1978 NBA Finals - Aftermath

Aftermath

The NBA received much criticism over the fact that the seven-game series was stretched out over eighteen days, presumably for television; it remains the longest (in total number of days) of any playoff series ever played in any sport. (Even the 1989 World Series, interrupted for ten days by an earthquake, lasted only fifteen days.)

Both teams made it back to the finals the following season, with the Bullets holding home court advantage. That season the Bullets won 54 games while the Sonics won 52. The Bullets eliminated the Atlanta Hawks (4-3) and San Antonio Spurs (4-3) to advance while the Sonics eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) and the Phoenix Suns (4-3). The Bullets appeared to have momentum with a Game 1 victory at the Capital Centre, but the Sonics took the next four games to win their first NBA championship.