The 1979-80 Atlanta Hawks experienced a season of moderate success, finishing with a 50-32 record. Under the leadership of head coach Hubie Brown, the team secured a playoff spot by placing third in the Central Division. The Hawks were spearheaded by John Drew, who averaged 21.6 points per game, and Eddie Johnson, contributing significantly with 19.1 points per game.
In the postseason, Atlanta faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Despite their efforts, the Hawks were eliminated in five games, as the 76ers proved too strong with a dominant performance from Julius Erving. This season marked a step forward for the Hawks, highlighting their potential to compete in the playoffs, although they were still seeking to break through to the latter stages.
- Regular Season Record: 50-32
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference Semifinals: 1-4
Atlanta Hawks Roster and Stats for 1979-80 Season
POINTS
John Drew
19.5
REBOUNDS
Dan Roundfield
10.3
ASSISTS
Armond Hill
5.4
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| John Drew | 80 | 19.5 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 5 | 14.6 | 6.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Eddie Johnson | 79 | 18.6 | 2.5 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 38.5 | 5 | 19.4 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Dan Roundfield | 81 | 16.5 | 10.3 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 5 | 17.2 | 11.6 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Steve Hawes | 82 | 9.3 | 6.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 33.3 | 5 | 10.4 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Tree Rollins | 82 | 8.9 | 9.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 5 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 0.0 |
| Tom McMillen | 53 | 8.7 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Terry Furlow | 21 | 8.4 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 11.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Charlie Criss | 81 | 8.3 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 5 | 14.0 | 1.0 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
| Armond Hill | 79 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 5.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 20.1 | 5 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Jack Givens | 82 | 5.7 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim McElroy | 31 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 50.0 | 5 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Brown | 28 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Sam Pellom | 44 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Ron Lee | 30 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rick Wilson | 5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Atlanta Hawks in the 1980 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Philadelphia 76ers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 06, 1980 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 107-104 | |
| Apr 09, 1980 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 99-92 | |
| Apr 10, 1980 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 105-93 | |
| Apr 13, 1980 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 107-83 | |
| Apr 15, 1980 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 105-100 |
Atlanta Hawks 1979-80 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1979-80 season for the Atlanta Hawks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 1979 | vs. New York Knicks | W 121-104 | |
| Oct 13, 1979 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 115-101 | |
| Oct 16, 1979 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 118-116 | |
| Oct 17, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | L 100-97 | |
| Oct 18, 1979 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 115-85 | |
| Oct 20, 1979 | @ Houston Rockets | L 107-102 | |
| Oct 23, 1979 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 121-111 | |
| Oct 24, 1979 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 128-118 | |
| Oct 26, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 94-90 | |
| Oct 27, 1979 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 100-95 | |
| Oct 31, 1979 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 102-97 | |
| Nov 02, 1979 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 85-81 | |
| Nov 03, 1979 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 110-107 | |
| Nov 06, 1979 | @ New York Knicks | W 98-96 | |
| Nov 07, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 115-107 | |
| Nov 10, 1979 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 109-105 | |
| Nov 13, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 101-82 | |
| Nov 14, 1979 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 108-97 | |
| Nov 17, 1979 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 102-100 | |
| Nov 20, 1979 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 109-105 | |
| Nov 21, 1979 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 96-93 | |
| Nov 23, 1979 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 103-98 | |
| Nov 24, 1979 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 106-101 | |
| Nov 27, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 143-120 | |
| Nov 28, 1979 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 106-99 | |
| Nov 30, 1979 | @ Houston Rockets | L 106-95 | |
| Dec 01, 1979 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 106-96 | |
| Dec 02, 1979 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 126-108 | |
| Dec 05, 1979 | @ Boston Celtics | W 120-92 | |
| Dec 08, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | L 96-95 | |
| Dec 09, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 122-85 | |
| Dec 12, 1979 | vs. New York Knicks | W 114-102 | |
| Dec 14, 1979 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 103-98 | |
| Dec 15, 1979 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 112-96 | |
| Dec 18, 1979 | @ New York Knicks | L 101-99 | |
| Dec 19, 1979 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 119-112 | |
| Dec 20, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 122-103 | |
| Dec 22, 1979 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 130-110 | |
| Dec 27, 1979 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 112-110 | |
| Dec 29, 1979 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 115-104 | |
| Jan 03, 1980 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 126-119 | |
| Jan 05, 1980 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 112-107 | |
| Jan 09, 1980 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 111-107 | |
| Jan 11, 1980 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-93 | |
| Jan 12, 1980 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 120-101 | |
| Jan 13, 1980 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 107-104 | |
| Jan 16, 1980 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 111-108 | |
| Jan 17, 1980 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 101-99 | |
| Jan 18, 1980 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 108-102 | |
| Jan 22, 1980 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 101-89 | |
| Jan 23, 1980 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 98-96 | |
| Jan 26, 1980 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 109-104 | |
| Jan 27, 1980 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 118-111 | |
| Jan 29, 1980 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 98-82 | |
| Jan 31, 1980 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 111-107 | |
| Feb 07, 1980 | @ Utah Jazz | W 92-90 | |
| Feb 10, 1980 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 98-96 | |
| Feb 12, 1980 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 95-89 | |
| Feb 13, 1980 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 93-86 | |
| Feb 15, 1980 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 111-98 | |
| Feb 17, 1980 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 108-99 | |
| Feb 20, 1980 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 106-103 | |
| Feb 22, 1980 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 111-104 | |
| Feb 26, 1980 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-97 | |
| Feb 27, 1980 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 116-111 | |
| Feb 29, 1980 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 111-103 | |
| Mar 02, 1980 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 100-93 | |
| Mar 04, 1980 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 93-83 | |
| Mar 07, 1980 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 99-94 | |
| Mar 08, 1980 | @ Houston Rockets | W 97-79 | |
| Mar 09, 1980 | vs. New York Knicks | W 98-92 | |
| Mar 11, 1980 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 102-97 | |
| Mar 14, 1980 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 88-87 | |
| Mar 16, 1980 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 95-90 | |
| Mar 18, 1980 | @ New York Knicks | L 111-110 | |
| Mar 19, 1980 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 109-93 | |
| Mar 21, 1980 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 108-95 | |
| Mar 23, 1980 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 103-95 | |
| Mar 26, 1980 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 84-81 | |
| Mar 27, 1980 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 117-100 | |
| Mar 28, 1980 | @ Washington Bullets | L 100-80 | |
| Mar 30, 1980 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 111-102 |