1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers season

NBA champions

Conference champions

Head coach| Jack Ramsay
General manager| Harry Glickman
Owner(s)| Larry Weinberg
Arena| Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record| 49-33 (.598)
Place| Division: 2nd (Pacific)
Conference: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finish| NBA champions
(defeated 76ers 4–2)

* * *

Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television| KOIN
Radio| KYTE
| < 1975–76  | 1977–78 >

|

The 1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers season was the Portland Trail Blazers' seventh season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The revamped Trail Blazers had an exceptional start, winning 22 of their first 31 games. The team won their last 5 games to post a record of 49–33.[1] The Trail Blazers reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and proceeded to stampede through the postseason. By the time the Blazers had made it to the 1977 NBA Finals, the city of Portland was truly in the grips of "Blazermania".[1] After losing the first two games of the championship series at Philadelphia, the Trail Blazers won four in a row to bring the trophy to Portland. The championship capped the team's first winning season. The Blazers had a remarkable 45–6 record at home, which included a perfect 10–0 mark in the playoffs.[2]

As of 2024[update], this remains the only NBA championship in Blazers franchise history, though they made NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992, losing to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively.

## Offseason

[edit]

Wally Walker was the fifth overall pick in the 1976 NBA draft.

### NBA draft

[edit]

Main article: 1976 NBA draft

Note: This is not a complete list; only the first three rounds are covered, as well as any other picks by the franchise who played at least one NBA game.

Round  | Pick  | Player  | Position  | Nationality  | School/Club Team

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 5  | Wally Walker | F  |  United States  | Virginia
2  | 20  | Major Jones | F  |  United States  | Albany State
2  | 22  | Johnny Davis | G  |  United States  | University of Dayton
3  | 39  | Jeff Tyson | F  |  United States  | Western Michigan University

### ABA Dispersal Draft

[edit]

| = All-Star

|

| = Hall of Fame

The American Basketball Association joined the NBA with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. Of the teams remaining in the ABA, four joined the NBA. The two teams, the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, which folded had their players assigned to a dispersal draft for draft purposes.

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | NBA Team  | ABA Team  | Purchase Price

|
|
|
|
|

2  | Maurice Lucas (PF)  |  United States  | Portland Trail Blazers | Kentucky Colonels | $300,000
5  | Moses Malone (C)  |  United States  | Portland Trail Blazers | Spirits of St. Louis | $350,000

The Trail Blazers would also acquire point guard Dave Twardzik from the defunct Virginia Squires ABA team as well following the end of the dispersal draft once they entered free agency.

## Roster

[edit]

1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers roster Players  | Coaches

|

| Pos. | No. | Player  | Height  | Weight  | DOB | From

|
|
|
|
|
|

SF | 10 | Corky Calhoun | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)  | 210 lb (95 kg)  |  | Penn
G | 16 | Johnny Davis | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)  | 170 lb (77 kg)  |  | Dayton
G | 3 | Herm Gilliam | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)  | 190 lb (86 kg)  |  | Purdue
SF | 30 | Bob Gross | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)  | 200 lb (91 kg)  |  | Long Beach State
G | 14 | Lionel Hollins | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)  | 185 lb (84 kg)  |  | Arizona State
C | 34 | Robin Jones | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)  | 225 lb (102 kg)  |  | Saint Louis
PF | 20 | Maurice Lucas | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)  | 215 lb (98 kg)  |  | Marquette
F/C | 36 | Lloyd Neal | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)  | 225 lb (102 kg)  |  | Tennessee State
G/F | 15 | Larry Steele | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)  | 180 lb (82 kg)  |  | Kentucky
PG | 13 | Dave Twardzik | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)  | 175 lb (79 kg)  |  | Old Dominion
SF | 42 | Wally Walker | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)  | 190 lb (86 kg)  |  | Virginia
C | 32 | Bill Walton | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)  | 210 lb (95 kg)  |  | UCLA

