# 1977 NBA playoffs

The 1977 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1976–77 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. It was Portland's first (and so far, only) NBA title. Bill Walton was named NBA Finals MVP.
Portland won the NBA title in its first playoff appearance, something that had not taken place since the early days of the BAA (and has not since, as of 2022). The Trail Blazers went 10-0 at home in the playoffs.
This was the first NBA playoffs after the ABA-NBA merger; two of the former ABA teams (the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets) made their playoff debuts in their first NBA season. The New Jersey Nets made their playoff debut in 1979, and the Indiana Pacers in 1981.
The NBA Playoffs added 1 more team from each conference, for a total of 12 contestants, up from 10 the previous year. Also, the two division winners in each conference were automatically given a first-round bye and started the playoffs in the conference semifinals.
This was the Detroit Pistons last playoff appearance of the decade and their last as a Western Conference team, as they would move to the East in 1978. They would not reach the postseason again until 1984.
After losing in the semifinals to Los Angeles, the Golden State Warriors wouldn't return to the playoffs again until 1987.
For the first time since 1956, the Eastern Conference Finals had neither the Celtics nor Knicks participating.
The referees went on strike during these playoffs. Two high-profile veterans, Richie Powers and Earl Strom, did not honor the strike and stayed on the job.
It was the first time since 1950 that the NBA Champion had to win 4 rounds.

## 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 | Philadelphia* | 4 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Boston | 2 | E4 | Boston | 3 | | | | | | |
| E5 | San Antonio | 0 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Philadelphia* | 4 | | | |
| | | | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E2 | Houston* | 2 | | | |
| | | | E3 | Washington | 2 | | | | | | |
| E3 | Washington | 2 | E2 | Houston* | 4 | | | | | | |
| E6 | Cleveland | 1 | | | | | | | E1 | Philadelphia* | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | W3 | Portland | 4 |
| | | | W1 | Los Angeles* | 4 | | | | | | |
| W4 | Golden State | 2 | W4 | Golden State | 3 | | | | | | |
| W5 | Detroit | 1 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Los Angeles* | 0 | | | |
| | | | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W3 | Portland | 4 | | | |
| | | | W3 | Portland | 4 | | | | | | |
| W3 | Portland | 2 | W2 | Denver* | 2 | | | | | | |
| W6 | Chicago | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (3) Washington Bullets vs. (6) Cleveland Cavaliers

* April 13
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Washington Bullets 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–23, 19–30, 20–31, 41–25 |||
| Pts: Foots Walker 20 Rebs: Jim Brewer 12 Asts: Gary Brokaw 5 | Pts: Phil Chenier 38 Rebs: Wes Unseld 16 Asts: Tom Henderson 11 |
| Washington leads series, 1–0 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 11,240
* April 15
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 83, Cleveland Cavaliers 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 14–21, 23–18, 23–27, 23–25 |||
| Pts: Phil Chenier 24 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 23 Asts: Wes Unseld 5 | Pts: Campy Russell 22 Rebs: Jim Chones 12 Asts: Foots Walker 6 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio Attendance: 19,545
* Nate Thurmond played for one minute and recorded a rebound off the bench in what was his final NBA game.
* April 17
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 98, Washington Bullets 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 26–27, 30–30, 21–18 |||
| Pts: Elmore Smith 20 Rebs: Jim Brewer 13 Asts: Foots Walker 11 | Pts: Tom Henderson 31 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 15 Asts: Tom Henderson 6 |
| Washington wins series, 2–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 10,488
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the previous meeting.
Cleveland leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1976
Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Washington Bullets 3
1976 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) San Antonio Spurs

* April 12
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 94, Boston Celtics 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 17–23, 26–24, 25–31 |||
| Pts: Kenon, Gervin 20 each Rebs: Billy Paultz 10 Asts: Louie Dampier 5 | Pts: Jo Jo White 24 Rebs: Dave Cowens 13 Asts: Dave Cowens 7 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 13,505
* April 15
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 113, San Antonio Spurs 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 33–26, 32–31, 23–28 |||
| Pts: Jo Jo White 38 Rebs: Sidney Wicks 12 Asts: Cowens, Havlicek 9 each | Pts: George Gervin 30 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: Mike Gale 7 |
| Boston wins series, 2–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 12,067
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

