# 1979 NBA playoffs

The 1979 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1978–79 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. The Sonics earned their only NBA title. Dennis Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP.
The Finals was a rematch of 1978, in which Washington defeated Seattle 4–3. As of the 2021–22 season, this remains the last time the Bullets (now the Wizards) have advanced as far as the Conference Finals. They have the longest conference finals drought of any team in the four major professional sports in North America.
The Spurs made their first visit to the Conference Finals in these playoffs.
This was the first time that three of the former ABA teams made the playoffs, as it was the NBA playoff debut of the New Jersey Nets.
This was the first time both conference finals went to a deciding Game 7 since 1963 and the last until 2018.

## Bracket

| First Round | First Round | First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals |
| | | | E1 | Washington* | 4 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Houston | 0 | E5 | Atlanta | 3 | | | | | | |
| E5 | Atlanta | 2 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Washington* | 4 | | | |
| | | | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E2 | San Antonio* | 3 | | | |
| | | | E3 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | |
| E3 | Philadelphia | 2 | E2 | San Antonio* | 4 | | | | | | |
| E6 | New Jersey | 0 | | | | | | | E1 | Washington* | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | W1 | Seattle* | 4 |
| | | | W1 | Seattle* | 4 | | | | | | |
| W4 | Denver | 1 | W5 | Los Angeles | 1 | | | | | | |
| W5 | Los Angeles | 2 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Seattle* | 4 | | | |
| | | | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W3 | Phoenix | 3 | | | |
| | | | W3 | Phoenix | 4 | | | | | | |
| W3 | Phoenix | 2 | W2 | Kansas City* | 1 | | | | | | |
| W6 | Portland | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) New Jersey Nets

* April 11
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 114, Philadelphia 76ers 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 23–22, 28–30, 41–37 |||
| Pts: John Williamson 38 Rebs: George Johnson 12 Asts: Eddie Jordan 9 | Pts: Julius Erving 28 Rebs: Julius Erving 14 Asts: Henry Bibby 7 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 8,846 Referees: Joe Gushue, Earl Strom, Jess Kersey
* April 13
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 111, New Jersey Nets 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 29–20, 27–23, 33–33 |||
| Pts: Caldwell Jones 24 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 21 Asts: three players 5 each | Pts: Bernard King 27 Rebs: van Breda Kolff, Johnson 13 each Asts: Eddie Jordan 8 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 2–0 |||
* Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway, New Jersey Attendance: 9,126 Referees: John Vanak, Ed Rush, Paul Mihalak
Game two was the only NBA playoff game at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

#### (4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

* April 11
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 109, Houston Rockets 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 23–26, 39–28, 20–21 |||
| Pts: Dan Roundfield 23 Rebs: Dan Roundfield 18 Asts: Hawes, Criss 4 each | Pts: Moses Malone 28 Rebs: Moses Malone 17 Asts: Slick Watts 7 |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 14,405
* April 13
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 91, Atlanta Hawks 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 31–21, 20–26, 13–22 |||
| Pts: Moses Malone 21 Rebs: Moses Malone 24 Asts: Calvin Murphy 4 | Pts: Drew, Johnson 25 each Rebs: John Drew 13 Asts: Eddie Johnson 8 |
| Atlanta wins series, 2–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 15,798
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the only previous meeting.
Atlanta/ St. Louis leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1969
St. Louis Hawks 4, San Diego Rockets 2
1969 Western Division Semifinals :

### Western Conference first round
#### (3) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

* April 10
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 103, Phoenix Suns 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–23, 26–25, 27–31, 30–28 |||
| Pts: Ron Brewer 26 Rebs: Thompson, Lucas 10 each Asts: Lucas, Brewer 5 each | Pts: Paul Westphal 28 Rebs: Adams, Davis 5 each Asts: Alvan Adams 9 |
| Phoenix leads series, 1–0 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,660
* April 13
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 92, Portland Trail Blazers 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 26–27, 26–21, 16–23 |||
| Pts: Walter Davis 31 Rebs: Gar Heard 9 Asts: Paul Westphal 6 | Pts: Ron Brewer 21 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 17 Asts: Maurice Lucas 4 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Jack Madden, Lee Jones, Wally Rooney
* April 15
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 91, Phoenix Suns 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 28–23, 26–21, 15–33 |||
| Pts: three players 16 each Rebs: Maurice Lucas 16 Asts: Maurice Lucas 9 | Pts: Paul Westphal 26 Rebs: Gar Heard 12 Asts: Walter Davis 8 |
| Phoenix wins series, 2–1 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,660
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

