1978 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | May 21 | Seattle | 106-102 | Washington |
| Game 2 | May 25 | Washington | 106-98 | Seattle |
| Game 3 | May 28 | Washington | 92-93 | Seattle |
| Game 4 | May 30 | Seattle | 116-120 | Washington |
| Game 5 | June 2 | Seattle | 98-94 | Washington |
| Game 6 | June 4 | Washington | 117-82 | Seattle |
| Game 7 | June 7 | Seattle | 99-105 | Washington |
Bullets win series 4-3
Game 1
The Bullets, behind Kevin GreveyKevin Grevey
Kevin Michael Grevey is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'5" swingman, the left-handed Grevey played for the Washington Bullets from 1975-1983 and the Milwaukee Bucks from 1983-1985...
's 27 and Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
'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 32 and give the SuperSonics the win.
Game 2
In an unusual scheduling format, the next two games were played at the Capital CentreCapital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
, the Bullets' home floor. Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
defended inside on Marvin Webster
Marvin Webster
Marvin Nathaniel Webster was an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Human Eraser" and "Marvin the Magnificent", he played one season in the American Basketball Association and nine in the National Basketball Association with the Denver Nuggets , Seattle SuperSonics , New York...
and Jack Sikma
Jack Sikma
Jack Wayne Sikma is a retired American NBA basketball center. He was known for his distinctive curly, blonde hair in his playing days....
, pulled down 15 rebounds, and handed out five assists. This work enabled Bob Dandridge
Bob Dandridge
Robert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
to score 34 points and Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
25 as the Bullets evened the series.
Game 3
Dennis JohnsonDennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
was superb on defense, blocking seven shots and holding Kevin Grevey
Kevin Grevey
Kevin Michael Grevey is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'5" swingman, the left-handed Grevey played for the Washington Bullets from 1975-1983 and the Milwaukee Bucks from 1983-1985...
to 1-for-14 shooting. Paul Silas
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged 20.6 rebounds per game in 1963...
, 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
Tom Henderson
Thomas Edward "Tom" Henderson is an American former professional basketball player.A tough-minded 6'4" guard from the University of Hawaii, Henderson was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 1974 National Basketball Association Draft...
, who scored to make it 93-92 with five seconds left. Silas then stepped on the baseline trying to make the subsequent inbounds pass, turning the ball over to the Bullets. Bob Dandridge
Bob Dandridge
Robert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
missed at the buzzer, however, and the SuperSonics picked up a victory on the road.
Game 4
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
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, started to assert themselves, especially reserves Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson (basketball)
Charles "Charlie" Johnson was an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association...
and Larry Wright
Larry Wright (basketball)
Larry Glenn Wright is a former American professional basketball player and former Grambling State University men's basketball team head coach, his alma mater...
.
At the start of the final period, Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
was elbowed hard in the ribs and left the game for a short time. With Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson (basketball)
Charles "Charlie" Johnson was an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association...
, Wright, Mitch Kupchak
Mitch Kupchak
Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization....
and Bob Dandridge
Bob Dandridge
Robert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
in the lineup, the Bullets stormed back and took a 103-101 lead with about 3½ minutes left in the game. Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
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
Charles Johnson (basketball)
Charles "Charlie" Johnson was an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association...
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.
Game 5
The SuperSonics returned to the Seattle Center Coliseum and eked out a close win. "Downtown" Freddie Brown had 26 points and Dennis JohnsonDennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
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
Jack Sikma
Jack Wayne Sikma is a retired American NBA basketball center. He was known for his distinctive curly, blonde hair in his playing days....
hit three free throws down the stretch.
Game 6
Game 6, in Washington, was all Bullets, 117-82. With the Washington backcourt continuing to struggle, Bullets coach Dick MottaDick Motta
John Richard "Dick" Motta is a former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association spanned 25 years, and he continues to rank among the NBA's all-time top 10 in coaching victories....
inserted Greg Ballard at forward and moved Bob Dandridge
Bob Dandridge
Robert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
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
Mitch Kupchak
Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization....
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
1998 NBA Finals
The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference played against the Utah Jazz of the Western Conference, with the Jazz holding home-court advantage with the first 2 games in Salt Lake City...
Game 3 (96-54, 42 points).
Game 7
Dennis JohnsonDennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, who before the 1977-78 playoffs was a relatively unknown guard from Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
, 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
Marvin Webster
Marvin Nathaniel Webster was an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Human Eraser" and "Marvin the Magnificent", he played one season in the American Basketball Association and nine in the National Basketball Association with the Denver Nuggets , Seattle SuperSonics , New York...
scored 27 points and Jack Sikma
Jack Sikma
Jack Wayne Sikma is a retired American NBA basketball center. He was known for his distinctive curly, blonde hair in his playing days....
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
Mitch Kupchak
Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization....
came up with a three-point play. Fred Brown, who finished with 21 points off the bench, hit a short jumper, then Paul Silas
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged 20.6 rebounds per game in 1963...
got a tip-in to cut it to 101-99. Silas then fouled Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
, 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
Bob Dandridge
Robert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
dunk, 105-99.
Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson (basketball)
Charles "Charlie" Johnson was an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association...
and Dandridge each scored 19 points for the Bullets, while Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
fouled out with 12 points, a development that brought a couple of needling questions from the writers about his past failures in the playoffs. Unseld would be named Finals MVP.
Aftermath
Both teams made it back to the finals the following season1979 NBA Finals
The 1979 NBA World Championship Series at the conclusion of the 1978-79 season were won by the Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1. The series was a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals which the Washington Bullets had won 4-3...
, with the Bullets holding home court advantage. That season the Bullets won 54 games while the Sonics won 52. The Bullets eliminated the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
(4-3) and San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
(4-3) to advance while the Sonics eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(4-1) and the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
(4-3). The Bullets appeared to have momentum with a Game 1 victory at the Capital Centre, but the Sonics took the next four games to win their first NBA championship.