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1975–76 Buffalo Braves season

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1975–76 Buffalo Braves season
Head coachJack Ramsay
ArenaBuffalo Memorial Auditorium
Results
Record46–36 (.561)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Atlantic)
Conference: 5th (Eastern)
Playoff finishEast Semifinals
(lost to Celtics 2–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWBEN-TV
RadioWBEN
< 1974–75 1976–77 >

The 1975–76 Buffalo Braves season was the sixth season for the expansion Buffalo Braves franchise in the National Basketball Association and its Atlantic Division. It was the team's fourth season under head coach Jack Ramsay.[1] The team's official home arena was Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

Bob McAdoo led the league in scoring for the third consecutive year with 31.1 points per game.[2] It was the third year in a row that the Braves made the playoffs. The Braves had a record of 46–36. In the playoffs the Braves wound up against the Philadelphia 76ers. The series went the full three games but the Braves found themselves on the road for Game 3. The Braves emerged victorious in overtime with a hard-fought 124–123 victory.[2] It was the first playoff series win for the franchise. In the second round of the playoffs, the Braves and Boston Celtics would once again battle. After four games, the series was even at two wins each.[2] Once again the Celtics would take the series in six games.

The season was marked in controversy. Ernie DiGregorio was benched and McAdoo was suspended. Following the season the Braves allowed coach Jack Ramsay to depart for the head coaching job with the Portland Trail Blazers.[2] The team did not resign its auditorium lease and went through the season without a contract. Subsequently, the team was sold, the city sued and the sale was not consummated.

Offseason

[edit]
The Braves played most of their home games in the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (dark rimmed building in front of the HSBC Arena, pictured in 2007).

NBA draft

[edit]
Main article: 1975 NBA draft

The Braves had no selections during the first two rounds of the 1975 NBA draft and no players drafted by the team that year played for the 1975–76 Buffalo.[3] 1974 NBA draft pick Tom McMillen played for a year in Europe before joining the 1975–76 Buffalo Braves.[4] McMillen played in the Italian League for a team in Bologna, Italy and completed the first year of his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University. However, he reached an agreement with Oxford to complete his second year during the summer in order to begin his National Basketball Association career.[5] McMillen only played basketball in Italy on the weekends.[6]

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
3 52 George Bucci Guard  United States Manhattan College
4 70 Bob Fleischer Forward  United States Duke
5 88 Sam Berry Forward  United States Armstrong State
6 106 George Jackson Guard  United States UNC Charlotte
7 124 Mike Franklin Forward  United States Cincinnati
8 142 Allan Jones Forward  United States Pepperdine
9 158 George Rautins Guard  United States Niagara
10 172 Art Allen Guard  United States Pepperdine

Exhibition games

[edit]

On October 4, 1975, the Braves opened their preseason exhibition schedule against the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association. Bob McAdoo had 29 points in the contest in Indianapolis but the Pacers won, 106–105. On October 11, 15,000 fans attended the Braves' home game against the ABA's New York Nets. The Braves held New York's star Julius Erving to 16 points but the Nets prevailed 109–83. On October 14 the Braves traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, to face the ABA's Kentucky Colonels. The Colonels won, 120–116. Two nights later on October 16, 1975, the Braves hit the road to face the ABA's San Antonio Spurs. Bob McAdoo had 22 points and 16 rebounds but the Spurs won 101–90 behind 22 points each for James Silas and George Gervin. The very next night the Braves again faced the New York Nets, this time at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Bob McAdoo scored 31 points but the Nets won 117–97. The Braves closed out their preseason exhibition schedule with a record of 0–5 against ABA teams.[7]

Roster

[edit]
Buffalo Braves 1975–76 roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. From
F 10 Adams, Don 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Northwestern
G 14 Charles, Ken 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fordham
G 15 DiGregorio, Ernie 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Providence
G 21 Gibbs, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) UTEP
F 24 Heard, Gar 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Oklahoma
F 22 Kuberski, Steve 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Bradley
F 42 Marin, Jack 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Duke
C 11 McAdoo, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) North Carolina
C 52 McMillen, Tom 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Maryland
G 5 McMillian, Jim 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Columbia
F 54 Schlueter, Dale 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Colorado State
F 34 Shumate, John 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Notre Dame
G 9 Smith, Randy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Buffalo State
F 12 Washington, Jim 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Villanova
G 8 Weiss, Bob 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Penn State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster Notes

