1979–80 Boston Celtics season
1979–80 Boston Celtics season | |
---|---|
Division champions | |
Head coach | Bill Fitch |
General manager | Red Auerbach |
Owner(s) | Harry T. Mangurian Jr. |
Arena | Boston Garden Hartford Civic Center |
Results | |
Record | 61–21 (.744) |
Place | Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 1st (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | Eastern Conference finals (lost to 76ers 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Local media | |
Television | WBZ-TV |
Radio | WBZ |
The 1979–80 Boston Celtics season was the 34th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bolstered by the play of 23-year-old rookie Larry Bird, the Celtics improved from 29–53 the previous year, to 61–21, at the time the best NBA single season turnaround ever, and would cruise to the Eastern Conference finals but lose to the Philadelphia 76ers 4–1.[1][2]
Draft picks
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | 53 | Wayne Kreklow | SG | ![]() |
Drake |
3 | 61 | Ernesto Malcolm | SG | ![]() |
Briar Cliff |
4 | 68 | Nick Galis | SG | ![]() |
Seton Hall |
5 | 90 | Jimmy Allen | ![]() |
New Haven | |
7 | 130 | Steve Castellan | PF | ![]() |
Virginia |
8 | 149 | Glenn Sudhop | C | ![]() |
NC State |
9 | 168 | Kevin Sinnett | ![]() |
Navy | |
10 | 186 | Alton Byrd | PG | ![]() |
Columbia |
- Forward Larry Bird was selected in the previous year's draft, then played his senior season at Indiana State
Roster
Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Regular season
Season standings
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-Boston Celtics | 61 | 21 | .744 | – | 35–6 | 26–15 | 17–7 |
x-Philadelphia 76ers | 59 | 23 | .720 | 2 | 36–5 | 23–18 | 19–5 |
x-Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 22 | 24–17 | 15–26 | 9–15 |
New York Knicks | 39 | 43 | .476 | 22 | 25–16 | 14–27 | 8–16 |
New Jersey Nets | 34 | 48 | .415 | 27 | 22–19 | 12–29 | 7–17 |
# | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | z-Boston Celtics | 61 | 21 | .744 | – |
2 | y-Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 11 |
3 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 59 | 23 | .720 | 2 |
4 | x-Houston Rockets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 20 |
5 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 41 | 41 | .500 | 20 |
6 | x-Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 22 |
7 | New York Knicks | 39 | 43 | .476 | 22 |
8 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 37 | 45 | .451 | 24 |
8 | Indiana Pacers | 37 | 45 | .451 | 24 |
10 | New Jersey Nets | 34 | 48 | .415 | 27 |
11 | Detroit Pistons | 16 | 66 | .195 | 44 |
Record vs. opponents
1979-80 NBA Records | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SDC | SEA | UTA | WAS |
Atlanta | – | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 |
Boston | 4–2 | – | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
Chicago | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 2–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
Cleveland | 2–4 | 2–4 | 0–2 | – | 1–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
Denver | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | – | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
Detroit | 0–6 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 1–1 | – | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
Golden State | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 0–6 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 0–2 |
Houston | 4–2 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | – | 4–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–4 |
Indiana | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
Kansas City | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–0 |
Los Angeles | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | – | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 1–1 |
Milwaukee | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 1–1 |
New Jersey | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | – | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
New York | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | – | 0–6 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
Philadelphia | 2–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 6–0 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 |
Phoenix | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | – | 6–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 |
Portland | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | – | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
San Antonio | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
San Diego | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | – | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
Seattle | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | – | 5–1 | 1–1 |
Utah | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | – | 0–2 |
Washington | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — |
Game log
Regular season
Playoffs
1980 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conference semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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Conference finals: 1–4 (home: 1–2; road: 0–2)
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1980 schedule |
References
- ^ "1980 NBA Eastern Conference Finals - 76ers vs. Celtics". Basketball-Reference.com. Basketball Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ Papanek, John (May 5, 1980). "THEN THE CELTICS BLINKED". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 2, 2024.