster, Williams 20 each Elvin Hayes 29 Paul Silas 14 Elvin Hayes 20 Brown, Dennis Johnson, Sikma, Webster, Williams 2 each Bob Dandridge 6 19,035 No. 12 Earl Strom No. 9 John Vanak Seattle leads the series, 2–1 Dennis Johnson was superb on defense, blocking seven shots and holding Kevin Grevey to 1-for-14 shooting. Paul Silas, the SuperSonics' veteran leader off the bench, helped shut down the Bullets' big men. With 10 seconds remaining and the SuperSonics leading 93–90, Johnson's inbounds pass was stolen by Tom Henderson, who scored to make it 93–92 with five seconds left. Silas then stepped on the baseline trying to make the subsequent inbounds pass (even though replays showed he was clearly behind the baseline when he released the ball), turning the ball over to the Bullets. Bob Dandridge missed at the buzzer, however, and the SuperSonics picked up a victory on the road.1978 NBA Finals – Game 3 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197805280WSB.html 18 October 2016 Game 4 #eee May 30 6:00 p.m. PDT Kingdome, Seattle, Washington CBS Washington Bullets 120 Seattle SuperSonics 116 23–25 25–31 30–31 28–19 14–10 Bob Dandridge 23 Dennis Johnson 33 Elvin Hayes 13 Marvin Webster 15 Tom Henderson 11 Paul Silas 6 39,457 No. 14 Jack Madden No. 6 Don Murphy Series tied, 2–2 Game 4 was held in the Seattle Kingdome because the Seattle Center Coliseum was tied up with a mobile-home show. As a result, the Bullets had to contend with a then-record playoff crowd of over 39,000 fans. The SuperSonics led by 15 with two minutes left in the third quarter. At this point, the Bullet guards, who had been victimized all series by Gus Williams and emerging star Dennis Johnson, started to assert themselves, especially reserves Charles Johnson and Larry Wright. At the start of the final period, Dennis Johnson was elbowed hard in the ribs and left the game for a short time. With Charles Johnson, Wright, Mitch Kupchak and Bob Dandridge in the lineup, the Bullets stormed back and took a 103–101 lead with about 3.5 minutes left in the game. Dennis Johnson then returned and went on a barrage, scoring first to tie the game, blocking a Dandridge shot, getting an offensive rebound, and pushing the Sonics to a 104–103 lead with a foul shot. Johnson would finish with 33 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Dandridge answered with a three-point play that returned the lead to Washington, 106–104. Seattle got the ball back and tied it with "instant offense" Fred Brown's jumper from "downtown". With two seconds left, Dandridge got a good shot in the lane, only to have Johnson block it, forcing overtime. But then, Charles Johnson became an instant hero by hitting three quick shots in overtime to give the Bullets a 120–116 win. The Bullets had tied the series at two wins apiece.1978 NBA Finals – Game 4 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197805300SEA.html 18 October 2016 Game 5 #eee June 2 6:00 p.m. PDT Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington CBS Washington Bullets 94 Seattle SuperSonics 98 24–23 17–29 26–24 27–22 Kevin Grevey 22 Fred Brown 26 Wes Unseld 14 Marvin Webster 13 Tom Henderson 6 John Johnson 7 14,098 No. 7 Joe Gushue No. 11 Jake O'Donnell Seattle leads the series, 3–2 The SuperSonics returned to the Seattle Center Coliseum and eked out a close win. "Downtown" Freddie Brown had 26 points and Dennis Johnson 24 to carry Seattle to a 98–94 win and the series lead. The Bullets lost it at the line, making only 9 of 20 free throws in the second half. Even so, they cut Seattle's 11-point lead to two with less than two minutes to go before Jack Sikma hit three free throws down the stretch.1978 NBA Finals – Game 5 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197806020SEA.html 18 October 2016 Game 6 #eee June 4 1:30 p.m. EDT Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland CBS Seattle SuperSonics 82 Washington Bullets 117 21–19 14–28 26–37 21–33 Fred Brown 17 Elvin Hayes 21 Marvin Webster 12 Elvin Hayes 15 Gus Williams 6 Greg Ballard 6 19,035 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 6 Don Murphy Series tied, 3–3 Game 6, in Washington, was all Bullets, 117–82. With the Washington backcourt continuing to struggle, Bullets coach Dick Motta inserted Greg Ballard at forward and moved Bob Dandridge to guard, a risky move considering Dandridge had played very little guard. Ballard and Dandridge produced a run that gave the Bullets a 12-point lead at the half. Washington scored 70 points in the second half, and the SuperSonics weren't up to that pace. Mitch Kupchak added 19 points, and Ballard had 12 points and 12 rebounds. The 35-point margin of victory was an NBA Finals record that stood until the 1998 NBA Finals Game 3 (Chicago defeated Utah 96–54, 42 points).1978 NBA Finals – Game 6 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197806040WSB.html 18 October 2016 Game 7 #eee June 7 6:00 p.m. PDT Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington CBS Washington Bullets 105 Seattle SuperSonics 99 31–28 22–17 26–21 26–33 Dandridge, Charles Johnson 19 each Marvin Webster 27 Wes Unseld 9 Marvin Webster 19 Wes Unseld 6 Gus Williams 5 14,098 No. 14 Jack Madden No. 12 Earl Strom Washington wins the series 4–3 Dennis Johnson, who before the 1977–78 playoffs was a relatively unknown guard from Pepperdine University, had grown into a star in this series in front of a national TV audience. However, DJ would miss every one of his 14 shots in this game. Fellow guard