Head coach

* Jack Ramsay

* * *

Legend

* (DP) Unsigned draft pick
* (FA) Free agent
* (S) Suspended
* Injured

## Regular season

[edit]

The Trail Blazers played their home games at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Just months earlier, the American Basketball Association had ended its ninth and last campaign and the two leagues combined. Despite the changes, it would become the season of Bill Walton and the Portland Trail Blazers. Walton's college performance led to predictions that Walton would be pro basketball's next great player. Yet those dreams went largely unfulfilled because of a series of foot injuries that hampered him. But in the 1977 playoffs, a healthy Walton and his teammates found a chemistry that enabled them to beat one of the most talented pro teams ever assembled.[3] For Walton, it wasn't a question of wanting to play but of being able to. Injuries repeatedly interrupted his progress as a pro player. On the court, when he was healthy, he was a key contributor. He missed 17 games over the 1976–77 season; the Blazers lost 12 of them. With Walton in the lineup, the Blazers were 44–21, and their .677 winning percentage during those games was the best in the league.[3] The dispersal of ABA players had been particularly beneficial to the Blazers. Maurice Lucas was simply the most dominating power forward in the game, and his arrival only boosted Walton's effectiveness in the frontcourt. Lucas led the team in scoring at 20.2 points per game and averaged better than 11 rebounds. Coming over with Lucas from the ABA was lead guard Dave Twardzik. He had four pro seasons with the Virginia Squires of the ABA and was a starter in Ramsay's system. Another key contributor was Lionel Hollins, a second-year player out of Arizona State who averaged nearly 15 points per game.[3]

The Blazers set a team record on November 2, 1976, when they scored 45 points in the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in their 129–116 win.[4]

### Season standings

[edit]

Pacific Division

* v
* t
* e

|  W  |  L  |  PCT  |  GB  |  Home  |  Road  |  Div

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

y-Los Angeles Lakers | 53 | 29 | .646 | – | 37–4 | 16–25 | 11–5
x-Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 4 | 35–6 | 14–27 | 10–6
x-Golden State Warriors | 46 | 36 | .561 | 7 | 29–12 | 17–24 | 8–8
Seattle SuperSonics | 40 | 42 | .488 | 13 | 27–14 | 13–28 | 6–10
Phoenix Suns | 34 | 48 | .415 | 19 | 26–15 | 8–33 | 5–11
#  |

Western Conference

* v
* t
* e

|

Team  |  W  |  L  |  PCT  |  GB
1  | z-Los Angeles Lakers | 53 | 29 | .646 | –
2  | y-Denver Nuggets | 50 | 32 | .610 | 3
3  | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 4
4  | x-Golden State Warriors | 46 | 36 | .561 | 7
5  | x-Detroit Pistons | 44 | 38 | .537 | 9
6  | x-Chicago Bulls | 44 | 38 | .537 | 9
7  | Kansas City Kings | 40 | 42 | .488 | 13
8  | Seattle SuperSonics | 40 | 42 | .488 | 13
9  | Indiana Pacers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 17
10  | Phoenix Suns | 34 | 48 | .415 | 19
11  | Milwaukee Bucks | 30 | 52 | .366 | 23

z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

[edit]

1976–77 NBA records

Team  | ATL  | BOS  | BUF  | CHI  | CLE  | DEN  | DET  | GSW  | HOU  | IND  | KCK  | LAL  | MIL  | NOJ  | NYK  | NYN  | PHI  | PHO  | POR  | SAS  | SEA  | WAS
Atlanta | – | 0–4 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 1–3
Boston | 4–0 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 0–4
Buffalo | 0–4 | 1–3 | – | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–4
Chicago | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | – | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2
Cleveland | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3
Denver | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 2–2
Detroit | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3
Golden State | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | – | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1
Houston | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | – | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1
Indiana | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4
Kansas City | 2–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | – | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2
Los Angeles | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | – | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0
Milwaukee | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | – | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3
New Orleans | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2
N.Y. Knicks | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–2
N.Y. Nets | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | – | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3
Philadelphia | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | – | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1
Phoenix | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | – | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–3
Portland  | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | – | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–2
San Antonio | 0–4 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | – | 3–1 | 2–2
Seattle | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | – | 3–1
Washington | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | —

