1976–77 Washington Bullets season

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.com
Local media
Television	WDCA
Radio	WTOP
< 1975–76	1977–78 >

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

Roster

1976–77 Washington Bullets roster

Players

Coaches

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

Head coach

Dick Motta

Assistant coach(es)

Bernie Bickerstaff

Legend

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

Roster
Last transaction: 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

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

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

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