# 1976–77 New Orleans Jazz season

The 1976–77 New Orleans Jazz season was the team's third in the NBA. They began the season hoping to improve upon their 38–44 output from the previous season. They came up three wins shy of tying it, finishing 35–47, and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Central Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Houston Rockets | 49 | 33 | .598 | – | 34–7 | 15–26 | 13–7 |
| x-Washington Bullets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 1 | 32–9 | 16–25 | 11–9 |
| x-San Antonio Spurs | 44 | 38 | .537 | 5 | 31–10 | 13–28 | 9–11 |
| x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 6 | 29–12 | 14–27 | 8–12 |
| New Orleans Jazz | 35 | 47 | .427 | 14 | 26–15 | 9–32 | 10–10 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 18 | 19–22 | 12–29 | 9–11 |
| # | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Philadelphia 76ers | 50 | 32 | .610 | – |
| 2 | y-Houston Rockets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Washington Bullets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2 |
| 4 | x-Boston Celtics | 44 | 38 | .537 | 6 |
| 5 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 44 | 38 | .537 | 6 |
| 6 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 7 |
| 7 | New York Knicks | 40 | 42 | .488 | 10 |
| 8 | New Orleans Jazz | 35 | 47 | .427 | 15 |
| 9 | Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 19 |
| 10 | Buffalo Braves | 30 | 52 | .366 | 20 |
| 11 | New York Nets | 22 | 60 | .268 | 28 |
    z – clinched division title
    y – clinched division title
    x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1976–77 NBA records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CLE | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NOJ | NYK | NYN | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SEA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 0–4 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 |
| Boston | 4–0 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 0–4 |
| Buffalo | 0–4 | 1–3 | – | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–4 |
| Chicago | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | – | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 |
| Cleveland | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 |
| Denver | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 |
| Detroit | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Golden State | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | – | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
| Houston | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | – | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 |
| Indiana | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 |
| Kansas City | 2–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | – | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 |
| Los Angeles | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | – | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 |
| Milwaukee | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | – | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| New Orleans | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 |
| N.Y. Knicks | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–2 |
| N.Y. Nets | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | – | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Philadelphia | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | – | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 |
| Phoenix | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | – | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 |
| Portland | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | – | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 |
| San Antonio | 0–4 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 |
| Seattle | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | – | 3–1 |
| Washington | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | — |

## Awards and records

* Pete Maravich, All-NBA First Team
* E. C. Coleman, NBA All-Defensive First Team