[edit]

Regular season

[edit]

The Braves went the entire season without a winning streak or losing streak exceeding six games.[8] The Braves attendance decreased by nearly 50,000 to 418,696 in their 41 home games, and the team fell to 11th of 18 teams.[8][9]

Shumate, who played 43 games for Phoenix and 32 for Buffalo led the NBA in field goal percentage (56.1) and earned first team All-rookie honors.[10] DiGregorio, who played 67 games posted a 91.5% (86/94) free throw percentage, which would have been second to Rick Barry's 92.3 if he had posted a qualifying number of attempts.[11] Marin, who played 12 games for the Braves before being traded, finished 9th in the NBA in free throw percentage (85.6%).[12] McMillian ranked 3rd in field goal percentage (53.6%) and 8th in free throw percentage (85.8).[13] Randy Smith, who played all 82 games for the fourth consecutive season, represented Buffalo in the 1976 NBA All-Star Game and earned 2nd team All-NBA honors. Smith ranked third in steals per game (2.5), fourth in assists per game (6.5), seventh in points per game (21.8) and ninth in minutes per game (38.6).[14] Smith's speed was a difference maker on the Braves' fast breaks.[15] McAdoo appeared in the third of five consecutive NBA All-Star games and placed second in the MVP voting despite not making the All-NBA team that included centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dave Cowens.[16][17] McAdoo led the winning east team in scoring with 22 points in the All-Star game, but Dave Bing was selected as MVP.[18] Over the course of the season he made both the most field goals and most free throws in the NBA. He led the league in minutes played (42.7) and points per game (31.1) while ranking seventh in rebound average (12.4) and sixth in blocks per game (2.1).[16]

October–December

As the season began, the Braves refused to sign the lease terms for Memorial Auditorium because Braves owner Paul Snyder felt it was unfair for the Braves to be held to different terms than their co-tenant, the Buffalo Sabres. Although the Buffalo Common Council had approved a lease in July, the Braves entered the season without an agreement.[19]

During the November 14 game at Milwaukee a bench-clearing brawl erupted as a result of an incident between Bucks Gary Brokaw and Bob Dandridge and Brave Dick Gibbs.[20] The following week McAdoo broke the Cleveland Coliseum single-game scoring record by posting 50 points in a 23-point deficit come-from-behind overtime victory. He surpassed his own 49 point performance the prior year at the Coliseum; both games were against his friend Jim Chones.[21][22] On December 2, 1974, NBA Rookie of the Year DiGregorio was benched in favor of Charles for the sake of team defense.[23][24] In Charles' first start, he led the team in scoring with a career-high 24 on the way to the franchise record 37-point December 5 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[25] In late December, McAdoo was suspended by the team for failing to make a doctor's appointment as the Braves claimed his self-diagnosed back injury was dubious.[26]

January–February

The Braves began the new year by playing in three consecutive one-point contests, first splitting with the New York Knicks on January 2 and January 3, and then defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on January 6. All games were won by the home team.[8][27] The Braves established an all-sport all-time attendance record for Memorial Auditorium of 19,226 on January 31 when they hosted the Boston Celtics. That night, John Havlicek became the NBAs fourth leading scorer, surpassing Elgin Baylor.[28] The day before the game the Braves had reached an agreement on sharing playing dates with the Sabres and decided not to attempt to leave town.[29] On February 1 during the All-star break, the Braves dealt Heard for Shumate.[30] At the time the Braves had a 30–20 record and they would go 16–16 for the rest of the season.[8] During the February 3, 1976 NBA All-Star Game, Smith scored 8 points, while McAdoo had a game-high 22. McAdoo contributed to a key fourth quarter spurt that propelled the East to victory.[18][31][32]

March–April

As the season wound down, the Braves were battling with the Philadelphia 76ers for home court advantage in the opening round series. The Braves defeated the Celtics twice in the final two weeks to even their season series at three games a piece while winning five of their last seven games.[8][33][34] The Braves were scheduled to host the New York Knicks on April 6, but when the Buffalo Sabres qualified for the 1976 Stanley Cup playoffs, the National Hockey League scheduled the Sabres to be the home team on the same date. When the Braves set a $25,000 price tag on the date, the Sabres swapped home game dates with the St. Louis Blues and lost on St. Louis in a best of three series on that date.[35]

