The

1970–71 NBA season Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condi ...

was the

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...

inaugural season in the NBA. With a roster made up primarily of castoffs, the Braves got off on the right foot by beating the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

107–92 at the

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA), the Buffalo Bisons ( AHL), the Buffalo Biso ...

on October 14.Buffalo Braves (1970–1978)
/ref> However, the Braves would drop their next nine as they took on established NBA teams on the way to finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division. The Braves' record was 22–60, which was 7 games better than the Cleveland Cavaliers, their partners in expansion.

Offseason

NBA Draft

The

1970 NBA Draft The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 23, 1970, before the 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball player ...

was held on March 23, 1970 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The Braves first ever draft pick was

John Hummer John Hummer (born May 4, 1948) is an American venture capitalist and retired professional basketball player who was an original member of the Buffalo Braves after starring for the Princeton Tigers men's basketball team. He also led his high scho ...

from

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

, as he was selected with the 15th overall selection at the

. Hummer, a 6'9" center from

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

, averaged 17.5 points per game in 25 games with the Tigers during the 1969-70 season. Hummer led Princeton with a .487 field goal percentage, as well as leading the team with 9.5 rebounds per game.

Cornell Warner Cornell Warner (born August 12, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'9" forward/center from Jackson State University, Warner played seven seasons (1970–1977) in the National Basketball Association as a member of ...

was selected by Buffalo in the second round, 24th overall. Warner, another center, played for

Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a public historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi in terms of studen ...

from 1967-1970.

Expansion Draft

The 1970 NBA Expansion Draft was held on May 11, 1970, with the Braves and two other expansion franchises, the

and the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

participating in the event. The Braves most notable selection was power forward

Bailey Howell Bailey E. Howell (born January 20, 1937) is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at Mississippi State, Howell played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howell was a six-time NBA ...

from the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. Howell was a six time NBA all-star, however, immediately after the draft, he was traded to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

in exchange for power forward

Bob Kauffman Robert Kauffman (July 13, 1946 – July 25, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Kaufmann was a three time NBA All-Star. Early life Robert Alan Kauffman was born July 13, 1946 in Brooklyn, N.Y., to LeRoy and Anne Ka ...

, who had played the 1969-70 season with the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

. Kauffman saw limited playing time with the Bulls, averaging 4.3 points per game while averaging 12.1 minutes per game in 64 games with Chicago. Another selection was 10-year NBA veteran, forward/center Ray Scott from the Baltimore Bullets. The Braves management were looking forward to his leadership on the team; however, due to contradictory language in his Baltimore contract that provided him a loophole to become a free agent after the 1969-70 NBA season. The Braves did not exercise his option under the reserve clause because they believed it was a two-year contract. Scott was free to sign with the

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

. The league compensated the Braves due to losing a chosen player from Expansion Draft by promoting their 3rd round pick to a 2nd round pick (24th overall) in the 1971 NBA Draft.

Roster

{, class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;" , - ! colspan="2" style="background-color: #002F6C; color: #DAAA00; text-align: center;" , Buffalo Braves 1970–71 roster , - style="background-color: #DAAA00; color: #002F6C; text-align: center;" ! Players !! Coaches , - , valign="top" , {, class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;" ! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From , -

Roster Notes

* Forward Mike Silliman originally donned jersey #27 but later switched to #4. * Guard

Freddie Crawford Frederick Russell Crawford Jr. (born December 23, 1941) is a former American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Crawford was drafted in the fourth round of the 1964 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. Previou ...

played in only 15 games before he was traded away to the

in November.

Regular season

October

The Braves won their first game in franchise history, defeating the

107-92 at the

on October 14, 1970. Don May led Buffalo with 24 points in the historic victory. This would be the Braves only victory in the month of October, as they closed out the month on a six game losing streak. On October 24, May scored 34 points in a 114-95 loss to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

. Buffalo had a 1-6 record during the month, sitting in last place in the Atlantic Division, six games behind the first place

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

November

Buffalo dropped their first three games of November, extending their losing skid to nine games and dropping the team to a 1-9 record. The Braves snapped their losing streak with a 103-91 victory over the

on November 7, which was the second time Buffalo had defeated Cleveland in the season.

led the way for Buffalo with 24 points in 30 minutes. In their following game, Buffalo won consecutive games for the first time in team history, defeating the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

134-118, as Kauffman scored 35 points to lead the team, while Bill Hosket grabbed 17 rebounds. After dropping their next two games, the Braves returned to the win column with a 112-103 win over the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

on November 16, as Don May led the team in scoring with 25 points and

recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. On the next night, the Braves won their first ever road game, as they defeated the

102-101. The Braves struggled during the rest of the month, earning a 2-5 record over their remaining seven games, with wins over the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

and

. In their win over Phoenix, Kauffman recorded a triple-double, as he scored 26 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and recorded 11 assists in the 112-106 win. The Braves finished November with a 6-10 record during the month. Overall, their record was 7-16, as the club remained in the Atlantic Division cellar, 11 games behind the first place

. Also during this time, the Braves traded guard

to the

for a future draft pick.