### Season schedule

[edit]

Date  | Opponent  | Score  | Result  | Record  | Streak  | Scoring Leader

|
|
|
|
|
|

October 23, 1976  | New York Nets  | 114–104  | Win  | 1–0  | Won 1  | Lucas 24
October 26, 1976  | Golden State Warriors  | 110–96  | Win  | 2–0  | Won 2  | Walton 21
October 28, 1976  | at Golden State Warriors  | 92–112  | Loss  | 2–1  | Lost 1  | Walton 21
October 30, 1976  | Detroit Pistons  | 131–97  | Win  | 3–1  | Won 1  | Lucas 24
November 2, 1976  | Atlanta Hawks  | 129–116  | Win  | 4–1  | Won 2  | Walton 22
November 5, 1976  | Philadelphia 76ers  | 146–104  | Win  | 5–1  | Won 3  | Walton 26
November 7, 1976  | New York Knicks  | 119–93  | Win  | 6–1  | Won 4  | Gross 22
November 9, 1976  | Kansas City Kings  | 119–102  | Win  | 7–1  | Won 5  | Hollins 22
November 11, 1976  | at Atlanta Hawks  | 105–107  | Loss  | 7–2  | Lost 1  | Walton 28
November 13, 1976  | at San Antonio Spurs  | 101–113  | Loss  | 7–3  | Lost 2  | Walton 18
November 16, 1976  | at New Orleans Jazz  | 98–100  | Loss  | 7–4  | Lost 3  | Walton 21
November 19, 1976  | Milwaukee Bucks  | 124–111  | Win  | 8–4  | Won 1  | Walton 27
November 21, 1976  | Buffalo Braves  | 121–98  | Win  | 9–4  | Won 2  | Twardzik 19
November 24, 1976  | Chicago Bulls  | 117–115 (OT)  | Win  | 10–4  | Won 3  | Lucas 25
November 26, 1976  | at Los Angeles Lakers  | 96–99  | Loss  | 10–5  | Lost 1  | Walton 26
November 27, 1976  | Washington Bullets  | 103–95  | Win  | 11–5  | Won 1  | Lucas 30
November 28, 1976  | Indiana Pacers  | 145–115  | Win  | 12–5  | Won 2  | Lucas 25
November 30, 1976  | at Milwaukee Bucks  | 106–115  | Loss  | 12–6  | Lost 1  | Walton 26
December 1, 1976  | at Indiana Pacers  | 101–100  | Win  | 13–6  | Won 1  | Lucas 23
December 3, 1976  | at Phoenix Suns  | 113–99  | Win  | 14–6  | Won 2  | Walton 24
December 4, 1976  | Milwaukee Bucks  | 112–108  | Win  | 15–6  | Won 3  | Walton 25
December 5, 1976  | Cleveland Cavaliers  | 93–89  | Win  | 16–6  | Won 4  | Lucas 22
December 7, 1976  | at New York Knicks  | 111–94  | Win  | 17–6  | Won 5  | Lucas 22
December 8, 1976  | at Boston Celtics  | 95–104  | Loss  | 17–7  | Lost 1  | Lucas 25
December 10, 1976  | at Buffalo Braves  | 103–102  | Win  | 18–7  | Won 1  | Walton 18
December 11, 1976  | at Philadelphia 76ers  | 107–108  | Loss  | 18–8  | Lost 1  | Walton 30
December 14, 1976  | Houston Rockets  | 104–84  | Win  | 19–8  | Won 1  | Gross 22
