1988–89 Philadelphia 76ers season

1988–89 Philadelphia 76ers season
Head coachJim Lynam
General managerJohn Nash
OwnerHarold Katz
ArenaThe Spectrum
Results
Record46–36 (.561)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Atlantic)
Conference: 7th (Eastern)
Playoff finishFirst round
(lost to Knicks 0–3)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
TelevisionWPHL-TV
(Neil Funk, Steve Mix)
PRISM
(Jim Barniak, Matt Guokas)
RadioWIP

The 1988–89 Philadelphia 76ers season was the 40th season for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association, and their 26th season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] Despite finishing with a 36–46 record the previous season, the 76ers received the third overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected power forward Charles D. Smith from the University of Pittsburgh, but soon traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for shooting guard Hersey Hawkins out of Bradley University, as the team needed more backcourt scoring to complement the inside play of All-Star forward Charles Barkley.[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired Ron Anderson from the Indiana Pacers,[5][6][7] and signed free agent and rookie point guard Scott Brooks.

With the addition of Hawkins and Anderson, the 76ers won 10 of their first 15 games of the regular season in November, but then struggled losing 9 of their 14 games in December. With starting small forward Cliff Robinson out for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury after only just 14 games,[8][9][10] the team signed free agents, rookie small forward Shelton Jones, and Derek Smith.[10][11] The 76ers held a 26–20 record at the All-Star break,[12] and won four of their final five games of the season, finishing in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 46–36 record, earning the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, and returning to the NBA playoffs after a one-year absence.[13]

Barkley averaged 25.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Mike Gminski averaged 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1 3 blocks per game, and Anderson played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 16.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In addition, Hawkins provided the team with 15.1 points and 1.5 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, while Robinson contributed 15.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, and Maurice Cheeks provided with 11.6 points, 7.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Meanwhile, Smith averaged 7.8 points per game in 36 games, while Gerald Henderson contributed 6.5 points per game, Brooks provided with 5.2 points and 3.7 assists per game, and Jones averaged 5.0 points per game in 42 games.[14]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Barkley was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team.[15][16][17] Meanwhile, Henderson participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, and Jones participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.[18][19] Barkley also finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting,[20][21] while Anderson finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting,[22][21] and also finished tied in fourth place in Most Improved Player voting.[23][21]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1989 NBA playoffs, the 76ers faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion New York Knicks, who were led by All-Star center Patrick Ewing, All-Star guard Mark Jackson, and Charles Oakley. The 76ers lost the first two games to the Knicks on the road at Madison Square Garden. Game 2 was notable, because the 76ers blew a 10-point lead with approximately two minutes left in the game, as Knicks guard Trent Tucker's three-point shot with less than 10 seconds left gave New York the win at home, 107–106.[24][25][26] The 76ers lost Game 3 to the Knicks at home in overtime, 116–115 at The Spectrum, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep.[27][28][29]

The 76ers finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 531,715 at The Spectrum during the regular season.[14][30] Following the season, Cheeks and David Wingate were both traded to the San Antonio Spurs,[31][32][33] while Robinson and Henderson were both released to free agency, and Jones was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves expansion team.[34][35][36]

Draft picks

Main article: 1988 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team
1 3 Charles Smith PF  United States Pittsburgh
2 44 Everette Stephens PG  United States Purdue
3 57 Hernán Montenegro C  Argentina Olimpo (Argentina)

Roster

1988–89 Philadelphia 76ers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
F 20 Ron Anderson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1958–10–15 Fresno State
F 34 Charles Barkley 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 252 lb (114 kg) 1963–02–20 Auburn
G 1 Scott Brooks 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1965–07–31 UC Irvine
G 10 Maurice Cheeks 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1956–09–08 West Texas A&M
F 54 Ben Coleman 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1961–11–14 Maryland
C 42 Mike Gminski 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1959–08–03 Duke
G 33 Hersey Hawkins 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1966–09–29 Bradley
G 12 Gerald Henderson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1956–01–16 VCU
F 31 Shelton Jones 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1966–04–06 St. John's
F 4 Cliff Robinson 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1960–05–13 USC
C 41 Jim Rowinski 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1961–01–04 Purdue
G 21 Derek Smith 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1961–11–01 Louisville
F 45 Bob Thornton 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1962–07–10 UC Irvine
C 44 Chris Welp 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1964–01–02 Washington
G 25 David Wingate 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1963–12–15 Georgetown
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: April 20, 1989