December

Buffalo began December with a narrow 117-116 loss to the

. The Braves returned to the win column on December 4, defeating the powerful

97-91, as

Dick Garrett Eldo "Dick" Garrett (born January 31, 1947) is a retired American professional basketball player. Career A 6'3" guard from Southern Illinois University, Garrett was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 27th overall pick of the 1969 NBA d ...

led the team with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

scored 22 points and recorded 13 rebounds, while Don May scored 20 points with 10 rebounds in the win. Following the victory over New York, the Braves lost their next five games. In the Braves 108-106 loss to the

, Kauffman scored 40 points, which was the first time in team history that a player reached 40 points in a game. On December 12, the Braves returned to the win column, beating the

93-92. After a loss to Atlanta in their next game, the Braves defeated the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

113-111 in overtime, as Kauffman led the way with 34 points and 11 rebounds. The Braves lost their next game against Boston, but returned to the win column in their following game, crushing the

113-94. In their win, six different Braves players recorded 10 or more points. Buffalo struggled for the remainder of the month, losing their final seven games of December. The club recorded a 4-15 record in December, bringing their overall win–loss record to 11-31 at the end of the month. The Braves continued to be in last place in the Atlantic Division, 20 games behind the first place

January

Buffalo lost their first game of the new year, losing 115-103 to the

Cincinnati Royals The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

, extending their losing skid to eight games. In their next game, the Braves halted their losing streak with a 115-108 victory over the

San Francisco Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

, as

led the way with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Following the win over the Warriors, the Braves lost their next three games, including a 141-113 blowout loss to the

. Buffalo ended their losing streak with an impressive 119-113 win over the

, in which eight players scored double digits in points for the Braves. Buffalo then lost their next four games, including an embarrassing 111-79 loss to the

. The club responded with a three game winning streak after that loss to Cleveland, as the Braves defeated the

twice, as well as a win over the

San Diego Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1967, and pl ...

. Buffalo then concluded January on a five game road trip, in which they lost every game. Buffalo earned a record of 5-13 during the month of January. Overall, the Braves were 16-44, falling to 24.5 games behind the Atlantic Division leaders, the

February

Buffalo began February with two more losses in a row, extending their losing skid to seven games. The club ended their losing streak with a 106-99 victory over the

, which was the Braves second victory over New York during the season, as Buffalo was led by Don May and his 29 points. In their following game, the Braves defeated the

111-106, as May led the team with 35 points. Following their two game winning streak, Buffalo would end the month by dropping seven of their remaining eight games. Their lone win was a 118-114 decision over the

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

on February 17. The Braves finished February with a 3-9 record, dropping their overall win–loss record to 19-53, remaining in the Atlantic Division cellar and dropping to 27 games behind the first place

March

The Braves began March with a 131-118 loss to the

. In the loss, Don May scored 40 points for Buffalo. In their next game, Buffalo dropped a close 116-113 game to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, extending their losing streak to seven games. The Braves ended their losing streak and won their twentieth game of the season with a 120-109 victory over the

on March 6. In their following game, the Braves defeated the

114-98 to win consecutive games for the first time since the middle of February. After a loss to the

, the Braves defeated the

on the road 116-109 as seven different players earned 10 or more points for the Braves. Buffalo would finish the season with four straight losses. The Braves finished March with a 3-7 record, bringing their final regular season win–loss record to 22-60, finishing in fourth place in the four team Atlantic Division, 30 games behind the first place

