By Paul Attner
Washington Post Staff Writer
June 8, 1978

SEATTLE — Wes Unseld ended a 10-year quest for the National Basketball Association title last night when he sank two free throws with 12 seconds remaining to give the Washington Bullets a heart-pounding 105-99 victory over the Seattle Supersonics.

Unseld’s dramatic foul shots, which came 14 seconds after he had missed two attempts, wrapped up the best-of-seven series, 4-3, and ensured Washington’s first professional major sports championship since 1942, when the Redskins won the National Football League title.

Unseld, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, was named the series’ most valuable player by writers. Ironically, the Bullets tried to get him out of the game just before he was fouled, but the team failed to call timeout and Seattle immediately smacked him.

The victory ended a long and amazing comeback by the Bullets from a disappointing regular season ruined by injuries. They finished only third in the Eastern Conference, but upset San Antonio, Philadelphia and now Seattle to overcome the odds and win their first NBA crown.

The Bullets made the 36-year wait by area sports fans for this ultimate pro triumph worthwhile with their gutty performance against a Seattle team which had won 22 straight on the Center Coliseum floor. In the fourth period, the Sonics had erased all but two points of what had been a 13-point lead before Unseld ended their rush.

When it was over, Coach Dick Motta and his assistant, Bernie Bickerstaff, embraced at midcourt before Motta pranced to a nearby room to receive the NBA championship trophy.

Team owner Abe Pollin, overcome by emotion, could only mutter, "unbelievable" about the club’s victory, which rewarded his 14-year struggle to win a league title.

Twice before, the Bullets had made it to the finals, only to be shut out, 4-0, both times—in 1971 by Milwaukee and 1975 by Golden State.

Unseld quietly suffered the heartbreak of those losses. But last night, the veteran center who might have played his last pro game, let himself become emotional for one of the few times in his career.

"It’s a great feeling," he said, "it’s hard to describe. It’s something I’ve always wanted."

The Bullets had hoped their experience, especially along the front line, would hold up under the intense pressure of this final game better than Seattle’s youth.

Their hopes bore fruit. Bob Dandridge, a nine-year veteran, and reserve Charles Johnson, who has been in the league six years, had 19 points each, including nine by Johnson in the last period. Ten-year veteran Elvin Hayes, bothered by foul trouble throughout, contributed 12 points and eight rebounds before picking up his sixth personal with 8:05 left in the game.

With Hayes shackled, other Bullets picked up the slack. Mitch Kupchak overcame turnover problems to score 11 second-half points. Tom Henderson turned in another fine defensive job and also directed the team down the stretch while adding 15 points. And Johnson provided the outside shooting Washington needed in the absence of Kevin Grevey, who did not play in the second half because of his sore left wrist. He had six points in the opening 20 minutes.

Of the Bullets’ final 20 points, 18 came from Kupchak, Johnson, Unseld and Henderson. Of these only Johnson had scored consistently during the playoffs.

Of Seattle’s young players, only Marvin Webster (27 points and 19 rebounds) and Jack Sikma (21 points, 11 rebounds) played well.

Dennis Johnson, who had been the Sonics’ star through the first four games of the series, exemplified Seattle’s frustration by missing all 14 of his field goal attempts. He finished with only four points after averaging almost 19 a game the first six contests of the series.

Seattle’s back court, which had been carrying the club, made only 13 of 44 shots. It was that poor marksmanship—the Sonics hit only 39 percent for the game—that ultimately finished Coach Len Wilkens’ team against the strength of Washington’s powerful inside attack.

But before the Bullets could become the NBA’s eighth different champion in the last nine years and before the could begin counting the winners’ pool of $150,000, they had to survive an incredibly tense final four minutes.

Washington, which had blown a 19-point lead in the opening game, entered the final 12 minutes with a 13-points bulge. But that lead had shrunk to two points with four minutes left.

