The New York Nets move from Uniondale, New York to Piscataway, New Jersey, and are renamed the New Jersey Nets.
The 1978 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia, with the East beating the West 133-125. Randy Smith of the Buffalo Braves wins the game's MVP Award.
The defending champion Portland Trail Blazers went off to a 50-10 start and looked poised to repeat, but Bill Walton broke his foot (the first of the numerous major injuries that radically shortened his career) and was out for the remainder of the season. The Blazers, hurt by Walton's absence and by other key injuries, faded to an 8-14 finish and lost to the Sonics in the Western Conference semifinals.
Throughout the 1977–78 season, CBS broadcast NBA games during the regular season and the playoffs. During halftime of those games, they showed a pre-taped H–O–R–S–E tournament pitting players from the NBA against each other. It featured, among others, Pete Maravich, Bob McAdoo, Kevin Grevey, and George Gervin. Maravich won the contest, but H–O–R–S–E featuring NBA players would not be re-instituted for 31 more years (until the 2009 All-Star Weekend).
Final standings[]
Eastern Conference[]
Atlantic Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
Philadelphia 76ers
55
27
.671
-
New York Knicks
43
39
.524
12
Boston Celtics
32
50
.390
23
Buffalo Braves
27
55
.329
28
New Jersey Nets
24
58
.293
31
Central Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
San Antonio Spurs
52
30
.634
-
Washington Bullets C
44
38
.537
8
Cleveland Cavaliers
43
39
.524
9
Atlanta Hawks
41
41
.500
11
New Orleans Jazz
39
43
.476
13
Houston Rockets
28
54
.341
24
Western Conference[]
Midwest Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
Denver Nuggets
48
34
.585
-
Milwaukee Bucks
44
38
.537
4
Chicago Bulls
40
42
.488
8
Detroit Pistons
38
44
.463
10
Indiana Pacers
31
51
.378
17
Kansas City Kings
31
51
.378
17
Pacific Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
Portland Trail Blazers
58
24
.707
-
Phoenix Suns
49
33
.598
9
Seattle SuperSonics
47
35
.573
11
Los Angeles Lakers
45
37
.549
13
Golden State Warriors
43
39
.524
15
C - NBA Champions
Statistics leaders[]
Category
Player
Team
Stat
Points per game
George Gervin
San Antonio Spurs
27.2
Rebounds per game
Truck Robinson
New Orleans Jazz
15.7
Assists per game
Kevin Porter
Detroit-New Jersey
10.2
Steals per game
Ron Lee
Phoenix Suns
2.74
Blocks per game
George Johnson
New Jersey Nets
3.38
FG%
Bobby Jones
Denver Nuggets
57.8
FT%
Rick Barry
Golden State Warriors
92.4
NBA Awards[]
Most Valuable Player: Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers