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

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Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, , – , , 3–3 , , 2–4 , , 3–1 , , 1–4 , , 2–4 , , 4–0 , , 0–5 , , 3–2 , , 1–4 , , 3–3 , , 4–2 , , 1–4 , , 2–2 , , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 3–2 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, , 3–3 , , – , , 3–3 , , 3–1 , , 2–3 , , 3–3 , , 4–0 , , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 1–4 , , 2–4 , , 3–3 , , 3–2 , , 2–2 , , 4–1 , , 2–3 , , 3–2 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, , 4–2 , , 3–3 , , – , , 4–0 , , 4–1 , , 4–2 , , 3–1 , , 2–3 , , 3–2 , , 0–5 , , 0–6 , , 4–2 , , 2–3 , , 2–2 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , - , style="text-align:left;" , Buffalo , , 1–3 , , 1–3 , , 0–4 , , – , , 0–4 , , 0–4 , , 5–7 , , 1–5 , , 2–2 , , 0–4 , , 2–2 , , 0–4 , , 1–3 , , 6–6 , , 1–3 , , 1–3 , , 1–3 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , 4–1 , , 3–2 , , 1–4 , , 4–0 , , – , , 4–0 , , 4–0 , , 3–3 , , 2–4 , , 1–5 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , , 3–3 , , 3–1 , , 6–0 , , 4–2 , , 3–2 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, , 4–2 , , 3–3 , , 2–4 , , 4–0 , , 0–4 , , – , , 5–1 , , 1–4 , , 1–4 , , 1–4 , , 2–4 , , 1–5 , , 1–4 , , 4–0 , , 1–3 , , 2–3 , , 1–4 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, , 0–4 , , 0–4 , , 1–3 , , 7–5 , , 0–4 , , 1–5 , , – , , 2–2 , , 0–4 , , 0–4 , , 0–4 , , 1–3 , , 0–4 , , 2–10 , , 0–4 , , 1–3 , , 0–4 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, , 5–0 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , , 5–1 , , 3–3 , , 4–1 , , 2–2 , , – , , 2–3 , , 1–5 , , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 2–4 , , 3–1 , , 4–2 , , 1–4 , , 3–1 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, , 2–3 , , 3–2 , , 2–3 , , 2–2 , , 4–2 , , 4–1 , , 4–0 , , 3–2 , , – , , 1–4 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , , 2–4 , , 4–0 , , 3–3 , , 4–2 , , 4–2 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, , 4–1 , , 4–1 , , 5–0 , , 4–0 , , 5–1 , , 4–1 , , 4–0 , , 5–1 , , 4–1 , , – , , 1–4 , , 4–1 , , 4–2 , , 3–1 , , 4–1 , , 6–0 , , 5–1 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, , 3–3 , , 4–2 , , 6–0 , , 2–2 , , 2–3 , , 4–2 , , 4–0 , , 3–2 , , 2–3 , , 4–1 , , – , , 2–4 , , 4–1 , , 3–1 , , 4–1 , , 3–2 , , 2–3 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, , 2–4 , , 3–3 , , 2–4 , , 4–0 , , 2–3 , , 5–1 , , 3–1 , , 3–2 , , 2–3 , , 1–4 , , 4–2 , , – , , 3–2 , , 4–0 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, , 4–1 , , 2–3 , , 3–2 , , 3–1 , , 3–3 , , 4–1 , , 4–0 , , 4–2 , , 4–2 , , 2–4 , , 1–4 , , 2–3 , , – , , 4–0 , , 2–4 , , 3–2 , , 3–2 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 6–6 , , 1–3 , , 0–4 , , 10–2 , , 1–3 , , 0–4 , , 1–3 , , 1–3 , , 0–4 , , 0–4 , , – , , 0–4 , , 1–3 , , 2–4 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, , 3–2 , , 1–4 , , 2–3 , , 3–1 , , 0–6 , , 3–1 , , 4–0 , , 2–4 , , 3–3 , , 1–4 , , 1–4 , , 2–3 , , 4–2 , , 4–0 , , – , , 2–4 , , 5–1 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, , 3–2 , , 3–2 , , 2–3 , , 3–1 , , 2–4 , , 3–2 , , 3–1 , , 4–1 , , 2–4 , , 0–6 , , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 3–1 , , 4–2 , , – , , 3–3 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 3–1 , , 2–3 , , 4–1 , , 4–0 , , 1–3 , , 2–4 , , 1–5 , , 3–2 , , 2–3 , , 2–3 , , 4–2 , , 1–5 , , 3–3 , , —

Game log

{, class="toccolours collapsible" width=50% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center" , - ! colspan=11 style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00;" , 1970–71 Game log , - align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd" , # , , Date , , Opponent , , Score , , High points , , Record , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 1 , , October 14 , ,

, , 92–107 , , Don May (24) , , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 2 , , October 17 , ,

, , 102–93 , , George Wilson (18) , , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 3 , , October 20 , ,

, , 98–89 , ,

Em Bryant Emmette "Em" Bryant (born November 4, 1937) is a retired American professional basketball player and Vice President/Chicago Chapter at NBA Alumni. Career A 6'1" guard from DePaul University, Bryant was drafted in the 1964 NBA Draft by the New Yor ...

(19) , , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 4 , , October 24 , ,

, , 114–95 , , Don May (34) , , 1–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 5 , , October 27 , , @

, , 108–119 , ,

(23) , , 1–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 6 , , October 30 , , @

, , 90–104 , , Don May (22) , , 1–5 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 7 , , October 31 , , @ Portland , , 102–107 , , Don May (24) , , 1–6 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 8 , , November 2 , , @

, , 102–110 , , Mike Davis (21) , , 1–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 9 , , November 4 , ,

, , 126–101 , , Don May (23) , , 1–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 10 , , November 5 , , @ Detroit , , 109–121 , , Mike Davis (32) , , 1–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 11 , , November 7 , , Cleveland , , 91–103 , ,

(24) , , 2–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 12 , , November 11 , ,

, , 118–134 , , Bob Kauffman (35) , , 3–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 13 , , November 13 , , @ Philadelphia , , 111–119 , , Bob Kauffman (28) , , 3–10 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 14 , , November 14 , ,

, , 116–107 , , Bob Kauffman (23) , , 3–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 15 , , November 16 , , N Seattle , , 103–112 , , Don May (25) , , 4–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 16 , , November 17 , , @ Portland , , 102–101 , , Bob Kauffman (24) , , 5–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 17 , , November 20 , , @

, , 108–123 , , Don May (24) , , 5–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 18 , , November 21 , , N Portland , , 112–108 , , Don May (30) , , 5–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 19 , , November 24 , , Phoenix , , 106–112 , , Bryant, Kauffman (26) , , 6–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 20 , , November 25 , , N Philadelphia , , 99–92 , , Bob Kauffman (26) , , 6–14 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 21 , , November 27 , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , 104–121 , , Garrett, Kauffman (16) , , 6–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 22 , , November 28 , , Portland , , 95–111 , , Bob Kauffman (24) , , 7–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 23 , , November 30 , , N

, , 106–109 , , Mike Davis (31) , , 7–16 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 24 , , December 1 , , Boston , , 117–116 (OT) , , Bob Kauffman (28) , , 7–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 25 , , December 4 , ,

, , 91–97 , , Dick Garrett (23) , , 8–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 26 , , December 5 , , @ New York , , 93–117 , , Bob Kauffman (18) , , 8–18 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 27 , , December 6 , , @ Cleveland , , 106–108 , , Bob Kauffman (40) , , 8–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 28 , , December 8 , , Boston , , 122–102 , , Bob Kauffman (28) , , 8–20 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 29 , , December 10 , , N Chicago , , 138–120 , , Bob Kauffman (31) , , 8–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 30 , , December 11 , , Portland , , 120–105 , , Bob Kauffman (23) , , 8–22 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 31 , , December 12 , , @ Detroit , , 93–92 , , John Hummer (24) , , 9–22 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 32 , , December 13 , , @ Atlanta , , 91–110 , , John Hummer (22) , , 9–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 33 , , December 15 , , Los Angeles , , 111–113 (OT) , , Bob Kauffman (34) , , 10–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 34 , , December 17 , , @ Boston , , 93–102 , , Bob Kauffman (25) , , 10–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 35 , , December 18 , , Cleveland , , 94–113 , , Davis, Kauffman (19) , , 11–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 36 , , December 19 , , @ Cleveland , , 112–123 , ,

Herm Gilliam Herman L. Gilliam Jr. (May 5, 1946 – April 16, 2005) was an American professional basketball player. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. College career Herm Gilliam attended Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. He p ...

(28) , , 11–25 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 37 , , December 20 , , @ Milwaukee , , 101–131 , , Mike Davis (23) , , 11–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 38 , , December 23 , , Chicago , , 104–103 , , Don May (27) , , 11–27 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 39 , , December 25 , , @ New York , , 102–115 , , Bob Kauffman (28) , , 11–28 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 40 , , December 26 , , @ Cleveland , , 107–120 , , Don May (28) , , 11–29 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 41 , , December 29 , , Philadelphia , , 124–113 , , Bob Kauffman (22) , , 11–30 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 42 , , December 30 , , N

, , 90–106 , , Bob Kauffman (26) , , 11–31 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 43 , , January 2 , ,