### Western Conference first round
#### (3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Chicago Bulls

* April 12
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 83, Portland Trail Blazers 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–29, 23–23, 26–21, 15–23 |||
| Pts: Mickey Johnson 19 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 14 Asts: Norm Van Lier 8 | Pts: Maurice Lucas 29 Rebs: Bill Walton 9 Asts: Bill Walton 6 |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,774
* April 15
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 104, Chicago Bulls 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 22–26, 31–29, 27–28 |||
| Pts: Bill Walton 24 Rebs: Bill Walton 17 Asts: Bob Gross 7 | Pts: Mickey Johnson 29 Rebs: Mickey Johnson 15 Asts: Norm Van Lier 11 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 20,000
* April 17
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 98, Portland Trail Blazers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 25–30, 29–23, 23–26 |||
| Pts: Mickey Johnson 34 Rebs: Johnson, Gilmore 14 each Asts: Norm Van Lier 10 | Pts: Bob Gross 26 Rebs: Bill Walton 11 Asts: Lionel Hollins 9 |
| Portland wins series, 2–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,520
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

#### (4) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Detroit Pistons

* April 12
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 95, Golden State Warriors 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 26–31, 23–18, 22–12 |||
| Pts: Bob Lanier 28 Rebs: Bob Lanier 17 Asts: Kevin Porter 6 | Pts: Rick Barry 31 Rebs: Clifford Ray 16 Asts: Rick Barry 6 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 12,459
* April 14
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 138, Detroit Pistons 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–33, 29–26, 36–25, 39–24 |||
| Pts: Phil Smith 35 Rebs: Parish, Ray 12 each Asts: Charles Dudley 14 | Pts: Eric Money 31 Rebs: Bob Lanier 18 Asts: Eric Money 7 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan Attendance: 11,220
* This would be the last NBA playoff game in the city of Detroit until 2019.
* April 17
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 101, Golden State Warriors 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–25, 23–29, 18–28, 25–27 |||
| Pts: Bob Lanier 33 Rebs: Bob Lanier 15 Asts: Money, Porter 8 each | Pts: Rick Barry 35 Rebs: Robert Parish 18 Asts: Barry, Dudley 7 each |
| Golden State wins series, 2–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 13,155
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning both previous encounters. The April 17 game saw a fistfight between Eric Money of the Pistons and Charles Dudley of the Warriors in the third quarter that turned into a ten-minute melee between coaches and fans. The referees (filling in as replacements due to a strike between NBA referees) assessed personal fouls on Money and Dudley and continued play.
Golden State leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1956
Fort Wayne Pistons 1, Philadelphia Warriors 4
1956 NBA Finals
1976
Detroit Pistons 2, Golden State Warriors 4
1976 Western Conference Semifinals :

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (4) Boston Celtics

* April 17
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 113, Philadelphia 76ers 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 37–36, 27–27, 27–17 |||
| Pts: Charlie Scott 22 Rebs: Dave Cowens 15 Asts: Charlie Scott 8 | Pts: Julius Erving 36 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 11 Asts: Collins, Erving 5 each |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 13,821
* Jo Jo White's buzzer-beater.
* April 20
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 101, Philadelphia 76ers 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–34, 23–23, 30–27, 26–29 |||
| Pts: John Havlicek 31 Rebs: Dave Cowens 15 Asts: Jo Jo White 7 | Pts: Julius Erving 30 Rebs: George McGinnis 13 Asts: Doug Collins 7 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276
* April 22
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 109, Boston Celtics 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–25, 22–20, 24–28, 29–27 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 27 Rebs: McGinnis, Jones 15 each Asts: George McGinnis 5 | Pts: John Havlicek 25 Rebs: Wicks, Cowens 8 each Asts: Jo Jo White 7 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,040
* April 24
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 119, Boston Celtics 124 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–37, 21–28, 29–29, 39–30 |||
| Pts: Doug Collins 36 Rebs: George McGinnis 9 Asts: Doug Collins 5 | Pts: Dave Cowens 37 Rebs: Dave Cowens 21 Asts: John Havlicek 15 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,040
* April 27
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 91, Philadelphia 76ers 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 24–32, 26–24, 21–24 |||
| Pts: Charlie Scott 20 Rebs: Curtis Rowe 16 Asts: Jo Jo White 7 | Pts: Doug Collins 23 Rebs: McGinnis, Jones 11 each Asts: Doug Collins 6 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276
* April 29
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 108, Boston Celtics 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 25–30, 35–30, 25–26 |||
| Pts: Doug Collins 32 Rebs: George McGinnis 14 Asts: George McGinnis 5 | Pts: Jo Jo White 40 Rebs: Dave Cowens 19 Asts: John Havlicek 6 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 15,040
* May 1
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 77, Philadelphia 76ers 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 26–26, 18–21, 14–12 |||
| Pts: Jo Jo White 17 Rebs: Dave Cowens 27 Asts: Charlie Scott 6 | Pts: World B. Free 27 Rebs: George McGinnis 12 Asts: McGinnis, Mix 4 each |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–3 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276
This was the 14th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning eight of the first 13 meetings.
Boston leads 8–5 in all-time playoff series :
1953
Boston Celtics 2, Syracuse Nationals 0
1953 Eastern Division Semifinals
1954
Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2
1954 Eastern Division Round Robin semifinals
1954
Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2
1954 Eastern Division Finals
1955
Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 3
1955 Eastern Division Finals
1956
Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 2
1956 Eastern Division Semifinals
1957
Boston Celtics 3, Syracuse Nationals 0
1957 Eastern Division Finals
1959
Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 3
1959 Eastern Division Finals
1961
Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 1
1961 Eastern Division Finals
1965
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1965 Eastern Division Finals
1966
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1966 Eastern Division Finals
1967
Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1967 Eastern Division Finals
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1968 Eastern Division Finals
1969
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1969 Eastern Division Semifinals :

