1978–79 Phoenix Suns season
The 1978–79 Phoenix Suns season was the 11th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association and the first time they reached the 50-win mark to end the regular season. The team repeated a second-place finish in an expanded Pacific division and the Western Conference's second-best record, thus earning a spot in the playoffs, the franchise's first time extending the season in back-to-back seasons. For the first time since the '75–'76 team, the Suns returned to the Western Conference finals, before being dispatched by Pacific division champion Seattle in seven games. The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
| 1978–79 Phoenix Suns season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | John MacLeod |
| General manager | Jerry Colangelo |
| Owners | Karl Eller, Don Pitt, Don Diamond, Bhavik Darji, Marvin Meyer, Richard L. Bloch |
| Arena | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 50–32 (.610) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Pacific) Conference: 3rd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Conference finals (lost to SuperSonics 3–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KTAR-TV |
| Radio | KTAR |
Paul Westphal, whom led the Suns with his 24 points per game, made his third straight appearance in the All-Star Game and was again named to the All-NBA First Team. Walter Davis followed up his Rookie of the Year Award performance from the previous season with his second consecutive All-Star selection and by season's end, voted to the All-NBA Second Team. Fourth-year big man Alvan Adams hauled in a career-high 9.2 rebounds a game to go with an average of 17.8 points.