The 1975–76 Buffalo Braves season was the sixth season for the

expansion Expansion may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine * ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004 * ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970 * ''Expansio ...

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 ...

franchise in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

and its Atlantic Division. It was the team's fourth season under

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

Jack Ramsay John Travilla Ramsay (February 21, 1925 – April 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" (as he held an earned doctorate). He was best known for leading the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship, a ...

. The team's official home arena was

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 ...

Bob McAdoo Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. ( ; born September 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Most ...

led the league in scoring for the third consecutive year with 31.1 points per game.Buffalo Braves (1970–1978)
/ref> 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 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 ...

. 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. It was the first playoff series win for the franchise. In the second round of the playoffs, the Braves and

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 ...

would once again battle. After four games, the series was even at two wins each. Once again the Celtics would take the series in six games. The season was marked in controversy.

Ernie DiGregorio Ernest DiGregorio (born January 15, 1951), also known as "Ernie D.", is an American former professional basketball player. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1973–74 season and shares the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game w ...

was benched and McAdoo was suspended. Following the season the Braves allowed coach

to depart for the head coaching job with 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 ...

. 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

NBA Draft

The Braves had no selections during the first two rounds of the

1975 NBA Draft The 1975 NBA draft was the 29th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 29, 1975, before the 1975–76 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players a ...

and no players drafted by the team that year played for the 1975–76 Buffalo.

1974 NBA Draft The 1974 NBA draft was the 28th annual NBA Draft, draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 28, 1974, before the 1974–75 NBA season, 1974–75 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur ...

pick

Tom McMillen Charles Thomas McMillen (born May 26, 1952) is an American politician, businessman, and retired professional basketball player. A Rhodes Scholar, McMillen represented Maryland's 4th congressional district from January 3, 1987 to January 3, 199 ...

played for a year in Europe before joining the 1975–76 Buffalo Braves. McMillen played in the

Italian League The Italic League or Most Holy League was an international agreement concluded in Venice on 30 August 1454, between the Papal States, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Florence, and the Kingdom of Naples, following the Tr ...

for a team in

Bologna, Italy Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

and completed the first year of his

Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. However, he reached an agreement with Oxford to complete his second year during the summer in order to begin his

career. McMillen only played basketball in Italy on the weekends.

Exhibition games

On October 4, 1975, the Braves opened their preseason exhibition schedule against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

of 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, ...

. Bob McAdoo had 29 points in the contest in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

but the Pacers won, 106–105. On October 11, 15,000 fans attended the Braves' home game against the ABA's

New York Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. The Braves held New York's star

Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...

to 16 points but the Nets prevailed 109–83. On October 14 the Braves traveled to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, to face the ABA's

Kentucky Colonels The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of ...

. 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 The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

. Bob McAdoo had 22 points and 16 rebounds but the Spurs won 101–90 behind 22 points each for

James Silas James Edward Silas (born February 11, 1949) is a retired American professional basketball player, who played the point guard position. Born in Tallulah, Louisiana, Silas played the majority of his career with the Dallas Chaparrals/San Antonio Spurs ...

and

George Gervin George Gervin ( ; born April 27, 1952), nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, ...

. The very next night the Braves again faced the New York Nets, this time at

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan un ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. 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.

Roster

{, class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;" , - ! colspan="2" style="background-color: #E23B45; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" , Buffalo Braves 1975–76 roster , - style="background-color: #106BB4; color: #FFFFFF; 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

Jack Marin John Warren Marin (born October 12, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player. A 201 cm (6-foot, 7-inch) guard/forward from Duke University, Marin was named to the 1967 NBA All-Rookie Team and spent 11 seasons in the Natio ...

would get traded away to 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 ...

in November. * Forward

Gar Heard Garfield Heard (born May 3, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the third round of the 1970 NBA draft. He had a ...

would get traded away to 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 ...

in February. * Forwards Steve Kuberski and

Jim Washington James H. "Jumpin' Jimmy" Washington (born July 1, 1943) is a former professional basketball player. A 6'6" forward born in Philadelphia and from Villanova University, he was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the 6th pick of the 1965 NBA Draf ...

played in only 10 games and 1 game respectively before being waived in November.

Regular season

The Braves went the entire season without a winning streak or losing streak exceeding six games. 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. 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. DiGregorio, who played 67 games posted a 91.5% (86/94) free throw percentage, which would have been second to

Rick Barry Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the ...

's 92.3 if he had posted a qualifying number of attempts. Marin, who played 12 games for the Braves before being traded, finished 9th in the NBA in free throw percentage (85.6%). McMillian ranked 3rd in field goal percentage (53.6%) and 8th in free throw percentage (85.8). Randy Smith, who played all 82 games for the fourth consecutive season, represented Buffalo in the

1976 NBA All-Star Game The 1976 NBA All Star Game was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, on February 3, 1976. Philadelphia hosted three of the major four league All-Star games in honor of the Bicenntenial. Dave Bing was the MVP. It was also the final NBA All-Sta ...

