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Philadelphia 76ers articles

The 1980 Philadelphia 76ers: Done In By A Magic Trick

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The Philadelphia 76ers were a franchise that was now established as a consistent contender. The Sixers were led by Julius (“Dr. J”) Erving, a spectacular small forward, and they reached the NBA Finals in 1977 and were in the mix each of the next two seasons. But Philadelphia never got over the hump—whether it was Bill Walton and the Portland Trail Blazers or the Washington Bullets, the Sixers didn’t reach the throne room. The 1980 Philadelphia 76ers got themselves close to doing that, but were dispatched with a dose of Magic.

The 1983 Philadephia 76ers: Bridesmaids No More

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The 1983 Philadelphia 76ers were hungry for a championship. The Sixers had reached the Finals in 1977, 1980 and 1982 and come up short in six games each time, the last two at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. 1981 was perhaps even more agonizing, because Philly blew a 3-1 series lead to Boston and cost themselves a Finals trip against a mediocre Houston Rockets team and an almost sure championship. That Rockets team had only center Moses Malone. The 76ers had vulnerabilities down low that were consistently exposed each spring. Malone was who the Sixers coveted as the 1982-83 season approached and they swung a deal to get him north.