1979–80 Philadelphia 76ers season
| Industry | Professional basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 (31st NBA season in 1979–80) |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
| Products | Basketball team |
The 1979–80 Philadelphia 76ers campaign represented the team's 31st season in the NBA and their 17th year competing in Philadelphia. They achieved an impressive 59–23 win-loss tally, marking their best performance since the 1967–68 season.
Overview
Following an unsuccessful attempt to sign Pete Maravich—who ultimately joined the Boston Celtics—the franchise strengthened its lineup by bringing in guard Lionel Hollins from the Portland Trail Blazers.
During the postseason, the 76ers clinched the 1980 Eastern Conference Championship by defeating the Celtics in five games (4–1). They progressed to the 1980 NBA Finals, where they were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in a six-game series (4–2). The Finals showcased memorable moments such as Julius Erving’s remarkable baseline maneuver in Game 4 and Magic Johnson’s standout 42-point effort in Game 6, stepping up for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
NBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Jim Spanarkel | SG | Template:USA | Duke |
| 2 | 36 | Clint Richardson | SG | Template:USA | Seattle |
| 2 | 37 | Bernard Toone | PF | Template:USA | Marquette |
| 3 | 58 | Earl Cureton | PF | Template:USA | Detroit |
| 4 | 83 | Mike Niles | SF | Template:USA | Cal State Fullerton |
Regular season
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | October 12, 1979 | @ Washington | W 93–92 | | | | Capital Centre | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | October 13, 1979 | Houston | W 113–105 | | | | The Spectrum | 2–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | October 17, 1979 | @ New Jersey | W 113–88 | | | | Rutgers Athletic Center | 3–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | October 19, 1979 | Detroit | W 112–104 | | | | The Spectrum | 4–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | October 20, 1979 | @ New York | W 136–111 | | | | Madison Square Garden | 5–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 6 | October 24, 1979 | Indiana | W 132–110 | | | | The Spectrum | 6–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 7 | October 26, 1979 | New York | W 127–116 | | | | The Spectrum | 7–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|8 |October 27, 1979 |@ Cleveland |W 112–106 | | | |Richfield Coliseum |8–0
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
|9 |October 31, 1979 |@ Atlanta |L 97–102 | | | |The Omni |8–1
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
|10 |November 2, 1979 |Atlanta |L 81–85 | | | |The Spectrum |8–2
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" ... (Selected entries abbreviated for brevity while retaining key victories, defeats, and venues) ... |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" ! colspan=10 | Final record: 59–23 (Home: 36–5; Away: 23–18)
Playoffs
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Leading Scorer | Leading Rebounder | Leading Assists | Venue & Attendance | Series Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 2, 1980 | Washington | W 111–96 | Lionel Hollins (21) | Caldwell Jones (26) | Maurice Cheeks (6) | The Spectrum 12,567 |
1–0 |
| 2 | April 4, 1980 | @ Washington | W 112–104 | Julius Erving (31) | Lionel Hollins (9) | Maurice Cheeks (7) | Capital Centre 18,397 |
2–0 |
| 1 | April 6, 1980 | Atlanta | W 107–104 | Julius Erving (28) | Caldwell Jones (13) | Maurice Cheeks (9) | The Spectrum 10,561 |
1–0 |
| 2 | April 9, 1980 | Atlanta | W 99–92 | Darryl Dawkins (22) | Bobby Jones (9) | Maurice Cheeks (7) | The Spectrum 18,276 |
2–0 |
| 3 | April 10, 1980 | @ Atlanta | L 93–105 | Julius Erving (26) | Caldwell Jones (16) | Caldwell Jones (4) | The Omni 15,617 |
2–1 |
| 4 | April 13, 1980 | @ Atlanta | W 107–83 | Lionel Hollins, B. Jones (20) | Caldwell Jones (11) | Maurice Cheeks (5) | Omni Coliseum 15,617 |
3–1 |
| 5 | April 15, 1980 | Atlanta | W 105–100 | Darryl Dawkins, Julius Erving (30) | Caldwell Jones (13) | Lionel Hollins (7) | The Spectrum 18,276 |
4–1 |
| 1 | April 18, 1980 | @Boston | W 96–93 | Julius Erving (29) | Darryl Dawkins (10) | Maurice Cheeks, Lionel Hollins (6) | Boston Garden 15,320 |
1–0 |
| 2 | April 20, 1980 | @Boston | L 90–96 | Julius Erving (24) | Darryl Dawkins (11) | Lionel Hollins (5) | Boston Garden 15,320 |
1–1 |
| 3 | April 23, 1980 | Boston | W 99–97 | Julius Erving (28) | Julius Erving (11) | Lionel Hollins (9) | The Spectrum 18,276 |
2–1 |
| 4 | April 25, 1980 | Boston | W102-90 | Julius Erving(30) | Julius Erving(10) | Maurice Cheeks(10) | The Spectrum 18,276 |
3-1 |
| 5 | April27,1980 | @Boston | W105-94 | Lionel Hollins(24) | three players tied(9) | Lionel Hollins(7) | Boston Garden 15,320 |
4-1 |
| 1 | May4,1980 | @1979–80 Los Angeles Lakers season│Los Angeles | L102-109 | Julius Erving(20) | [[Bobby Jones (basketball, born1951)│Bobby Jones](10) | [[Lionel Hollins](8) | The Forum(Inglewood, California)[[The Forum] 17,505 |
0-1 |
| 2 | May7,1980 | @1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers season│Los Angeles | W107-104 | Darryl Dawkins (25) | Julius Erving (10) | Maurice Cheeks (10) | The Forum 17,505 |
1-1 |
| 3 | May10,1980 | Los Angeles | L101-111 | Julius Erving(24) | Caldwell Jones(11) | Lionel Hollins(9) | Spectrum 18,726 |
1-2 |
| 4 | May11,1980 | Los Angeles | W105-102 | Darryl Dawkins(26) | Caldwell Jones(10) | Lionel Hollins(13) | Spectrum 18,726 |
2-2 |
| 5 | May14,1980 | @Los Angeles | L103-108 | Julius Erving(36) | Caldwell Jones(10) | Lionel Hollins(10) | The Forum 17,505 |
2-3 |
| 6 | May16,1980 | Los Angeles | L107-123 | Julius Erving(27) | Bobby Jones(9) | Maurice Cheeks(8) | Spectrum 18,726 |
2-4 |
Awards and records
- Julius Erving, selected for the All-NBA First Team
- Bobby Jones, named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team