1978 Washington Bullets: The Unlikely Champions

The Washington Bullets had made two recent trips to the NBA Finals, in 1971 and 1975 respectively. But they hadn’t yet won a title–in fact, they hadn’t even won a game in the Finals, being swept out both times.

The 1978 Washington Bullets weren’t as good as their ’71 and ’75 predecessors during the regular season, but they were better when it counted most, winning the franchise’s first and only NBA crown.

A VETERAN TEAM BUILT FOR THE LONG RUN

Elvin Hayes was the foundation of a balanced and deep lineup. The 32-year-old power forward averaged 20 points/13 rebounds per game. He was ably supported on the boards by 31-year-old Wes Unseld, with his 12 rebounds a game. Mitch Kupchak brought some youth to the interior and the 23-year-old from North Carolina averaged 16/7.

The perimeter and wings were similarly well-balanced, with one core player and supporting pieces not far behind. Bob Dandridge was the core, and the 30-year-old small forward averaged 19 points/6 rebounds/4 assists. Kevin Grevey and Phil Chenier combined for 30 a night and point guard Tom Henderson chipped in 11 points while running the floor show.

FINDING THEIR FOOTING

The Bullets were a little sluggish out of the gate, starting 4-6. Perhaps fittingly, in light of how the season ended, a game with the Seattle SuperSonics got them out of early funk. Washington fell behind by nine points after the first quarter, but their defense tightened and they held the Sonics to 42 percent shooting. Hayes delivered 22 points/14 rebounds and Grevey knocked down 20 more. The Bullets pulled out a 111-109 win that kickstarted a stretch where they won nine of ten games.

Washington continued to play well, save for a brutal five-day trip west where they had to play four games, all against contenders. They lost three times, including an overtime loss in Seattle that took place on the same Sunday in December that the capital’s beloved NFL team, George Allen’s Redskins, lost in the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings.

Over Christmas and the following day, the Bullets swept a home-and-home with the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks, part of concluding the calendar year with three wins in four games.

Washington was 20-13 and had a two-game lead in a competitive Central Division. The San Antonio Spurs, then in the Eastern Conference were on their heels, as were the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And the division title was a much bigger deal in the NBA format of this era than it is today. Six teams per conference made the playoffs. The byes into the conference semifinals went to the two division winners. Moreover, the first round was a best-of-three mini-series. If you wanted to avoid the lightning round, you needed to finish in first place.

BEATING THE BLAZERS

The Bullets stayed steady in the first part of January, winning four of six. The signature moment came on January 13, a home date with Portland. The Trail Blazers, led by Bill Walton, were the defending NBA champs and already running with the best record in the league this season.

Washington used a balanced attack—Hayes was the anchor with 20 points/13 rebounds, but Dandridge went for 22/9, Kupchak 17/11, and Grevey posted a 17/9 line. The Bullets beat the Blazers 102-93.

A WINTER COLLAPSE

But a tailspin followed. The schedule of five straight road games was the lead contributor, but it wasn’t a schedule loaded with contenders. Washington lost all five. Shortly afterward, the Bullets went back on the road and dropped six of seven, including games to the Cavaliers and Spurs.

By the time the trip ended on February 14, Washington was barely above water with a record of 27-26. While still in good position to make the playoffs, the Bullets were 6 ½ back of San Antonio in the Central race.

GETTING RIGHT FOR APRIL

Winning four of seven games in the latter part of February helped stabilize the ship. Washington opened March with a home date against the Spurs. Hayes was aggressive down low, scoring 20 and hauling in 21 rebounds. Unseld attacked the glass for 17 boards of his own and Grevey poured in 29 points. The 125-110 victory started a four-game win streak.

A roller-coaster ride ensued. The Bullets lost four of five, then won four straight. There was a joust for playoff seeding, where Washington, Cleveland and the New York Knicks were in the mix for the 3-4-5 spots. Getting to at least the 4-line meant homecourt advantage in the mini-series, and the 3-seed would get you opposite the potent Philadelphia 76ers and Dr. J in the bracket.

The Bullets were leading the race, but consecutive losses to the Cavs and Knicks to end the month of March closed the gap. Washington hosted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the playoff-bound Los Angeles Lakers in April. Unseld and Hayes dominated Kareem, combining for 48 points/33 rebounds, while holding Jabbar to six points. The Bullets got a 125-119 win and with a final regular season record of 44-38 were able to secure the 3-seed.

MAKING QUICK WORK OF THE HAWKS

Washington played the Atlanta Hawks, who were a young team that came in at 41-41. The Hawks had a good young guard in John Drew, but the Bullets were much deeper and more experienced.

Dandridge led all scorers with 20 points in a 103-94 win to get the series lead and then Grevey exploded for 31 in a 107-103 overtime win that got the Bullets out of the lightning round and into standard best-of-seven play.

STOPPING THE ICEMAN

San Antonio was a 50-win team led by George Gervin. An explosive offensive player, Gervin was known as “The Iceman”. His 27.2 ppg won him a dramatic race for the scoring title. The Spurs got offensive balance from power forward Larry Kenon.

Washington lost the opener, 114-103  when Gervin had a torrid third quarter in But the Bullets stole homecourt advantage in Game 2. Even with Gervin going for 46, Washington was up 17 after three quarters, thanks to 31 from Grevey and 28 from Hayes. San Antonio cut the lead to two down the stretch, but Kupchak scored two huge baskets in the final minute to secure the 121-117 win.

The Bullets came home and controlled Game 3. Dandridge and Hayes combined for 55 points, but the big story was reserve guard Charles Johnson stepping up for 22 points, as Washington led by nineteen after three quarters and won 118-105. It wouldn’t be the last time the unheralded Johnson would play a key role in a key moment this postseason.