Gus Williams was a bit more accurate, shooting 4-for-12. SuperSonics big men Marvin Webster scored 27 points and Jack Sikma 21 to take up the slack, and that kept it close. With 90 seconds left, Seattle whittled the lead from 11 points down to four, but Mitch Kupchak came up with a three-point play. Fred Brown, who finished with 21 points off the bench, hit a short jumper, then Paul Silas got a tip-in to cut it to 101–99. Silas then fouled Wes Unseld, a 55-percent shooter from the line during the playoffs. He hit two free throws, and moments later Washington sealed it with a Bob Dandridge dunk, 105–99. Charles Johnson and Dandridge each scored 19 points for the Bullets, while Elvin Hayes fouled out with 12 points, a development that brought a couple of needling questions from the writers about his past failures in the playoffs and Hayes' cheerful comeback "Whatever else they can say about me, they also got to say E's a world champion. E wears the ring." Unseld would be named Finals MVP.1978 NBA Finals – Game 7 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197806070SEA.html 18 October 2016 After the climactic Game 7 victory, Motta celebrated with his team wearing a beer-soaked The Opera Isn't Over 'Til The Fat Lady Sings T-shirt. He said, "What made the championship so great was that we weren't supposed to win it. We came a long way. Most people didn't give us a chance, but I felt all along we could. I really did."When Washington Went to the Opera NBA.com http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/When_Washington_Went_to_the_Opera.html 8 April 2003 This was the last time the road team won Game 7 of the NBA Finals until the Cleveland Cavaliers did so in 2016. Player statistics Washington Bullets Washington Wizards Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics Broadcasting Television coverage Nationwide TV coverage of the 1978 NBA finals was broadcast by CBS Sports, with Brent Musburger (All Games) on play-by-play and Rick Barry (All Games), Steve Jones (Game 1), recently retired John Havlicek (Games 2, 4 and 7), Gus Johnson (Game 3) and Keith Erickson (Games 4 and 5) on color commentary. Locally, the 1978 NBA Finals was broadcast by CBS affiliates: WTOP-TV in Washington, D.C., and KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington. National coverage Nationwide radio coverage of the 1978 NBA Finals was broadcast by Mutual, with Tony Roberts on play-by-play and Hubie Brown on color commentary. Local market coverage The flagship stations of each station of each team carried their local play-by-play calls. In Washington, D.C., WTOP-AM carried the series, with Frank Herzog on play-by-play. In Seattle, KOMO, carried the series with Bob Blackburn on play-by-play. Team rosters Washington Bullets Washington Bullets 1977–78 42 Greg Ballard basketball F 6 7 215 Oregon 45 Phil Chenier G 6 3 180 California 10 Bob Dandridge SF 6 6 195 Norfolk State 35 Kevin Grevey F 6 5 210 Kentucky 14 Tom Henderson basketball G 6 3 190 Hawaii 11 Elvin Hayes C 6 9 235 Houston 25 Mitch Kupchak PF 6 9 230 North Carolina 15 Charles Johnson basketball, born 1949 G 6 0 170 California 44 Joe Pace basketball C 6 10 220 Coppin State 41 Wes Unseld F 6 7 245 Louisville 32 Larry Wright basketball G 6 1 160 Grambling State Dick Motta Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics 1977–78 32 Fred Brown basketball G 6 3 182 1948–08–07 Iowa 30 Al Fleming basketball F 6 7 215 1954–04–05 Arizona 10 Joe Hassett G 6 5 180 1955–09–11 Providence 24 Dennis Johnson G 6 4 185 1954–09–18 Pepperdine 27 John Johnson basketball, born 1947 F 6 7 200 1947–10–18 Iowa 45 Bruce Seals F 6 8 210 1953–06–18 Xavier University of Louisiana 43 Jack Sikma F/C 6 11 230 1955–11–14 Illinois Wesleyan 35 Paul Silas F/C 6 7 220 1943–07–12 Creighton 42 Wally Walker F 6 7 190 1954–07–18 Virginia 40 Marvin Webster C 7 1 225 1952–04–13 Morgan State 1 Gus Williams basketball G 6 2 175 1953–10–10 Southern California USA Lenny Wilkens (Providence) Aftermath Days after the Game 7 win (the first for a Washington D.C.–based team in 36 years), an estimated 100,000 fans lined an 11-mile parade route from Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. with the District Building, the White House, the Capitol and RFK Stadium.Allen Scott 2018-05-31 The NBA champion Bullets were the toast of D.C. 40 years ago, if only for a short time https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/05/31/the-nba-champion-bullets-were-the-toast-of-d-c-40-years-ago-if-only-for-a-short-time/ 2025-05-16 The Washington Post en-US 0190-8286 The NBA received much criticism over the fact that the seven-game series was stretched out over 18 days, presumably for television. It was the longest playoff series (in total number of days) ever played in any sport until the 2016 NBA Finals (in which the road team won Game 7 for the first time since 1978), also lasted 18 days. The 2025 NBA Finals lasted 18 days as well, and ironically featured the Oklahoma City Thunder, known previously as the Seattle SuperSonics. Both teams met again in the 1979 finals, which Seattle won four games to one. See also 1978 NBA playoffs 1977-78 NBA season References External links NBA History Category:NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Finals Category:May 1978 sports events in the United States Category:June 1978 sports events in the United States Category:1970s in Seattle Category:1978 in sports in Washington, D.C. NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Seattle