1977 Philadelphia 76ers: The Dr. J Era Begins
1977 was a new era for the NBA, as the league merged with the American Basketball Association (ABA), brought in four new franchises and effectively began to undertake its modern form. But it was one of the league’s traditional teams—the Philadelphia 76ers—who benefitted the most from the merger. Julius “Dr. J” Erving had been the ABA’s signature star. He landed in Philadelphia for 1977 and ushered in a glory era of 76ers basketball.
Dr. J came at the right time. After winning the NBA championship in 1967, Philadelphia started to decline, including a horrific nine-win season in 1973. Gene Shue was brought in as head coach to begin the rebuilding process. By 1976, they returned to the playoffs. The arrival of Erving lifted Philadelphia back into legitimate title contention.
A CORE THAT COULD CONTEND
Erving averaged 22 points/9 rebounds/4 assists per game, But the entertaining, high-flying small forward was far from alone. Doug Collins ran at the two-guard spot and he hit for an 18/4/5 line. George McGinnis occupied the low post and powered his way for 21 points/12 rebounds a night.
Surrounding this core trio, was Henry Bibby at the point. Lloyd Free (later to change his name to World B. Free) knocked down 16ppg. Steve Mix added some scoring and rebounding to the front line.
Philadelphia was balanced, they were deep, and they were ready to make a run at the top.
FINDING THEIR STRIDE
The 76ers muddled out of the gate and split their first four games, although that did include a win over Houston. The Rockets were not only a contender, they were also in the Eastern Conference until 1981.
Philadelphia started to click when they won six of seven. This streak was capped on the night before Thanksgiving when they hosted the Boston Celtics. The Celts were not only the 76ers’ ancient rival, they were the defending NBA champion. Philly attacked the glass, with McGinnis leading the way to a decisive rebounding edge and they won 116-102.
After briefly stepping back by losing four of six, Philadelphia responded by winning three straight, the highlight of which was nipping Bill Walton’s Portland 108-107 at home. The calendar year came to an end with a six-game road trip. While the 76ers lost to contenders from Denver, San Antonio, and Houston, they still managed to split the trip.
Philadelphia headed into the New Year with a record 19-14. In a balanced league, it was enough to have them a game ahead of Boston and the New York Knicks for the Atlantic Division title. This was an era when the playoff structure called for each conference’s two division champions to get byes into the conference semifinals, so this was a race that shaped the regular season much more so than today.
TAKING CONTROL OF THE ATLANTIC
The 76ers came back home and ripped off nine wins in ten games, a stretch that was capped with a two-game sweep of the Celtics. In a Saturday home game, Philly got 36 from Free and edged Boston 109-104. On Sunday up in New England, the Sixers brought their defense, held the Celts to 36 percent shooting, and won 91-83.
By the end of January, they were 29-17 and had effectively blown open the Atlantic Division race with a 7 ½ game lead on Boston. The Sixers had a three-game cushion on the Rockets for the top seed in the East and were within striking distance of the three Western powers—Denver, Portland the L.A. Lakers—for the best record overall.
THE TOP SEED IN THE EAST
Philadelphia muddled through February at 7-5, splitting a pair with the Lakers. The up-and-down trip through the schedule’s Dog Days continued into mid-March, although it never jeopardized Philly’s control of the Atlantic Division.
As the playoffs came into sight, the 76ers heated up. A 10-2 surge was keynoted by home wins over Houston, Portland, and playoff-bound Detroit. While the Sixers lost four of the last six, they had the top seed in the East in hand and trailed only the Lakers overall. With a final record of 50-32, it was time for the postseason.
A BATTLE WITH BOSTON
If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. And while the Celtics, at 44-38, might not have been the best in 1977, they were still the defending champs and won two of the previous three NBA titles. Boston still had the legendary John Havlicek at small forward, 36-years-old, but still dropping 18ppg. They had Dave Cowens at center, a skilled point guard in JoJo White, and were deep.
That the 76ers had a battle on their hands became apparent in Game 1. While Dr. J dropped 36 points in his NBA postseason debut, and Collins added 27, the Celtics had more balance. While Philadelphia led by eight after three quarters, they didn’t execute down the stretch and dropped a 113-111 heartbreaker.
Desperation often manifests itself in defensive effort, and Philly held Boston to 41 percent shooting in Game 2. Erving scored 30, while McGinnis hauled in 13 rebounds. The 76ers jumped out to a 12-point lead after the first quarter and this time they held serve the rest of the way, closing a 113-101 win that evened the series.
They still needed to get a win at the old Boston Garden, and aggressive rebounding helped them do just that in Game 3. Philly outrebounded Boston 48-33, with fifteen boards apiece for McGinnis and backup center Caldwell Jones. A 109-100 win restored homecourt advantage to the 76ers.
