The 1976–77 season was the Portland Trail Blazers' 7th 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]
, 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.
See 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 | Virginia | ||
| 2 | 20 | Major Jones | F | Albany State | ||
| 2 | 22 | Johnny Davis | G | University of Dayton | ||
| 3 | 39 | Jeff Tyson | F | Western Michigan University |
| = All-Star | ||
| = Hall of Fame |
| Pick | Player | Nationality | NBA Team | ABA Team | Purchase Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Maurice Lucas (PF) | Portland Trail Blazers | Spirits of St. Louis | $300,000 | |
| 5 | Moses Malone (C) | Portland Trail Blazers | Spirits of St. Louis | $350,000 | |
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.
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 |
| 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 | — | |
| 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 |
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| April 12| Chicago| W 96–83| Maurice Lucas (29)| Bill Walton (9)| Bill Walton (6)| Memorial Coliseum
12,774| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 2| April 15| @ Chicago| L 104–107| Bill Walton (24)| Bill Walton (17)| Bob Gross (7)| Chicago Stadium
20,000| 1–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 3| April 17| Chicago| W 106–98| Bob Gross (26)| Bill Walton (11)| Lionel Hollins (9)| Memorial Coliseum
12,520| 2–1|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| April 20| @ Denver| W 101–100| Maurice Lucas (23)| Maurice Lucas (13)| Bill Walton (6)| McNichols Sports Arena
17,995| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 2| April 23| @ Denver| L 110–121| Maurice Lucas (29)| Bill Walton (16)| Bill Walton (10)| McNichols Sports Arena
17,975| 1–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 3| April 24| Denver| W 110–106| Bill Walton (26)| Bill Walton (13)| Walton, Twardzik (5)| Memorial Coliseum
12,736| 2–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 4| April 26| Denver| W 105–96| Bob Gross (25)| Bill Walton (11)| Bob Gross (6)| Memorial Coliseum
12,930| 3–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 5| May 1| @ Denver| L 105–114 (OT)| Lionel Hollins (19)| Walton, Gross (14)| Hollins, Gross (7)| McNichols Sports Arena
17,517| 3–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 6| May 2| Denver| W 108–92| Johnny Davis (25)| Bill Walton (12)| Bill Walton (9)| Memorial Coliseum
12,924| 4–2|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| May 6| @ Los Angeles| W 121–109| Maurice Lucas (28)| Maurice Lucas (15)| three players tied (6)| The Forum
16,975| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 2| May 8| @ Los Angeles| W 99–97| Lionel Hollins (31)| Bill Walton (17)| Lionel Hollins (9)| The Forum
15,192| 2–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 3| May 10| Los Angeles| W 102–97| Walton, Lucas (22)| Bill Walton (15)| Bill Walton (9)| Memorial Coliseum
12,926| 3–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 4| May 13| Los Angeles| W 105–101| Maurice Lucas (26)| Bill Walton (14)| Walton, Gross (6)| Memorial Coliseum
12,904| 4–0|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 1| May 22| @ Philadelphia| L 101–107| Bill Walton (28)| Bill Walton (20)| Hollins, Davis (6)| Spectrum
18,276| 0–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 2| May 26| @ Philadelphia| L 89–107| Bill Walton (17)| Bill Walton (16)| Bob Gross (4)| Spectrum
18,276| 0–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 3| May 29| Philadelphia| W 129–107| Maurice Lucas (27)| Bill Walton (18)| Bill Walton (9)| Memorial Coliseum
12,923| 1–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 4| May 31| Philadelphia| W 130–98| Lionel Hollins (25)| Bill Walton (13)| Bill Walton (7)| Memorial Coliseum
12,913| 2–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 5| June 3| @ Philadelphia| W 110–104| Bob Gross (25)| Bill Walton (24)| Johnny Davis (8)| Spectrum
18,276| 3–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 6| June 5| Philadelphia| W 109–107| Hollins, Walton (20)| Bob Gross (23)| Bill Walton (7)| Memorial Coliseum
12,951| 4–2|-
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]