CBS Sports: NBA 1978-NBA Finals-Game 7-Washington Wizards @ Seattle Sonics: Closing Minutes

Source:The New Democrat

What I think is the most impressive part of the Bullets in this game and especially in the fourth quarter, is that their best player and scorer power forward Elvin Hays fouls out halfway through the fourth quarter. But that just tells you how deep this Bullets team was with their center Wes Unseld, who was the leader of the team, stepping up with a couple of key buckets, foul shots, a key assist, big rebounds. And the Bob Dandridge and Charlie Johnson hitting some big shots as well, to prevent the Sonics from coming back. And don’t forget about Mitch Kupchak coming from the bench to replace Elvin and playing well and hitting a key bucket of his own. You really know how good of a team you have, when your best player is not available to play. And the Bullets won the rest of the game and the 1978 NBA Finals without Big E

Turner Sports: NBA 1987 (04/03) Chicago Bulls @ Washington Wizards: Highlights

Source:Turner Sports- Michael Jordan vs Manute Bol.

Source:Real Life Journal 

“MICHAEL JORDAN: 32 pts vs Washington Bullets (1987.04.03) CLICK ON THE LINK TO WATCH

“MICHAEL JORDAN: THE LEGEND OF THE GREATEST…

From Balthus 

Don’t worry Wizards fans (the Bullets as they were called back then) the Bullets won this game. Michael Jordan having a big night for, Da Bulls! But no other Bull doing much damage to the Bullets, who as a team scored 119 points against, Da Bulls! During this game, after already wrapping up another playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. 

In reality, MJ wasn’t by himself before Scottie Pippen, as far as having other players who could score. This Bulls team also had Orlando Woolridge, Gene Banks, and Charles Oakley. But for the Bulls to beat really good teams and even deep teams, that the Bullets were back then, MJ had to do a lot of the work on his own.

CBS Sports: NBA 1979- NBA Finals- Game 5- Seattle Sonics @ Washington Wizards: 4th Quarter

Source:CBS Sports- the Seattle Sonics going for their first NBA Championship in 1979.

"Being born and raised in Seattle and having attended that game, I found it a crying shame that the most important game in Seattle sports history besides the 2014 Super Bowl was nowhere to be found on the net except for a crappy VHS clip of its final seconds. Seattle's KIRO-TV was gracious enough to release the entire fourth quarter of that game for the 34th anniversary of the championship, and even tho it was a Brightcove protected video I was bound and determined to release it for all to enjoy. So here it is, in perfect wide-screen video :)" 

From John Bonifas 

The 1979 NBA Finals was one of the closest played NBA Finals of all-time. Even though it was just a five-game series with Seattle winning the series. But the games were very close, it’s just that the Sonics made more plays, especially in the clutch than the Bullets. The key bucket, the key defensive stop, the key rebound. Similar to the 1975 NBA Finals between the Bullets and San Francisco Warriors, the Sonics simply played better as a team than the Bullets. Even though I at least believe the Bullets had better personal in both 75 and 79 and finally won the NBA Finals in 78.

I’m sure we ever got to see how good the Bullets could’ve been in the 1970s. I don’t think we ever saw the great team that they had the potential to be, at least not in the NBA Finals. The 1978 team that finally won the Finals, was 44-38 in the regular season. They had all sorts of injuries during the regular season and didn’t play very consistently. Finally got healthy late in the 78 season in time to make the great playoff run that they did in the Eastern Conference. And beating the Sonics at Seattle in-game 7 to finally win their first NBA Finals.