December 17, 1976  | Denver Nuggets  | 127–105  | Win  | 20–8  | Won 2  | Walton 22
December 18, 1976  | Los Angeles Lakers  | 111–115 (OT)  | Loss  | 20–9  | Lost 1  | Walton 28
December 21, 1976  | Kansas City Kings  | 99–94  | Win  | 21–9  | Won 1  | Walton 24
December 25, 1976  | Seattle SuperSonics  | 110–95  | Win  | 22–9  | Won 2  | Walton 26
December 26, 1976  | at Seattle SuperSonics  | 87–89  | Loss  | 22–10  | Lost 1  | Walton 26
December 28, 1976  | at Chicago Bulls  | 84–79  | Win  | 23–10  | Won 1  | Walton 29
December 29, 1976  | at Detroit Pistons  | 111–120  | Loss  | 23–11  | Lost 1  | Hollins 20
December 30, 1976  | at Milwaukee Bucks  | 107–127  | Loss  | 23–12  | Lost 2  | Davis 20
January 1, 1977  | Chicago Bulls  | 89–82  | Win  | 24–12  | Won 1  | Neal 20
January 2, 1977  | at Los Angeles Lakers  | 99–104  | Loss  | 24–13  | Lost 1  | Lucas 31
January 4, 1977  | Boston Celtics  | 128–84  | Win  | 25–13  | Won 1  | Hollins 21
January 7, 1977  | New Orleans Jazz  | 130–118  | Win  | 26–13  | Won 2  | Lucas, Davis 19
January 9, 1977  | San Antonio Spurs  | 150–113  | Win  | 27–13  | Won 3  | Twardzik 22
January 11, 1977  | New York Knicks  | 131–111  | Win  | 28–13  | Won 4  | Lucas 36
January 14, 1977  | at Boston Celtics  | 107–92  | Win  | 29–13  | Won 5  | Walton, Gross 16
January 15, 1977  | at Washington Bullets  | 107–113  | Loss  | 29–14  | Lost 1  | Walton 18
January 16, 1977  | at Atlanta Hawks  | 120–125  | Loss  | 29–15  | Lost 2  | Steele 28
January 18, 1977  | at New York Nets  | 109–94  | Win  | 30–15  | Won 1  | Lucas 21
January 20, 1977  | at Cleveland Cavaliers  | 99–91  | Win  | 31–15  | Won 2  | Lucas 32
January 22, 1977  | at Houston Rockets  | 107–110  | Loss  | 31–16  | Lost 1  | Lucas 22
January 23, 1977  | at San Antonio Spurs  | 118–123  | Loss  | 31–17  | Lost 2  | Walton 28
January 26, 1977  | at Denver Nuggets  | 107–102  | Win  | 32–17  | Won 1  | Lucas 22
January 27, 1977  | San Antonio Spurs  | 112–104  | Win  | 33–17  | Won 2  | Lucas 23
January 30, 1977  | Phoenix Suns  | 97–91  | Win  | 34–17  | Won 3  | Lucas 21
February 2, 1977  | at Kansas City Kings  | 107–119  | Loss  | 34–18  | Lost 1  | Lucas 24
February 3, 1977  | at Indiana Pacers  | 107–98  | Win  | 35–18  | Won 1  | Lucas 35
February 5, 1977  | Washington Bullets  | 104–116  | Loss  | 35–19  | Lost 1  | Lucas 21
