The 1974–75 Buffalo Braves season was the fifth season of the club 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 ...

. It was the team's third 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 home arena was 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 ...

, with six "home" games played at

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. Despite losing three key players in

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 ...

Jim McMillian James M. McMillian (March 11, 1948 – May 16, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. After starring at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, McMillian played college basketball at Columbia University. He led Columbia to a three ...

and

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 ...

for long stretches, the Braves continued to improve. Buffalo finished second in the Atlantic Division to Boston, with a record of 49–33 and a .598 winning percentage; this would endure as the club's best record for 37 years, 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 ...

amassed a 40-26 mark (.606) in the 2011-12 season.

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 ...

captured the NBA MVP Award,Buffalo Braves (1970–1978)
/ref> leading the league with 34.5 points per game, while adding 14.1 rebounds per contest, fourth-best in the NBA. In the

1975 NBA Playoffs The 1975 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1974–75 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washin ...

, the Braves earned the franchise's second playoff berth, this time against 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 ...

. The series went to the full seven games, with Washington taking the deciding contest, 115–96, at home. After the season, the team was occupied with legal wrangling surrounding the departure of minority owner and general manager

Eddie Donovan Eddie Donovan (June 2, 1922 in Elizabeth, New Jersey – January 20, 2001) was a professional basketball coach and executive. He coached the New York Knicks, New York Knickerbockers from 1961 through 1965, and was the coach on the opposing sidelin ...

Offseason

On March 21, Braves general manager

announced that he would resign effective April 1. The resignation was controversial because there were rumors that he would return to work for his prior team,

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 ...

, but there were simultaneous rumors that the Knicks had unfairly tampered with Donovan while under contract with the Braves. Upon the announced resignation,

NBA Commissioner The Commissioner of the NBA is the chief executive of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The current commissioner is Adam Silver, who succeeded David Stern on February 1, 2014. List of NBA commissioners Maurice Podoloff (1946–1963) ...

Walter Kennedy announced that the league would conduct a hearing on the matter. The transition was complicated by Donovan's 5% ownership of the Braves. Incoming commissioner,

Larry O'Brien Lawrence Francis O'Brien Jr. (July 7, 1917September 28, 1990) was an American politician and basketball commissioner. He was one of the United States Democratic Party's leading electoral strategists for more than two decades. He served as Postm ...

announced an amicable settlement as one of his first orders of business.

NBA Draft

The following members of the 1974–75 Buffalo Braves were drafted during the

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 ...

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

Roster

{, class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;" , - ! colspan="2" style="background:#106bb4; color:#fff; text-align:center;", Buffalo Braves 1974-75 roster , - style="background:#106bb4; color:#fff; text-align:center;" ! Players !! Coaches , - , valign="top" , {, class="sortable" style="background:none; margin:0; width:100%;" , - ! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From , -

Roster Notes

* Forward

Bernie Harris Bernard Harris (born 25 August 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy, the Brisbane Bears and St Kilda in the Victorian/Australian Football League (VFL/AFL). Harris joined his elder brother Leon at Fitzroy in ...

played in only 11 games before being waived in January. * Guard

Bob Weiss Robert William Weiss (born May 7, 1942) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. College career Weiss played college basketball at Penn State University from 1963 to 1965 and averaged 16.3 points per game during his senior ...

came back to the franchise as an assistant coach with the

San Diego 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 ...

from 1978–80 and as a coach for the

from 1993-94.

Regular season

;Overview An early eleven-game winning streak helped the Braves achieve a 16–4 record to start the season and a later seven-game streak took them to 31–16. Buffalo supplanted the

as Boston's closest competitor in the Atlantic foursome with 49 wins and 33 losses. Buffalo boasted high-scoring super star

, who posted a 34.5 scoring average to lead the NBA, while making more field goals than any other player. He also led in minutes played, while also ranking among the best rebounders and shot blockers in the league. McAdoo also earned 798 free throw tries, another league high, converting 81% of his attempts. The Braves lost reigning NBA Rookie of the Year

to a knee injury that limited him to 31 games, watched former Laker Jim McMillian battle illness that caused him to miss 20 games, and also lost

for 15 games, which dropped the team from the elite and put more of the load on their star. The Braves attendance increased by 40,000 to 467,267 in their 41 home games, but the team fell to 5th of 18 teams. The team defense improved sufficiently to create an average 2.2-point scoring margin after a slight average deficit the year before. McMillian ranked tenth in the league in field goal percentage. Heard ranked 9th in blocks per game (1.8).