Game 4 was tight to the end. Gervin got his 30-plus for the fourth straight game, but the Bullets got their third win, 98-95. Dandridge and Hayes again carried the load. Hayes got two big baskets and blocked a Gervin shot down the stretch to secure the win.

With a 3-1 series lead, the Bullets lost in San Antonion and the came back to D.C. for Game 6. The game was tight. Hayes led the way with 25 points. The difference-maker? Again, it was Charles Johnson who hit 20 points and ensured his team wouldn’t have to go on the road for Game 7, pulling out a 103-101 win.

KNOCKING OUT DR. J

The 76ers were the top seed in the East, the defending conference champs, and hungry. Philadelphia led by the great Julius “Dr. J” Erving, also had Doug Collins who could score in the backcourt, and a productive forward in George McGinnis.

Washington came into the old Philadelphia Spectrum and stole a thrilling Game 1 in overtime. Hayes was dominant, scoring 28 points, hauling in 18 rebounds and blocking six shots. He scored his final nine points in OT, outscoring the entire Sixer team in the extra session of a 122-117 win.

But the win came at a price. Unseld injured his calf. It wasn’t long-term, but he would miss the next three games. Philadelphia responded to win Game 2 and tie the series. Now, could the Bullets hold serve at home in the middle games without a key piece of their frontcourt?

The answer was yes. They jumped out to a big lead in Game 3, going up 17 at the half and turning in a great defensive effort on Erving, who scored just 12 points. Dandridge poured in 30 for the 123-108 win.

In Game 4, it was the fourth quarter when the Bullets took over. Hayes went off for 35/19, while Dandridge had 27, each outscoring Dr. J in a 121-105 win.

Just like the previous round, Washington took a break in the road Game 5, falling behind early and losing 107-94 as Unseld worked his way back into the rotation.

In a thrilling Game 6, Dandridge scored 28, Hayes scored 21, and the defensive effort never really let Dr. J get unleashed. With the score tied 99-99, Unseld came through. He got an offensive board and putback to get the lead with 0:12 left. One last defensive stand preserved the 101-99 win and sent the Bullets into the NBA Finals.

THE FINALS NO ONE REMEMBERS

The West—and the entire NBA—had been thrown into chaos when Bill Walton injured his foot at the end of February, tried to return for the playoffs and then re-injured it. Portland, even while still holding the league’s best record, wasn’t the same team.

The door was open and Seattle, with a 47-35 record, came walking through it from the 4-seed spot. They beat the Blazers in the conference semis, then knocked off the Denver Nuggets and the electric David Thompson in the conference finals.

Seattle did it with a balanced lineup. They had seven players who averaged between 11-18ppg. The backcourt of Gus Williams and Fred Brown led the way, but the Sonics also had a solid front line with Marvin Webster and rookie Jack Sikma. And they had a rising star at guard in 23-year-old Dennis Johnson.

The Sonics winning the West also created some logistical problems for the NBA. The Seattle Center Coliseum was booked for a trade show when Game 2 was scheduled. While the newly built Kingdome was an option, there was a conflict with baseball’s Mariners, who were playing at home.

Some scheduling creativity was used. Seattle would host Game 1 as scheduled. Then the series would go to Washington for Game 2 & 3. The Sonics would host Games 4 & 5 and the alternation would continue for Game 6, and then a potential Game 7.

It’s illustrative of where the NBA was in these years prior to the arrival of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. A Finals home game could be bumped by regular season baseball and a trade show. To say nothing of the fact that games were already televised on tape-delay in most of the country.

As a result, one of the better NBA Finals played over the last 50 years can be easily overlooked.

Washington took an early lead in Game 1, ahead by eleven points after a quarter. But the lead was gradually knocked down and the Bullets ultimately lost 106-102.

In Game 2 back home, Dandridge went off for 34, Hayes had 25, Unseld had 15 rebounds and the Bullets tied the series with a 106-98 win. But they dropped Game 3 in spite of 29 from Hayes. Trailing 93-92, Dandridge got a look at the buzzer to win it, but the shot missed. Washington now trailed the series 2-1.

The Bullets trailed Game 4 by fifteen late in the third quarter. The odds of even returning to D.C. for Game 6, much less winning the championship, were starting to look faint. But Dandridge was on his way to 23 points. He led a rally that included a huge three-point shot down the stretch that forced overtime. And Charles Johnson came through again, scoring six in the extra session and tying the series with a 120-116 win.

Even so, the Bullets still needed at least one win on the road and it didn’t happen in Game 5. They dug themselves a hole in the second quarter and poor free throw shooting hindered efforts to comeback. They lost 98-94.

Game 6 began with a mostly even first quarter and then Washington took over. Hayes led all scorers with 21 and Washington rolled to a 117-82 rout. We were headed to a Game 7 in Seattle.

In the decisive game, the Bullets played outstanding defense on Dennis Johnson, forcing him into an 0-for-14 night and they led by 13 points after three quarters. But Hayes was having a tough night and would foul out with just 12 points. Seattle came back and cut the lead to 101-99.

Unseld was coming through on the glass, as he did all series long, and now he had to come through on the foul line. Not a good free throw shooter by nature, Unseld hit consecutive foul shots with all the money on the table. The Bullets hung on 105-99.

They had won a road Game 7 in the NBA Finals. It’s something that’s happened only one time since, when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving did it with Cleveland against Golden State in 2016.

Unseld was named the 1978 NBA Finals MVP. Acknowleding his clutch free throws and strong rebounding, this seems to be pushing the point. He averaged nine points per game. Dandridge knocked down 20ppg and had some clutch moments. And the best choice of all would have been Hayes, and his 21/12 average for the series.

But quibbling over individual hardware aside, the Washington Bullets were finally champs.