February 8, 1977  | Denver Nuggets  | 111–119  | Loss  | 35–20  | Lost 2  | Hollins 28
February 11, 1977  | Atlanta Hawks  | 108–121  | Loss  | 35–21  | Lost 3  | Lucas 41
February 15, 1977  | at Cleveland Cavaliers  | 96–117  | Loss  | 35–22  | Lost 4  | Lucas 25
February 16, 1977  | at Detroit Pistons  | 118–125  | Loss  | 35–23  | Lost 5  | Lucas 25
February 18, 1977  | at Chicago Bulls  | 90–87  | Win  | 36–23  | Won 1  | Lucas 23
February 19, 1977  | at Denver Nuggets  | 124–133  | Loss  | 36–24  | Lost 1  | Lucas 35
February 22, 1977  | Boston Celtics  | 113–111  | Win  | 37–24  | Won 1  | Hollins 43
February 25, 1977  | Houston Rockets  | 106–123  | Loss  | 37–25  | Lost 1  | Lucas 27
March 1, 1977  | Philadelphia 76ers  | 108–107  | Win  | 38–25  | Won 1  | Lucas 34
March 4, 1977  | Cleveland Cavaliers  | 101–113  | Loss  | 38–26  | Lost 1  | Gross 17
March 5, 1977  | Seattle SuperSonics  | 134–104  | Win  | 39–26  | Won 1  | Twardzik 28
March 8, 1977  | at Buffalo Braves  | 95–102  | Loss  | 39–27  | Lost 1  | Lucas 26
March 10, 1977  | at New York Knicks  | 104–108  | Loss  | 39–28  | Lost 2  | Lucas 29
March 11, 1977  | at Kansas City Kings  | 112–114  | Loss  | 39–29  | Lost 3  | Lucas, Hollins 26
March 15, 1977  | New Orleans Jazz  | 131–104  | Win  | 40–29  | Won 1  | Hollins 22
March 17, 1977  | at Golden State Warriors  | 115–106  | Win  | 41–29  | Won 2  | Steele 27
March 18, 1977  | Indiana Pacers  | 134–110  | Win  | 42–29  | Won 3  | Hollins 28
March 20, 1977  | at Phoenix Suns  | 106–126  | Loss  | 42–30  | Lost 1  | Lucas, Walton 16
March 22, 1977  | at New Orleans Jazz  | 95–106  | Loss  | 42–31  | Lost 2  | Lucas 29
March 23, 1977  | at Houston Rockets  | 104–109  | Loss  | 42–32  | Lost 3  | Walton 26
March 25, 1977  | at New York Nets  | 131–103  | Win  | 43–32  | Won 1  | Lucas 22
March 27, 1977  | at Philadelphia 76ers  | 116–128  | Loss  | 43–33  | Lost 1  | Lucas 30
March 29, 1977  | Buffalo Braves  | 127–101  | Win  | 44–33  | Won 1  | Hollins 26
April 1, 1977  | Golden State Warriors  | 109–98  | Win  | 45–33  | Won 2  | Walton 30
April 3, 1977  | at Seattle SuperSonics  | 119–104  | Win  | 46–33  | Won 3  | Walton 26
April 5, 1977  | Detroit Pistons  | 110–105  | Win  | 47–33  | Won 4  | Neal 18
April 9, 1977  | Phoenix Suns  | 122–111  | Win  | 48–33  | Won 5  | Walton, Gilliam 18
April 10, 1977  | Los Angeles Lakers  | 145–116  | Win  | 49–33  | Won 6  | Hollins 27

