1977–78 Indiana Pacers season

The 1977–78 NBA season was Indiana's second season in the National Basketball Association and 11th season as a franchise.

1977–78 Indiana Pacers season
Head coach	Bobby Leonard
Arena	Market Square Arena
Results
Record	31–51 (.378)
Place	Division: 5th (Midwest) Conference: 10th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WTTV
Radio	WIBC

Draft picks

Main article: 1977 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
2	29	Alonzo Bradley	SF	United States	Texas Southern
3	51	Stan Mayhew		United States	Weber State
4	73	George Pendleton		United States	Georgia State
5	95	Marvin Jackson		United States	Prairie View A&M
6	117	Tom Scheffler	C	United States	Purdue

Roster

1977–78 Indiana Pacers roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SF 42 Bantom, Mike 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Saint Joseph's PF 1 Behagen, Ron 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Minnesota PF 9 Bennett, Mel 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Pittsburgh SG 30 Carrington, Bob 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Boston College C 40 Edwards, James 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Washington C 41 Elmore, Len 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Maryland PG 44 Flynn, Mike 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Kentucky SF 24 Green, Steve 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Indiana PF 32 Roundfield, Dan 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Central Michigan PG 14 Sobers, Ricky 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 198 lb (90 kg) UNLV SG 43 Tatum, Earl 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Marquette	Head coach Slick Leonard Assistant coach(es) Jerry Oliver Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Denver Nuggets	48	34	.585	–	33–8	15–26	11–9
x-Milwaukee Bucks	44	38	.537	4	28–13	16–25	14–6
Chicago Bulls	40	42	.488	8	29–12	11–30	8–12
Detroit Pistons	38	44	.463	10	24–17	14–27	8–12
Indiana Pacers	31	51	.378	17	21–20	10–31	8–12
Kansas City Kings	31	51	.378	17	22–19	9–32	11–9

#	Western Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Portland Trail Blazers	58	24	.707	–
2	y-Denver Nuggets	48	34	.585	10
3	x-Phoenix Suns	49	33	.598	9
4	x-Seattle SuperSonics	47	35	.573	11
5	x-Los Angeles Lakers	45	37	.549	13
6	x-Milwaukee Bucks	44	38	.537	14
7	Golden State Warriors	43	39	.524	15
8	Chicago Bulls	40	42	.488	18
9	Detroit Pistons	38	44	.463	20
10	Indiana Pacers	31	51	.378	27
11	Kansas City Kings	31	51	.378	27

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1977–78 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NOJ	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SEA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–1	1–3
Boston	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	1–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–3
Buffalo	1–3	1–3	—	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	0–3	3–1	1–3	1–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3
Chicago	3–1	3–1	1–3	—	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–2	2–2	1–3	3–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–1
Cleveland	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	—	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–2	0–4	0–4	3–1	2–2
Denver	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	—	2–2	2–2	3–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–1	1–3	3–1
Detroit	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	—	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–0	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2
Golden State	3–1	2–2	3–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	—	2–1	3–1	3–1	0–4	2–2	3–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2
Houston	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–3	1–3	1–2	—	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	1–3
Indiana	1–3	1–2	3–1	1–3	1–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	—	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	3–1
Kansas City	1–2	2–2	2–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	2–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	0–4	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–2
Los Angeles	1–3	2–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	—	3–1	4–0	2–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–3	2–2
Milwaukee	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	4–0	4–0	1–3	—	3–1	2–1	3–1	1–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1
New Jersey	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	—	0–4	1–3	0–4	2–2	0–3	0–4	2–2	2–2
New Orleans	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–2	1–2	4–0	—	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–2	0–4
New York	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	4–0	1–3	1–3	3–1	3–1	—	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–1	2–2
Philadelphia	2–2	4–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–1	4–0	2–2	3–1	—	2–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2
Phoenix	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–2	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–2
Portland	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	4–0	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	4–0	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–0	2–2	3–1	—	2–2	3–1	2–1
San Antonio	3–1	4–0	3–1	2–2	4–0	1–2	2–1	1–3	3–1	3–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	4–0	3–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	2–2	2–2
Seattle	1–2	4–0	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–2	—	1–3
Washington	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–2	2–2	3–1	—

Game log

Regular season

1977–78 game log Total: 31–51 (Home: 27–14; Road: 17–24)
October: 3–2 (home: 3–1; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 5 October 28, 1977 7:05 p.m. EST Washington W 136–127 Market Square Arena 12,542 3–2
November: 4–11 (home: 2–3; road: 2–8) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
December: 7–4 (home: 5–2; road: 2–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
January: 5–11 (home: 4–3; road: 1–8) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 34 January 6, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST @ Washington L 114–146 Capital Centre 9,215 15–19
February: 3–11 (home: 2–5; road: 1–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record All-Star Break 57 February 17, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST Washington W 123–111 Market Square Arena 10,637 21–36
March: 7–10 (home: 5–4; road: 2–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 69 March 17, 1978 8:05 p.m. EST @ Washington W 105–99 Capital Centre 8,196 27–42
April: 2–2 (home: 0–2; road: 2–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
1977–78 schedule

Awards and records

• Don Buse, NBA All-Defensive First Team