Season standings

[edit]
Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Boston Celtics 54 28 .659 – 31–10 23–18 13–8
x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 8 34–7 12–29 9–12
x-Buffalo Braves 46 36 .561 8 28–14 18–22 10–11
New York Knicks 38 44 .463 16 24–17 14–27 10–11
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics 54 28 .659 –
2 y-Cleveland Cavaliers 49 33 .598 5
3 x-Washington Bullets 48 34 .585 6
4 x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 8
5 x-Buffalo Braves 46 36 .561 8
6 Houston Rockets 40 42 .488 14
7 New York Knicks 38 44 .463 16
8 New Orleans Jazz 38 44 .463 16
9 Atlanta Hawks 29 53 .354 25

Record vs. opponents

[edit]
1975–76 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS BUF CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCK LAL MIL NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SEA WAS
Atlanta — 2–3 2–3 2–2 2–5 1–3 2–2 2–5 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–4 3–2 2–3 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–5
Boston 3–2 — 4–3 2–2 3–2 4–0 2–2 4–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 4–1 5–2 4–3 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–2
Buffalo 3–2 3–4 — 3–1 3–2 1–3 1–3 3–2 4–0 2–2 3–1 4–1 4–3 3–4 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–3
Chicago 2–2 2–2 1–3 — 0–4 3–4 1–4 1–3 1–6 3–2 3–4 2–2 0–4 0–4 2–3 1–4 2–3 0–4
Cleveland 5–2 2–3 2–3 4–0 — 2–2 1–3 2–4 1–3 2–2 4–0 4–3 3–2 3–2 3–1 4–0 3–1 4–2
Detroit 3–1 0–4 3–1 4–3 2–2 — 0–5 2–2 5–2 1–4 3–4 1–3 3–1 1–3 1–4 2–3 3–2 2–2
Golden State 2–2 2–2 3–1 4–1 3–1 5–0 — 2–2 4–1 5–2 5–0 2–2 4–0 3–1 4–2 4–2 4–3 3–1
Houston 5–2 1–4 2–3 3–1 4–2 2–2 2–2 — 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–4 3–2 3–2 0–4 3–1 2–2 3–4
Kansas City 2–2 2–2 0–4 6–1 3–1 2–5 1–4 2–2 — 2–3 2–5 1–3 1–3 1–3 3–2 0–5 2–3 1–3
Los Angeles 3–1 0–4 2–2 2–3 2–2 4–1 2–5 3–1 3–2 — 2–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–4 3–4 3–3 1–3
Milwaukee 2–2 2–2 1–3 4–3 0–4 4–3 0–5 2–2 5–2 3–2 — 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–2 2–3 2–3 2–2
New Orleans 4–2 1–4 1–4 2–2 3–4 3–1 2–2 4–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 — 2–3 1–4 1–3 3–1 1–3 4–3
New York 2–3 2–5 3–4 4–0 2–3 1–3 0–4 2–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–2 — 5–2 2–2 3–1 0–4 3–2
Philadelphia 3–2 3–4 4–3 4–0 2–3 3–1 1–3 2–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 4–1 2–5 — 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–3
Phoenix 4–0 0–4 1–3 3–2 1–3 4–1 2–4 4–0 2–3 4–2 2–3 3–1 2–2 1–3 — 5–2 4–3 0–4
Portland 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–1 0–4 3–2 2–4 1–3 5–0 4–3 3–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 2–5 — 3–3 2–2
Seattle 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–2 1–3 2–3 3–4 2–2 3–2 3–3 3–2 3–1 4–0 2–2 3–4 3–3 — 1–3
Washington 5–1 2–3 3–2 4–0 2–4 2–2 1–3 4–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–4 2–3 3–2 4–0 2–2 3–1 —