, , 115–103 , , Dick Garrett (28) , , 11–32 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 44 , , January 6 , , San Francisco , , 108–115 , , Bob Kauffman (20) , , 12–32 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 45 , , January 8 , , Seattle , , 110–102 , , Don May (30) , , 12–33 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 46 , , January 9 , , @ Cleveland , , 89–111 , , Dick Garrett (17) , , 12–34 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 47 , , January 10 , , @ Chicago , , 113–141 , , Don May (23) , , 12–35 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 48 , , January 14 , , N Portland , , 113–119 , , Bob Kauffman (30) , , 13–35 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 49 , , January 15 , , Detroit , , 99–97 (OT) , , Bob Kauffman (28) , , 13–36 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 50 , , January 16 , , @ Cincinnati , , 113–114 , , Mike Davis (22) , , 13–37 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 51 , , January 18 , , Atlanta , , 123–113 , , Bob Kauffman (27) , , 13–38 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 52 , , January 19 , , N Cleveland , , 111–79 , , Mike Davis (16) , , 13–39 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 53 , , January 20 , , Portland , , 106–126 , , Dick Garrett (27) , , 14–39 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 54 , , January 22 , , San Diego , , 94–101 , , Don May (29) , , 15–39 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 55 , , January 24 , , Portland , , 111–123 , , Bob Kauffman (30) , , 16–39 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 56 , , January 25 , , @ San Diego , , 106–114 , , Bob Kauffman (26) , , 16–40 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 57 , , January 26 , , @ Phoenix , , 82–114 , ,

Paul Long Paul Richard Long (born February 8, 1944) is a former NBA and ABA basketball player. He played professionally for the Detroit Pistons, Kentucky Colonels and the Buffalo Braves. Biography Long was born in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from ...

(19) , , 16–41 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 58 , , January 28 , , @ Seattle , , 110–120 , , Bob Kauffman (33) , , 16–42 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 59 , , January 29 , , @ San Francisco , , 100–106 , , Dick Garrett (27) , , 16–43 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 60 , , January 31 , , @ Cleveland , , 108–117 , , Em Bryant (19) , , 16–44 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 61 , , February 2 , , N Cleveland , , 101–91 , , Don May (34) , , 16–45 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 62 , , February 5 , , Baltimore , , 98–90 , , Dick Garrett (25) , , 16–46 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 63 , , February 10 , , New York , , 99–106 , , Don May (29) , , 17–46 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 64 , , February 13 , , @ Cleveland , , 111–106 , , Don May (35) , , 18–46 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 65 , , February 14 , , Phoenix , , 108–97 , , Don May (32) , , 18–47 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 66 , , February 16 , , Milwaukee , , 135–103 , , Don May (34) , , 18–48 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 67 , , February 17 , , @ Baltimore , , 118–114 , , Bob Kauffman (24) , , 19–48 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 68 , , February 19 , , Baltimore , , 120–113 , , Bob Kauffman (22) , , 19–49 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 69 , , February 20 , , @ Cincinnati , , 94–120 , , Bob Kauffman (24) , , 19–50 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 70 , , February 22 , , San Francisco , , 109–91 , , Don May (36) , , 19–51 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 71 , , February 26 , , Detroit , , 127–122 (OT) , , Bob Kauffman (29) , , 19–52 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 72 , , February 27 , , @ Atlanta , , 117–134 , , Bryant, Kauffman (21) , , 19–53 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 73 , , March 2 , , Los Angeles , , 131–118 , , Don May (40) , , 19–54 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 74 , , March 4 , , @ Milwaukee , , 113–116 , , Bob Kauffman (26) , , 19–55 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 75 , , March 6 , , Cleveland , , 109–120 , , Don May (25) , , 20–55 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 76 , , March 8 , , @ Portland , , 114–98 , , Don May (31) , , 21–55 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 77 , , March 9 , , @ San Diego , , 96–106 , , Don May (31) , , 21–56 , - align="center" bgcolor="ccffcc" , 78 , , March 12 , , @ Los Angeles , , 116–109 , , Don May (23) , , 22–56 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 79 , , March 14 , , @ Portland , , 112–122 , , Dick Garrett (24) , , 22–57 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 80 , , March 16 , , Cincinnati , , 113–102 , , Don May (21) , , 22–58 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 81 , , March 19 , , @ Detroit , , 105–111 , , Kauffman, May (18) , , 22–59 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 82 , , March 20 , , Portland , , 132–129 (OT) , , Don May (36) , , 22–60

Player statistics

''Note: GP= Games played; MPG = Minutes per game; FG% = Field goal percentage; FT% = Free throw percentage; RPG = Rebounds per game; APG = Assists per game; PPG = Points per game'' {, class="wikitable sortable" , - ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="16%" , Player ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="9%" , GP ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="9%" , MPG ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="9%" , FG% ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="9%" , FT% ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="9%" , RPG ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="9%" , APG ! style="background:#002F6C; color:#DAAA00" width="9%" , PPG , - align="center" , Bob Kauffman , , 78 , , 35.6 , , .471 , , .740 , , 10.7 , , 4.5 , , 20.4 , - align="center" , Don May , , 76 , , 35.1 , , .471 , , .791 , , 7.5 , , 2.0 , , 20.2 , - align="center" , John Hummer , , 81 , , 32.6 , , .444 , , .580 , , 8.9 , , 2.0 , , 11.3 , - align="center" , Dick Garrett , , 75 , , 31.7 , , .414 , , .869 , , 3.9 , , 3.5 , , 12.9 , - align="center" , Em Bryant , , 73 , , 29.3 , , .421 , , .744 , , 3.6 , , 4.8 , , 10.0 , - align="center" , Herm Gilliam , , 80 , , 26.0 , , .422 , , .751 , , 4.2 , , 3.6 , , 11.2 , - align="center" , Mike Davis , , 73 , , 22.2 , , .410 , , .760 , , 2.6 , , 2.1 , , 11.4 , - align="center" , Cornell Warner , , 65 , , 19.9 , , .415 , , .552 , , 7.0 , , 0.8 , , 6.0 , - align="center" , Bill Hosket , , 13 , , 16.7 , , .522 , , .647 , , 5.8 , , 1.5 , , 8.1 , - align="center" , George Wilson , , 46 , , 15.5 , , .342 , , .812 , , 5.0 , , 1.0 , , 5.2 , - align="center" , Freddie Crawford , , 15 , , 13.5 , , .340 , , .615 , , 2.3 , , 1.6 , , 5.9 , - align="center" , Nate Bowman , , 44 , , 11.0 , , .392 , , .526 , , 3.9 , , 0.9 , , 3.1 , - align="center" , Mike Silliman , , 36 , , 10.2 , , .456 , , .487 , , 1.7 , , 0.6 , , 2.5 , - align="center" , Paul Long , , 30 , , 7.1 , , .475 , , .487 , , 1.0 , , 0.8 , , 4.5 , - align="center" , Mike Lynn , , 5 , , 5.0 , , .286 , , 1.000 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 1.4 , - align="center"

Awards and honors

, NBA All-Star

Transactions

The Braves were involved in the following transactions during the 1970–71 season.

Trades

{, border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align: center; width: 100%" bordercolor="#DFDFDF" cellpadding="5" , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , March 23,

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

, style="width:30%" valign="top", To

* Mike Davis & the 15th pick in the 1970 NBA Draft. , style="width:30%" valign="top", To Baltimore Bullets

* The 9th pick in the 1970 NBA Draft. , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , May 11,

, style="width:30%" valign="top", To

& a 1971 2nd round draft pick , style="width:30%" valign="top", To

, - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , June 20,

, style="width:30%" valign="top", To

Nate Bowman Nathan "Nate the Snake" Bowman (March 19, 1943 – December 11, 1984) was an American basketball player born in Fort Worth, Texas. A 6'10" center from Wichita State University, Bowman played five seasons (1966–1971) in the National Basketba ...

& the draft rights to Mike Silliman , style="width:30%" valign="top", To

New York Knickerbockers The New York Knickerbockers were one of the first organized baseball teams which played under a set of rules similar to the game today. Founded as the "Knickerbocker Base Ball Club" by Alexander Cartwright in 1845, the team remained active unt ...

* Cash considerations , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , November 26,

, style="width:30%" valign="top", To

* Future draft pick , style="width:30%" valign="top", To

, -

Free agents

Additions

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" , - align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd" , style="width:140px", Player , , style="width:70px", Signed , , style="width:210px", Former team , - style="height:40px" , George Wilson , , style="font-size: 80%", August 11 , ,

Subtractions

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" , - align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd" , style="width:140px", Player , , style="width:70px", Left , , style="width:210px", New team , - style="height:40px" , Ray Scott , , style="font-size: 80%", free agency, July 1 , ,

( ABA)

References

Braves on Database Basketball

{{DEFAULTSORT:1970-71 Buffalo Braves season Buffalo Braves seasons Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo