The 1978-79 Boston Celtics season was a challenging period for the storied franchise. Coached by Tom Sanders and later by Dave Cowens, the team struggled to find consistency throughout the season. The Celtics finished with a disappointing record of 29-53, placing them in the bottom tier of the NBA standings and marking their worst performance since the 1949-50 season. They ended the season 5th in the Atlantic Division, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1971.
Key players for the Celtics included Dave Cowens, who served as both a player and a coach, and Cedric Maxwell, who showed potential as a consistent performer. Despite Cowens’ leadership and experience, the team lacked the depth and cohesion needed to compete effectively in a highly competitive league. The Celtics’ struggles were compounded by injuries and a lack of strong defensive play, which led to their poor overall performance.
The 1978-79 season, however, set the stage for a brighter future. The Celtics secured the first overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, selecting Larry Bird, although he did not join the team until the following season. Bird’s arrival would mark the beginning of a new era of success for the Celtics. The lessons learned during this challenging season ultimately contributed to the team’s rapid resurgence in the early 1980s.
- Regular Season Record: 29-53
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 1978-79 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bob McAdoo | 20 | 20.5 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Cedric Maxwell | 80 | 19.0 | 9.9 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dave Cowens | 68 | 16.6 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Chris Ford | 78 | 15.6 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Billy Knight | 40 | 13.9 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jo Jo White | 47 | 12.5 | 2.7 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Rick Robey | 36 | 12.4 | 7.2 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tiny Archibald | 69 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 4.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jeff Judkins | 81 | 8.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Marvin Barnes | 38 | 8.1 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Curtis Rowe | 53 | 6.7 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Earl Tatum | 3 | 6.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Earl Williams | 20 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Don Chaney | 65 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Frankie Sanders | 24 | 5.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Kevin Stacom | 24 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tom Barker | 12 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dennis Awtrey | 23 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
Boston Celtics 1978-79 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1978-79 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1978 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 115-101 | |
| Oct 14, 1978 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 114-108 | |
| Oct 18, 1978 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 116-99 | |
| Oct 19, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 120-115 | |
| Oct 21, 1978 | @ Houston Rockets | L 118-101 | |
| Oct 24, 1978 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 132-109 | |
| Oct 28, 1978 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 111-109 | |
| Nov 01, 1978 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 118-112 | |
| Nov 03, 1978 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 110-103 | |
| Nov 07, 1978 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 125-108 | |
| Nov 08, 1978 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 112-109 | |
| Nov 10, 1978 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 115-103 | |
| Nov 11, 1978 | @ New York Knicks | L 111-98 | |
| Nov 12, 1978 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 128-123 | |
| Nov 17, 1978 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 120-118 | |
| Nov 18, 1978 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 92-90 | |
| Nov 22, 1978 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 119-103 | |
| Nov 24, 1978 | vs. New York Knicks | W 109-98 | |
| Nov 26, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 105-103 | |
| Nov 28, 1978 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 102-97 | |
| Nov 30, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 108-94 | |
| Dec 01, 1978 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 87-80 | |
| Dec 02, 1978 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 117-110 | |
| Dec 05, 1978 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 114-112 | |
| Dec 06, 1978 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 117-111 | |
| Dec 08, 1978 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 124-104 | |
| Dec 12, 1978 | @ Houston Rockets | L 112-105 | |
| Dec 13, 1978 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 102-96 | |
| Dec 15, 1978 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 105-101 | |
| Dec 16, 1978 | @ Washington Bullets | L 125-117 | |
| Dec 20, 1978 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 121-105 | |
| Dec 22, 1978 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 124-105 | |
| Dec 27, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 112-103 | |
| Dec 30, 1978 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 112-109 | |
| Jan 03, 1979 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 123-116 | |
| Jan 05, 1979 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 113-98 | |
| Jan 06, 1979 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 127-98 | |
| Jan 10, 1979 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 99-89 | |
| Jan 12, 1979 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 128-125 | |
| Jan 14, 1979 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 110-100 | |
| Jan 17, 1979 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 120-99 | |
| Jan 19, 1979 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 103-102 | |
| Jan 20, 1979 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 108-102 | |
| Jan 21, 1979 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 91-87 | |
| Jan 23, 1979 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 100-90 | |
| Jan 24, 1979 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 128-106 | |
| Jan 26, 1979 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 119-106 | |
| Jan 28, 1979 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 103-102 | |
| Jan 31, 1979 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 119-102 | |
| Feb 02, 1979 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 112-98 | |
| Feb 06, 1979 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 104-101 | |
| Feb 07, 1979 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 107-100 | |
| Feb 09, 1979 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 112-101 | |
| Feb 10, 1979 | @ New York Knicks | W 106-102 | |
| Feb 11, 1979 | vs. New York Knicks | W 107-102 | |
| Feb 14, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 149-119 | |
| Feb 18, 1979 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 111-104 | |
| Feb 21, 1979 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 101-97 | |
| Feb 23, 1979 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 113-104 | |
| Feb 25, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 131-116 | |
| Feb 28, 1979 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 122-112 | |
| Mar 02, 1979 | vs. San Diego Clippers | L 106-99 | |
| Mar 04, 1979 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 135-122 | |
| Mar 07, 1979 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 114-107 | |
| Mar 09, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 160-117 | |
| Mar 11, 1979 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 108-106 | |
| Mar 14, 1979 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 126-117 | |
| Mar 16, 1979 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 99-98 | |
| Mar 18, 1979 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 122-111 | |
| Mar 21, 1979 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 134-113 | |
| Mar 22, 1979 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 112-110 | |
| Mar 23, 1979 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 137-113 | |
| Mar 25, 1979 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 103-94 | |
| Mar 27, 1979 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 111-109 | |
| Mar 28, 1979 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 135-117 | |
| Mar 30, 1979 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 121-105 | |
| Apr 01, 1979 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 112-110 | |
| Apr 03, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 141-125 | |
| Apr 04, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | L 145-119 | |
| Apr 06, 1979 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 107-101 | |
| Apr 07, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 126-112 | |
| Apr 08, 1979 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 127-101 |