#### (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Lakers

* April 10
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 105, Denver Nuggets 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 26–31, 28–31, 25–19 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 12 Asts: Norm Nixon 11 | Pts: Dan Issel 30 Rebs: Dan Issel 10 Asts: Bob Wilkerson 7 |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 16,011
* April 13
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 109, Los Angeles Lakers 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 25–20, 28–32, 34–40 |||
| Pts: David Thompson 29 Rebs: Tom Boswell 12 Asts: Tom Boswell 7 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Rebs: Jamaal Wilkes 13 Asts: Norm Nixon 16 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 14,182
* April 15
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 112, Denver Nuggets 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–28, 27–26, 27–32, 27–25 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 29 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 16 Asts: Norm Nixon 12 | Pts: David Thompson 28 Rebs: Dan Issel 10 Asts: David Thompson 7 |
| Los Angeles wins series, 2–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 16,181
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Washington Bullets vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

* April 15
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 89, Washington Bullets 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 22–16, 30–25, 13–32 |||
| Pts: Dan Roundfield 24 Rebs: Dan Roundfield 10 Asts: Armond Hill 7 | Pts: Elvin Hayes 31 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 15 Asts: Larry Wright 6 |
| Washington leads series, 1–0 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 15,721
* April 17
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 107, Washington Bullets 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 27–26, 26–28, 30–21 |||
| Pts: Roundfield, Johnson 17 each Rebs: Tree Rollins 8 Asts: Armond Hill 6 | Pts: Bob Dandridge 36 Rebs: Wes Unseld 10 Asts: Tom Henderson 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035
* April 20
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 89, Atlanta Hawks 77 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–17, 26–22, 19–22, 28–16 |||
| Pts: Elvin Hayes 19 Rebs: Wes Unseld 16 Asts: Wes Unseld 8 | Pts: John Drew 13 Rebs: Roundfield, Rollins 14 each Asts: Armond Hill 5 |
| Washington leads series, 2–1 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 15,798
* April 22
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 120, Atlanta Hawks 118 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 22–28, 27–23, 31–28, Overtime: 11–9 |||
| Pts: Elvin Hayes 29 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 17 Asts: Bob Dandridge 5 | Pts: Dan Roundfield 22 Rebs: Dan Roundfield 18 Asts: Dan Roundfield 7 |
| Washington leads series, 3–1 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 15,798 Referees: John Vanak, Joe Gushue, Bob Rakel
* April 24
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 107, Washington Bullets 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–34, 29–21, 25–25, 26–23 |||
| Pts: Terry Furlow 21 Rebs: Dan Roundfield 14 Asts: Armond Hill 5 | Pts: Elvin Hayes 26 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 14 Asts: Tom Henderson 11 |
| Washington leads series, 3–2 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035
* April 26
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 86, Atlanta Hawks 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 19–19, 24–30, 20–26 |||
| Pts: Elvin Hayes 24 Rebs: Wes Unseld 12 Asts: Wes Unseld 6 | Pts: Drew, Johnson 22 each Rebs: Steve Hawes 14 Asts: Armond Hill 9 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 15,978
* April 29
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 94, Washington Bullets 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 24–26, 19–23, 25–25 |||
| Pts: John Drew 24 Rebs: John Drew 8 Asts: Eddie Johnson 6 | Pts: Elvin Hayes 39 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 15 Asts: Bob Dandridge 8 |
| Washington wins series, 4–3 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Gushue, Hugh Evans
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Wizards/Bullets winning two of the first three meetings.
Washington/Baltimore leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1965
St. Louis Hawks 1, Baltimore Bullets 3
1965 Western Division Semifinals
1966
Baltimore Bullets 0, St. Louis Hawks 3
1966 Western Division Semifinals
1978
Washington Bullets 2, Atlanta Hawks 0
1978 Eastern Conference First Round :

