1978–79 Denver Nuggets season

The 1978–79 NBA season was the Nuggets' 3rd season in the NBA and 12th season as a franchise.^[1]

1978–79 Denver Nuggets season
Head coach	Larry Brown Donnie Walsh
Arena	McNichols Sports Arena
Results
Record	47–35 (.573)
Place	Division: 2nd (Midwest) Conference: 4th (Western)
Playoff finish	West First Round (lost to Lakers 1–2)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	KWGN-TV
Radio	KOA
< 1977–78 1979–80 >

In the playoffs, the Nuggets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in three games in the First Round.

The Nuggets would not make the playoffs again until 1982.

Draft picks

Main article: 1978 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	17	Rod Griffin	PF	United States	Wake Forest
1	21	Mike Evans	PG	United States	Kansas State
3	46	Hollis Copeland	SF	United States	Rutgers
5	106	Michael Edwards		United States	Texas-Pan American
6	127	Robert Heard		United States	Columbus State
7	148	Jack Gilloon		United States	South Carolina
8	166	Larry Vaculik		United States	Colorado
9	183	Tom Schneeburger		United States	Air Force
10	198	Phil Taylor		United States	Arizona

Roster

Denver Nuggets roster

• v
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Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From F 41 Tom Boswell 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) South Carolina F 22 Geoff Crompton 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 280 lb (127 kg) North Carolina F 31 Bo Ellis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 197 lb (89 kg) Marquette SF 55 Phil Hicks 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Tulane C 35 Kim Hughes 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Wisconsin C 44 Dan Issel 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Kentucky F 10 John Kuester 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) North Carolina F 30 George McGinnis 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Indiana F 21 Anthony Roberts 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Oral Roberts G 5 Robert Smith 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 165 lb (75 kg) UNLV G 11 Charlie Scott 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) North Carolina SF 33 David Thompson 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) NC State G 32 Bob Wilkerson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Indiana

Head coach Larry Brown, Donnie Walsh 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-Kansas City Kings	48	34	.585	–	32–9	16–25	12–4
x-Denver Nuggets	47	35	.573	1	29–12	18–23	8–8
Indiana Pacers	38	44	.463	10	25–16	13–28	6–10
Milwaukee Bucks	38	44	.463	10	28–13	10–31	9–7
Chicago Bulls	31	51	.378	17	19–22	12–29	5–11

#	Western Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Seattle SuperSonics	52	30	.634	–
2	y-Kansas City Kings	48	34	.585	4
3	x-Phoenix Suns	50	32	.610	2
4	x-Denver Nuggets	47	35	.573	5
5	x-Los Angeles Lakers	47	35	.573	5
6	x-Portland Trail Blazers	45	37	.549	7
7	San Diego Clippers	43	39	.524	9
8	Indiana Pacers	38	44	.463	14
9	Milwaukee Bucks	38	44	.463	14
10	Golden State Warriors	38	44	.463	14
11	Chicago Bulls	31	51	.378	21

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1978-79 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NOJ	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SDC	SEA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2
Boston	2–2	—	1–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–2	0–4	1–3	0–4	1–3	2–2	0–4
Chicago	1–3	2–1	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	0–3	0–4	0–4	1–3
Cleveland	1–3	2–2	3–1	—	1–2	1–3	2–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4
Denver	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–1	—	2–2	4–0	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	0–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3
Detroit	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–3	1–3
Golden State	3–1	1–2	1–3	1–2	0–4	3–1	—	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2
Houston	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	0–4	3–1	2–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	4–0	0–4	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	2–2	2–2
Indiana	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	4–0	—	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	0–4	1–3
Kansas City	2–2	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	—	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–0
Los Angeles	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–2	4–0	2–2	—	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–0	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2
Milwaukee	0–3	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	—	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3
New Jersey	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–3	0–4	4–0	3–1	1–3	2–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–0	2–2	0–4	2–2	0–4	1–3
New Orleans	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	1–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	—	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–4	0–3	0–4
New York	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–2	0–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	—	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3
Philadelphia	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	3–0	3–1	1–3	4–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	—	1–3	1–2	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1
Phoenix	1–2	4–0	3–1	4–0	1–3	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–3	3–1	4–0	3–1	—	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3
Portland	2–2	3–1	0–4	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	1–3	—	2–1	2–2	1–3	3–1
San Antonio	1–3	4–0	3–0	4–0	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–2	—	4–0	2–2	1–3
San Diego	1–3	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	0–4	—	2–2	0–3
Seattle	3–1	2–2	4–0	2–2	1–3	3–0	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	3–0	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	2–2
Washington	2–2	4–0	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–3	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–0	2–2	—

Game log

Regular season

1978–79 game log Total: 47–35 (home: 29–12; road: 18–23)
October: 6–3 (home: 4–0; road: 2–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 5 October 21 @ Atlanta L 125–130 The Omni 4–1
November: 4–10 (home: 2–3; road: 2–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 19 November 22 Atlanta L 111–113 McNichols Sports Arena 9–10
December: 7–6 (home: 5–3; road: 2–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 36 December 30 @ Atlanta L 87–113 The Omni 17–19
January: 11–6 (home: 7–2; road: 4–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
February: 7–6 (home: 5–2; road: 2–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record All-Star Break
March: 9–2 (home: 6–2; road: 3–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 72 March 17 Atlanta W 118–111 McNichols Sports Arena 39–33
April: 3–2 (home: 0–0; road: 3–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
1978–79 schedule

Playoffs

1979 playoff game log
Western Conference First Round: 1–2 (home: 1–1; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 10 Los Angeles W 119–105 Dan Issel (30) Dan Issel (10) Bob Wilkerson (7) McNichols Sports Arena 16,011 1–0 2 April 13 @ Los Angeles L 109–121 David Thompson (29) Tom Boswell (12) Tom Boswell (7) The Forum 14,182 1–1 3 April 16 Los Angeles L 111–112 David Thompson (28) Dan Issel (10) David Thompson (7) McNichols Sports Arena 16,181 1–2
1979 schedule