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-New York Knicks 52 30 .634 – 35–6 17–24 18–12
x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 6 30–11 16–25 19–11
x-Boston Celtics 42 40 .512 10 32–9 10–31 19–11
Washington Bullets 40 42 .488 12 30–11 10–31 17–13
New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 26 17–24 9–32 9–21
Charlotte Hornets 20 62 .244 32 12–29 8–33 8–22
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Detroit Pistons 63 19 .768 –
2 y-New York Knicks 52 30 .634 11
3 x-Cleveland Cavaliers 57 25 .695 6
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 52 30 .634 11
5 x-Milwaukee Bucks 49 33 .598 14
6 x-Chicago Bulls 47 35 .573 16
7 x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 17
8 x-Boston Celtics 42 40 .512 21
9 Washington Bullets 40 42 .488 23
10 Indiana Pacers 28 54 .341 35
11 New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 37
12 Charlotte Hornets 20 62 .244 43
z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot

Game log

Regular season

1988–89 game log
Total: 46–36 (home: 29–12; road: 17–24)
November: 10–5 (home: 9–2; road: 1–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1 November 4 L.A. Clippers
2 November 5 Boston
3 November 8 Detroit
4 November 9 @ Milwaukee
5 November 11 Atlanta
6 November 15 @ Chicago
7 November 16 Chicago
8 November 18 New York
9 November 19 @ New York
10 November 22 @ Washington
11 November 23 Cleveland
12 November 25 Charlotte
13 November 26 Indiana
14 November 28 L.A. Lakers
15 November 30 Portland
December: 5–9 (home: 3–2; road: 2–7)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
16 December 1 @ Charlotte
17 December 3 @ Indiana
18 December 7 Denver
19 December 9 @ Boston
20 December 10 @ Detroit
21 December 13 Milwaukee
22 December 14 @ Atlanta
23 December 16 @ New Jersey
24 December 17 Utah
25 December 20 Dallas
26 December 25 Washington
27 December 27 @ Golden State
28 December 28 @ L.A. Lakers
29 December 30 @ Utah
January: 9–5 (home: 5–1; road: 4–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
30 January 5 @ San Antonio
31 January 7 @ Houston
32 January 9 @ Dallas
33 January 11 New Jersey
34 January 13 Atlanta
35 January 15 @ Charlotte
36 January 16 Charlotte
37 January 18 Boston
38 January 20 @ Boston
39 January 21 @ Washington
40 January 25 Chicago
41 January 27 Golden State
42 January 28 @ New Jersey
43 January 31 @ Cleveland
February: 6–5 (home: 3–2; road: 3–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
44 February 1 Washington
45 February 3 Detroit
46 February 8 Seattle
All-Star Break
47 February 14 @ Indiana
48 February 15 Indiana
49 February 17 New Jersey
50 February 18 @ Cleveland
51 February 22 @ Miami
52 February 24 @ Phoenix
53 February 26 @ Denver
54 February 28 @ L.A. Clippers
March: 9–7 (home: 6–3; road: 3–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
55 March 1 @ Sacramento
56 March 3 @ Portland
57 March 4 @ Seattle
58 March 6 Phoenix
59 March 7 @ Chicago
60 March 9 Sacramento
61 March 11 Detroit
62 March 15 New Jersey
63 March 16 @ New York
64 March 18 @ Washington
65 March 20 New York
66 March 22 Cleveland
67 March 24 San Antonio
68 March 26 @ Boston
69 March 28 Boston
70 March 31 Miami
April: 6–6 (home: 3–2; road: 3–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
71 April 2 Houston
72 April 4 @ New York
73 April 5 @ Atlanta
74 April 7 @ Charlotte
75 April 8 @ Milwaukee
76 April 11 @ Cleveland
77 April 14 Charlotte
78 April 16 New York
79 April 18 Milwaukee
80 April 20 @ New Jersey
81 April 21 @ Detroit
82 April 23 Washington
1988–89 schedule

