1977–78 Denver Nuggets Season

1977–78 Denver Nuggets season
1977–78 Denver Nuggets season
Division champions
Head coach	Larry Brown
Arena	McNichols Sports Arena
Results
Record	48–34 (.585)
Place	Division: 1st (Midwest); Conference: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finish	West Conference finals; (lost to SuperSonics 2–4)
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	KWGN-TV
Radio	KOA
< 1976–77	1978–79 >

In the playoffs, the Nuggets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games in the Semifinals, winning their first playoff series in the NBA, before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in six games in the conference finals.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	9	Tom LaGarde	C	United States	North Carolina
1	21	Anthony Roberts	SF	United States	Oral Roberts
3	65	Robert Smith	PG	United States	Nevada-Las Vegas
5	109	John Billups		United States	Mississippi
6	130	Jim Town		United States	Massachusetts Amherst
7	150	Willie High		United States	Alabama State
8	169	Len Saunders		United States	Florida

Roster

1977–78 Denver Nuggets roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB	From
PG	20	Calvin, Mack	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	1947–07–27	USC
F	55	Cook, Norm	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	210 lb (95 kg)		Kansas
F	30	Dorsey, Jacky	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	230 lb (104 kg)		Georgia
PF	31	Ellis, Bo	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	197 lb (89 kg)		Marquette
F/C	30	Hillman, Darnell	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	215 lb (98 kg)		San José State
C	44	Issel, Dan	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	235 lb (107 kg)		Kentucky
PF	24	Jones, Bobby	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	210 lb (95 kg)		North Carolina
C	45	LaGarde, Tom	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	220 lb (100 kg)		North Carolina
PG	15	Price, Jim	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)		Louisville
SF	21	Roberts, Anthony	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	185 lb (84 kg)		Oral Roberts
G/F	10	Simpson, Ralph	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	200 lb (91 kg)		Michigan State
PG	5	Smith, Robert	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)		UNLV
PG	14	Taylor, Brian	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)		Princeton
G/F	33	Thompson, David	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	195 lb (88 kg)		NC State
G/F	32	Wilkerson, Bob	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	195 lb (88 kg)		Indiana

Head coach

Larry Brown

Assistant coach(es)

Donnie Walsh

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Denver Nuggets	48	34	.585	–	33–8	15–26	11–9
x-Milwaukee Bucks	44	38	.537	4	28–13	16–25	14–6
Chicago Bulls	40	42	.488	8	29–12	11–30	8–12
Detroit Pistons	38	44	.463	10	24–17	14–27	8–12
Indiana Pacers	31	51	.378	17	21–20	10–31	8–12
Kansas City Kings	31	51	.378	17	22–19	9–32	11–9

#	Western Conference v t e
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Portland Trail Blazers	58	24	.707	–
2	y-Denver Nuggets	48	34	.585	10
3	x-Phoenix Suns	49	33	.598	9
4	x-Seattle SuperSonics	47	35	.573	11
5	x-Los Angeles Lakers	45	37	.549	13
6	x-Milwaukee Bucks	44	38	.537	14

7	Golden State Warriors	43	39	.524	15
8	Chicago Bulls	40	42	.488	18
9	Detroit Pistons	38	44	.463	20
10	Indiana Pacers	31	51	.378	27
11	Kansas City Kings	31	51	.378	27

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

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	—

Playoffs

1978 playoff game log

Conference semifinals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 18	Milwaukee	W 119–103	David Thompson (27)	Dan Issel (12)	David Thompson (6)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,297	1–0
2	April 21	Milwaukee	W 127–111	Dan Issel (22)	Dan Issel (14)	Issel, Calvin (6)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,838	2–0
3	April 23	@ Milwaukee	L 112–143	three players tied (16)	Anthony Roberts (8)	David Thompson (5)	MECCA Arena 10,938	2–1
4	April 25	@ Milwaukee	W 118–104	David Thompson (34)	Dan Issel (14)	Wilkerson, Sampson (5)	MECCA Arena 10,938	3–1
5	April 28	Milwaukee	L 112–117	Bobby Jones (25)	Dan Issel (15)	Bob Wilkerson (8)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,838	3–2
6	April 30	@ Milwaukee	L 91–119	David Thompson (28)	Bobby Jones (10)	Bob Wilkerson (6)	MECCA Arena 10,938	3–3
7	May 3	Milwaukee	W 116–110	David Thompson (37)	Bob Wilkerson (12)	David Thompson (6)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,838	4–3

Conference finals: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	May 5	Seattle	W 116–107	Dan Issel (25)	Issel, Hillman (11)	Bob Wilkerson (10)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,387	1–0
2	May 7	Seattle	L 111–121	Dan Issel (29)	Dan Issel (14)	Ralph Sampson (7)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,838	1–1
3	May 10	@ Seattle	L 91–105	David Thompson (21)	Anthony Roberts (8)	Jones, Webster (3)	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098	1–2
4	May 12	@ Seattle	L 94–100	Dan Issel (27)	Darnell Hillman (11)	Bob Wilkerson (8)	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098	1–3
5	May 14	Seattle	W 123–114	David Thompson (35)	Bobby Jones (11)	Bob Wilkerson (10)	McNichols Sports Arena 17,006	2–3
6	May 17	@ Seattle	L 108–123	David Thompson (21)	Anthony Roberts (16)	Bob Wilkerson (8)	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098	2–4

1978 schedule

Awards and records

References

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