Season schedule

[edit]
1975–76 game log
October: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score Record Streak
1 October 25 Golden State Warriors 105–92 1–0 Win 1
2 October 28 Houston Rockets 124–108 2–0 Win 2
3 October 31 @ Philadelphia 76ers 92–87 3–0 Win 3
November: 6–9 (home: 3–4; road: 3–5)
Game Date Team Score Record Streak
4 November 1 Detroit Pistons 97–93 4–0 Win 4
5 November 4 Philadelphia 76ers 114–121 4–1 Loss 1
6 November 5 @ Boston Celtics 95–105 4–2 Loss 2
7 November 8 Phoenix Suns 110–105 5–2 Win 1
8 November 11 Washington Bullets 90–105 5–3 Loss 1
9 November 12 @ Houston Rockets 93–80 6–3 Win 1
10 November 14 @ Milwaukee Bucks 112–98 7–3 Win 2
11 November 15 Boston Celtics 110–112 7–4 Loss 1
12 November 18 Los Angeles Lakers 120–106 8–4 Win 1
13 November 20 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 118–115 (OT) 9–4 Win 2
14 November 21 @ Detroit Pistons 94–104 9–5 Loss 1
15 November 22 Portland Trail Blazers 104–109 9–6 Loss 2
16 November 26 @ Phoenix Suns 106–107 9–7 Loss 3
17 November 28 @ Los Angeles Lakers 105–126 9–8 Loss 4
18 November 29 @ Portland Trail Blazers 115–130 9–9 Loss 5
December: 10–6 (home: 8–1; road: 2–5)
Game Date Team Score Record Streak
19 December 2 New Orleans Jazz 96–108 9–10 Loss 6
20 December 5 Cleveland Cavaliers 125–88 10–10 Win 1
21 December 6 @ New York Knicks 98–108 10–11 Loss 1
22 December 9 Kansas City Kings 126–107 11–11 Win 1
23 December 11 @ Atlanta Hawks 99–122 11–12 Loss 1
24 December 12 New York Knicks 123–110 12–12 Win 1
25 December 13 @ Chicago Bulls 103–101 13–12 Win 2
26 December 16 @ Washington Bullets 94–100 13–13 Loss 1
27 December 17 Houston Rockets 88–85 14–13 Win 1
28 December 19 Washington Bullets 104–88 15–13 Win 2
29 December 20 @ Kansas City Kings 117–110 16–13 Win 3
30 December 23 Boston Celtics 101–92 17–13 Win 4
31 December 26 @ Philadelphia 76ers 95–96 17–14 Loss 1
32 December 27 Philadelphia 76ers 130–105 18–14 Win 1
33 December 28 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 88–111 18–15 Loss 1
34 December 30 Milwaukee Bucks 118–106 19–15 Win 1
January: 11–5 (home: 6–2; road: 5–3)
Game Date Team Score Record Streak
35 January 2 New York Knicks 106–105 20–15 Win 2
36 January 3 @ New York Knicks 106–107 20–16 Loss 1
37 January 6 Los Angeles Lakers 114–113 21–16 Win 1
38 January 9 Chicago Bulls 100–107 21–17 Loss 1
39 January 11 @ Seattle SuperSonics 125–104 22–17 Win 1
40 January 13 @ Golden State Warriors 101–127 22–18 Loss 1
41 January 15 @ Phoenix Suns 126–119 23–18 Win 1
42 January 16 @ Chicago Bulls 110–104 24–18 Win 2
43 January 17 Seattle SuperSonics 110–101 25–18 Win 3
44 January 20 Phoenix Suns 112–103 26–18 Win 4
45 January 21 @ Atlanta Hawks 102–94 27–18 Win 5
46 January 23 Atlanta Hawks 119–104 28–18 Win 6
47 January 25 @ Boston Celtics 107–135 28–19 Loss 1
48 January 27 New Orleans Jazz 129–105 29–19 Win 1
49 January 28 @ New Orleans Jazz 126–112 30–19 Win 2
50 January 31 Boston Celtics 100–109 30–20 Loss 1
February: 5–6 (home: 3–4; road: 2–2)
Game Date Team Score Record Streak
51 February 6 Milwaukee Bucks 109–104 31–20 Win 1
52 February 8 @ Philadelphia 76ers 97–100 31–21 Loss 1
53 February 10 Washington Bullets 115–105 32–21 Win 1
54 February 13 @ Kansas City Kings 101–96 33–21 Win 2
55 February 14 Cleveland Cavaliers 111–114 33–22 Loss 1
56 February 15 @ Atlanta Hawks 104–112 33–23 Loss 2
57 February 17 Portland Trail Blazers 116–113 34–23 Win 1
58 February 21 Detroit Pistons 112–114 34–24 Loss 1
59 February 24 @ New York Knicks 109–103 35–24 Win 1
60 February 25 Seattle SuperSonics 94–126 35–25 Loss 1
61 February 27 Houston Rockets 107–113 35–26 Loss 2
March: 7–9 (home: 4–2; road: 3–7)
Game Date Team Score Record Streak
62 March 2 Golden State Warriors 93–100 35–27 Loss 3
63 March 6 Philadelphia 76ers 105–99 36–27 Win 1
64 March 10 @ New Orleans Jazz 120–105 37–27 Win 2
65 March 12 Houston Rockets 100–113 37–28 Loss 1
66 March 14 @ Los Angeles Lakers 109–137 37–29 Loss 2
67 March 16 @ Portland Trail Blazers 112–95 38–29 Win 1
68 March 17 @ Seattle SuperSonics 111–122 38–30 Loss 1
69 March 18 @ Golden State Warriors 109–110 38–31 Loss 2
70 March 20 New Orleans Jazz 115–101 39–31 Win 1
71 March 21 @ Detroit Pistons 112–118 39–32 Loss 1
72 March 23 Chicago Bulls 122–109 40–32 Win 1
73 March 25 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 109–94 41–32 Win 2
74 March 26 @ Milwaukee Bucks 92–123 41–33 Loss 1
75 March 28 @ Washington Bullets 90–113 41–34 Loss 2
76 March 30 Boston Celtics 93–83 42–34 Win 1
77 March 31 @ Philadelphia 76ers 103–107 42–35 Loss 1
April: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
Game Date Team Score Record Streak
78 April 2 Atlanta Hawks 101–93 43–35 Win 1
79 April 4 @ Boston Celtics 117–114 44–35 Win 2
80 April 6 New York Knicks 102–106 44–36 Loss 1
81 April 8 @ New York Knicks 105–98 45–36 Win 1
82 April 11 Kansas City Kings 99–98 46–36 Win 2
Source: www.basketball-reference.com

