The 1978-79 Philadelphia 76ers season was marked by a solid performance as they finished with a 47-35 record. Under head coach Billy Cunningham, the team secured a playoff spot by finishing second in the Atlantic Division. The Sixers were led by star players Julius Erving and George McGinnis, who provided significant scoring and leadership on the court.
Throughout the season, the 76ers showcased their offensive prowess, although they faced challenges with consistency and maintaining defensive strength. In the playoffs, Philadelphia faced the San Antonio Spurs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Despite a competitive effort, the 76ers were eliminated in a hard-fought seven-game series. This season set the stage for future success, as the team’s core continued to develop and build towards a championship run in subsequent years.
- Regular Season Record: 47-35
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference First Round: 2-0, Eastern Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Philadelphia 76ers 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% |
| Julius Erving | 78 | 23.1 | 7.2 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 25.4 | 7.8 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Doug Collins | 47 | 19.5 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Darryl Dawkins | 78 | 13.1 | 8.1 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 9 | 16.0 | 8.7 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| Henry Bibby | 82 | 12.2 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 9 | 8.0 | 2.1 | 4.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bobby Jones | 80 | 12.1 | 6.6 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 9 | 13.1 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Eric Money | 23 | 11.8 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 6.8 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Steve Mix | 74 | 9.3 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 9 | 8.3 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Caldwell Jones | 78 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 9 | 12.7 | 13.4 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Maurice Cheeks | 82 | 8.4 | 3.1 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 9 | 18.8 | 3.9 | 7.0 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Joe Bryant | 70 | 7.6 | 3.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ralph Simpson | 37 | 5.5 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Al Skinner | 22 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Harvey Catchings | 25 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Marlon Redmond | 4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Philadelphia 76ers in the 1979 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. New Jersey Nets
In the first round of the 1979 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the New Jersey Nets in a best-of-three series. The 76ers, led by Julius Erving, swept the series 2-0, showcasing their dominance with a potent offense and solid defense. This victory set the stage for their deeper playoff run, highlighting their status as a formidable contender in the Eastern Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1979 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 122-114 | |
| Apr 13, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 111-101 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. San Antonio Spurs
In the 1979 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the San Antonio Spurs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The 76ers, led by Julius Erving, displayed their prowess by defeating the Spurs in a tight seven-game series, ultimately advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. This victory highlighted the team's depth and resilience, setting the stage for their continued pursuit of NBA glory.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 119-106 | |
| Apr 17, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 121-120 | |
| Apr 20, 1979 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 123-115 | |
| Apr 22, 1979 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 115-112 | |
| Apr 26, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 120-97 | |
| Apr 29, 1979 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 92-90 | |
| May 02, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 111-108 |
Philadelphia 76ers 1978-79 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1978-79 season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1978 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 110-102 | |
| Oct 18, 1978 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 121-111 | |
| Oct 20, 1978 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 126-117 | |
| Oct 21, 1978 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 130-111 | |
| Oct 25, 1978 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 118-117 | |
| Oct 28, 1978 | @ Houston Rockets | W 101-99 | |
| Nov 01, 1978 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 116-115 | |
| Nov 03, 1978 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 118-103 | |
| Nov 08, 1978 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 123-117 | |
| Nov 10, 1978 | @ Washington Bullets | W 123-122 | |
| Nov 11, 1978 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 135-112 | |
| Nov 14, 1978 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 124-108 | |
| Nov 15, 1978 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 109-103 | |
| Nov 17, 1978 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 95-94 | |
| Nov 18, 1978 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 124-116 | |
| Nov 21, 1978 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 115-105 | |
| Nov 24, 1978 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 134-120 | |
| Nov 25, 1978 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 127-126 | |
| Nov 28, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 107-103 | |
| Nov 29, 1978 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 120-114 | |
| Dec 02, 1978 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 100-97 | |
| Dec 05, 1978 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 96-91 | |
| Dec 06, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 114-106 | |
| Dec 09, 1978 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 115-107 | |
| Dec 13, 1978 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 120-100 | |
| Dec 15, 1978 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 91-84 | |
| Dec 17, 1978 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 103-96 | |
| Dec 19, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 124-113 | |
| Dec 20, 1978 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 85-81 | |
| Dec 22, 1978 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 103-95 | |
| Dec 25, 1978 | @ New York Knicks | W 109-94 | |
| Dec 27, 1978 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 122-110 | |
| Dec 29, 1978 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 113-107 | |
| Dec 30, 1978 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 100-94 | |
| Jan 03, 1979 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 111-98 | |
| Jan 05, 1979 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 123-96 | |
| Jan 06, 1979 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 143-139 | |
| Jan 10, 1979 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 123-112 | |
| Jan 12, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 100-89 | |
| Jan 14, 1979 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 112-106 | |
| Jan 17, 1979 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 107-94 | |
| Jan 20, 1979 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 108-102 | |
| Jan 21, 1979 | @ Boston Celtics | W 91-87 | |
| Jan 24, 1979 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 101-94 | |
| Jan 26, 1979 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 105-96 | |
| Jan 28, 1979 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 116-94 | |
| Jan 31, 1979 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 108-106 | |
| Feb 01, 1979 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 128-105 | |
| Feb 02, 1979 | vs. New York Knicks | L 105-101 | |
| Feb 07, 1979 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 114-103 | |
| Feb 09, 1979 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 117-106 | |
| Feb 11, 1979 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 107-99 | |
| Feb 14, 1979 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 108-106 | |
| Feb 15, 1979 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 113-100 | |
| Feb 16, 1979 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 119-104 | |
| Feb 18, 1979 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 110-107 | |
| Feb 21, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 106-99 | |
| Feb 23, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 117-116 | |
| Feb 25, 1979 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 119-111 | |
| Feb 27, 1979 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 118-115 | |
| Feb 28, 1979 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 97-93 | |
| Mar 02, 1979 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 126-111 | |
| Mar 04, 1979 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 119-94 | |
| Mar 06, 1979 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 94-91 | |
| Mar 07, 1979 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 114-107 | |
| Mar 09, 1979 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 119-113 | |
| Mar 11, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 104-103 | |
| Mar 14, 1979 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 99-96 | |
| Mar 16, 1979 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 114-106 | |
| Mar 17, 1979 | @ New York Knicks | L 103-101 | |
| Mar 18, 1979 | vs. New York Knicks | W 106-90 | |
| Mar 20, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 124-120 | |
| Mar 21, 1979 | @ Houston Rockets | W 114-108 | |
| Mar 23, 1979 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 110-98 | |
| Mar 25, 1979 | @ Boston Celtics | L 103-94 | |
| Mar 27, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | W 100-97 | |
| Mar 28, 1979 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 112-96 | |
| Mar 30, 1979 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 129-93 | |
| Apr 01, 1979 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 112-111 | |
| Apr 04, 1979 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 121-120 | |
| Apr 06, 1979 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 136-118 | |
| Apr 08, 1979 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 112-111 |