1976-77 NBA
Expansion & ABA Rivalry
Portland Trail Blazers won the title.
- Teams
- 22
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 106.5
- Points per team game
- 106.5
- League true shooting
- .511
- Share of shots from three
- No line
Award winners
- MVPKareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Rookie of the YearAdrian Dantley
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers | 50 | 32 | 3.78 | Lost Finals |
| Houston Rockets | 49 | 33 | 1.44 | Lost conf. finals |
| Washington Bullets | 48 | 34 | 0.90 | Lost conf. finals |
| Boston Celtics | 44 | 38 | -1.90 | Lost conf. finals |
| San Antonio Spurs | 44 | 38 | 0.53 | Lost conf. finals |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | 1.08 | Lost conf. finals |
| New York Knicks | 40 | 42 | 0.01 | Missed playoffs |
| New Orleans Jazz | 35 | 47 | -2.68 | Missed playoffs |
| Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | -3.87 | Missed playoffs |
| Buffalo Braves | 30 | 52 | -4.28 | Missed playoffs |
| New York Nets | 22 | 60 | -6.54 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 53 | 29 | 2.64 | Lost conf. finals |
| Denver Nuggets | 50 | 32 | 4.95 | Lost 2nd round |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | 5.39 | Won title |
| Golden State Warriors | 46 | 36 | 3.10 | Lost conf. finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 44 | 38 | 0.92 | Lost 1st round |
| Detroit Pistons | 44 | 38 | -1.00 | Lost conf. finals |
| Kansas City Kings | 40 | 42 | 0.93 | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 40 | 42 | -1.43 | Missed playoffs |
| Indiana Pacers | 36 | 46 | -1.68 | Missed playoffs |
| Phoenix Suns | 34 | 48 | 0.64 | Missed playoffs |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 30 | 52 | -2.99 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Three-point line | none |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | allowed (source pending) |
| Hand-checking | allowed |
| Zone defense | not permitted (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 10 seconds (source pending) |
| Shot clock | 24 seconds |
See how each rule changed over time on the rules timeline.
What changed this season
ABA-NBA merger
The Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs join the NBA for 1976-77, and remaining ABA players enter a dispersal draft, reuniting the talent pool.