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 ...

, who played in 81 games, ranked seventh in free throw percentage (86.9%). Randy Smith, who played in all 82 regular-season games for the third consecutive season, finished fourth in assists per game (6.5). McAdoo, who also played all 82 games, led the NBA in minutes played, field goals, rebounds (ranked fourth per game), points, and points per game. Meanwhile, he ranked sixth in blocks per game, second in total free throws, and fifth in field goal percentage. This performance earned him the league MVP and first team

All-NBA The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...

honors.

October–November

As he had the season before, DiGregorio had a tremendous opening night with 33 points. The Braves defeated the defending champion

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 ...

126–119, giving them their first win in nine games against Boston as a visitor. The Celtics had eliminated the Braves from the

. DiGregorio was sidelined after six games due to knee surgery. After a 4–3 start, the Braves won eleven in a row starting with a November 3, 1974, victory over 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 ...

at the

Los Angeles Forum Kia Forum (formerly The Forum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located between West Manchester Boulevard, across Pincay Drive and Kareem Court, it is north of SoFi Stadium and t ...

and culminating with a November 23 victory 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 ...

at home. In order to win the eighth game of the streak, the Braves had to overcome a seventeen-point deficit to earn a 111–106 victory against the

Golden State 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 ...

. Even after losing 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 ...

on November 24, their 15–4 record was the best in the NBA.

December–January

During December, the Braves dealt with injuries to McMillan, who required an emergency

appendectomy An appendectomy, also termed appendicectomy, is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedure to treat complicated acu ...

, and DiGregorio. After their great start, the Braves compiled a 6–7 month of December. On December 19, despite 49 points by McAdoo, the Braves lost to 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 ...

. On December 28, the NBA's smallest player,

Calvin Murphy Calvin Jerome Murphy (born May 9, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player who after a prolific collegiate career at Niagara, where he averaged 33.1 points per game over his three years, played in the National Basketball Associ ...

scored a career-high 45 points to lead the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

to a 125–117 victory over Buffalo. By January, Heard was suffering from a knee injury. As a result, in some games, the Braves only played seven players. In a January 3 game against 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 ...

, Dale Schlueter was involved in two altercations that resulted in

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 ...

s. In January 1975, the Braves recorded a seven-game winning streak starting with a January 10 win over the Cavaliers and ending with a January 24 victory over the

. In the fifth game of the streak, McAdoo outscored

Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised in ...

43–40 at New Orleans.

February–April

Following an 11–4 January, the Braves struggled to a 7–7 record in February. On January 24, DiGregorio returned to the active roster following his October 29 knee cartilage injury. The March 13 victory against the

established the franchise record for most wins in a season at 43, surpassing the prior season's total of 42. From March 14 to March 21, the Braves posted their season-worst four-game losing streak. Donovan announced his April 1 resignation in late March. In late March, DiGregorio was sidelined for the rest of the season. The Braves then went on a five-game winning streak from March 22 to March 29, but the team lost three of four April regular-season games.

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 ...

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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 ...

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

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

, , 4–3 , , 1–3 , , 1–3 , , 2–2 , , — , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 4–4 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 1–3 , , 6–1 , , 1–3 , , 3–1 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 3–5 , - , 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 ...

