The Jazz, still in their nascent years, faced numerous challenges in their quest for success. With Tom Nissalke at the helm as head coach, the team struggled to find its footing in a competitive league.
The Jazz finished the regular season with a record of 24-58, placing them last in the Central Division. Despite the disappointing overall performance, the team had glimpses of promise, particularly from their star player, Pete Maravich. Maravich, known for his flamboyant playing style and scoring prowess, continued to be a dominant force on the court, leading the team in scoring with an average of 27.0 points per game. However, injuries limited his participation to just 50 games, which significantly impacted the team’s performance.
Defensively, the Jazz struggled, allowing opponents to score an average of 111.1 points per game. The team’s lack of depth and experience were evident as they faced stronger, more established teams throughout the season. Despite these struggles, the 1977-78 season was a foundational year for the Jazz, setting the stage for future development and growth in Utah. The season underscored the need for strategic acquisitions and improvements to compete effectively in the NBA’s evolving landscape.
- Regular Season Record: 39-43
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Utah Jazz Roster and Stats for 1977-78 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Pete Maravich | 50 | 27.0 | 3.6 | 6.6 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Truck Robinson | 82 | 22.7 | 15.7 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Gail Goodrich | 81 | 16.1 | 2.2 | 4.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Aaron James | 80 | 12.2 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Rich Kelley | 82 | 10.2 | 9.3 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jim McElroy | 74 | 9.4 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Joe Meriweather | 54 | 8.8 | 6.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Nate Williams | 27 | 7.8 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Slick Watts | 39 | 7.2 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Paul Griffin | 82 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Fred Saunders | 30 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Freddie Boyd | 21 | 4.9 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Gus Bailey | 48 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Utah Jazz 1977-78 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1977-78 season for the Utah Jazz.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 20, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 107-104 | |
| Oct 21, 1977 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 111-103 | |
| Oct 22, 1977 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 104-103 | |
| Oct 26, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 123-106 | |
| Oct 28, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 114-107 | |
| Nov 01, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 99-88 | |
| Nov 02, 1977 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 104-102 | |
| Nov 04, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 105-102 | |
| Nov 06, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 108-97 | |
| Nov 09, 1977 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 115-112 | |
| Nov 10, 1977 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 127-111 | |
| Nov 11, 1977 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 123-107 | |
| Nov 13, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 117-83 | |
| Nov 15, 1977 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-105 | |
| Nov 17, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 127-116 | |
| Nov 19, 1977 | @ Houston Rockets | W 103-101 | |
| Nov 22, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 123-108 | |
| Nov 24, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 131-129 | |
| Nov 27, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 115-106 | |
| Nov 29, 1977 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 95-87 | |
| Nov 30, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 117-114 | |
| Dec 03, 1977 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 133-118 | |
| Dec 06, 1977 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 113-90 | |
| Dec 07, 1977 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 118-103 | |
| Dec 09, 1977 | @ Washington Bullets | L 101-97 | |
| Dec 10, 1977 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 104-86 | |
| Dec 13, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 117-94 | |
| Dec 16, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 126-113 | |
| Dec 17, 1977 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 115-93 | |
| Dec 18, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 117-108 | |
| Dec 22, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 131-110 | |
| Dec 25, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 115-105 | |
| Dec 27, 1977 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 113-102 | |
| Dec 30, 1977 | @ New York Knicks | L 118-116 | |
| Jan 03, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 104-103 | |
| Jan 05, 1978 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 116-109 | |
| Jan 06, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 96-94 | |
| Jan 08, 1978 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 122-100 | |
| Jan 10, 1978 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 115-110 | |
| Jan 11, 1978 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 142-99 | |
| Jan 14, 1978 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 118-111 | |
| Jan 17, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 99-95 | |
| Jan 18, 1978 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 108-106 | |
| Jan 20, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 101-100 | |
| Jan 22, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 100-97 | |
| Jan 24, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 96-91 | |
| Jan 27, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 134-117 | |
| Jan 29, 1978 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 107-91 | |
| Jan 31, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 114-95 | |
| Feb 01, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 117-111 | |
| Feb 07, 1978 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 122-99 | |
| Feb 08, 1978 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 117-104 | |
| Feb 11, 1978 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 106-96 | |
| Feb 12, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 119-112 | |
| Feb 14, 1978 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 102-95 | |
| Feb 15, 1978 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 112-99 | |
| Feb 17, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 111-102 | |
| Feb 19, 1978 | @ Washington Bullets | L 130-111 | |
| Feb 22, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 116-91 | |
| Feb 24, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 101-98 | |
| Feb 26, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 122-120 | |
| Feb 28, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 125-108 | |
| Mar 01, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 101-100 | |
| Mar 03, 1978 | @ Boston Celtics | L 116-113 | |
| Mar 04, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 113-104 | |
| Mar 05, 1978 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 98-97 | |
| Mar 07, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 84-82 | |
| Mar 08, 1978 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 120-108 | |
| Mar 10, 1978 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 105-99 | |
| Mar 14, 1978 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 109-103 | |
| Mar 16, 1978 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 123-98 | |
| Mar 18, 1978 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 96-88 | |
| Mar 21, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 117-114 | |
| Mar 22, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 124-109 | |
| Mar 24, 1978 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 96-94 | |
| Mar 26, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 109-100 | |
| Mar 29, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 108-103 | |
| Mar 31, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 117-116 | |
| Apr 01, 1978 | @ Boston Celtics | L 119-108 | |
| Apr 04, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 120-119 | |
| Apr 07, 1978 | @ Houston Rockets | W 117-114 | |
| Apr 09, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 153-132 |