Philadelphia’s intensity dimmed just enough in Game 4, as they allowed the Celts to shoot 52 percent from the floor and dug themselves an early hole, losing 124-119. The series was tied at two games apiece heading back to Philly.
The 76ers played a complete game in front of the home crowd in Game 5. They played tough defense, limiting the Celts to 40 percent shooting. Erving and Collins got help from Mix, and this trio combined to score 65 points on 29/46 shooting. Philadelphia was up 18 by the half and cruised to a 110-91 win.
Strong defense stayed with them on the trip back to Boston for Game 6, but the rebounding intensity waned, as the Sixers lost the board battle by a decisive 55-38. That led to a 113-108 loss that forced a Game 7.
At the end of a hard-fought battle between two rivals, perhaps it’s not surprising that the seventh game in Philly turned into a defensive slugfest. Both teams shot in the low 30s percentage-wise from the floor. The 76ers were outrebounded by a decisive 65-53 and Dr. J and Collins both struggled.
But they made it up for it by forcing 27 turnovers. Free picked up the scoring slack, and Boston’s stars fared no better. It was all enough for the 76ers to grind out an 83-77 win. It wasn’t pretty, but no one in Philadelphia cared. They were going to the Eastern Conference Finals.
TURNING BACK HOUSTON
Houston had won 49 games. They had a tough front line anchored by a center who would one day become a Philadelphia hero—21-year-old Moses Malone. The Rockets’ best player was forward Rudy Tomjanovich, and they had a skilled backcourt with Calvin Murphy and John Lucas.
Both teams shot the ball well in the series opener, but the 76ers were the hotter team. They hit 59 percent from the floor compared to Houston’s 52 percent. Dr. J particularly sizzled, hitting 10 of 13, en route to 24 points. Collins went for a 23/6/8 line, McGinnis added 21 points/13 rebounds, and the Sixers got a comfortable 128-117 win.
They held serve at home in Game 2. While Erving’s shooting cooled, the Doctor made up for with his passing, handed out ten assists. Collins and McGinnis each had 20-plus points and Philadelphia churned out a 106-97 win.
Both of their home victories had been marked by bolting to quick double-digit leads. The trend reversed itself when the venue changed to Houston. The 76ers fell behind by 13 points after a quarter, and were mauled on the boards, losing rebounding 59-34. They lost 118-94.
Game 4 was tight for three quarters, and the Philadelphia stars were playing well. Dr. J scored 29. Collins poured in 36. Defensively, the 76ers forced Moses into a 1-for-8 night. They were able to pull away in the fourth quarter. A 107-95 win gave Philly a 3-1 series lead with two games still remaining at home. They were in control.
Erving and Collins continued to play well in Game 5, scoring 37 and 26, respectively. The 76ers led by five after three quarters and were on the brink of closing it out. But they were being beaten on the boards, and the Rockets were getting more balanced contributions. That showed up in the fourth quarter and Philadelphia lost 118-115.
They still had a home Game 7 in their back pocket if need be, but after the 3-1 series lead, who wanted to risk that? Philadelphia went down to Houston and played well, shooting 55 percent from the floor. Collins scored 27. Dr. J was exquisite, with a 34/9/6 line. And they got contributions off the bench from 20-year-old Darryl Dawkins, who scored 20 and grabbed seven boards.
Houston didn’t go away easily, hanging with the Philly on the glass and creating some turnover problems. But on the road, the 76ers got a 112-109 win. They were going to the NBA Finals.
THE FINALS GET AWAY
Portland was the last obstacle. The Trail Blazers were anchored by Bill Walton at center, had an enforcer at power forward in Maurice Lucas and a quality third piece in Lionel Hollins. They were balanced, well-coached and had knocked off both the Nuggets and Lakers to get here.
Philadelphia still came into the series as a solid favorite and they held homecourt advantage. For two games, the oddsmakers looked prescient. Erving and Collins went off in Game 1, the Sixers played great defense in Game 2, and they had a 2-0 series lead.
But when they went west, it all came apart, particularly on the defensive end. They lost Games 3 & 4 by a combined 54 points. Back home in Game 5, they were run off the floor in the third quarter. Not only was the defense struggling, so was the rebounding. The 76ers were outrebounded by an average of eight boards per game throughout the series. They played competitively in Game 6 but lost a 109-107 decision. The championship bid was over.
THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA
The dramatic reversal of fortune in the Finals stung, but there could be no question of the season’s overall success. Philadelphia had arrived as a contender, and they would continue to be one of the league’s elite teams for the next several years. They went back to the NBA Finals in 1980 and 1982. And in 1983, fortified by Malone, they took the final step and won it all.