1977–78 Denver Nuggets season
1977–78 Denver Nuggets season | |
---|---|
Division champions | |
Head coach | Larry Brown |
Arena | McNichols Sports Arena |
Results | |
Record | 48–34 (.585) |
Place | Division: 1st (Midwest) Conference: 2nd (Western) |
Playoff finish | West Conference Finals (eliminated 2–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
The 1977–78 NBA season was the Nuggets' 2nd season in the NBA and 11th season as a franchise.[1]
Draft picks
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 | Tom LaGarde | C/PF | United States | North Carolina |
1 | 21 | Anthony Roberts | SF/SG | United States | Oral Roberts |
3 | 65 | Robert Smith | PG | United States | Nevada-Las Vegas |
5 | 109 | John Billups | United States | Mississippi | |
6 | 130 | Jim Town | United States | Massachusetts Amherst | |
7 | 150 | Willie High | United States | Alabama State | |
8 | 169 | Len Saunders | United States | Florida |
Roster
{{NBA roster header|team=Denver Nuggets | bg1 = #2C3292 | color1 = #EFE328 | bg2 = #14345B | color2 = #ffc322 |- | style="text-align:center;" | F | style="text-align:center;" | 31
| style="text-align:left;" | Ellis, Bo | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 197 lb (89 kg) | style="text-align:center;" | | style="text-align:left; | Marquette |-
|- | style="text-align:center;" | C | style="text-align:center;" | 44
| style="text-align:left;" | Issel, Dan | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | | style="text-align:center;" | | style="text-align:left; | Kentucky |-
|- | style="text-align:center;" | F | style="text-align:center;" | 24
| style="text-align:left;" | Jones, Bobby | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 210 lb (95 kg) | style="text-align:center;" | | style="text-align:left; | North Carolina |-
|- | style="text-align:center;" | C | style="text-align:center;" | 45
| style="text-align:left;" | LaGarde, Tom | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 220 lb (100 kg) | style="text-align:center;" | | style="text-align:left; | North Carolina |-
|- | style="text-align:center;" | SF | style="text-align:center;" | 33
| style="text-align:left;" | Thompson, David | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | style="text-align:right; white-space:nowrap; | | style="text-align:center;" | | style="text-align:left; | NC State |-
|}
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
- Head coach
- Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
- Injured
|}
Regular season
Season standings
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-Denver Nuggets | 48 | 34 | .585 | – | 33–8 | 15–26 | 11–9 |
x-Milwaukee Bucks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 4 | 28–13 | 16–25 | 14–6 |
Chicago Bulls | 40 | 42 | .488 | 8 | 29–12 | 11–30 | 8–12 |
Detroit Pistons | 38 | 44 | .463 | 10 | 24–17 | 14–27 | 8–12 |
Indiana Pacers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 17 | 21–20 | 10–31 | 8–12 |
Kansas City Kings | 31 | 51 | .378 | 17 | 22–19 | 9–32 | 11–9 |
# | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | z-Portland Trail Blazers | 58 | 24 | .707 | – |
2 | y-Denver Nuggets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 10 |
3 | x-Phoenix Suns | 49 | 33 | .598 | 9 |
4 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 47 | 35 | .573 | 11 |
5 | x-Los Angeles Lakers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 13 |
6 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 14 |
7 | Golden State Warriors | 43 | 39 | .524 | 15 |
8 | Chicago Bulls | 40 | 42 | .488 | 18 |
9 | Detroit Pistons | 38 | 44 | .463 | 20 |
10 | Indiana Pacers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 27 |
11 | Kansas City Kings | 31 | 51 | .378 | 27 |
- z – clinched division title
- y – clinched division title
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1977–78 NBA Records | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | — |
Playoffs
West First Round
The Nuggets had a first round bye.
West Conference Semifinals
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks: Nuggets win series 4-3
- Game 1 @ Denver: Denver 119, Milwaukee 103
- Game 2 @ Denver: Denver 127, Milwaukee 111
- Game 3 @ Milwaukee: Milwaukee 143, Denver 112
- Game 4 @ Milwaukee: Denver 118, Milwaukee 114
- Game 5 @ Denver: Milwaukee 117, Denver 112
- Game 6 @ Milwaukee: Milwaukee 119, Denver 91
- Game 7 @ Denver: Denver 116, Milwaukee 110
West Conference Finals
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (4) Seattle SuperSonics: Sonics win series 4-2
- Game 1 @ Denver: Denver 116, Seattle 107
- Game 2 @ Denver: Seattle 121, Denver 111
- Game 3 @ Seattle: Seattle 105, Denver 91
- Game 4 @ Seattle: Seattle 100, Denver 94
- Game 5 @ Denver: Denver 123, Seattle 114
- Game 6 @ Seattle: Seattle 123, Denver 108