1980–81 Denver Nuggets season

The 1980–81 Denver Nuggets season was the Nuggets 5th season in the NBA and their 14th season as a franchise.

Draft picks

The Denver Nuggets made twelve selections in the 1980 NBA Draft. Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 5 James Ray PF Jacksonville 1 23 Carl Nicks PG Indiana State 2 41 Jawann Oldham C Seattle 3 47 Kurt Nimphius C/PF Arizona State 3 48 Eddie Lee Cincinnati 3 51 Ronnie Valentine PF Old Dominion 4 73 Sammie Ellis Pittsburgh 5 97 James Patrick Southwest Texas State 6 119 Ernie Hill Oklahoma City 7 143 Tommy Springer Vanderbilt 9 184 Jim Graziano South Carolina 10 202 Earl Sango Regis

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Notes z, y – division champions x – clinched playoff spot

Game log Regular season

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | | San Antonio | L 112–113

| McNichols Sports Arena | 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | | Utah | L 121–125 (OT)

| McNichols Sports Arena | 0–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | | Dallas | W 133–98

| McNichols Sports Arena | 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | | @ San Diego | W 129–116

| San Diego Sports Arena | 2–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | | @ Utah | L 115–117

| Salt Palace Acord Arena | 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | | Houston | L 117–119

| McNichols Sports Arena | 2–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 7 | | Phoenix | L 94–117

| McNichols Sports Arena | 2–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 8 | | @ Kansas City | L 122–125

| Kemper Arena | 2–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 9 | | @ Golden State | L 109–115

| Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 2–7

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 10 | | Seattle | W 123–118

| McNichols Sports Arena | 3–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 11 | | @ Los Angeles | W 123–121

| The Forum | 4–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 12 | | @ Seattle | W 125–117

| Kingdome | 5–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | | New York | L 115–124

| McNichols Sports Arena | 5–8 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 14 | | @ Chicago | W 130–126 (2OT)

| Chicago Stadium | 6–8 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 15 | | @ Washington | L 92–107

| Capital Centre | 6–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 16 | | @ New Jersey | L 111–118

| Rutgers Athletic Center | 6–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 17 | | Portland | W 125–123

| McNichols Sports Arena | 7–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 18 | | @ Portland | L 103–122

| Memorial Coliseum | 7–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 19 | | Kansas City | W 134–121

| McNichols Sports Arena | 8–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 20 | | @ Phoenix | L 113–131

| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 8–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 21 | | @ San Diego | L 94–108

| San Diego Sports Arena | 8–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 22 | | San Diego | W 113–109

| McNichols Sports Arena | 9–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 23 | | @ Dallas | W 119–117 (OT)

| Reunion Arena | 10–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 24 | | Los Angeles | L 123–124 (2OT)

| McNichols Sports Arena | 10–14

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 25 | | Chicago | L 124–129

| McNichols Sports Arena | 10–15 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 26 | | @ Utah | L 118–122

| Salt Palace Acord Arena | 10–16 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 27 | | Golden State | L 114–119

| McNichols Sports Arena | 10–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 28 | | @ Houston | L 108–111

| The Summit | 10–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 29 | | Dallas | W 116–107

| McNichols Sports Arena | 11–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 30 | | @ San Antonio | L 123–147

| HemisFair Arena | 11–19 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 31 | | Kansas City | L 118–133

| McNichols Sports Arena | 11–20 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 32 | | @ Cleveland | L 122–130

| Richfield Coliseum | 11–21 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 33 | | @ New York | L 114–120

| Madison Square Garden | 11–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 34 | | @ Boston | L 128–136

| Boston Garden | 11–23 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 35 | | @ Dallas | L 111–119

| Reunion Arena | 11–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 36 | | Philadelphia | W 125–121

| McNichols Sports Arena | 12–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 37 | | Indiana | W 127–110

| McNichols Sports Arena | 13–24

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 38 | | @ Portland | L 119–122

| Memorial Coliseum | 13–25 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 39 | | Phoenix | L 132–133

| McNichols Sports Arena | 13–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 40 | | @ Houston | W 134–132

| The Summit | 14–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 41 | | Utah | L 117–121

| McNichols Sports Arena | 14–27 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 42 | | @ San Diego | W 130–116

| San Diego Sports Arena | 15–27 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 43 | | @ Seattle | L 116–119

| Kingdome | 15–28 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 44 | | Atlanta | W 135–132

| McNichols Sports Arena | 16–28 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 45 | | @ Phoenix | L 102–128

| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 16–29 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 46 | | @ Kansas City | W 123–122

| Kemper Arena | 17–29 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 47 | | Houston | L 97–98

| McNichols Sports Arena | 17–30 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 48 | | San Diego | L 116–125

| McNichols Sports Arena | 17–31 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 49 | | @ Los Angeles | L 105–110

| The Forum | 17–32 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 50 | | San Antonio | W 129–115

| McNichols Sports Arena | 18–32 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 51 | | Detroit | W 143–123

| McNichols Sports Arena | 19–32 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 52 | | Milwaukee | W 131–118

| McNichols Sports Arena | 20–32

|- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 53 | | @ Houston | L 128–135 (OT)

| The Summit | 20–33 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 54 | | San Antonio | L 132–135

| McNichols Sports Arena | 20–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 55 | | @ Utah | W 120–116

| Salt Palace Acord Arena | 21–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 56 | | Golden State | W 135–125

| McNichols Sports Arena | 22–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 57 | | @ Seattle | L 112–133

| Kingdome | 22–35 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 58 | | Washington | L 110–115

| McNichols Sports Arena | 22–36 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 59 | | Portland | W 162–143

| McNichols Sports Arena | 23–36 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 60 | | Boston | L 118–120

| McNichols Sports Arena | 23–37 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 61 | | Phoenix | W 127–126

| McNichols Sports Arena | 24–37 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 62 | | Kansas City | W 129–109

| McNichols Sports Arena | 25–37 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 63 | | @ San Antonio | L 129–133 (OT)

| HemisFair Arena | 25–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 64 | | New Jersey | W 140–123

| McNichols Sports Arena | 26–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 65 | | Golden State | W 137–130

| McNichols Sports Arena | 27–38

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 66 | | Cleveland | W 137–127

| McNichols Sports Arena | 28–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 67 | | Los Angeles | W 123–114

| McNichols Sports Arena | 29–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 68 | | @ Philadelphia | L 112–131

| The Spectrum | 29–39 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 69 | | @ Detroit | W 121–109

| Pontiac Silverdome | 30–39 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 70 | | @ Indiana | L 119–129

| Market Square Arena | 30–40 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 71 | | Portland | L 137–142

| McNichols Sports Arena | 30–41 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 72 | | @ Milwaukee | L 113–131

| MECCA Arena | 30–42 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 73 | | @ Atlanta | L 117–119

| The Omni | 30–43 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 74 | | Houston | W 138–127

| McNichols Sports Arena | 31–43 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 75 | | Seattle | W 124–112

| McNichols Sports Arena | 32–43 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 76 | | @ Kansas City | W 126–124 (2OT)

| Kemper Arena | 33–43 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 77 | | @ Dallas | L 125–126

| Reunion Arena | 33–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 78 | | Utah | W 113–108

| McNichols Sports Arena | 34–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 79 | | @ San Antonio | W 125–123

| HemisFair Arena | 35–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 80 | | Dallas | L 115–126

| McNichols Sports Arena | 35–45 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 81 | | @ Golden State | W 142–139

| Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 36–45 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 82 | | @ Los Angeles | W 148–146 (OT)

| The Forum | 37–45

References