#### (2) Houston Rockets vs. (3) Washington Bullets

* April 19
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 111, Houston Rockets 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 13–26, 33–20, 37–31, 28–24 |||
| Pts: Mitch Kupchak 32 Rebs: Mitch Kupchak 16 Asts: Tom Henderson 8 | Pts: Mike Newlin 24 Rebs: Moses Malone 10 Asts: John Lucas 7 |
| Washington leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,458
* April 21
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 118, Houston Rockets 124 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 28–26, 26–32, 29–26, Overtime: 10–16 |||
| Pts: Phil Chenier 37 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 15 Asts: Tom Henderson 8 | Pts: Moses Malone 31 Rebs: Moses Malone 26 Asts: Mike Newlin 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,676
* April 24
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 90, Washington Bullets 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 26–21, 24–24, 16–22 |||
| Pts: Malone, Lucas 18 each Rebs: Moses Malone 15 Asts: John Lucas 8 | Pts: Mitch Kupchak 23 Rebs: Hayes, Unseld 12 each Asts: Tom Henderson 6 |
| Washington leads series, 2–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 16,842
* April 26
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 107, Washington Bullets 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 31–31, 27–26, 24–22 |||
| Pts: Rudy Tomjanovich 28 Rebs: Moses Malone 13 Asts: Mike Newlin 7 | Pts: Phil Chenier 29 Rebs: Wes Unseld 15 Asts: Tom Henderson 12 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 19,035
* April 29
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 115, Houston Rockets 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 31–24, 26–40, 34–31 |||
| Pts: Elvin Hayes 30 Rebs: Elvin Hayes 13 Asts: Wes Unseld 6 | Pts: Calvin Murphy 40 Rebs: Moses Malone 22 Asts: Mike Newlin 6 |
| Houston leads series, 3–2 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,676
* May 1
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 108, Washington Bullets 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–35, 22–23, 26–19, 32–26 |||
| Pts: Rudy Tomjanovich 26 Rebs: Moses Malone 14 Asts: Calvin Murphy 9 | Pts: Phil Chenier 21 Rebs: Wes Unseld 16 Asts: Tom Henderson 7 |
| Houston wins series, 4–2 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 12,393
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Golden State Warriors

* April 20
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 106, Los Angeles Lakers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 26–26, 30–33, 24–28 |||
| Pts: Rick Barry 40 Rebs: Clifford Ray 13 Asts: Charles Dudley 8 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 16 Asts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 7 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 15,928
* April 22
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 86, Los Angeles Lakers 95 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 11–14, 28–21, 28–32 |||
| Pts: Wilkes, Parish 16 each Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Rick Barry 6 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 40 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 19 Asts: Cazzie Russell 7 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* April 24
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 105, Golden State Warriors 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–17, 22–31, 27–28, 27–33 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 Rebs: Abdul-Jabbar, Ford 14 each Asts: Abdul-Jabbar, Chaney 7 each | Pts: Rick Barry 40 Rebs: Clifford Ray 15 Asts: Charles Dudley 7 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 2–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 13,155
* April 26
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Golden State Warriors 114 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 14–23, 33–38, 33–26 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 41 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 18 Asts: Tom Abernethy 5 | Pts: Jamaal Wilkes 27 Rebs: Clifford Ray 15 Asts: Charles Dudley 10 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 13,155
* April 29
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 105, Los Angeles Lakers 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–35, 34–29, 27–27, 20–21 |||
| Pts: Rick Barry 28 Rebs: Wilkes, Parish 13 each Asts: Charles Dudley 6 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 45 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 18 Asts: Don Chaney 6 |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* May 1
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 106, Golden State Warriors 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–34, 30–28, 28–26, 26–27 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 43 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 20 Asts: Lucius Allen 7 | Pts: Rick Barry 27 Rebs: Clifford Ray 11 Asts: Charles Dudley 10 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 13,155
* May 4
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 84, Los Angeles Lakers 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–18, 17–30, 20–21, 18–28 |||
| Pts: Jamaal Wilkes 24 Rebs: Clifford Ray 14 Asts: Phil Smith 6 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 36 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 Asts: Bo Lamar 6 |
| Los Angeles wins series, 4–3 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning three of the first four meetings.
Los Angeles leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series :
1967
Los Angeles Lakers 0, San Francisco Warriors 3
1967 Western Division Semifinals
1968
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Francisco Warriors 0
1968 Western Division Finals
1969
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Francisco Warriors 2
1969 Western Division Semifinals
1973
Golden State Warriors 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1973 Western Conference Finals :