Then Seattle, behind Webster and cagey Fred Brown, who had 21 points, began creeping back, urged on by the wildly cheering sellout crowd of 14,008.

The Sonics ran off a 12-4 burst, with Webster and Sikma getting all but one of the points, to close to 98-94 with 1:45 to go.

Then came the play that might have saved the title for the Bullets.

Charles Johnson, whose long-range shooting had kept the Sonics at bay earlier in the period, fired up a jumper that didn’t reach the rim.

The shot hit off the hands of Webster and Sikma and bounded to the floor. Tom Henderson dove, knocked the ball between the legs of Webster, and into the hands of Kupchak.

Kupchak grabbed it and put in a layup as he was fouled by Webster. With 90 seconds to go, he sank a free throw for a 101-94 Bullet lead.

Again, Seattle rallied. Brown could convert only one of three free throw attempts but after Charles Johnson miss, he sank an eight-footer.

The Sonics had to foul to have any chance of winning. They decided to hack Unseld, a 54 percent free thrower. Sikma did the chore and Unseld, who had hit four of eight from the line in the series, didn’t clear the front rim on either attempt with 26 seconds left.

Brown was taking over the Sonic offense now. He fired up a long jumper, which missed, but Paul Silas, who had only four points, grabbed the rebound and put it in. Now the lead was 101-99 with 18 seconds on the clock.

Motta screamed for a timeout so he could remove Unseld. But the Bullets didn’t hear him. They tossed the ball in bounds and, within six seconds, Silas grabbed Unseld in the back court far away from the ball.

The crowd, sensing a potential Seattle victory, screamed at Unseld as he stood on the line. His first attempt rimmed the basket and fell out. The fans waved banners and yelled even louder. Unseld looked at the bench, took a deep breath a swished his next try.

The Bullet bench erupted in celebration and Motta called timeout. When the teams returned to the floor, Unseld again was true from the line and Washington was up by four.

Seattle tried one more shot, but Brown missed, Unseld pulled down the rebound and fed Dandridge breaking downcourt. Dandridge took the pass and dunked the ball with three seconds left. One more shot by the Sonics came after time had expired.

Webster, who had been shackled throughout the series by Unseld’s physical defense, had his finest game. He poured in eight fourth-period points and had 15 in the last half. Brown added 11 and Sikma 10.

But the Sonics waited long. For three quarters, they played tentatively, showing the effect of the final-game pressure.

They never were able to get their running game started or break off any long scoring spurts, something they had done in their three victories in the series.

Instead, they shot horribly at the most critical times. When the Bullets were building a 41-33 lead, Seattle missed its first nine second-quarter shots and was one for 12 at one point in the period. Washington wound up leading, 53-45, at the half thanks to 12 points by Dandridge, 11 by Unseld and 25 percent shooting int he second quarter by the Sonics.

Dandridge and Hayes combined for the Bullets’ first nine points of the third period to move the advantage to 11. And when Seattle moved to within five, Kupchak responded with three quick baskets. Ironically, Motta was going to replace Kupchak with Greg Ballard because he had turned over the ball twice in a row, but he put in a rebound and Motta changed his mind.

Seattle, which made only three of its first 10 shots after intermission, fell behind by 13 as the quarter ended when Charles Johnson sank a beyond-half-court, one-handed prayer shot. Before Hayes fouled out in the final period, he made back-to-back shots and it seemed Washington was ready to coast home. Then Seattle began its rally.

But when Unseld converted those pressure free throws, Motta’s famed fat lady could begin singing. Before the trophy presentation, Motta asked Unseld to lift him up onto a high platform where league Commissioner Lawrence O’Brien was waiting.

"I haven’t got enough energy," Unseld replied, laughing.

"I told Wes he missed those two early free throws on purpose," kidded Motta. "He just wanted us to sweat. And we did.

"But this is sweet. I’ve waited a long time for it. I’m just glad it’s over."

And then Motta, Pollin and Unseld all embraced.