[5]

## Playoffs

[edit]

1977 playoff game log

First round: 2–1 (home: 2–0; road: 0–1)

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location
Attendance | Series

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | April 12  | Chicago | W 96–83 | Maurice Lucas (29)  | Bill Walton (9)  | Bill Walton (6)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,774  | 1–0
2  | April 15  | @ Chicago | L 104–107 | Bill Walton (24)  | Bill Walton (17)  | Bob Gross (7)  | Chicago Stadium
20,000  | 1–1
3  | April 17  | Chicago | W 106–98 | Bob Gross (26)  | Bill Walton (11)  | Lionel Hollins (9)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,520  | 2–1

Conference Semi-finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location
Attendance | Series

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | April 20  | @ Denver | W 101–100 | Maurice Lucas (23)  | Maurice Lucas (13)  | Bill Walton (6)  | McNichols Sports Arena
17,995  | 1–0
2  | April 23  | @ Denver | L 110–121 | Maurice Lucas (29)  | Bill Walton (16)  | Bill Walton (10)  | McNichols Sports Arena
17,975  | 1–1
3  | April 24  | Denver | W 110–106 | Bill Walton (26)  | Bill Walton (13)  | Walton, Twardzik (5)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,736  | 2–1
4  | April 26  | Denver | W 105–96 | Bob Gross (25)  | Bill Walton (11)  | Bob Gross (6)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,930  | 3–1
5  | May 1  | @ Denver | L 105–114 (OT) | Lionel Hollins (19)  | Walton, Gross (14)  | Hollins, Gross (7)  | McNichols Sports Arena
17,517  | 3–2
6  | May 2  | Denver | W 108–92 | Johnny Davis (25)  | Bill Walton (12)  | Bill Walton (9)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,924  | 4–2

Conference Finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location
Attendance | Series

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | May 6  | @ Los Angeles | W 121–109 | Maurice Lucas (28)  | Maurice Lucas (15)  | three players tied (6)  | The Forum
16,975  | 1–0
2  | May 8  | @ Los Angeles | W 99–97 | Lionel Hollins (31)  | Bill Walton (17)  | Lionel Hollins (9)  | The Forum
15,192  | 2–0
3  | May 10  | Los Angeles | W 102–97 | Walton, Lucas (22)  | Bill Walton (15)  | Bill Walton (9)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,926  | 3–0
4  | May 13  | Los Angeles | W 105–101 | Maurice Lucas (26)  | Bill Walton (14)  | Walton, Gross (6)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,904  | 4–0

NBA Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location
Attendance | Series

|
|
|
|
|
|
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1  | May 22  | @ Philadelphia | L 101–107 | Bill Walton (28)  | Bill Walton (20)  | Hollins, Davis (6)  | Spectrum
18,276  | 0–1
2  | May 26  | @ Philadelphia | L 89–107 | Bill Walton (17)  | Bill Walton (16)  | Bob Gross (4)  | Spectrum
18,276  | 0–2
3  | May 29  | Philadelphia | W 129–107 | Maurice Lucas (27)  | Bill Walton (18)  | Bill Walton (9)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,923  | 1–2
4  | May 31  | Philadelphia | W 130–98 | Lionel Hollins (25)  | Bill Walton (13)  | Bill Walton (7)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,913  | 2–2
5  | June 3  | @ Philadelphia | W 110–104 | Bob Gross (25)  | Bill Walton (24)  | Johnny Davis (8)  | Spectrum
18,276  | 3–2
6  | June 5  | Philadelphia | W 109–107 | Hollins, Walton (20)  | Bob Gross (23)  | Bill Walton (7)  | Memorial Coliseum
12,951  | 4–2

1977 schedule
In his first season as head coach, Jack Ramsay led the Trail Blazers to their first playoff berth.

## NBA Finals

[edit]

Bill Walton was the MVP for the 1977 NBA Finals.

The Finals opened in the Spectrum on Sunday, May 22. The 76ers seemed unbeatable after the first two games. Julius Erving opened Game 1 with a stupendous dunk off the opening tip. He finished with 33 points and Doug Collins had 30 as Philadelphia won 107–101. The Blazers were rattled enough to commit 34 turnovers. Walton finished with 28 points and 20 rebounds.[3]

In Game 2 four nights later, the Sixers won handily, 107–89. Caldwell Jones and Darryl Dawkins handled Walton easily, while the Sixers dominated in the second quarter, scoring 14 points in one three-minute stretch on their way to a 61–43 halftime lead. The game became very physical with about five minutes left. First, Portland's Lloyd Neal and George McGinnis squared off, followed by Lucas and Erving trading elbows. Then, Dawkins & Gross got into some extracurricular activity battling for a rebound. Dawkins punched Gross, then Lucas punched Dawkins, resulting in a bench clearing brawl.[3]