Playoffs

[edit]

In the 1976 NBA Playoffs, McMillian boosted his 15.8 points per game to 17.2,[13] and Smith also boosted his production to 8.6 assists per game, which led the league, while contributing 22.6 points.[14] For the second year in a row, McAdoo led the league in minutes per game in the playoffs (45.1), while posting 28.0 points per game.[16]

First round

The Braves concluded the regular season tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 46–36 record.[36] The Braves lost the regular season series with the 76ers 4 games to 3 giving Philadelphia home court advantage for the three-game Eastern Conference First Round series between the conference's fourth and fifth place teams.[8] During the series, the road team won each of the three games including the final game, which Buffalo won 124–123 in overtime.[8]

In the first round, the Braves won the first game 95–89 on 36 points from McAdoo and 6 points from McMillian in the final 1:23. Although the Braves led most of the way, it took a three-point play by McAdoo with 4:37 left to give them the lead for good at 87–85.[37][38] George McGinnis posted 34 points as the 76ers evened the series with a 131–106 victory in game 2.[39] The Braved clinched game 3 in overtime as McAdoo scored two free throws to tie the game in regulation and two more with 17 seconds left in overtime as Buffalo won 124–123.[40][41] The game included clutch shots by Shumate and a strong shooting performance by Smith.[42] Philadelphia took the lead in the first quarter and did not relinquish it until the McMillian gave the Braves a 95–94 lead with 8:11 remaining in regulation. McGinnis had fouled out with 8:50 remaining. The Braves held the lead until Doug Collins scored with 41 seconds left to tie the score at 109 and Fred Carter gave Philadelphia a 111–109 lead with 6 seconds remaining. After a couple of offensive rebounds on their final possession Clyde Lee fouled McAdoo who tied the score from the line. Shumate had 11 fourth quarter points and a pair of early overtime baskets. Smith gave the Braves the lead for good with 51 seconds left in overtime.[43]

The win over Philadelphia would be the Braves' only playoff series win in Buffalo; in fact, it would be their only playoff victory in the first 35 years of the franchise, until the twice-relocated Los Angeles Clippers eliminated the Denver Nuggets in 2006.

