1977–78 Indiana Pacers season

The 1977–78 NBA season was Indiana's second season in the National Basketball Association and 11th season as a franchise.^[1]

1977–78 Indiana Pacers season
Head coach	Bobby Leonard
Arena	Market Square Arena
Results
Record	31–51 (.378)
Place	Division: 5th (Midwest) Conference: 10th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WTTV
Radio	WIBC
< 1976–77 1978–79 >

Draft picks

Main article: 1977 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
2	29	Alonzo Bradley	SF	United States	Texas Southern
3	51	Stan Mayhew		United States	Weber State
4	73	George Pendleton		United States	Georgia State
5	95	Marvin Jackson		United States	Prairie View A&M
6	117	Tom Scheffler	C	United States	Purdue

Roster

1977–78 Indiana Pacers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SF 42 Bantom, Mike 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Saint Joseph's PF 1 Behagen, Ron 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Minnesota PF 9 Bennett, Mel 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Pittsburgh SG 30 Carrington, Bob 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Boston College C 40 Edwards, James 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Washington C 41 Elmore, Len 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Maryland PG 44 Flynn, Mike 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Kentucky SF 24 Green, Steve 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Indiana PF 32 Roundfield, Dan 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Central Michigan PG 14 Sobers, Ricky 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 198 lb (90 kg) UNLV SG 43 Tatum, Earl 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Marquette

Head coach Slick Leonard Assistant coach(es) Jerry Oliver Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Denver Nuggets	48	34	.585	–	33–8	15–26	11–9
x-Milwaukee Bucks	44	38	.537	4	28–13	16–25	14–6
Chicago Bulls	40	42	.488	8	29–12	11–30	8–12
Detroit Pistons	38	44	.463	10	24–17	14–27	8–12
Indiana Pacers	31	51	.378	17	21–20	10–31	8–12
Kansas City Kings	31	51	.378	17	22–19	9–32	11–9

#	Western Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Portland Trail Blazers	58	24	.707	–
2	y-Denver Nuggets	48	34	.585	10
3	x-Phoenix Suns	49	33	.598	9
4	x-Seattle SuperSonics	47	35	.573	11
5	x-Los Angeles Lakers	45	37	.549	13
6	x-Milwaukee Bucks	44	38	.537	14
7	Golden State Warriors	43	39	.524	15
8	Chicago Bulls	40	42	.488	18
9	Detroit Pistons	38	44	.463	20
10	Indiana Pacers	31	51	.378	27
11	Kansas City Kings	31	51	.378	27

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

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

Regular season

1977–78 game log Total: 31–51 (Home: 27–14; Road: 17–24)
October: 3–2 (home: 3–1; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 5 October 28, 1977 7:05 p.m. EST Washington W 136–127 Market Square Arena 12,542 3–2
November: 4–11 (home: 2–3; road: 2–8) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
December: 7–4 (home: 5–2; road: 2–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
January: 5–11 (home: 4–3; road: 1–8) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 34 January 6, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST @ Washington L 114–146 Capital Centre 9,215 15–19
February: 3–11 (home: 2–5; road: 1–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record All-Star Break 57 February 17, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST Washington W 123–111 Market Square Arena 10,637 21–36
March: 7–10 (home: 5–4; road: 2–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 69 March 17, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST @ Washington W 105–99 Capital Centre 8,196 27–42
April: 2–2 (home: 0–2; road: 2–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
1977–78 schedule

Player statistics

Ragular season

Player	POS	GP	GS	MP	REB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS	MPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Mike Bantom	SF	82		2,775	610	238	100	50	1,258	33.8	7.4	2.9	1.2	.6	15.3
Ricky Sobers	PG	79		3,019	327	584	170	23	1,436	38.2	4.1	7.4	2.2	.3	18.2
Dan Roundfield	PF	79		2,423	802	196	81	149	1,060	30.7	10.2	2.5	1.0	1.9	13.4
Mike Flynn	PG	71		955	117	142	41	10	295	13.5	1.6	2.0	.6	.1	4.2
Len Elmore	C	69		1,327	420	80	74	71	372	19.2	6.1	1.2	1.1	1.0	5.4
James Edwards†	C	58		1,682	435	56	37	50	892	29.0	7.5	1.0	.6	.9	15.4
Earl Tatum†	SG	57		1,859	205	226	103	30	822	32.6	3.6	4.0	1.8	.5	14.4
Ron Behagen†	PF	51		1,131	333	65	32	19	572	22.2	6.5	1.3	.6	.4	11.2
Steve Green	SF	44		449	71	30	14	2	151	10.2	1.6	.7	.3	.0	3.4
John Williamson†	SG	42		1,449	120	132	47	0	804	34.5	2.9	3.1	1.1	.0	19.1
Bob Carrington†	SG	35		621	62	62	22	11	250	17.7	1.8	1.8	.6	.3	7.1
Mel Bennett	PF	31		285	93	22	11	7	74	9.2	3.0	.7	.4	.2	2.4
Adrian Dantley†	SF	23		948	216	65	48	17	609	41.2	9.4	2.8	2.1	.7	26.5
Dave Robisch†	C	23		598	173	48	20	15	196	26.0	7.5	2.1	.9	.7	8.5
Johnny Neumann	SG	20		216	14	27	6	1	83	10.8	.7	1.4	.3	.1	4.2
Bobby Wilson	SG	12		86	12	8	2	1	30	7.2	1.0	.7	.2	.1	2.5
Willie Smith	PG	1		7	0	1	0	0	0	7.0	.0	1.0	.0	.0	.0

• ^† Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Pacers only.

Awards and records

• Don Buse, NBA All-Defensive First Team

References

1. 1977–78 Indiana Pacers