# 1978–79 Philadelphia 76ers season

The 1978–79 NBA season was the 76ers 30th season in the NBA and 16th season in Philadelphia. Coach Billy Cunningham began to mold a unit that played a team concept, as opposed to one made up of stars focusing on their own individual talents. The trade for forward Bobby Jones and the drafting of point guard Maurice Cheeks, further solidified this progression. The Sixers would finish the regular season at 47–35. They would lose in the Eastern Conference semi-finals to the San Antonio Spurs. From 1977 through 1983 (seven seasons), this would be the only year that the team failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 2 | 36 | Maurice Cheeks | PG | United States | West Texas A&M |
| 2 | 43 | Glenn Hagan | G | United States | St. Bonaventure |
| 4 | 87 | Brett Vroman | C | United States | UNLV |
| 5 | 109 | Mark Haymore | PF/C | United States | UMass |
| 6 | 130 | Osborne Lockhart | | United States | Minnesota |
| 7 | 151 | Anthony Murray | | United States | Alabama |
| 8 | 169 | Alan Cunningham | F | United States | Colorado State |
| 10 | 201 | Dennis James | | United States | Widener |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Atlantic Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Washington Bullets | 54 | 28 | .659 | – | 31–10 | 23–18 | 11–5 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 7 | 31–10 | 16–25 | 9–7 |
| x-New Jersey Nets | 37 | 45 | .451 | 17 | 25–16 | 12–29 | 7–9 |
| New York Knicks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 23 | 23–18 | 8–33 | 7–9 |
| Boston Celtics | 29 | 53 | .354 | 25 | 21–20 | 8–33 | 6–10 |
| # | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Washington Bullets | 54 | 28 | .659 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 48 | 34 | .585 | 6 |
| 3 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 7 |
| 4 | x-Houston Rockets | 47 | 35 | .573 | 7 |
| 5 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 46 | 36 | .561 | 8 |
| 6 | x-New Jersey Nets | 37 | 45 | .451 | 17 |
| 7 | New York Knicks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 23 |
| 8 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 30 | 52 | .366 | 24 |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | 30 | 52 | .366 | 24 |
| 10 | Boston Celtics | 29 | 53 | .354 | 25 |
| 11 | New Orleans Jazz | 26 | 56 | .317 | 28 |
    z - clinched division title
    y - clinched division title
    x - clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1978-79 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NOJ | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SDC | SEA | WAS |
| Atlanta | — | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 |
| Boston | 2–2 | — | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 |
| Chicago | 1–3 | 2–1 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 |
| Cleveland | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | — | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 |
| Denver | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | — | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 |
| Detroit | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 |
| Golden State | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 |
| Houston | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Indiana | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | — | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 |
| Kansas City | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 |
| Los Angeles | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 |
| Milwaukee | 0–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | — | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 |
| New Jersey | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 |
| New Orleans | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 0–4 |
| New York | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | — | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 |
| Philadelphia | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 1–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
| Phoenix | 1–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | — | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Portland | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | — | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
| San Antonio | 1–3 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–2 | — | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 |
| San Diego | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | — | 2–2 | 0–3 |
| Seattle | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 2–2 |
| Washington | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | — |

## Playoffs

1979 playoff game log :
First Round: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 11
New Jersey
W 122–114
Julius Erving (37)
George McGinnis (14)
Henry Bibby (8)
Spectrum 8,846
1–0
2
April 13
@ New Jersey
W 111–101
Caldwell Jones (24)
Caldwell Jones (21)
three players tied (5)
Rutgers Athletic Center 9,126
2–0 :
Conference Semifinals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 15
@ San Antonio
L 106–119
Darryl Dawkins (25)
Caldwell Jones (15)
Julius Erving (7)
HemisFair Arena 10,253
0–1
2
April 17
@ San Antonio
L 120–121
Julius Erving (25)
Caldwell Jones (11)
Henry Bibby (10)
HemisFair Arena 16,709
0–2
3
April 20
San Antonio
W 123–115
Julius Erving (39)
Caldwell Jones (12)
Maurice Cheeks (9)
Spectrum 14,039
1–2
4
April 22
San Antonio
L 112–115
Maurice Cheeks (33)
Steve Mix (9)
Maurice Cheeks (9)
Spectrum 11,163
1–3
5
April 26
@ San Antonio
W 120–97
Julius Erving (32)
Caldwell Jones (14)
Maurice Cheeks (12)
HemisFair Arena 16,055
2–3
6
April 29
San Antonio
W 92–90
Caldwell Jones (20)
Caldwell Jones (17)
Maurice Cheeks (6)
Spectrum 18,276
3–3
7
May 2
@ San Antonio
L 108–111
Julius Erving (34)
Caldwell Jones (14)
Maurice Cheeks (13)
HemisFair Arena 16,055
3–4 :
1979 schedule :

## Awards and records

* Bobby Jones, NBA All-Defensive First Team