#### (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

* April 15
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 106, San Antonio Spurs 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 23–32, 25–25, 36–31 |||
| Pts: Darryl Dawkins 25 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 15 Asts: Julius Erving 7 | Pts: Larry Kenon 30 Rebs: Billy Paultz 9 Asts: Silas, Bristow 7 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 10,253
* April 17
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 120, San Antonio Spurs 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–28, 23–35, 34–28, 30–30 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 25 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 11 Asts: Henry Bibby 10 | Pts: George Gervin 29 Rebs: Larry Kenon 7 Asts: Silas, Gale 8 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 16,709
* April 20
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 115, Philadelphia 76ers 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–40, 25–23, 31–24, 27–36 |||
| Pts: James Silas 32 Rebs: Larry Kenon 15 Asts: Kenon, Gervin 5 each | Pts: Julius Erving 39 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 12 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 9 |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 14,039
* April 22
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 115, Philadelphia 76ers 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–22, 20–30, 30–28, 33–32 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 32 Rebs: Larry Kenon 9 Asts: Larry Kenon 6 | Pts: Maurice Cheeks 33 Rebs: Steve Mix 9 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 9 |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 11,163 Referees: Ed Middleton, Darell Garretson, Hugh Evans
* April 26
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 120, San Antonio Spurs 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–17, 21–21, 35–26, 35–33 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 32 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 14 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 12 | Pts: James Silas 19 Rebs: Larry Kenon 9 Asts: Silas, Gale 5 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–2 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 16,055
* April 29
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 90, Philadelphia 76ers 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 26–23, 19–13, 18–31 |||
| Pts: James Silas 27 Rebs: Larry Kenon 15 Asts: Mike Gale 6 | Pts: Caldwell Jones 20 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 17 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 6 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276 Referees: John Vanak, Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak
* Maurice Cheeks hits game winning shot with 10 seconds remaining.
* May 2
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 108, San Antonio Spurs 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–29, 27–27, 34–22, 27–33 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 34 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 14 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 13 | Pts: George Gervin 33 Rebs: George Gervin 12 Asts: Mark Olberding 7 |
| San Antonio wins series, 4–3 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 16,055
This was the first meeting between these two teams.

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (5) Los Angeles Lakers

* April 17
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 101, Seattle SuperSonics 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 25–27, 22–32, 25–31 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11 Asts: Norm Nixon 7 | Pts: Gus Williams 27 Rebs: Lonnie Shelton 12 Asts: John Johnson 9 |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 26,377
* April 18
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Seattle SuperSonics 108 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 32–21, 15–28, 27–19, Overtime: 8–13 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 15 Asts: Norm Nixon 10 | Pts: Gus Williams 38 Rebs: Jack Sikma 10 Asts: Jack Sikma 8 |
| Seattle leads series, 2–0 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 26,862
* April 20
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 112, Los Angeles Lakers 118 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 28–32, 28–27, 22–22, Overtime: 5–11 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 29 Rebs: Paul Silas 13 Asts: Paul Silas 4 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Rebs: Jamaal Wilkes 9 Asts: Norm Nixon 11 |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* April 22
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 117, Los Angeles Lakers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 33–29, 34–30, 22–25 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 30 Rebs: D. Johnson, Sikma 11 each Asts: Dennis Johnson 7 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13 Asts: Norm Nixon 19 |
| Seattle leads series, 3–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 15,724
* April 25
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 100, Seattle SuperSonics 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 31–29, 22–29, 19–24 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 14 Asts: Abdul-Jabbar, Nixon 8 each | Pts: Gus Williams 30 Rebs: Jack Sikma 10 Asts: Jack Sikma 6 |
| Seattle wins series, 4–1 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,098
* This would be the last playoff series for Los Angeles without Magic Johnson until 1992.
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first meeting.
Seattle leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1978
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1978 Western Conference First Round :

#### (2) Kansas City Kings vs. (3) Phoenix Suns

* April 17
* Boxscore
Kansas City Kings 99, Phoenix Suns 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 28–18, 15–22, 26–31 |||
| Pts: Otis Birdsong 20 Rebs: Sam Lacey 12 Asts: Phil Ford 7 | Pts: Paul Westphal 25 Rebs: Truck Robinson 12 Asts: Don Buse 5 |
| Phoenix leads series, 1–0 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,660
* April 20
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 91, Kansas City Kings 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–35, 21–26, 28–26, 21–24 |||
| Pts: Truck Robinson 17 Rebs: Truck Robinson 13 Asts: Walter Davis 5 | Pts: Otis Birdsong 23 Rebs: Scott Wedman 10 Asts: Phil Ford 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri Attendance: 13,659
* April 22
* Boxscore
Kansas City Kings 93, Phoenix Suns 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 24–31, 21–32, 24–18 |||
| Pts: Wedman, Birdsong 22 each Rebs: Bill Robinzine 10 Asts: three players 5 each | Pts: Walter Davis 22 Rebs: Alvan Adams 9 Asts: Walter Davis 7 |
| Phoenix leads series, 2–1 |||
* Arizona State University Activity Center, Tempe, Arizona Attendance: 14,301
* April 25
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 108, Kansas City Kings 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 27–20, 26–29, 30–20 |||
| Pts: Paul Westphal 26 Rebs: Gar Heard 14 Asts: Alvan Adams 8 | Pts: Scott Wedman 21 Rebs: Sam Lacey 13 Asts: Lacey, Ford 5 each |
| Phoenix leads series, 3–1 |||
* Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri Attendance: 13,184
* April 27
* Boxscore
Kansas City Kings 99, Phoenix Suns 120 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 25–40, 23–25, 30–25 |||
| Pts: Otis Birdsong 21 Rebs: Sam Lacey 10 Asts: Billy McKinney 7 | Pts: Paul Westphal 32 Rebs: Joel Kramer 11 Asts: Bratz, Kramer 5 each |
| Phoenix wins series, 4–1 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,660 Referees: Joe Gushue, Lee Jones, Jack Madden
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Washington Bullets vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs

