1978–79 Washington Bullets season

The 1978–79 Washington Bullets won their second consecutive Eastern Conference Championship, making it to the NBA Finals before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics. They finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, at 54-28.

1978–79 Washington Bullets season
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coachDick Motta
ArenaCapital Centre
Results
Record54–28 (.659)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Atlantic)
Conference: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA Finals
(lost to SuperSonics 1–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWDCA
RadioWTOP

Coming off of their NBA Championship the previous season, the Bullets were transferred to the Atlantic Division.[1] The Bullets would continue to remain one of the top teams in the league, as they captured the Atlantic Division championship with a league best record of 54–28. The Bullets ended the regular season losing 8 of their last 11 games, but rebounded in the playoffs with victories in both the Eastern Conference semifinals and Eastern Conference finals over the Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs, respectively. The Bullets would proceed to have a 38-year drought without a division title until 2017; by then they had been renamed the Washington Wizards. This is the most recent appearance in the conference finals or NBA Finals for the franchise.

Offseason

NBA draft

Roster
Washington Bullets roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
F 42 Ballard, Greg 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Oregon
C 40 Corzine, Dave 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) DePaul
G 45 Chenier, Phil 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) California
SF 10 Dandridge, Bob 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Norfolk State
F 35 Grevey, Kevin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Kentucky
G 14 Henderson, Tom 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Hawaiʻi
C 11 Hayes, Elvin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Houston
PF 25 Kupchak, Mitch 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) North Carolina
G 15 Johnson, Charles 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) California
G 22 Phegley, Roger 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Bradley
F 41 Unseld, Wes 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Louisville
G 32 Wright, Larry 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Grambling State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings
Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Washington Bullets 5428.659–31–1023–1811–5
x-Philadelphia 76ers 4735.573731–1016–259–7
x-New Jersey Nets 3745.4511725–1612–297–9
New York Knicks 3151.3782323–188–337–9
Boston Celtics 2953.3542521–208–336–10
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Washington Bullets5428.659–
2 y-San Antonio Spurs4834.5856
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers4735.5737
4 x-Houston Rockets4735.5737
5 x-Atlanta Hawks4636.5618
6 x-New Jersey Nets3745.45117
7 New York Knicks3151.37823
8 Cleveland Cavaliers3052.36624
8 Detroit Pistons3052.36624
10 Boston Celtics2953.35425
11 New Orleans Jazz2656.31728

Record vs. opponents
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 —2–23–13–13–13–11–33–11–32–21–33–02–22–22–22–22–12–23–13–11–32–2
Boston 2–2—1–22–21–32–22–11–33–11–31–31–31–32–23–12–20–41–30–41–32–20–4
Chicago 1–32–1—1–32–22–23–12–22–20–41–31–32–22–23–11–31–34–00–30–40–41–3
Cleveland 1–32–23–1—1–21–32–12–21–31–32–21–33–12–22–22–20–40–40–42–22–20–4
Denver 1–33–12–22–1—2–24–01–33–11–33–12–24–03–13–10–33–11–33–12–23–11–3
Detroit 1–32–22–23–12–2—1–32–22–22–22–22–10–42–21–31–30–41–31–32–20–31–3
Golden State 3–11–21–31–20–43–1—2–22–22–21–32–21–33–13–13–11–32–21–31–33–12–2
Houston 1–33–12–22–23–12–22–2—0–43–12–12–23–14–04–00–42–23–13–12–12–22–2
Indiana 3–11–32–23–11–32–22–24–0—1–30–42–21–22–12–22–22–23–13–11–30–41–3
Kansas City 2–23–14–03–13–12–22–21–33–1—2–22–23–13–12–12–22–21–31–32–22–23–0
Los Angeles 3–13–13–12–21–32–23–11–24–02–2—3–12–22–23–01–32–22–22–22–22–22–2
Milwaukee 0–33–13–13–12–21–22–22–22–22–21–3—2–23–11–32–22–22–21–31–32–21–3
New Jersey 2–23–12–21–30–44–03–11–32–11–32–22–2—3–11–32–23–02–20–42–20–41–3
New Orleans 2–22–22–22–21–32–21–30–41–21–32–21–31–3—2–22–21–31–32–20–40–30–4
New York 2–21–31–32–21–33–11–30–42–21–20–33–13–12–2—2–20–41–31–32–22–21–3
Philadelphia 2–22–23–12–23–03–11–34–02–22–23–12–22–22–22–2—1–31–23–13–11–33–1
Phoenix 1–24–03–14–01–34–03–12–22–22–22–22–20–33–14–03–1—3–13–12–21–31–3
Portland 2–23–10–44–03–13–12–21–31–33–12–22–22–23–13–12–11–3—2–12–21–33–1
San Antonio 1–34–03–04–01–33–13–11–31–33–12–23–14–02–23–11–31–31–2—4–02–21–3
San Diego 1–33–14–02–22–22–23–11–23–12–22–23–12–24–02–21–32–22–20–4—2–20–3
Seattle 3–12–24–02–21–33–01–32–24–02–22–22–24–03–02–23–13–13–12–22–2—2–2
Washington 2–24–03–14–03–13–12–22–23–10–32–23–13–14–03–11–33–11–33–13–02–2—

