1976–77 Philadelphia 76ers season
| Industry | Professional basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
Key people | Gene Shue (head coach), Julius Erving, George McGinnis, Doug Collins |
| Products | NBA team |
The 1976–77 Philadelphia 76ers campaign represented the franchise's 28th season competing in the NBA. In the wake of the NBA-ABA merger, Philadelphia secured the ABA's top scorer, Julius Erving, through a $6 million arrangement—splitting $3 million to the Nets and $3 million to Erving via a fresh contract. Erving joined forces with prolific scorer George McGinnis, who had been obtained from the Indiana Pacers, setting lofty ambitions for an immediate title run.
Under the guidance of head coach Gene Shue, the Sixers concluded with the premier record in the Eastern Conference at 50–32. The roster's core featured Erving (known as Dr. J), McGinnis, and shooting guard Doug Collins. Additional significant contributors included point guard Henry Bibby, World B. Free, center Caldwell Jones, and backup center 20-year-old Darryl Dawkins (nicknamed "Chocolate Thunder"). Reserve forwards such as Steve Mix, Harvey Catchings, and Joe Bryant also played important roles. Philadelphia overcame both the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets during the Eastern Conference Playoffs but ultimately fell to the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals, losing 4–2 after initially taking a 2–0 lead.
NBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Terry Furlow | SG/SF | Template:USA | Template:College |
| 3 | 47 | Ron Norwood | G | Template:USA | Template:College |
| 4 | 64 | Freeman Blade | G | Template:USA | MSU Billings |
| 5 | 81 | Jeff Browne | Template:USA | Missouri Western | |
| 6 | 99 | Mike Dunleavy | G | Template:USA | Template:College |
| 7 | 117 | Phil Walker | SG | Template:USA | Millersville |
| 8 | 135 | Lee Dixon | Template:USA | Hardin-Simmons | |
| 9 | 152 | Fly Williams | SG | Template:USA | Austin Peay |
| 10 | 168 | Ed Stefanski | Template:USA | Template:College |
October
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 22, 1976 | San Antonio Spurs | 118–121 | Loss | 0–1 | Lost 1 |
| Sat, Oct 23, 1976 | @ Buffalo Braves | 105–108 | Loss | 0–2 | Lost 2 |
| Tue, Oct 26, 1976 | @ New Orleans Jazz | 111–101 | Win | 1–2 | Lost 1 |
Playoffs
| Game | Date | Opponent | Outcome | Leading Scorer | Leading Rebounder | Leading Assists | Location | Series Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 17 | Boston | L 111–113 | Julius Erving (36) | Caldwell Jones (11) | Doug Collins, Erving (5) | Spectrum, 13,821 | 0–1 |
| 2 | April 20 | Boston | W 113–101 | Julius Erving (30) | George McGinnis (13) | Doug Collins (7) | Spectrum, 18,276 | 1–1 |
| 3 | April 22 | @ Boston | W 109–100 | Julius Erving (27) | McGinnis, Jones (15) | George McGinnis (5) | Boston Garden, 15,040 | 2–1 |
| 4 | April 24 | @ Boston | L 119–124 | Doug Collins (36) | George McGinnis (9) | Doug Collins (5) | Boston Garden, 15,040 | 2–2 |
| 5 | April 27 | Boston | W 110–91 | Doug Collins (23) | McGinnis, Jones (11) | Doug Collins (6) | Spectrum, 18,276 | 3–2 |
| 6 | April 29 | @ Boston | L 108–113 | Doug Collins (32) | George McGinnis (14) | George McGinnis (5) | Boston Garden, 15,040 | 3–3 |
| 7 | May 1 | Boston | W 83–77 | World B. Free (27) | George McGinnis (12) | McGinnis, Mix (4) | Spectrum, 18,276 | 4–3 |
| Game | Date | Opponent | Outcome | Leading Scorer | Leading Rebounder | Leading Assists | Location | Series Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 5 | Houston | W 128–117 | Julius Erving (24) | George McGinnis (13) | Doug Collins (8) | Spectrum, 17,507 | 1–0 |
| 2 | May 8 | Houston | W 106–97 | George McGinnis (21) | George McGinnis (8) | Julius Erving (10) | Spectrum, 14,855 | 2–0 |
| 3 | May 11 | @ Houston | L 94–118 | Julius Erving (28) | George McGinnis (9) | Doug Collins (7) | The Summit, 15,676 | 2–1 |
| 4 | May 13 | @ Houston | W 107–95 | Doug Collins (36) | Caldwell Jones (11) | George McGinnis (9) | The Summit, 15,676 | 3–1 |
| 5 | May 15 | Houston | L 115–118 | Julius Erving (37) | George McGinnis (14) | Henry Bibby (8) | Spectrum, 18,276 | 3–2 |
| 6 | May 17 | @ Houston | W 112–109 | Julius Erving (34) | Julius Erving (9) | Julius Erving (6) | The Summit, 15,676 | 4–2 |
| Game | Date | Opponent | Outcome | Leading Scorer | Leading Rebounder | Leading Assists | Location | Series Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 22 | Portland | W 107–101 | Julius Erving (33) | Caldwell Jones (11) | Doug Collins (6) | Spectrum, 18,276 | 1–0 |
| 2 | May 26 | Portland | W 107–89 | Doug Collins (27) | Caldwell Jones (14) | Henry Bibby (11) | Spectrum, 18,276 | 2–0 |
| 3 | May 29 | @ Portland | L 107–129 | Julius Erving (28) | George McGinnis (12) | Julius Erving (5) | Memorial Coliseum,12,923 | 2–1 |
| 4 | May 31 | @ Portland | L 98–130 | Julius Erving (24) | Darryl Dawkins (11) | Steve Mix (4) | Memorial Coliseum,12,913 | 2–2 |
| 5 | June 3 | Portland | L 104–110 | Julius Erving (37) | Caldwell Jones (13) | Julius Erving (7) | Spectrum,18,276 | 2–3 |
| 6 | June 5 | @ Portland | L107–109 | Julius Erving(40) | George McGinnis(16) | Julius Erving(8) | Memorial Coliseum,12,951 | 2–4 |
Awards and honors
- Julius Erving, Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game
- George McGinnis, Selected to the All-NBA Second Team
- Julius Erving, Named to the All-NBA Second Team