Second round

In the second round, the Braves opposed the Eastern Conference regular season champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The first five games of the series went to the home team and then Boston won game six in Buffalo to clinch the series.[8]

Dave Cowens accumulated 30 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals in leading the Celtics past the Braves by a 107–98 margin in game 1.[44] Although McAdoo scored 40 points in game 2 and the Celtics played without John Havlicek, his replacements Don Nelson and Steve Kuberski stepped up to enable the Celtics to take a 2–0 lead in the series with a 101–96 victory.[45] In game 3, the Braves won 98–93, as Smith scored 29 and McAdoo added 24, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Buffalo had fallen behind by 12 points after one quarter.[46][47] Starter-turned-reserve DiGregorio entered the game in the second quarter with the Braves behind 32–22, but he posted 8 points and 5 assists in the quarter to spark a 21–4 surge that gave the team a 43–36 lead. He finished with 10 assists.[48] In game 4, Smith made a 25-foot jump shot with three seconds remaining to give the Braves a 124–122 victory and tie the series 2–2.[49] Havlicek, who missed games 2 through 4 with a foot injury, returned to help the Celtics win game 5 as Paul Silas had 15 points and 22 rebounds and Cowens amassed 30 points and 16 rebounds. After a 32–32 tie, Cowens, who had 14 second quarter points, led the Celtics to a 46–36 halftime lead. The Braves closed to within 50–46, but the Celtics pulled away and took a 76–65 lead after three quarters. Although Charlie Scott fouled out in the fourth quarter, so did McAdoo.[50] In game 6, the Celtics led 30–27 after one quarter, but trailed 55–50 at the half and 78–77 after three quarters. At one point, 9 third quarter points by McMillian helped push Buffalo to a 9-point lead. Scott scored 13 of his game-high 31 points in the final quarter. Jo Jo White had 23 points and Cowens had 10 points and 16 rebounds in the final game as the Celtics clinched the series 4–2 with a 104–100 victory.[51]

Playoff schedule

[edit]
1976 playoff game log
First Round: 2–1 (home: 0–1; road: 2–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 15 @ Philadelphia W 95–89 Bob McAdoo (36) Bob McAdoo (21) Randy Smith (13) Spectrum
14,352 		1–0
2 April 16 Philadelphia L 106–131 Randy Smith (27) Bob McAdoo (13) Randy Smith (7) Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
12,049 		1–1
3 April 18 @ Philadelphia W 124–123 (OT) Bob McAdoo (34) Bob McAdoo (22) Randy Smith (11) Spectrum
13,087 		2–1
Conference semifinals: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 21 @ Boston L 98–107 Randy Smith (27) Randy Smith (10) Randy Smith (12) Boston Garden
13,919 		0–1
2 April 23 @ Boston L 96–101 Bob McAdoo (40) John Shumate (11) Randy Smith (7) Boston Garden
15,320 		0–2
3 April 25 Boston W 98–93 Randy Smith (29) Randy Smith (14) Ernie DiGregorio (10) Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
12,079 		1–2
4 April 28 Boston W 124–122 Bob McAdoo (30) Bob McAdoo (17) Randy Smith (10) Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
16,193 		2–2
5 April 30 @ Boston L 88–99 Bob McAdoo (23) Bob McAdoo (14) Ernie DiGregorio (6) Boston Garden
15,320 		2–3
6 May 2 Boston L 100–104 Bob McAdoo (28) John Shumate (16) Ernie DiGregorio (8) Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
16,261 		2–4
1976 schedule

