<< 1975-76 Los Angeles Lakers | 1977-78 Los Angeles Lakers >>
In 1976-77, the NBA saw four new teams enter the mix, bringing the league total to 22. They kept the 12-team playoff format from the previous few years. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finally acclimated in purple and gold, the Los Angeles Lakers won 53 games and were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
They got to the Western Conference Finals where they played the Portland Trail Blazers. Abdul-Jabbar did everything he could in that series, but the Lakers got steamrolled in four games, putting the Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals.
In the Eastern Conference, the playoffs went exactly as expected, with the No. 1 seeded Philadelphia 76ers ultimately making it to the championship round. There, the Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton-led Trail Blazers took care of the 76ers in six games to win their first NBA championship.
Roster
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NBA regular season schedule and results
NBA playoffs statistics
NBA playoffs schedule and results