In Game 3, played on Sunday, May 29, Lucas strode directly to the Philadelphia bench, then startled everybody, including Dawkins, by sticking out his hand for a shake. The Blazers had a high scoring attack to win the game. Lucas contributed 27 points and 12 rebounds. Walton had nine assists, 20 points, and 18 rebounds. Twardzik, too, had returned to speed, driving the Portland offense along to a 42-point fourth quarter. They won 129–107, closing the series gap to 2–1.[3]

In Game 4, Portland opened up a quick 17-point lead, then cruised to a 130–98 win despite Walton being sent to the bench with five fouls in the third. With a little more than eight minutes left in Game 5, Portland led 91–69 and the crowd was headed home. Erving rallied the Sixers to make it respectable at the end, 110–104. He had managed 37 points in the game. Gross scored 25 points to lead the Blazers, while Lucas had 20 with 13 rebounds. Walton finished with 24 rebounds and 14 points.[3]

In the sixth and deciding game, Portland was up by 12 with half of the fourth quarter left when Erving led his teammates on one final run. At the four-minute mark, the lead was cut to four, 102–98. McGinnis hit a jumper, and the lead was only two points with 18 seconds left. The Sixers needed a turnover, and they finally got it from McGinnis, who was able to force a jump ball with Gross. With eight seconds remaining, Erving put up a jumper in the lane but missed. Free got the ball and lofted a baseline shot and missed too. With a second left, McGinnis tried to force a seventh and deciding game but he missed. Walton, (who had 20 points, 23 rebounds, eight blocks and seven assists) knocked the loose ball away, then when time ran out, ripped off his jersey & hurled it into the crowd.[3]

## Player statistics

[edit]

Legend  GP  | Games played  |  GS | Games started  |  MPG | Minutes per game

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FG% | Field-goal percentage  |  3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage  |  FT% | Free-throw percentage
RPG | Rebounds per game  |  APG | Assists per game  |  SPG | Steals per game
BPG | Blocks per game  |  PPG | Points per game  |  |

### Season

[edit]

Player  | GP  | GS  | MPG  | FG%  | 3FG%  | FT%  | RPG  | APG  | SPG  | BPG  | PPG

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### Playoffs

[edit]

Player  | GP  | GS  | MPG  | FG%  | 3FG%  | FT%  | RPG  | APG  | SPG  | BPG  | PPG

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## Awards and records

[edit]

* Bill Walton, All-NBA Second Team
* Bill Walton, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Portland Trail Blazers (1970 – present)". Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
2. ^ "HickokSports.com – History – NBA 1976–77 Season". Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h "NBA.com: Walton, Lucas Ignite 'Blazermania'". NBA.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
4. ^ Trailblazers 129, Hawks 116, web: The Salina Journal, 1976, archived from the original on October 17, 2023, retrieved March 13, 2023
5. ^ "1976–77 Portland Trail Blazers Games – Basketball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
6. ^ "NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (Bill Russell Trophy) Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Blazers on Database Basketball
* Blazers on Reference Basketball

* v
* t
* e

1976–77 NBA season

* ABA–NBA merger
* 1976 NBA draft
* All-Star Game
* Playoffs
* Finals
* Transactions

Eastern|

| Atlantic|

* Boston
* Buffalo
* N.Y. Knicks
* N.Y. Nets
* Philadelphia

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Central|

* Atlanta
* Cleveland
* Houston
* New Orleans
* San Antonio
* Washington

Western|

| Midwest|

* Chicago
* Denver
* Detroit
* Indiana
* Kansas City
* Milwaukee

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Pacific|

* Golden State
* Los Angeles
* Phoenix
* Portland
* Seattle

* v
* t
* e

NBA champions

1940s|

* 1947: Philadelphia Warriors
* 1948: Baltimore Bullets
* 1949: Minneapolis Lakers

1950s|

* 1950: Minneapolis Lakers
* 1951: Rochester Royals
* 1952: Minneapolis Lakers
* 1953: Minneapolis Lakers
* 1954: Minneapolis Lakers
* 1955: Syracuse Nationals
* 1956: Philadelphia Warriors
* 1957: Boston Celtics
* 1958: St. Louis Hawks
* 1959: Boston Celtics