* May 4
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 118, Washington Bullets 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 25–25, 31–23, 32–22 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 34 Rebs: Larry Kenon 21 Asts: James Silas 4 | Pts: Bob Dandridge 25 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 20 Asts: Tom Henderson 5 |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035
* May 6
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 95, Washington Bullets 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 26–27, 20–33, 22–33 |||
| Pts: Larry Kenon 25 Rebs: Larry Kenon 8 Asts: Olberding, Dietrick 3 each | Pts: Wes Unseld 26 Rebs: Wes Unseld 22 Asts: Tom Henderson 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035
* May 9
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 114, San Antonio Spurs 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–32, 27–24, 26–33, 30–27 |||
| Pts: Bob Dandridge 28 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 23 Asts: Wes Unseld 8 | Pts: George Gervin 29 Rebs: Billy Paultz 12 Asts: Kenon, Gale 5 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,318
* May 11
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 102, San Antonio Spurs 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 30–26, 23–34, 30–34 |||
| Pts: Elvin Hayes 23 Rebs: Wes Unseld 21 Asts: Bob Dandridge 9 | Pts: George Gervin 42 Rebs: Larry Kenon 17 Asts: Silas, Gale 6 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–1 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 16,055
* May 13
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 103, Washington Bullets 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 18–25, 22–31, 33–23 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 28 Rebs: Mark Olberding 13 Asts: James Silas 6 | Pts: Elvin Hayes 24 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 22 Asts: Tom Henderson 9 |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–2 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035
* May 16
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 108, San Antonio Spurs 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–23, 24–26, 24–29, 30–22 |||
| Pts: Elvin Hayes 25 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 14 Asts: Dandridge, Henderson 8 each | Pts: George Gervin 20 Rebs: Larry Kenon 15 Asts: James Silas 7 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 16,055
* May 18
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 105, Washington Bullets 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–18, 28–32, 33–26, 23–31 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 42 Rebs: Larry Kenon 11 Asts: James Silas 5 | Pts: Bob Dandridge 37 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 15 Asts: Larry Wright 7 |
| Washington wins series, 4–3 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035
* Bob Dandridge hits series-winning shot with 8 seconds remaining; Washington becomes the 3rd team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit.
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bullets winning the first meeting.
Washington leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1978
San Antonio Spurs 2, Washington Bullets 4
1978 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Phoenix Suns