Playoffs

1989 playoff game log
First Round: 0–3 (home: 0–1; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 27 @ New York L 96–102 Ron Anderson (26) Charles Barkley (12) Maurice Cheeks (16) Madison Square Garden
19,591 		0–1
2 April 29 @ New York L 106–107 Charles Barkley (30) Charles Barkley (12) Maurice Cheeks (12) Madison Square Garden
19,591 		0–2
3 May 2 New York L 115–116 (OT) Charles Barkley (29) Charles Barkley (11) Maurice Cheeks (11) Spectrum
16,236 		0–3
1989 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Playoffs

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ 1988-89 Philadelphia 76ers
  2. ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 29, 1988). "N.B.A. Draft; Manning, Then 3-Way Trade Give Hope to Lowly Clippers". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  3. ^ Baker, Chris (June 29, 1988). "1988 NBA DRAFT: Clippers Choose Manning, Then Play for Position: They Trade Cage, End Up with Smith and Grant". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  4. ^ "1988 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  5. ^ Groller, Keith (October 4, 1988). "Sixers Trade Draft Choice to Indiana for Anderson; Pro Basketball". The Morning Call. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  6. ^ Goldaper, Sam (October 30, 1988). "N.B.A. '88-'89; League Is Changing, But Lakers Are Still on Top". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  7. ^ Smith, Sam (December 4, 1988). "Anderson a Surprise to 76ers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  8. ^ "76ers' Robinson Undergoes Surgery". Orlando Sentinel. January 11, 1989. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  9. ^ Cialini, Joe (January 13, 1989). "Cliff Robinson Suffers Setback". United Press International. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Shelton Jones 76er Pact". The New York Times. January 25, 1989. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  11. ^ Cialini, Joe (June 16, 1989). "76ers Lose Shelton Jones in Expansion Draft". United Press International. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  12. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 9, 1989". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  13. ^ "1988–89 Philadelphia 76ers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "1988–89 Philadelphia 76ers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  15. ^ McManis, Sam (February 12, 1989). "Today's All-Star Game May Lack the Usual Magic: Without Johnson and Bird, NBA Showcase Just Won't Be the Same". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  16. ^ "1989 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  17. ^ "1989 NBA All-Star Game: West 143, East 134". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  18. ^ "All-Star Lineups". Ocala Star-Banner. February 11, 1989. p. 5D. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  19. ^ "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  20. ^ McManis, Sam (May 23, 1989). "Magic Is the MVP This Time: Jordan Finishes Second in Closest Voting in 8 Seasons". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  21. ^ a b c "1988–89 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  22. ^ "NBA Sixth Man Voting". Rome News-Tribune. Associated Press. May 9, 1989. p. 2B. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  23. ^ "Johnson Named Most Improved Player". Lewiston Tribune. Associated Press. May 16, 1989. p. 3B. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  24. ^ Love, Ian (April 29, 1989). "Knicks 107, Sixers 106". United Press International. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  25. ^ Goldaper, Sam (April 30, 1989). "PRO BASKETBALL; Tucker's 3-Pointer Gives Knicks 2-0 Lead". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  26. ^ Goldaper, Sam (May 1, 1989). "Tucker Enjoys Shot's Reality". The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Goldaper, Sam (May 3, 1989). "Wilkins' Overtime Shot Gives Knicks Sweep". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  28. ^ "NBA Playoffs Roundup: Knicks Complete Sweep with Overtime Win". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 3, 1989. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  29. ^ "1989 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: 76ers vs. Knicks". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  30. ^ "1988–89 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  31. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; 76ers Trade Cheeks". The New York Times. August 29, 1989. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  32. ^ "76ers Send Cheeks to Spurs in 5-Man Deal". Los Angeles Times. August 29, 1989. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  33. ^ "76ers Send Cheeks to Spurs". The Washington Post. August 29, 1989. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  34. ^ Brown, Clifton (June 16, 1989). "Knicks' Green Is Taken First in N.B.A.'s Expansion Draft". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  35. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 16, 1989). "NBA Expansion Draft: Timberwolves Get Mahorn; Lakers Lose Rivers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  36. ^ "1989 NBA Expansion Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 25, 2025.

See also

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