Season of National Basketball Association team the New York Knicks
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1977–78 New York Knicks season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished the regular season in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 43–39 win–loss record and qualified for the NBA playoffs . In the first round of the 1978 Playoffs , New York defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers , 2–0, to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There, the Knicks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-game sweep.[ 3]
Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.[ 4]
Roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
G
9
Beard, Butch
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Louisville
G
14
Burden, Ticky
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Utah
PG
35
Cleamons, Jim
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Ohio State
F
44
Gondrezick, Glen
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
218 lb (99 kg)
UNLV
F
42
Haywood, Spencer
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
Detroit Mercy
F
18
Jackson, Phil
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
North Dakota
F
43
Knight, Toby
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Notre Dame
F/C
11
McAdoo, Bob
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
North Carolina
F
5
McMillian, Jim
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Columbia
G
15
Monroe, Earl
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Winston-Salem State
F
8
Shelton, Lonnie
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
Oregon State
G
13
Williams, Ray
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
188 lb (85 kg)
Minnesota
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Regular season
Season standings
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
—
Game log
Regular season
1977–78 game log Total: 44–38 (home: 22–19; road: 21–20)
October: 3–2 (home: 3–1; road: 0–1)
November: 8–7 (home: 6–1; road: 2–6)
December: 8–6 (home: 5–3; road: 3–3)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
January: 7–8 (home: 4–2; road: 3–6)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
February: 6–5 (home: 5–1; road: 1–4)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
All-Star Break
March: 7–10 (home: 5–3; road: 2–7)
April: 4–1 (home: 1–1; road: 3–0)
1977–78 schedule
Playoffs
1978 playoff game log
First Round: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
Conference semifinals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2)
1978 schedule
References
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s