#### (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

* April 20
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 101, Denver Nuggets 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 27–20, 27–26, 24–29 |||
| Pts: Maurice Lucas 23 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 13 Asts: Bill Walton 6 | Pts: Dan Issel 28 Rebs: Paul Silas 11 Asts: Ted McClain 5 |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,995
* April 22
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 110, Denver Nuggets 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 21–28, 30–33, 29–36 |||
| Pts: Maurice Lucas 29 Rebs: Bill Walton 16 Asts: Bill Walton 10 | Pts: Dan Issel 36 Rebs: Paul Silas 9 Asts: Jones, McClain 7 each |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,975
* April 24
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 106, Portland Trail Blazers 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 23–26, 32–27, 26–29 |||
| Pts: David Thompson 40 Rebs: Jones, Issel 9 each Asts: Bobby Jones 5 | Pts: Bill Walton 26 Rebs: Bill Walton 13 Asts: Walton, Twardzik 5 each |
| Portland leads series, 2–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,736
* April 26
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 96, Portland Trail Blazers 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 22–22, 30–24, 20–27 |||
| Pts: Mack Calvin 28 Rebs: Jones, Silas 8 each Asts: Paul Silas 4 | Pts: Bob Gross 25 Rebs: Bill Walton 11 Asts: Bob Gross 6 |
| Portland leads series, 3–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,930
* May 1
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 105, Denver Nuggets 114 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–27, 28–27, 29–29, 24–18, Overtime: 4–13 |||
| Pts: Lionel Hollins 19 Rebs: Walton, Gross 14 each Asts: Hollins, Gross 7 each | Pts: David Thompson 31 Rebs: Dan Issel 18 Asts: Jim Price 11 |
| Portland leads series, 3–2 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,517
* May 2
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 92, Portland Trail Blazers 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–33, 29–29, 19–26, 28–20 |||
| Pts: David Thompson 17 Rebs: Marvin Webster 16 Asts: Ted McClain 7 | Pts: Johnny Davis 25 Rebs: Bill Walton 12 Asts: Bill Walton 9 |
| Portland wins series, 4–2 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,924
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Houston Rockets

* May 5
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 117, Philadelphia 76ers 128 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–35, 27–29, 26–36, 34–28 |||
| Pts: Moses Malone 32 Rebs: Moses Malone 12 Asts: Calvin Murphy 13 | Pts: Julius Erving 24 Rebs: George McGinnis 13 Asts: Doug Collins 8 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 17,507
* May 8
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 97, Philadelphia 76ers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 21–28, 32–23, 20–26 |||
| Pts: Calvin Murphy 32 Rebs: Moses Malone 18 Asts: Mike Newlin 11 | Pts: George McGinnis 21 Rebs: George McGinnis 8 Asts: Julius Erving 10 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 14,855
* May 11
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 94, Houston Rockets 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–33, 21–26, 32–29, 21–30 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 28 Rebs: George McGinnis 9 Asts: Doug Collins 7 | Pts: Moses Malone 30 Rebs: Moses Malone 25 Asts: John Lucas 9 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,676
* May 13
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 107, Houston Rockets 95 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 27–25, 27–23, 31–21 |||
| Pts: Doug Collins 36 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 11 Asts: George McGinnis 9 | Pts: Rudy Tomjanovich 24 Rebs: Kevin Kunnert 17 Asts: John Lucas 14 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,676
* May 15
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 118, Philadelphia 76ers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–33, 28–30, 26–27, 33–25 |||
| Pts: Tomjanovich, Lucas 21 each Rebs: Moses Malone 19 Asts: Calvin Murphy 10 | Pts: Julius Erving 37 Rebs: George McGinnis 14 Asts: Henry Bibby 8 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276
* May 17
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 112, Houston Rockets 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–34, 27–24, 35–29, 21–22 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 34 Rebs: Julius Erving 9 Asts: Julius Erving 6 | Pts: John Lucas 24 Rebs: Moses Malone 16 Asts: Tomjanovich, Murphy 5 each |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–2 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 15,676
* Controversial charging foul on John Lucas wipes out game-tying field goal with 5 seconds left.
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