1960s|

* 1960: Boston Celtics
* 1961: Boston Celtics
* 1962: Boston Celtics
* 1963: Boston Celtics
* 1964: Boston Celtics
* 1965: Boston Celtics
* 1966: Boston Celtics
* 1967: Philadelphia 76ers
* 1968: Boston Celtics
* 1969: Boston Celtics

1970s|

* 1970: New York Knicks
* 1971: Milwaukee Bucks
* 1972: Los Angeles Lakers
* 1973: New York Knicks
* 1974: Boston Celtics
* 1975: Golden State Warriors
* 1976: Boston Celtics
* 1977: Portland Trail Blazers
* 1978: Washington Bullets
* 1979: Seattle SuperSonics

1980s|

* 1980: Los Angeles Lakers
* 1981: Boston Celtics
* 1982: Los Angeles Lakers
* 1983: Philadelphia 76ers
* 1984: Boston Celtics
* 1985: Los Angeles Lakers
* 1986: Boston Celtics
* 1987: Los Angeles Lakers
* 1988: Los Angeles Lakers
* 1989: Detroit Pistons

1990s|

* 1990: Detroit Pistons
* 1991: Chicago Bulls
* 1992: Chicago Bulls
* 1993: Chicago Bulls
* 1994: Houston Rockets
* 1995: Houston Rockets
* 1996: Chicago Bulls
* 1997: Chicago Bulls
* 1998: Chicago Bulls
* 1999: San Antonio Spurs

2000s|

* 2000: Los Angeles Lakers
* 2001: Los Angeles Lakers
* 2002: Los Angeles Lakers
* 2003: San Antonio Spurs
* 2004: Detroit Pistons
* 2005: San Antonio Spurs
* 2006: Miami Heat
* 2007: San Antonio Spurs
* 2008: Boston Celtics
* 2009: Los Angeles Lakers

2010s|

* 2010: Los Angeles Lakers
* 2011: Dallas Mavericks
* 2012: Miami Heat
* 2013: Miami Heat
* 2014: San Antonio Spurs
* 2015: Golden State Warriors
* 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers
* 2017: Golden State Warriors
* 2018: Golden State Warriors
* 2019: Toronto Raptors

2020s|

* 2020: Los Angeles Lakers
* 2021: Milwaukee Bucks
* 2022: Golden State Warriors
* 2023: Denver Nuggets
* 2024: Boston Celtics

* v
* t
* e

Portland Trail Blazers seasons

* Franchise
* History
* Seasons

1970s|

|  |  1970–71 |  1971–72 |  1972–73 |  1973–74 |  1974–75 |  1975–76 |  1976–77 |  1977–78 |  1978–79

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1980s|

|  1979–80 |  1980–81 |  1981–82 |  1982–83 |  1983–84 |  1984–85 |  1985–86 |  1986–87 | 1987–88 |  1988–89

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1990s|

|  1989–90 |  1990–91 |  1991–92 |  1992–93 |  1993–94 |  1994–95 |  1995–96 |  1996–97 |  1997–98 |  1998–99

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2000s|

|  1999–00 |  2000–01 |  2001–02 |  2002–03 |  2003–04 |  2004–05 |  2005–06 |  2006–07 |  2007–08 |  2008–09

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2010s|

|  2009–10 |  2010–11 |  2011–12 |  2012–13 |  2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19

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2020s|

|  2019–20 |  2020–21 |  2021–22 |  2022–23 |  2023–24 |  2024–25 |  |  |  |

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Bold indicates NBA Finals victory
*[Pos.]: Position
*[No.]: Jersey number
*[DOB]: Date of birth
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[ W ]: Games won
*[ L ]: Games lost
*[ PCT ]: Winning percentage
*[ GB ]: Games behind
*[ Home ]: Home record
*[ Road ]: Road record
*[ Div ]: Division record