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). Smith's speed was a difference maker on the Braves' fast breaks. McAdoo appeared in the third of five consecutive

NBA All-Star game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a ...

s and placed second in the MVP voting despite not making the All-NBA team that included centers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

and

Dave Cowens David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the Bo ...

. McAdoo led the winning east team in scoring with 22 points in the All-Star game, but

Dave Bing David Bing (born November 24, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player, businessman, and politician who served as the 74th mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 2009 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After starring a ...

was selected as MVP. 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). ;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 The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

. Although the

Buffalo Common Council The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the city of Buffalo, New York government. It is a representative assembly, with one elected member from each of nine districts: Niagara, Delaware, Masten, Ellicott, Lovejoy, Fillmore, Nort ...

had approved a lease in July, the Braves entered the season without an agreement. During the November 14 game at Milwaukee a

bench-clearing brawl A bench-clearing brawl is a form of fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, in which most or all players on both teams leave their dugouts, bullpens, or benches, and charge onto the playing area in order to fight on ...

erupted as a result of an incident between Bucks Gary Brokaw and

Bob Dandridge Robert L. Dandridge Jr. (born November 15, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed the "Greyhound", Dandridge was a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion, who scored 15,530 points in his career. He was ele ...

and Brave Dick Gibbs. 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 James Bernett “Bunny” Chones (born November 30, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player, and current radio analyst for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A 6'11" forward/center, Chones starred at Marquette University, where he earne ...

. On December 2, 1974, NBA Rookie of the Year DiGregorio was benched in favor of Charles for the sake of team defense. 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. 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. ;January–February The Braves began the new year by playing in three consecutive one-point contests, first splitting with the

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 ...

on January 2 and January 3, and then defeating 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 ...

on January 6. All games were won by the home team. The Braves established an all-sport all-time attendance record for Memorial Auditorium of 19,226 on January 31 when they hosted the

. That night,

John Havlicek John Joseph Havlicek ( ; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics, winning List of NBA players with most championships, eight NBA championships, four of ...

became the NBAs fourth leading scorer, surpassing

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lake ...

. 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. On February 1 during the All-star break, the Braves dealt Heard for Shumate. At the time the Braves had a 30–20 record and they would go 16–16 for the rest of the season. 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. ;March–April As the season wound down, the Braves were battling with the

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. The Braves were scheduled to host the

on April 6, but when the

qualified for the 1976 Stanley Cup playoffs, the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

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 The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...

and lost on St. Louis in a best of three series on that date.

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 ...

, , — , , 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 , - , 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 ...

, , 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 , - , style="text-align:left;" , 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 , - , 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 ...

, , 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 , - , 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. ...

, , 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 , - , 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 ...

, , 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 , - , style="text-align:left;" , 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 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, , 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 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, , 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 , - , 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' ...

, , 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 , - , 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 ...

, , 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 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, , 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 , - , 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 * '' ...

, , 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 , - , 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 ...

, , 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 , - , 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 ...

, , 4–0 , , 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 , - , 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 , , 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 , - , 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 ...

, , 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 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, , 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

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

Playoffs

In the 1976 NBA Playoffs, McMillian boosted his 15.8 points per game to 17.2, and Smith also boosted his production to 8.6 assists per game, which led the league, while contributing 22.6 points. 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. ;First round The Braves concluded the regular season tied with the

for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 46–36 record. 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. During the series, the road team won each of the three games including the final game, which Buffalo won 124–123 in overtime. 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.

George McGinnis George F. McGinnis (born August 10, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted into the ABA from Indiana ...

posted 34 points as the 76ers evened the series with a 131–106 victory in game 2. The Braved clinched game 3 in

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...

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. The game included clutch shots by Shumate and a strong shooting performance by Smith. 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 Fredrick James Carter (born February 14, 1945), nicknamed "Mad Dog" or "Doggy", is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight seasons (1969– 77) for the Balti ...

gave Philadelphia a 111–109 lead with 6 seconds remaining. After a couple of offensive rebounds on their final possession

Clyde Lee Clyde Wayne Lee (born March 14, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player who had his most success as an All-American center at Vanderbilt University, where the two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year was among the mo ...

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

eliminated the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

in 2006. ;Second round In the second round, the Braves opposed the Eastern Conference regular season champion

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.