Source: www.basketball-reference.com

Player stats

[edit]
Legend
GP Games played MPG Minutes per game FG Field-goals per game FGA Field-goals attempted per Game
FG% Field-goal percentage FT Free-throws per game FTA Free-throws attempted per Game FT% Free-throw percentage
ORPG Offensive rebounds per game DRPG Defensive rebounds per game RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game
SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PFPG Personal fouls per game PPG Points per game
Player GP MPG FG FGA FG% FT FTA FT% ORPG DRPG RPG APG SPG BPG PFPG PPG
Bob McAdoo 78 42.7 12 24.6 0.487 7.2 9.4 0.762 3.1 9.3 12.4 4 1.2 2.1 3.8 31.1
Randy Smith 82 38.6 8.6 17.3 0.494 4.7 5.7 0.817 1.3 3.8 5.1 5.9 1.9 0 3.3 21.8
Jim McMillian 74 35.3 6.6 12.4 0.536 2.5 3 0.858 1.8 3.5 5.3 2.8 1.2 0.2 1.9 15.8
John Shumate 32 32.7 4.6 7.9 0.575 3 4.5 0.678 2.6 7.3 9.8 2 1.2 0.6 2.6 12.2
Ken Charles 81 27.7 4 8.9 0.456 2 2.5 0.785 0.7 2 2.7 2.5 1.5 0.6 3.2 10.1
Gar Heard 50 30.5 4.1 9.8 0.421 1.6 2.7 0.607 2.8 7.5 10.2 2.5 1.3 1.1 3.7 9.9
Jack Marin 12 23.2 3.4 7.8 0.436 2.3 2.8 0.818 0.8 2.5 3.3 1.9 0.6 0.5 2.5 9.1
Ernie DiGregorio 67 20.4 2.7 7.1 0.384 1.3 1.4 0.915 0.2 1.4 1.7 4 0.6 0 2.4 6.7
Dick Gibbs 72 12 1.8 4.2 0.429 1.1 1.3 0.828 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.7 0.2 0.2 1.8 4.7
Tom McMillen 50 14.2 1.9 4.4 0.432 0.8 1.1 0.759 1.3 2.4 3.7 1.4 0.1 0.1 1.7 4.7
Bob Weiss 66 15.1 1.3 2.8 0.486 0.5 0.7 0.729 0.2 0.8 1 2.3 0.7 0.2 1.4 3.2
Don Adams 56 12.6 1.2 3 0.394 0.7 1 0.702 0.7 1.9 2.6 1.3 0.5 0.1 2.3 3.1
Dale Schlueter 71 10.9 0.9 1.7 0.5 0.8 1.1 0.667 0.8 2.3 3.2 1.1 0.2 0.2 2 2.5
Steve Kuberski 10 8.5 0.7 1.7 0.412 0.3 0.3 1 0.4 2.1 2.5 0.3 0.1 0.2 1 1.7
Jim Washington 1 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0

Awards and honors

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Transactions

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On October 14, 1975, the Braves lost Lee Winfield on waivers to the Kansas City Kings.[52] Paul Ruffner did not return to play for the 1975–76 Buffalo Braves and never again played in the NBA.[53] On November 20, 1975, Steve Kuberski was waived.[54] On November 27, 1975, Jack Marin was traded to the Chicago Bulls for a 1977 NBA draft 1st round pick.[55] On February 1, 1976, Gar Heard was dealt with a 1976 NBA draft 2nd round pick to the Phoenix Suns for John Shumate.[56]

The Braves were involved in the following transactions during the 1975–76 season.

Trades

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May 29, 1975 To Buffalo Braves
  • 1976 1st round draft pick
 To Phoenix Suns
  • 1975 1st round draft pick (16th pick)
July 30, 1975 To Buffalo Braves
 To Washington Bullets
  • 1976 1st round draft pick
November 27, 1975 To Buffalo Braves
  • 1977 1st round draft pick
 To Chicago Bulls
February 1, 1976 To Buffalo Braves
 To Phoenix Suns

Free agents

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References

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  1. ^ "Jack Ramsay". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 24, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d Buffalo Braves (1970–1978)
  3. ^ "1975 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  4. ^ "Aspiring To Higher Things: All-America, Rhodes scholar, NBA player, Tom McMillen is emulating Bill Bradley. Next, elective office". Sports Illustrated. April 5, 1982. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  5. ^ "McMillen Finally A Brave". Toledo Blade. June 3, 1975. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  6. ^ "Tom McMillen signs with Buffalo". Beaver County Times. June 3, 1975. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  7. ^ "All-Time ABA vs. NBA Exhibition Game Results". RememberTheABA.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h "1975–76 Buffalo Braves Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  9. ^ "1974–75 Buffalo Braves Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  10. ^ a b c "John Shumate". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  11. ^ "Ernie DiGregorio". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  12. ^ "Jack Marin". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  13. ^ a b "Jim McMillian". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  14. ^ a b c d "Randy Smith". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  15. ^ "Quick Braves, Kings Win". The Milwaukee Journal. February 25, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Bob McAdoo". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 6, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  17. ^ "1975–76 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 22, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  18. ^ a b "1976 NBA All-Star Game East 123, West 109". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  19. ^ "Braves May Refuse Buffalo Lease Terms". Star-News. November 21, 1975. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  20. ^ "Brawl Breaks Out in Bucks', Braves' Tilt". The Telegraph. November 15, 1975. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  21. ^ "McAdoo gets 50 as Braves clip Cavaliers in overtime". Tri City Herald. November 21, 1975. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  22. ^ "McAdoo Unfriendly to Buddy Chones". The Milwaukee Journal. November 21, 1975. p. 20. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  23. ^ "Unsung Ken Charles May Bench Standout". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 6, 1975. p. 9. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  24. ^ "DiGregorio Hasn't Lost Confidence". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. January 6, 1976. p. 9. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  25. ^ "Braves Romp To Record". Chicago Tribune. December 6, 1975. p. B2.
  26. ^ "McAdoo Criticizes Braves' Officials". Milwaukee Sentinel. December 26, 1975. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  27. ^ "Braves Pull Out Win With Shot At Buzzer". Ellensburg Daily Record. January 7, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  28. ^ "Havlicek Leads Celtics Over Braves". The Pittsburgh Press. February 1, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  29. ^ "Braves Stay In Buffalo". The Nevada Daily Mail. February 1, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  30. ^ "Ex-Notre Dame All-American Shumate Traded". The Miami News. February 2, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  31. ^ "McAdoo leads East to victory". The Baltimore Sun. February 4, 1976. p. C4. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  32. ^ "Bing Leads Charge As East Triumphs". Eugene Register-Guard. February 4, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  33. ^ "Braves Stop Celtics". The Telegraph. March 30, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  34. ^ "Braves Defeat Celtics In Physical Tilt, 117–114". The Telegraph. April 6, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  35. ^ "Blues Have Sabres Singing 'em". The Pittsburgh Press. April 7, 1976. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  36. ^ "1975–76 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 23, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  37. ^ "Braves Win Opener As McAdoo, McMillian star". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. April 16, 1976. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  38. ^ Rogers, Thomas (April 16, 1976). "Braves Top 76ers; Pistons, Cavs Win". The New York Times. p. 38. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  39. ^ "Sixers draw even". The Free Lance-Star. April 17, 1976. p. 11. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  40. ^ "Braves eliminate 76ers". Chicago Tribune. April 19, 1976. p. E2. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  41. ^ Goldaper, Sam (April 19, 1976). "Braves, Pistons Suns Win; Braves, Pistons and Suns Gain in Playoffs". The New York Times. p. 51. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  42. ^ "Braves gain semi-finals with victory over 76ers". The Baltimore Sun. April 19, 1976. p. C5. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  43. ^ Goldaper, Sam (April 19, 1976). "Braves, Pistons Suns Win; Braves, Pistons and Suns Gain in Playoffs". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  44. ^ Goldaper, Sam (April 22, 1976). "Celtics Top Braves; Celtics Win As Cowens Scores 30". The New York Times. p. 53. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  45. ^ "Celtics Bomb Braves Again". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. April 24, 1976. p. B3. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  46. ^ Goldaper, Sam (April 26, 1976). "Braves Beat Celtics, 98 to 93; Sonics Stay Alive". The New York Times. p. 52. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  47. ^ "Braves bounce Celtics". Anchorage Daily News. April 26, 1976. p. 7. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  48. ^ "DiGregorio Resurfaces as Braves' Hero". The Milwaukee Journal. April 26, 1976. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  49. ^ "Braves Win, Even Celtic Series, 2-2". The New York Times. April 29, 1976. p. 65. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  50. ^ "Celtics Take 99–88 Win To Go One Up On Braves". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. May 1, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  51. ^ De Forest, Ben (May 3, 1976). "Scott ignored, and Braves pay". The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  52. ^ "Lee Winfield". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  53. ^ "Paul Ruffner". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  54. ^ "Steve Kuberski". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  55. ^ "Jack Marin". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  56. ^ "Gar Heard". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
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