1977–78 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1977–78 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the eighth season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

1977–78 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coach	Bill Fitch
Arena	Coliseum at Richfield
Results
Record	43–39 (.524)
Place	Division: 3rd (Central) Conference: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East First Round (eliminated 0–2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WJKW
Radio	WWWE
< 1976–77 1978–79 >

Draft picks

Main article: 1977 NBA draft

Roster

1977–78 Cleveland Cavaliers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From PF 52 Brewer, Jim 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Minnesota SG 34 Carr, Austin 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Notre Dame C 22 Chones, Jim 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Marquette PG 11 Frazier, Walt 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Southern Illinois PF 24 Lambert, John 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) USC SF 21 Russell, Campy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Michigan SG 7 Smith, Bingo 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Tulsa C 3 Smith, Elmore 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Kentucky State SG 10 Snyder, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) Davidson PG 14 Walker, Foots 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 184 lb (83 kg) West Georgia

Head coach Bill Fitch Assistant coach(es) Jimmy Rodgers Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Season standings

Central Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-San Antonio Spurs	52	30	.634	–	32–9	20–21	15–5
x-Washington Bullets	44	38	.537	8	29–12	15–26	14–6
x-Cleveland Cavaliers	43	39	.524	9	27–14	16–25	9–11
x-Atlanta Hawks	41	41	.500	11	29–12	12–29	8–12
New Orleans Jazz	39	43	.476	13	27–14	12–29	8–12
Houston Rockets	28	54	.341	24	21-20	7-34	6–14

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Philadelphia 76ers	55	27	.671	–
2	y-San Antonio Spurs	52	30	.634	3
3	x-Washington Bullets	44	38	.537	11
4	x-Cleveland Cavaliers	43	39	.524	12
5	x-New York Knicks	43	39	.524	12
6	x-Atlanta Hawks	41	41	.500	14
7	New Orleans Jazz	39	43	.476	16
8	Boston Celtics	32	50	.390	23
9	Houston Rockets	28	54	.341	27
10	Buffalo Braves	27	55	.329	28
11	New Jersey Nets	24	58	.293	31

Notes

• z, y – division champions
• x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1977–78 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NOJ	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SEA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–1	1–3
Boston	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	1–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–3
Buffalo	1–3	1–3	—	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	0–3	3–1	1–3	1–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3
Chicago	3–1	3–1	1–3	—	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–2	2–2	1–3	3–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–1
Cleveland	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	—	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–2	0–4	0–4	3–1	2–2
Denver	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	—	2–2	2–2	3–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–1	1–3	3–1
Detroit	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	—	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–0	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2
Golden State	3–1	2–2	3–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	—	2–1	3–1	3–1	0–4	2–2	3–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2
Houston	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–3	1–3	1–2	—	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	1–3
Indiana	1–3	1–2	3–1	1–3	1–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	—	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	3–1
Kansas City	1–2	2–2	2–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	2–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	0–4	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–2
Los Angeles	1–3	2–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	—	3–1	4–0	2–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–3	2–2
Milwaukee	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	4–0	4–0	1–3	—	3–1	2–1	3–1	1–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1
New Jersey	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	—	0–4	1–3	0–4	2–2	0–3	0–4	2–2	2–2
New Orleans	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–2	1–2	4–0	—	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–2	0–4
New York	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	4–0	1–3	1–3	3–1	3–1	—	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–1	2–2
Philadelphia	2–2	4–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–1	4–0	2–2	3–1	—	2–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2
Phoenix	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–2	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2
Portland	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	4–0	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	4–0	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–0	2–2	3–1	—	2–2	3–1	2–1
San Antonio	3–1	4–0	3–1	2–2	4–0	1–2	2–1	1–3	3–1	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	4–0	3–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	2–2	2–2
Seattle	1–2	4–0	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–2	—	1–3
Washington	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–2	2–2	3–1	—

Game log

1977–78 game log Total: 43–39 (Home: 27–14; Road: 16–25)
October: 3–3 (home: 1–2; road: 2–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 3 October 22, 1977 @ Atlanta L 101–107 The Omni 7,894 1–2
November: 10–2 (home: 5–0; road: 5–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
December: 5–10 (home: 5–4; road: 0–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 24 December 10, 1977 Atlanta W 102–87 Coliseum at Richfield 6,766 14–10
January: 4–9 (home: 3–3; road: 1–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 42 January 22, 1978 Atlanta W 93–89 Coliseum at Richfield 10,585 21–21
February: 8–7 (home: 5–2; road: 3–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
March: 8–8 (home: 5–3; road: 3–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
April: 5–0 (home: 3–0; road: 2–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 81 April 7, 1978 @ Atlanta W 111–109 The Omni 9,631 42–39
1977–78 schedule

Playoffs

1978 playoff game log
First Round: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 12 New York L 114–132 Campy Russell (23) Elmore Smith (12) Foots Walker (6) Richfield Coliseum 19,739 0–1 2 April 14 @ New York L 107–109 Campy Russell (32) Campy Russell (8) Campy Russell (6) Madison Square Garden 18,965 0–2
1978 schedule

References