1978–79 Washington Bullets season

The 1978–79 Washington Bullets won their second consecutive Eastern Conference Championship, making it to the NBA Finals before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics. They finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, at 54-28.

Coming off of their NBA Championship the previous season, the Bullets were transferred to the Atlantic Division. The Bullets would continue to remain one of the top teams in the league, as they captured the Atlantic Division championship with a league best record of 54–28. The Bullets ended the regular season losing 8 of their last 11 games, but rebounded in the playoffs with victories in both the Eastern Conference semifinals and Eastern Conference finals over the Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs, respectively. The Bullets would proceed to have a 38-year drought without a division title until 2017; by then they had been renamed the Washington Wizards. This is the most recent appearance in the conference finals or NBA Finals for the franchise.

NBA draft

 * Round 1: Roger Phegley, Dave Corzine
 * Round 2: Terry Sykes (Never played in the NBA)
 * Round 4: Lawrence Boston

Regular season

 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 3
 * @ Philadelphia
 * W 121–111
 * Johnson (19)
 * Unseld (11)
 * Henderson, Unseld (6)
 * The Spectrum 12,065
 * 3–0
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 6
 * @ Seattle
 * L 92–121
 * Dandridge (16)
 * Ballard (9)
 * Dandridge (6)
 * Kingdome 15,089
 * 4–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 9
 * Atlanta
 * L 108–110
 * Dandridge (26)
 * Kupchak (10)
 * Unseld (10)
 * Capital Centre 5,487
 * 4–5
 * Unseld (10)
 * Capital Centre 5,487
 * 4–5


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 11
 * San Antonio
 * W 124–119
 * Hayes (28)
 * Hayes (14)
 * Henderson (11)
 * Capital Centre 12,619
 * 6–5
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 13
 * Philadelphia
 * L 122–123
 * Hayes (36)
 * Unseld (17)
 * Dandridge, Grevey, Henderson (5)
 * Capital Centre 14,697
 * 7–6
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 14
 * @ San Antonio
 * L 124–143
 * Kupchak (27)
 * Hayes (11)
 * Henderson (8)
 * HemisFair Arena 12,363
 * 7–7
 * Henderson (8)
 * HemisFair Arena 12,363
 * 7–7


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 24
 * Kansas City
 * L 109–110
 * Capital Centre 14,297
 * 16–8
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 28
 * Phoenix
 * W 101–98
 * Dandridge (23)
 * Unseld (20)
 * Henderson (9)
 * Capital Centre 17,438
 * 19–9
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 32
 * @ Phoenix
 * W 137–129
 * Dandridge (36)
 * Hayes (11)
 * Henderson (13)
 * Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 9,789
 * 23–9
 * W 137–129
 * Dandridge (36)
 * Hayes (11)
 * Henderson (13)
 * Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 9,789
 * 23–9


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 38
 * Phoenix
 * W 104–94
 * Kupchak (25)
 * Hayes (26)
 * Henderson (10)
 * Capital Centre 14,929
 * 26–12
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 39
 * @ Atlanta
 * W 106–102
 * Hayes (26)
 * Hayes (13)
 * Wright (6)
 * The Omni 9,105
 * 27–12
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 45
 * Seattle
 * L 100–103
 * Dandridge (23)
 * Unseld (13)
 * Dandridge (7)
 * Capital Centre 15,232
 * 31–14
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 47
 * @ Kansas City
 * L 128–142
 * Kemper Arena 10,301
 * 32–15
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 49
 * Atlanta
 * W 109–105
 * Hayes (23)
 * Hayes (18)
 * Dandridge (6)
 * Capital Centre 14,398
 * 34–15
 * Atlanta
 * W 109–105
 * Hayes (23)
 * Hayes (18)
 * Dandridge (6)
 * Capital Centre 14,398
 * 34–15
 * 34–15


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 50
 * @ San Antonio
 * W 123–122
 * Dandridge (36)
 * Unseld (19)
 * Henderson (10)
 * HemisFair Arena 12,516
 * 35–15
 * - align="center"
 * colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break
 * - style="background:#cfc;"
 * - bgcolor="#bbffbb"
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 53
 * @ Philadelphia
 * L 99–107
 * Dandridge (29)
 * Dandridge (17)
 * Dandridge (6)
 * The Spectrum 15,151
 * 37–16
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 55
 * @ Phoenix
 * L 108–119
 * Dandridge (30)
 * Hayes (13)
 * Henderson (6)
 * Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,660
 * 38–17
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 57
 * @ Seattle
 * W 105–94
 * Hayes (33)
 * Hayes (16)
 * Dandridge (7)
 * Kingdome 21,935
 * 39–18
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 59
 * Seattle
 * W 132–110
 * Hayes (32)
 * Unseld (13)
 * Henderson, Unseld (7)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 40–19
 * Hayes (32)
 * Unseld (13)
 * Henderson, Unseld (7)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 40–19


