The 1976–77 NBA season was Indiana's first season in the NBA and tenth season as a franchise.[1]
See main article: article and 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft.
†In the 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft, ABA and NBA teams selected players that were on the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits of St. Louis, the two ABA teams that were not included in the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. Wil Jones was a member of the Kentucky Colonels during the 1975–76 ABA season. Because the Pacers were in the ABA before the merger, they did not have any picks in the 1976 NBA draft.Buoyed by the sensational playmaking of Don Buse and scoring of Billy Knight, The Pacers hovered around the .500 mark for much of the first half of their inaugural NBA season but a lack of depth and a few injuries blunted the Pacers progress. The Pacers were significantly hampered by injuries to center, Len Elmore, who missed all but six games.
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot
| 1976–77 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | Team | ATL | BOS | BUF | CHI | CLE | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NOJ | NYK | NYN | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SEA | WAS |
| — | 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | — | |
| Player | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 82 | 2,302 | 693 | 166 | 95 | 106 | 879 | 28.1 | 8.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 10.7 | |||
| PG | 81 | 2,947 | 270 | 685 | 281 | 16 | 646 | 36.4 | 3.3 | 8.5 | 3.5 | .2 | 8.0 | |||
| PF | 80 | 2,709 | 604 | 189 | 102 | 80 | 1,042 | 33.9 | 7.6 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 13.0 | |||
| C | 80 | 1,966 | 554 | 158 | 55 | 37 | 951 | 24.6 | 6.9 | 2.0 | .7 | .5 | 11.9 | |||
| SF | 78 | 3,117 | 582 | 260 | 117 | 19 | 2,075 | 40.0 | 7.5 | 3.3 | 1.5 | .2 | 26.6 | |||
| SG | 73 | 1,324 | 187 | 179 | 57 | 6 | 601 | 18.1 | 2.6 | 2.5 | .8 | .1 | 8.2 | |||
| SF | 70 | 918 | 177 | 46 | 46 | 12 | 450 | 13.1 | 2.5 | .7 | .7 | .2 | 6.4 | |||
| PF | 67 | 911 | 237 | 70 | 37 | 33 | 314 | 13.6 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .6 | .5 | 4.7 | |||
| PF | 61 | 1,645 | 518 | 69 | 61 | 131 | 848 | 27.0 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 13.9 | |||
| PG | 32 | 552 | 47 | 56 | 18 | 2 | 224 | 17.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | .6 | .1 | 7.0 | |||
| † | SG | 30 | 1,055 | 74 | 111 | 48 | 7 | 620 | 35.2 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 1.6 | .2 | 20.7 | ||
| SG | 27 | 164 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 66 | 6.1 | .4 | .4 | .2 | .1 | 2.4 | |||
| C | 6 | 46 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 7.7 | 2.5 | .3 | .0 | .7 | 3.0 | |||
| SG | 5 | 40 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8.0 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | .0 | 1.0 | |||
| † | PF | 5 | 38 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 7.6 | 2.0 | .6 | .0 | .2 | 2.4 | ||
| † | PF | 2 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 10.5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | .0 | 1.0 | 3.5 |