1980–81 Philadelphia 76ers season
| 1980–81 Philadelphia 76ers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Billy Cunningham |
| General manager | Pat Williams |
| Arena | The Spectrum |
| Results | |
| Record | 62–20 (.756) |
| Place |
Division: 2nd (Atlantic) Conference: 3rd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish |
East Conference Finals (Eliminated 3-4) |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
The 1980-81 NBA season was the 76ers 32nd season in the NBA and 18th season in Philadelphia The team finished the regular season with a 62-20 record, however they lost the tie breaker with the Boston Celtics who had the home court advantage with the same regular season record. In the playoffs, they lost a seven-game series to the Boston Celtics, in the Eastern Conference Finals, after having a three games to one series lead. This was the second time this occurred between the two teams (other in 1968), and the final 3 games of the series were decided by 5 points total. Julius Erving would win the Most Valuable Player of the League.[1]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Andrew Toney | SG | | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| 1 | 21 | Monti Davis | F | | Tennessee State |
| 2 | 44 | Clyde Austin | | North Carolina State | |
| 3 | 67 | Reggie Gaines | | Winston-Salem State | |
| 4 | 85 | Billy Bryant | | Western Kentucky | |
| 4 | 90 | Harold Hubbard | | Savannah State | |
| 5 | 113 | Jim Swaney | | Toldeo | |
| 6 | 136 | Donald Cooper | | St. Augustine's | |
| 7 | 159 | Richard Smith | | Weber State | |
| 8 | 177 | Martin Lemelle | | Grambling State | |
| 9 | 198 | Luke Griffin | | St. Joseph's | |
| 10 | 213 | Joe Hand | | King's College |
Roster
Philadelphia 76ers roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season
Season standings
| # | Eastern Conference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Boston Celtics | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
| 2 | y-Milwaukee Bucks | 60 | 22 | .732 | 2 |
| 3 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
| 4 | x-New York Knicks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 12 |
| 5 | x-Chicago Bulls | 45 | 37 | .549 | 17 |
| 6 | x-Indiana Pacers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 18 |
| 7 | Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 23 |
| 8 | Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
| 9 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 28 | 54 | .341 | 34 |
| 10 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 38 |
| 11 | Detroit Pistons | 21 | 61 | .256 | 41 |
- z - clinched division title
- y - clinched division title
- x - clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
| 1980-81 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SDC | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | — | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–4 |
| Boston | 4–2 | — | 5–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 |
| Chicago | 4–2 | 1–5 | — | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
| Cleveland | 5–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | — | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
| Detroit | 2–4 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | — | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | — | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 |
| Indiana | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Kansas City | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 4–2 | 0–2 | — | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
| Los Angeles | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 | — | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Milwaukee | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| New Jersey | 2–3 | 0–6 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | — | 0–6 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
| New York | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 6–0 | — | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| Philadelphia | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| Phoenix | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–2 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | — | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 |
| San Antonio | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–2 | — | 4–1 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
| San Diego | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 1–4 | — | 5–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–5 | — | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Utah | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | — | 0–2 |
| Washington | 4–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — |
Playoffs
East First Round
(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Indiana Pacers: 76ers win series 2-0
- Game 1 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 124, Indiana 108
- Game 2 @ Indiana: Philadelphia 96, Indiana 85
East Conference Semifinals
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: 76ers win series 4-3
- Game 1 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 125, Milwaukee 122
- Game 2 @ Philadelphia: Milwaukee 109, Philadelphia 99
- Game 3 @ Milwaukee: Philadelphia 108, Milwaukee 103
- Game 4 @ Milwaukee: Milwaukee 109, Philadelphia 98
- Game 5 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 116, Milwaukee 99
- Game 6 @ Milwaukee: Milwaukee 109, Philadelphia 86
- Game 7 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 99, Milwaukee 98
East Conference Finals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: Celtics win series 4-3
- Game 1 @ Boston: Philadelphia 105, Boston 104
- Game 2 @ Boston: Boston 118, Philadelphia 99
- Game 3 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 110, Boston 100
- Game 4 @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia 107, Boston 105
- Game 5 @ Boston: Boston 111, Philadelphia 109
- Game 6 @ Philadelphia: Boston 100, Philadelphia 98
- Game 7 @ Boston: Boston 91, Philadelphia 90
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 | ||
Awards and records
- Julius Erving, NBA Most Valuable Player Award
- Julius Erving, All-NBA First Team
- Bobby Jones, NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Caldwell Jones, NBA All-Defensive First Team