* May 1
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 93, Seattle SuperSonics 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 22–24, 22–29, 27–27 |||
| Pts: Alvan Adams 18 Rebs: Alvan Adams 12 Asts: Adams, Davis 4 each | Pts: Gus Williams 27 Rebs: Jack Sikma 11 Asts: John Johnson 9 |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,098
* May 4
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 97, Seattle SuperSonics 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 21–26, 26–30, 22–26 |||
| Pts: Paul Westphal 29 Rebs: Truck Robinson 9 Asts: Buse, Davis 5 each | Pts: John Johnson 21 Rebs: Lonnie Shelton 15 Asts: Gus Williams 6 |
| Seattle leads series, 2–0 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 31,964
* May 6
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 103, Phoenix Suns 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 31–29, 14–22, 28–31 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 35 Rebs: J. Johnson, Sikma 9 each Asts: Gus Williams 6 | Pts: Paul Westphal 25 Rebs: Walter Davis 10 Asts: Paul Westphal 6 |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,660 Referees: Darell Garretson, Bob Rakel, Dick Bavetta
* May 8
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 91, Phoenix Suns 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 26–27, 27–23, 14–19 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 22 Rebs: Lonnie Shelton 10 Asts: three players 3 each | Pts: Walter Davis 27 Rebs: Gar Heard 12 Asts: Paul Westphal 10 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,660
* May 11
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 99, Seattle SuperSonics 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 19–22, 25–22, 33–25 |||
| Pts: Paul Westphal 27 Rebs: Truck Robinson 14 Asts: Paul Westphal 5 | Pts: Dennis Johnson 24 Rebs: Jack Sikma 12 Asts: John Johnson 5 |
| Phoenix leads series, 3–2 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 28,935
* May 13
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 106, Phoenix Suns 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–33, 28–17, 22–35, 29–20 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 23 Rebs: Jack Sikma 10 Asts: Dennis Johnson 6 | Pts: Paul Westphal 29 Rebs: Joel Kramer 8 Asts: Paul Westphal 8 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 12,660
In a Mother's Day thriller, the game went down to the wire in intense fashion. The Sonics had just come back from a 8-point deficit in the 4th quarter and were leading 106–105 with 52 seconds to go in regulation. In the Suns' possession, Walter Davis appeared to have scored, but committed a traveling violation with 41 seconds left. On the next play, Sonics player Gus Williams' shot came up short. Phoenix grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 16 seconds left, with a chance to clinch their 2nd NBA Finals berth. Walter Davis' high-arc shot also came up short, and the ball went out-of-bounds last touched by a Sonics' player with one second left. The Suns' last chance, Gar Heard's potential game-winning shot, was an airball, meaning the SuperSonics forced a 7th game in Seattle on Thursday.
* May 17
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 110, Seattle SuperSonics 114 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–28, 24–29, 22–25, 35–32 |||
| Pts: Walter Davis 26 Rebs: Truck Robinson 14 Asts: Paul Westphal 9 | Pts: Jack Sikma 33 Rebs: Jack Sikma 11 Asts: Fred Brown 5 |
| Seattle wins series, 4–3 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 37,552
With the score 112–104 in favor of Seattle with just 20 seconds left, it appeared to be all over, but the Phoenix Suns would not quit easily. After the Suns scored 4 unanswered points, Paul Westphal stole an inbounds pass and drove to the basket for a score, getting fouled by Wally Walker. This made it a 2-point game and sent Westphal to the line with just 4 seconds left. Suns coach John MacLeod called a timeout to decide what to do on the free throw attempt. The Suns elected to intentionally miss and try to score off an offensive rebound, but the rebound went to the Sonics' Jack Sikma, who was intentionally fouled and made both free throws to give the Sonics the Western Conference for the 2nd straight year.
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the previous meeting.
Phoenix leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1976
Phoenix Suns 4, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1976 Western Conference Semifinals :

## NBA Finals: (E1) Washington Bullets vs. (W1) Seattle SuperSonics

* May 20
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 97, Washington Bullets 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 25–33, 21–23, 26–17 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 32 Rebs: John Johnson 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 7 | Pts: Larry Wright 26 Rebs: Wes Unseld 12 Asts: Tom Henderson 6 |
| Washington leads series, 1–0 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: Darell Garretson, Ed T. Rush, Ed Middleton
* Larry Wright makes the game winning free throws with one second remaining.
* May 24
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 92, Washington Bullets 82 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–23, 21–29, 19–14, 24–16 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 23 Rebs: Jack Sikma 13 Asts: D. Johnson, J. Johnson 6 each | Pts: Bob Dandridge 21 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 14 Asts: Bob Dandridge 5 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: John Vanak, Jack Madden, Jim Capers
* May 27
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 95, Seattle SuperSonics 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 19–24, 22–26, 29–24 |||
| Pts: Bob Dandridge 28 Rebs: Unseld, Hayes 14 each Asts: Bob Dandridge 5 | Pts: Gus Williams 31 Rebs: Jack Sikma 17 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 |||
* Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 35,928 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Gushue, Hugh Evans
* May 29
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 112, Seattle SuperSonics 114 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 37–28, 28–32, 23–20, Overtime: 8–10 |||
| Pts: three players 18 Rebs: Wes Unseld 16 Asts: Tom Henderson 8 | Pts: Gus Williams 36 Rebs: Jack Sikma 17 Asts: John Johnson 13 |
| Seattle leads series, 3–1 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,098 Referees: Bob Rakel, Lee Jones, Darell Garretson
* Dennis Johnson blocks Kevin Grevey with 4 seconds left to seal it.
* June 1
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 97, Washington Bullets 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 24–21, 23–18, 31–24 |||
| Pts: Gus Williams 23 Rebs: Jack Sikma 17 Asts: John Johnson 6 | Pts: Elvin Hayes 29 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 14 Asts: Bob Dandridge 7 |
| Seattle wins series, 4–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Gushue, Paul Mihalak
This was the second Finals meeting between these two teams, with the Bullets winning the first meeting.
Washington leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1978
Seattle SuperSonics 3, Washington Bullets 4
1978 NBA Finals :