1976–77 Washington Bullets season

1976–77 Washington Bullets season
Head coach	Dick Motta
General manager	Bob Ferry
Owner(s)	Abe Pollin
Arena	Capital Centre
Results
Record	48–34 (.585)
Place	Division: 2nd (Central) Conference: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Conference Semi-finals (lost to Rockets 2–4)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	WDCA
Radio	WTOP

The 1976–77 NBA season was the Bullets 16th season in the NBA and their 4th season in the city of Washington, D.C.^[1]

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1976 NBA draft

Roster

1976–77 Washington Bullets roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From SG 21 Dave Bing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1943-11-24 Syracuse SG 45 Phil Chenier 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1950-10-30 California PF 12 Leonard Gray 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1951-12-19 Long Beach State SF 35 Kevin Grevey 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1953-05-12 Kentucky PF 11 Elvin Hayes 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1945-11-17 Houston PG 14 Tom Henderson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1952-01-26 Hawaiʻi C 25 Mitch Kupchak 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1954-05-24 North Carolina C 44 Joe Pace 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1953-12-18 Coppin State SF 6 Mike Riordan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1945-07-09 Providence C 41 Wes Unseld 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1946-03-14 Louisville PG 8 Bob Weiss 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1942-05-07 Penn State PG 32 Larry Wright 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1954–11–23 Grambling State

Head coach Dick Motta Assistant(s) Bernie Bickerstaff Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster Updated: January 20, 1977

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Houston Rockets	49	33	.598	–	34–7	15–26	13–7
x-Washington Bullets	48	34	.585	1	32–9	16–25	11–9
x-San Antonio Spurs	44	38	.537	5	31–10	13–28	9–11
x-Cleveland Cavaliers	43	39	.524	6	29–12	14–27	8–12
New Orleans Jazz	35	47	.427	14	26–15	9–32	10–10
Atlanta Hawks	31	51	.378	18	19–22	12–29	9–11

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Philadelphia 76ers	50	32	.610	–
2	y-Houston Rockets	49	33	.598	1
3	x-Washington Bullets	48	34	.585	2
4	x-Boston Celtics	44	38	.537	6
5	x-San Antonio Spurs	44	38	.537	6
6	x-Cleveland Cavaliers	43	39	.524	7
7	New York Knicks	40	42	.488	10
8	New Orleans Jazz	35	47	.427	15
9	Atlanta Hawks	31	51	.378	19
10	Buffalo Braves	30	52	.366	20
11	New York Nets	22	60	.268	28

Notes

• z, y – division champions
• x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1976–77 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NOJ	NYK	NYN	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SEA	WAS
Atlanta	–	0–4	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	1–3	0–4	1–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	1–3	0–4	3–1	4–0	1–2	1–3
Boston	4–0	–	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–2	3–1	2–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	4–0	2–2	0–4
Buffalo	0–4	1–3	–	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–3	1–3	1–3	0–3	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	0–4	3–1	0–4
Chicago	2–2	2–2	3–1	–	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	3–1	2–2	1–2
Cleveland	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–3	–	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–1	3–1	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3
Denver	2–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–2	–	3–1	2–2	3–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	1–2	4–0	2–2
Detroit	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	–	3–1	2–2	2–2	4–0	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–2	1–3	1–3
Golden State	4–0	3–1	3–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	–	2–1	4–0	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	3–1	3–1	4–0	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1
Houston	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	0–3	2–2	1–2	–	4–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1
Indiana	4–0	2–1	3–1	2–2	1–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	0–4	–	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4
Kansas City	2–1	1–3	3–0	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–4	3–1	2–2	2–2	–	1–3	2–2	2–2	4–0	4–0	1–3	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2
Los Angeles	2–2	1–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	–	3–1	3–0	1–3	4–0	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	4–0
Milwaukee	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	–	1–2	1–3	3–1	1–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3
New Orleans	3–1	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–3	2–1	–	3–1	2–2	0–4	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2
N.Y. Knicks	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	3–1	3–1	1–3	–	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–2	2–2
N.Y. Nets	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–2	2–2	–	1–3	2–2	0–3	1–3	1–3	1–3
Philadelphia	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	–	1–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	3–1
Phoenix	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–1	–	1–3	1–3	3–1	1–3
Portland	1–3	3–1	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–0	2–2	3–1	–	2–2	3–1	1–2
San Antonio	0–4	0–4	4–0	1–3	2–2	2–1	2–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	–	3–1	2–2
Seattle	2–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	–	3–1
Washington	3–1	4–0	4–0	2–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	2–2	0–4	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–1	2–2	1–3	—

Game log

Regular season

1976–77 game log Total: 48–34 (home: 32–9; road: 16–25)
October: 1–4 (home: 0–1; road: 1–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
November: 6–8 (home: 5–1; road: 1–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 17 November 27 @ Portland L 95–103 Memorial Coliseum 7–10
December: 8–5 (home: 5–2; road: 3–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
January: 12–2 (home: 8–1; road: 4–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 40 January 15 Portland W 113–107 Capital Centre 21–19
February: 9–5 (home: 5–1; road: 4–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 49 February 5 @ Portland W 116–104 Memorial Coliseum 29–20 All-Star Break
March: 8–8 (home: 6–2; road: 2–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
April: 4–2 (home: 3–1; road: 1–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
1976–77 schedule

Playoffs

1977 playoff game log
Eastern Conference First Round: 2–1 (home: 2–0; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 13 Cleveland W 109–100 Phil Chenier (38) Wes Unseld (16) Tom Henderson (11) Capital Centre 11,240 1–0 2 April 15 @ Cleveland L 83–91 Phil Chenier (24) Elvin Hayes (23) Wes Unseld (5) Richfield Coliseum 19,545 1–1 3 April 17 Cleveland W 104–98 Tom Henderson (31) Elvin Hayes (15) Tom Henderson (6) Capital Centre 10,488 2–1
Eastern Conference Semifinals: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 19 @ Houston W 111–101 Mitch Kupchak (32) Mitch Kupchak (16) Tom Henderson (8) The Summit 15,458 1–0 2 April 21 @ Houston L 118–124 (OT) Phil Chenier (37) Elvin Hayes (15) Tom Henderson (8) The Summit 15,676 1–1 3 April 24 Houston W 93–90 Mitch Kupchak (23) Hayes, Unseld (12) Tom Henderson (6) Capital Centre 16,842 2–1 4 April 26 Houston L 103–107 Phil Chenier (29) Wes Unseld (15) Tom Henderson (12) Capital Centre 19,035 2–2 5 April 29 @ Houston L 115–123 Elvin Hayes (30) Elvin Hayes (13) Wes Unseld (6) The Summit 15,676 2–3 6 May 1 Houston L 103–108 Phil Chenier (21) Wes Unseld (16) Tom Henderson (7) Capital Centre 12,393 2–4
1977 schedule

Awards and records

• Elvin Hayes, All-NBA First Team
• Mitch Kupchak, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

References

1. "1976-77 Washington Bullets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2024.