1977–78 New York Knicks season
| 1977–78 New York Knicks season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Willis Reed |
| General manager | Eddie Donovan |
| Owner(s) | Gulf+Western |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden |
| Results | |
| Record | 43–39 (.524) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Atlantic) Conference: 5th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | East Semifinals (Eliminated 0–4) |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com |
|
| Local media | |
| Television | MSG Network, WOR-TV |
| Radio | WOR Radio |
The 1977–78 New York Knicks season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished the regular season in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 43–39 win–loss record and qualified for the NBA Playoffs. In the first round of the 1978 Playoffs, New York defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 2–0, to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There, the Knicks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-game sweep.[1]
Contents
Draft picks
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Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.[2]
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Ray Williams | G |  United States |
Minnesota |
| 2 | 26 | Glen Gondrezick | G/F | United States |
UNLV |
| 2 | 32 | Toby Knight | F | United States |
Notre Dame |
| 4 | 76 | Steve Hayes | C | United States |
Idaho State |
Roster
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Regular season
Season standings
| Atlantic Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Philadelphia 76ers | 55 | 27 | .671 | – | 37–4 | 18–23 | 14–2 |
| x-New York Knicks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 | 29–12 | 14–27 | 7–9 |
| Boston Celtics | 32 | 50 | .390 | 23 | 24–17 | 8–33 | 8–8 |
| Buffalo Braves | 27 | 55 | .329 | 28 | 20–21 | 7–34 | 7–9 |
| New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 31 | 18–23 | 6–35 | 4–12 |
| # | Eastern Conference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Philadelphia 76ers | 55 | 27 | .671 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | 3 |
| 3 | x-Washington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 11 |
| 4 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 |
| 5 | x-New York Knicks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 12 |
| 6 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 14 |
| 7 | New Orleans Jazz | 39 | 43 | .476 | 16 |
| 8 | Boston Celtics | 32 | 50 | .390 | 23 |
| 9 | Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 27 |
| 10 | Buffalo Braves | 27 | 55 | .329 | 28 |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 31 |
- z – clinched division title
- y – clinched division title
- x – clinched playoff spot
Game log
Playoffs
East First Round
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) New York Knicks: Knicks win series 2–0
- Game 1 @ Cleveland: New York 132, Cleveland 114
- Game 2 @ New York: New York 109, Cleveland 107
Last playoff meeting: This was the first meeting between the Knicks and the Cavaliers
East Conference Semifinals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) New York Knicks: 76ers win series 4–0
- Game 1 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 130, New York 90
- Game 2 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 119, New York 100
- Game 3 @ New York: Philadelphia 137, New York 126
- Game 4 @ New York: Philadelphia 112, New York 107
Last playoff meeting: 1968 Eastern division Semifinals (Philadelphia won 4-2)
Player statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | ||
Season
Playoffs
Awards and records
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Transactions
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