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 62
 * San Antonio
 * W 129–128
 * Hayes (32)
 * Hayes (20)
 * Henderson (10)
 * Capital Centre 17,181
 * 43–19
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 64
 * @ Kansas City
 * L 116–121
 * Kemper Arena 13,681
 * 43–21
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 74
 * Philadelphia
 * L 97–100
 * Hayes (23)
 * Unseld (16)
 * Unseld (7)
 * Capital Centre 18,741
 * 50–24
 * L 97–100
 * Hayes (23)
 * Unseld (16)
 * Unseld (7)
 * Capital Centre 18,741
 * 50–24


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 81
 * @ Atlanta
 * L 102–103
 * Hayes (29)
 * Unseld (15)
 * Unseld (7)
 * The Omni 15,641
 * 54–27
 * 54–27

Playoffs

 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 1
 * Atlanta
 * W 103–89
 * Hayes (31)
 * Hayes (15)
 * Wright (6)
 * Capital Centre 15,721
 * 1–0
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 2
 * Atlanta
 * L 99–107
 * Dandridge (36)
 * Unseld (10)
 * Henderson (8)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 1–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 3
 * @ Atlanta
 * W 89–77
 * Hayes (19)
 * Unseld (16)
 * Unseld (8)
 * The Omni 15,798
 * 2–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 4
 * @ Atlanta
 * W 120–115 (OT)
 * Hayes (29)
 * Hayes (17)
 * Dandridge (5)
 * The Omni 15,798
 * 3–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 5
 * Atlanta
 * L 103–107
 * Hayes (26)
 * Hayes (14)
 * Henderson (11)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 3–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 6
 * @ Atlanta
 * L 86–104
 * Hayes (24)
 * Unseld (12)
 * Unseld (6)
 * The Omni 15,978
 * 3–3
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 7
 * Atlanta
 * W 100–94
 * Hayes (39)
 * Hayes (15)
 * Dandridge (8)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 4–3
 * Atlanta
 * W 100–94
 * Hayes (39)
 * Hayes (15)
 * Dandridge (8)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 4–3


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 1
 * San Antonio
 * L 97–118
 * Dandridge (25)
 * Hayes (20)
 * Henderson (5)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 0–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 2
 * San Antonio
 * W 115–95
 * Unseld (26)
 * Unseld (22)
 * Henderson (9)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 1–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 3
 * @ San Antonio
 * L 114–116
 * Dandridge (28)
 * Hayes (23)
 * Unseld (8)
 * HemisFair Arena 15,318
 * 1–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 4
 * @ San Antonio
 * L 102–118
 * Hayes (23)
 * Unseld (21)
 * Dandridge (9)
 * HemisFair Arena 16,055
 * 1–3
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 5
 * San Antonio
 * W 107–103
 * Hayes (24)
 * Hayes (22)
 * Henderson (9)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 2–3
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 6
 * @ San Antonio
 * W 108–100
 * Hayes (25)
 * Hayes (14)
 * Dandridge, Henderson (8)
 * HemisFair Arena 16,055
 * 3–3
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 7
 * San Antonio
 * W 107–105
 * Dandridge (37)
 * Hayes (15)
 * Wright (7)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 4–3
 * San Antonio
 * W 107–105
 * Dandridge (37)
 * Hayes (15)
 * Wright (7)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 4–3


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 1
 * Seattle
 * W 99–97
 * Wright (26)
 * Unseld (12)
 * Henderson (6)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 1–0
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 2
 * Seattle
 * L 82–92
 * Dandridge (21)
 * Hayes (14)
 * Dandridge (5)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 1–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 3
 * @ Seattle
 * L 95–105
 * Dandridge (28)
 * Hayes, Unseld (14)
 * Dandridge (5)
 * Kingdome 35,928
 * 1–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 4
 * @ Seattle
 * L 112–114 (OT)
 * Grevey, Hayes, Johnson (18)
 * Unseld (16)
 * Henderson (8)
 * Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098
 * 1–3
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 5
 * Seattle
 * L 93–97
 * Hayes (29)
 * Hayes (14)
 * Dandridge (7)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 1–4
 * Hayes (29)
 * Hayes (14)
 * Dandridge (7)
 * Capital Centre 19,035
 * 1–4

Awards and honors

 * Bob Ferry, NBA Executive of the Year Award
 * Elvin Hayes, All-NBA First Team
 * Bob Dandridge, All-NBA Second Team
 * Bob Dandridge, NBA All-Defensive First Team