# 1977–78 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1977–78 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the eighth season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

## Roster
### Season standings

| Central Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 32–9 | 20–21 | 15–5 |
| x-Washington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 8 | 29–12 | 15–26 | 14–6 |
| x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 9 | 27–14 | 16–25 | 9–11 |
| x-Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 11 | 29–12 | 12–29 | 8–12 |
| New Orleans Jazz | 39 | 43 | .476 | 13 | 27–14 | 12–29 | 8–12 |
| Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 24 | 21-20 | 7-34 | 6–14 |
| # | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Philadelphia 76ers | 55 | 27 | .671 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | 3 |
| 3 | x-Washington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 11 |
| 4 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 |
| 5 | x-New York Knicks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 |
| 6 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 14 |
| 7 | New Orleans Jazz | 39 | 43 | .476 | 16 |
| 8 | Boston Celtics | 32 | 50 | .390 | 23 |
| 9 | Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 27 |
| 10 | Buffalo Braves | 27 | 55 | .329 | 28 |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 31 |
Notes
* z, y – division champions
* 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 | — |

## Game log

1977–78 game log Total: 43–39 (Home: 27–14; Road: 16–25) :
October: 3–3 (home: 1–2; road: 2–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
3October 22, 1977@ Atlanta
L 101–107
The Omni 7,894
1–2 :
November: 10–2 (home: 5–0; road: 5–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
December: 5–10 (home: 5–4; road: 0–6)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
24December 10, 1977Atlanta
W 102–87
Coliseum at Richfield 6,766
14–10 :
January: 4–9 (home: 3–3; road: 1–6)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
42January 22, 1978Atlanta
W 93–89
Coliseum at Richfield 10,585
21–21 :
February: 8–7 (home: 5–2; road: 3–5)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
March: 8–8 (home: 5–3; road: 3–5)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord :
April: 5–0 (home: 3–0; road: 2–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
81April 7, 1978@ Atlanta
W 111–109
The Omni 9,631
42–39 :
1977–78 schedule :

## Playoffs

1978 playoff game log :
First Round: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 12
New York
L 114–132
Campy Russell (23)
Elmore Smith (12)
Foots Walker (6)
Richfield Coliseum 19,739
0–1
2
April 14
@ New York
L 107–109
Campy Russell (32)
Campy Russell (8)
Campy Russell (6)
Madison Square Garden 18,965
0–2 :
1978 schedule :