1979 NBA Playoffs

The 1979 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1978-1979 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets four games to one in the Finals. The Sonics earned their first (and as of 2007, only) NBA championship. Seattle's Dennis Johnson won the NBA Finals MVP award.

The Finals were a rematch of the previous year's championship series; the Bullets had defeated the Sonics four games to three in the 1978 Finals. As of 2007, the Bullets (later the Washington Wizards) have not yet returned to the conference finals, let alone the championship series.

The San Antonio Spurs made their first visit to the conference finals in the 1979 playoffs.

The 1979 playoffs also marked the first time that three of the former ABA teams would make the postseason, as it marked the NBA playoff debut of the New Jersey Nets.

Bracket

4RoundBracket-Byes | RD1=1st Round

RD1=First Round
RD2=Conference Semifinals
RD3=Conference Finals
RD4=NBA Finals
group1=Western Conference
group2=Eastern Conference

RD1-seed03=4
RD1-team03=Denver
RD1-score03=1
RD1-seed04=5
RD1-team04=L.A. Lakers
RD1-score04=2

RD1-seed05=3
RD1-team05=Phoenix
RD1-score05=2
RD1-seed06=6
RD1-team06=Portland
RD1-score06=1

RD1-seed11=4
RD1-team11=Houston
RD1-score11=0
RD1-seed12=5
RD1-team12=Atlanta
RD1-score12=2

RD1-seed13=3
RD1-team13=Philadelphia
RD1-score13=2
RD1-seed14=6
RD1-team14=New Jersey
RD1-score14=0

RD2-seed01=1
RD2-team01=Seattle
RD2-score01=4
RD2-seed02=5
RD2-team02=L.A. Lakers
RD2-score02=1

RD2-seed03=3
RD2-team03=Phoenix
RD2-score03=4
RD2-seed04=2
RD2-team04=Kansas City
RD2-score04=1

RD2-seed05=1
RD2-team05=Washington
RD2-score05=4
RD2-seed06=5
RD2-team06=Atlanta
RD2-score06=3

RD2-seed07=3
RD2-team07=Philadelphia
RD2-score07=3
RD2-seed08=2
RD2-team08=San Antonio
RD2-score08=4

RD3-seed01=1
RD3-team01=Seattle
RD3-score01=4
RD3-seed02=3
RD3-team02=Phoenix
RD3-score02=3

RD3-seed03=1
RD3-team03=Washington
RD3-score03=4
RD3-seed04=2
RD3-team04=San Antonio
RD3-score04=3

RD4-seed01=W1
RD4-team01=Seattle
RD4-score01=4
RD4-seed02=E1
RD4-team02=Washington
RD4-score02=1

Western Conference

Champion: Seattle SuperSonics

1st Round

(1) Seattle SuperSonics & (2) Kansas City Kings have first round byes.

(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers:"Suns win series 2-1"
*Game 1 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 107, Portland 103
*Game 2 @ Portland: Portland 96, Phoenix 92
*Game 3 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 101, Portland 91

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Lakers:"Lakers win series 2-1"
*Game 1 @ Denver: Denver 110, Los Angeles 105
*Game 2 @ Los Angeles: Los Angeles 121, Denver 109
*Game 3 @ Denver: Los Angeles 112, Denver 111

Conference Semifinals

(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (5) Los Angeles Lakers:"Sonics win series 4-1"
*Game 1 @ Seattle: Seattle 112, Los Angeles 101
*Game 2 @ Seattle: Seattle 108, Los Angeles 103
*Game 3 @ Los Angeles: Los Angeles 118, Seattle 112
*Game 4 @ Los Angeles: Seattle 117, Los Angeles 115
*Game 5 @ Seattle: Seattle 106, Los Angeles 100

(2) Kansas City Kings vs. (3) Phoenix Suns:"Suns win series 4-1"
*Game 1 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 102, Kansas City 99
*Game 2 @ Kansas City: Kansas City 111, Phoenix 91
*Game 3 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 108, Kansas City 93
*Game 4 @ Kansas City: Phoenix 108, Kansas City 94
*Game 5 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 120, Kansas City 99

Conference Finals

(1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Phoenix Suns:"Sonics win series 4-3"
*Game 1 @ Seattle: Seattle 108, Phoenix 93
*Game 2 @ Seattle: Seattle 103, Phoenix 97
*Game 3 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 113, Seattle 103
*Game 4 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 100, Seattle 91
*Game 5 @ Seattle: Phoenix 99, Seattle 93
*Game 6 @ Phoenix: Seattle 106, Phoenix 105
*Game 7 @ Seattle: Seattle 114, Phoenix 110

Eastern Conference

Champion: Washington Bullets

(1) Washington Bullets & (2) San Antonio Spurs have first round byes.

(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) New Jersey Nets:"76ers win series 2-0"
*Game 1 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 122, New Jersey 114
*Game 2 @ New Jersey: Philadelphia 111, New Jersey 101

(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks:"Hawks win series 2-0"
*Game 1 @ Houston: Atlanta 109, Houston 106
*Game 2 @ Atlanta: Atlanta 100, Houston 91

Conference Semifinals

(1) Washington Bullets vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks:"Bullets win series 4-3"
*Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 103, Atlanta 89
*Game 2 @ Washington: Atlanta 107, Washington 99
*Game 3 @ Atlanta: Washington 89, Atlanta 77
*Game 4 @ Atlanta: Washington 120, Atlanta 118
*Game 5 @ Washington: Atlanta 107, Washington 103
*Game 6 @ Atlanta: Atlanta 104, Washington 86
*Game 7 @ Washington: Washington 100, Atlanta 94

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers:"Spurs win series 4-3"
*Game 1 @ San Antonio: San Antonio 119, Philadelphia 106
*Game 2 @ San Antonio: San Antonio 121, Philadelphia 120
*Game 3 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 123, San Antonio 115
*Game 4 @ Philadelphia: San Antonio 115, Philadelphia 112
*Game 5 @ San Antonio: Philadelphia 120, San Antonio 97
*Game 6 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 92, San Antonio 90
*Game 7 @ San Antonio: San Antonio 111, Philadelphia 108

Conference Finals

(1) Washington Bullets vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs:"Bullets win series 4-3"
*Game 1 @ Washington: San Antonio 118, Washington 97
*Game 2 @ Washington: Washington 115, San Antonio 95
*Game 3 @ San Antonio: San Antonio 116, Washington 114
*Game 4 @ San Antonio: San Antonio 118, Washington 102
*Game 5 @ Washington: Washington 107, San Antonio 103
*Game 6 @ San Antonio: Washington 108, San Antonio 100
*Game 7 @ Washington: Washington 107, San Antonio 105

NBA Finals

(1) Washington Bullets vs. (1) Seattle SuperSonics:"Sonics win series 4-1"
*Game 1 @ Washington: Washington 99, Seattle 97
*Game 2 @ Washington: Seattle 92, Washington 82
*Game 3 @ Seattle: Seattle 105, Washington 95
*Game 4 @ Seattle: Seattle 114, Washington 112
*Game 5 @ Washington: Seattle 97, Washington 93

External links

* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1979.html Basketball-Reference.com's 1979 NBA Playoffs page]