* May 6
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 121, Los Angeles Lakers 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–22, 28–21, 27–31, 33–35 |||
| Pts: Maurice Lucas 28 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 15 Asts: three players 6 each | Pts: Earl Tatum 32 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Asts: Abdul-Jabbar, Warner 5 each |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 16,975
* May 8
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 99, Los Angeles Lakers 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 28–26, 16–26, 29–20 |||
| Pts: Lionel Hollins 31 Rebs: Bill Walton 17 Asts: Lionel Hollins 9 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 40 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 17 Asts: three players 6 each |
| Portland leads series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 15,192
* May 10
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 97, Portland Trail Blazers 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–36, 24–18, 22–19, 22–29 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 21 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 20 Asts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 7 | Pts: Walton, Lucas 22 each Rebs: Bill Walton 15 Asts: Bill Walton 9 |
| Portland leads series, 3–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,926
* Bill Walton's famous dunk on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
* May 13
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 101, Portland Trail Blazers 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 19–18, 29–30, 28–26 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 17 Asts: Lucius Allen 6 | Pts: Maurice Lucas 26 Rebs: Bill Walton 14 Asts: Walton, Gross 6 each |
| Portland wins series, 4–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,904
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

## NBA Finals: (E1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (W3) Portland Trail Blazers

* May 22
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 101, Philadelphia 76ers 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 28–28, 25–31, 23–21 |||
| Pts: Bill Walton 28 Rebs: Bill Walton 20 Asts: Hollins, Davis 6 each | Pts: Julius Erving 33 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 11 Asts: Doug Collins 6 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276 Referees: Earl Strom, John Vanak
* May 26
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 89, Philadelphia 76ers 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 17–30, 21–20, 25–26 |||
| Pts: Bill Walton 17 Rebs: Bill Walton 16 Asts: Bob Gross 4 | Pts: Doug Collins 27 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 14 Asts: Henry Bibby 11 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276 Referees: Joe Gushue, Richie Powers
* Notable for a brawl between the Blazers' Maurice Lucas and the 76ers' Darryl Dawkins.
* May 29
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 107, Portland Trail Blazers 129 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 32–26, 29–27, 25–42 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 28 Rebs: George McGinnis 12 Asts: Julius Erving 5 | Pts: Maurice Lucas 27 Rebs: Bill Walton 18 Asts: Bill Walton 9 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,923 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Darell Garretson
* Bill Walton's two famous plays of tipping the ball against Darryl Dawkins off an alley-oop from Bob Gross, then dunking the ball off of Dave Twardzik's steal and alley-oop pass.
* May 31
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 98, Portland Trail Blazers 130 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–29, 30–28, 21–41, 31–32 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 24 Rebs: Darryl Dawkins 11 Asts: Steve Mix 4 | Pts: Lionel Hollins 25 Rebs: Bill Walton 13 Asts: Bill Walton 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,913 Referees: Manny Sokol, Don Murphy
* June 3
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 110, Philadelphia 76ers 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–15, 23–26, 40–25, 25–38 |||
| Pts: Bob Gross 25 Rebs: Bill Walton 24 Asts: Johnny Davis 8 | Pts: Julius Erving 37 Rebs: Caldwell Jones 13 Asts: Julius Erving 7 |
| Portland leads series, 3–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,276 Referees: Earl Strom, Darell Garretson
* June 5
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 107, Portland Trail Blazers 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 28–40, 27–24, 25–18 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 40 Rebs: George McGinnis 16 Asts: Julius Erving 8 | Pts: Hollins, Walton 20 each Rebs: Bill Walton 23 Asts: Bill Walton 7 |
| Portland wins series, 4–2 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,951 Referees: Richie Powers, Jake O'Donnell
* Portland becomes the second team in finals history, after the 1969 Celtics, to overcome a 2–0 series deficit.
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.