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. Although McAdoo scored 40 points in game 2 and the Celtics played without

, his replacements

Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...

and Steve Kuberski stepped up to enable the Celtics to take a 2–0 lead in the series with a 101–96 victory. 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. 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. 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. Havlicek, who missed games 2 through 4 with a foot injury, returned to help the Celtics win game 5 as

Paul Silas Paul Theron Silas (July 12, 1943 – December 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the NB ...

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 Charles or Charlie Scott may refer to: Politicians * Charles Scott (governor) (1739–1813), American Revolutionary War soldier and fourth governor of Kentucky * Charles L. Scott (1827–1899), U.S. Representative from California * Charles Freder ...

fouled out in the fourth quarter, so did McAdoo. 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 Joseph Henry White (November 16, 1946 – January 16, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. As an amateur, he played basketball at the University of Kansas, where he was named a second-team All-American twice. White was part o ...

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.

Playoff schedule

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , April 15 , @

W 95–89
,

(36) ,

(21) , Randy Smith (13) ,

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...

14,352 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , April 16 ,

L 106–131
, Randy Smith (27) ,

(13) , Randy Smith (7) ,

12,049 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , April 18 , @

W 124–123 (OT)
,

(34) ,

(22) , Randy Smith (11) ,

13,087 , 2–1 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , April 21 , @

L 98–107
, Randy Smith (27) , Randy Smith (10) , Randy Smith (12) ,

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...

13,919 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , April 23 , @

L 96–101
,

(40) ,

John Shumate John Henry Shumate (born April 6, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Shumate grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and played high school basketball at Thomas Jefferson High School. A 6'9" forward/center from the ...

(11) , Randy Smith (7) ,

15,320 , 0–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , April 25 ,

W 98–93
, Randy Smith (29) , Randy Smith (14) ,

(10) ,

12,079 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , April 28 ,

W 124–122
,

(30) ,

(17) , Randy Smith (10) ,

16,193 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 5 , April 30 , @

L 88–99
,

(23) ,

(14) ,

(6) ,

15,320 , 2–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 6 , May 2 ,

L 100–104
,

(28) ,

(16) ,

(8) ,

16,261 , 2–4 , - Source
www.basketball-reference.com

Player stats

{, class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" , +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 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

per game !APG , Assists per game , - !SPG , Steals per game !BPG , Blocks per game !PFPG , Personal fouls per game !PPG , Points per game {, class="wikitable sortable" , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange" , Player , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange" , GP , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", MPG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", FG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", FGA , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", FG% , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", FT , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", FTA , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", FT% , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", ORPG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", DRPG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", RPG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", APG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", SPG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", BPG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", PFPG , align="center" style="background:#106bb4; color:orange", PPG , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 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 , - , , , 1, , 7, , 0, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 0, , , , 1, , 0, , 1, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0

Awards and honors

* Bob McAdoo, NBA Scoring Champion * Bob McAdoo,

* Randy Smith,

* Randy Smith, 1976 All-NBA (2nd team) * John Shumate, NBA All-Rookie Team (Note: Shumate started the season with the Phoenix Suns but ended the season as a member of the Buffalo Braves) * John Shumate, NBA Field goal percentage champion

Transactions

On October 14, 1975, the Braves lost Lee Winfield on waivers to the

Kansas City Kings 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 ...

Paul Ruffner Paul Ruffner (October 15, 1948 – June 17, 2022) was a retired American basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ruffner was born on in Downey, California. ...

did not return to play for the 1975–76 Buffalo Braves and never again played in the NBA. On November 20, 1975, Steve Kuberski was waived. On November 27, 1975,

was traded to the

for a

1977 NBA Draft The 1977 NBA draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1977, before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players ...

1st round pick. On February 1, 1976,

was dealt with a

1976 NBA Draft The 1976 NBA draft was the 30th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 8, 1976, before the 1976–77 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players a ...

2nd round pick to the

for

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

Trades

{, border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align: center; width: 100%" bordercolor="#DFDFDF" cellpadding="5" , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , May 29,

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

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

* 1976 1st round draft pick , style="width:30%" valign="top", To

* 1975 1st round draft pick (16th pick) , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , July 30,

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

* Dick Gibbs , style="width:30%" valign="top", To

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 ...

* 1976 1st round draft pick , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , November 27,

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

* 1977 1st round draft pick , style="width:30%" valign="top", To

, - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , February 1,

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

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

& a 1976 2nd round draft pick

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" ,

, , style="font-size: 80%", June 3 , ,

Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...

( LBA) , - , - style="height:40px" , Steve Kuberski , , style="font-size: 80%", claimed off waivers, October 16 , ,

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 ...

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Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy ''Ge ...

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Spirit of St. Louis The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlant ...

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Subtractions

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References

External links

Braves on Database Basketball

{{DEFAULTSORT:1975-76 Buffalo Braves season Buffalo Braves seasons Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo