1977 Portland Trail Blazers

Portland went 49-33 and finished second in the Pacific Division, but the record undersold them. They had the best point differential in the league, built on Ramsay's motion offense and Walton's passing from the high post. The Blazers had entered the NBA in 1970 and missed the playoffs in each of their first six seasons. This was the first time they qualified.

Walton was the engine. He averaged 18.6 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks while leading the league in the latter two categories, though a foot that would later wreck his career held him to 65 games. Lucas carried the offense at 20.2 a night. Lionel Hollins and Dave Twardzik split the backcourt, and Bob Gross did the unglamorous work on the wing.

The Finals started badly. Philadelphia took the first two in the Spectrum, and Game 2 ended in a brawl after Lucas confronted Darryl Dawkins. Portland answered by winning the next four, smothering the 76ers with team defense and ball movement. Walton took Finals MVP, and the clincher came at home in front of a sold-out Memorial Coliseum.

The run launched the stretch fans called Blazermania, with Portland selling out every home game for more than a decade. Walton's body did not cooperate. He played only 58 games the next season and left in 1979, and the franchise has not been back to the top since.