Playoffs
1979 playoff game log
Conference semifinals: 4–3 (home: 2–2; road: 2–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 April 15 Atlanta W 103–89 Elvin Hayes (31) Elvin Hayes (15) Larry Wright (6) Capital Centre
15,721		 1–0
2 April 17 Atlanta L 99–107 Bob Dandridge (36) Wes Unseld (10) Tom Henderson (8) Capital Centre
19,035		 1–1
3 April 20 @ Atlanta W 89–77 Elvin Hayes (19) Wes Unseld (16) Wes Unseld (8) Omni Coliseum
15,798		 2–1
4 April 22 @ Atlanta W 120–115 (OT) Elvin Hayes (29) Elvin Hayes (17) Bob Dandridge (5) Omni Coliseum
15,798		 3–1
5 April 24 Atlanta L 103–107 Elvin Hayes (26) Elvin Hayes (14) Tom Henderson (11) Capital Centre
19,035		 3–2
6 April 26 @ Atlanta L 86–104 Elvin Hayes (24) Wes Unseld (12) Wes Unseld (6) Omni Coliseum
15,978		 3–3
7 April 29 Atlanta W 100–94 Elvin Hayes (39) Elvin Hayes (15) Bob Dandridge (8) Capital Centre
19,035		 4–3
Conference finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 May 4 San Antonio L 97–118 Bob Dandridge (25) Elvin Hayes (20) Tom Henderson (5) Capital Centre
19,035		 0–1
2 May 6 San Antonio W 115–95 Wes Unseld (26) Wes Unseld (22) Tom Henderson (9) Capital Centre
19,035		 1–1
3 May 9 @ San Antonio L 114–116 Bob Dandridge (28) Elvin Hayes (23) Wes Unseld (8) HemisFair Arena
15,318		 1–2
4 May 11 @ San Antonio L 102–118 Elvin Hayes (23) Wes Unseld (21) Bob Dandridge (9) HemisFair Arena
16,055		 1–3
5 May 13 San Antonio W 107–103 Elvin Hayes (24) Elvin Hayes (22) Tom Henderson (9) Capital Centre
19,035		 2–3
6 May 16 @ San Antonio W 108–100 Elvin Hayes (25) Elvin Hayes (14) Dandridge, Henderson (8) HemisFair Arena
16,055		 3–3
7 May 18 San Antonio W 107–105 Bob Dandridge (37) Elvin Hayes (15) Larry Wright (7) Capital Centre
19,035		 4–3
NBA Finals: 1–4 (home: 1–2; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 May 20 Seattle W 99–97 Larry Wright (26) Wes Unseld (12) Tom Henderson (6) Capital Centre
19,035		 1–0
2 May 24 Seattle L 82–92 Bob Dandridge (21) Elvin Hayes (14) Bob Dandridge (5) Capital Centre
19,035		 1–1
3 May 27 @ Seattle L 95–105 Bob Dandridge (28) Unseld, Hayes (14) Bob Dandridge (5) Kingdome
35,928		 1–2
4 May 29 @ Seattle L 112–114 (OT) three players tied (18) Wes Unseld (16) Tom Henderson (8) Seattle Center Coliseum
14,098		 1–3
5 June 1 Seattle L 93–97 Elvin Hayes (29) Elvin Hayes (14) Bob Dandridge (7) Capital Centre
19,035		 1–4
1979 schedule

Awards and honors

References
  1. Washington Wizards (1963–Present)
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