, , 2–2 , , 1–3 , , 2–2 , , 5–4 , , 2–2 , , — , , 1–3 , , 2–2 , , 2–6 , , 3–1 , , 3–6 , , 4–0 , , 2–2 , , 3–1 , , 2–2 , , 3–1 , , 2–2 , , 1–3 , - , style="text-align:left;" , Golden State , , 3–1 , , 3–1 , , 1–3 , , 1–3 , , 2–2 , , 3–1 , , — , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 5–2 , , 3–1 , , 2–2 , , 3–1 , , 3–1 , , 5–3 , , 5–3 , , 4–3 , , 1–3 , - , 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 , , 0–4 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 4–4 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , — , , 4–0 , , 2–2 , , 3–1 , , 5–3 , , 1–3 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 1–3 , , 2–5 , - , style="text-align:left;" , Kansas City-Omaha , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 3–1 , , 5–4 , , 2–2 , , 6–2 , , 2–2 , , 0–4 , , — , , 3–1 , , 6–3 , , 2–2 , , 2–2 , , 1–3 , , 3–1 , , 3–1 , , 1–3 , , 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' ...

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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 ...

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

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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 * '' ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 on ...

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Season schedule

, - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 1, , October 18 , , @ Boston Celtics , , 126–119, , 1–0, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 2, , October 19 , , Boston Celtics , , 95–113, , 1–1, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 3, , October 22 , , New Orleans Jazz , , 134–118, , 2–1, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 4, , October 24 , , New York Knicks (at Toronto, Canada), , 111–91, , 3–1, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 5, , October 26 , , Chicago Bulls , , 105–104, , 4–1, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 6, , October 29 , , @ Golden State Warriors , , 101–130, , 4–2, , Loss 1 , - , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 7, , November 1 , , @ Portland Trail Blazers , , 106–113, , 4–3, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 8, , November 3 , , @ Los Angeles Lakers , , 124–101, , 5–3, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 9, , November 6 , , @ New Orleans Jazz , , 110–98, , 6–3, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 10, , November 9 , , Detroit Pistons , , 109–100, , 7–3, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 11, , November 10 , , @ Detroit Pistons , , 124–117, , 8–3, , Win 4 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 12, , November 12 , , Cleveland Cavaliers , , 112–94, , 9–3, , Win 5 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 13, , November 14 , , @ Boston Celtics (at Providence, Rhode Island), , 112–100, , 10–3, , Win 6 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 14, , November 16 , , Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 101–96, , 11–3, , Win 7 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 15, , November 19 , , Golden State Warriors , , 111–106, , 12–3, , Win 8 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 16, , November 20 , , @ Washington Bullets , , 115–104, , 13–3, , Win 9 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 17, , November 21 , , Philadelphia 76ers (at Toronto, Canada), , 99–95, , 14–3, , Win 10 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 18, , November 23 , , Phoenix Suns , , 117–104, , 15–3, , Win 11 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 19, , November 24 , , @ Chicago Bulls , , 89–91, , 15–4, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 20, , November 26 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 103–99, , 16–4, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 21, , November 29 , , Washington Bullets , , 93–96, , 16–5, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 22, , November 30 , , @ New York Knicks , , 111–118, , 16–6, , Loss 2 , - , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 23, , December 3 , , Milwaukee Bucks , , 101–110, , 16–7, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 24, , December 6 , , Portland Trail Blazers , , 114–105, , 17–7, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 25, , December 7 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 112–116, , 17–8, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 26, , December 10 , , Philadelphia 76ers , , 101–91, , 18–8, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 27, , December 12 , , Houston Rockets (at Toronto, Canada), , 124–113, , 19–8, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 28, , December 13 , , New York Knicks , , 108–104, , 20–8, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 29, , December 14 , , @ New York Knicks , , 118–102, , 21–8, , Win 4 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 30, , December 17 , , @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 110–111, , 21–9, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 31, , December 19 , , @ Cleveland Cavaliers , , 104–106, , 21–10, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 32, , December 20 , , Atlanta Hawks , , 102–113, , 21–11, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 33, , December 27 , , @ Phoenix Suns , , 108–92, , 22–11, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 34, , December 28 , , @ Houston Rockets , , 117–125, , 22–12, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 35, , December 30 , , @ Milwaukee Bucks , , 91–106, , 22–13, , Loss 2 , - , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 36, , January 3 , , Detroit Pistons , , 92–111, , 22–14, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 37, , January 4 , , @ Atlanta Hawks , , 121–108, , 23–14, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 38, , January 6 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 95–101, , 23–15, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 39, , January 7 , , Los Angeles Lakers , , 115–107, , 24–15, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 40, , January 9 , , Boston Celtics (at Toronto, Canada), , 100–108, , 24–16, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 41, , January 10 , , Cleveland Cavaliers , , 104–100, , 25–16, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 42, , January 12 , , Boston Celtics , , 114–101, , 26–16, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 43, , January 17 , , Golden State Warriors , , 121–116, , 27–16, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 44, , January 18 , , @ Atlanta Hawks , , 129–115, , 28–16, , Win 4 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 45, , January 19 , , @ New Orleans Jazz , , 117–112, , 29–16, , Win 5 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 46, , January 21 , , Seattle SuperSonics , , 118–108, , 30–16, , Win 6 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 47, , January 24 , , New York Knicks , , 105–99, , 31–16, , Win 7 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 48, , January 26 , , @ Boston Celtics , , 93–107, , 31–17, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 49, , January 30 , , @ Cleveland Cavaliers , , 97–91, , 32–17, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 50, , January 31 , , Atlanta Hawks , , 111–101, , 33–17, , Win 2 , - , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 51, , February 1 , , @ Detroit Pistons , , 113–119, , 33–18, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 52, , February 4 , , Philadelphia 76ers , , 105–111 (OT), , 33–19, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 53, , February 7 , , Los Angeles Lakers , , 108–98, , 34–19, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 54, , February 9 , , @ Seattle SuperSonics , , 99–93 (OT), , 35–19, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 55, , February 11 , , @ Los Angeles Lakers , , 112–108, , 36–19, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 56, , February 12 , , @ Phoenix Suns , , 96–108, , 36–20, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 57, , February 14 , , Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 112–132, , 36–21, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 58, , February 16 , , @ Chicago Bulls , , 109–114, , 36–22, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 59, , February 18 , , Phoenix Suns (at Toronto, Canada), , 124–109, , 37–22, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 60, , February 21 , , Portland Trail Blazers , , 116–106, , 38–22, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 61, , February 22 , , @ New York Knicks , , 92–85, , 39–22, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 62, , February 25 , , Washington Bullets , , 93–111, , 39–23, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 63, , February 27 , , New Orleans Jazz (at Toronto, Canada), , 110–100, , 40–23, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 64, , February 28 , , New York Knicks , , 106–114, , 40–24, , Loss 1 , - , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 65, , March 1 , , @ Milwaukee Bucks , , 100–104, , 40–25, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 66, , March 4 , , Seattle SuperSonics , , 104–97, , 41–25, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 67, , March 6 , , @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 110–111, , 41–26, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 68, , March 8 , , Milwaukee Bucks , , 110–95, , 42–26, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 69, , March 13 , , @ Golden State Warriors , , 122–103, , 43–26, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 70, , March 14 , , @ Seattle SuperSonics , , 105–125, , 43–27, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 71, , March 16 , , @ Portland Trail Blazers , , 95–102, , 43–28, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 72, , March 18 , , @ Houston Rockets , , 115–122, , 43–29, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 73, , March 21 , , @ Boston Celtics , , 101–109, , 43–30, , Loss 4 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 74, , March 22 , , Houston Rockets , , 117–112, , 44–30, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 75, , March 25 , , Philadelphia 76ers , , 118–103, , 45–30, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 76, , March 26 , , @ Washington Bullets , , 94–91, , 46–30, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 77, , March 28 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 115–104, , 47–30, , Win 4 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 78, , March 29 , , Boston Celtics , , 102–96, , 48–30, , Win 5 , - , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 79, , April 1 , , Chicago Bulls , , 93–98, , 48–31, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 80, , April 2 , , @ Boston Celtics , , 92–95, , 48–32, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 81, , April 4 , , Philadelphia 76ers , , 108–97, , 49–32, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 82, , April 6 , , @ New York Knicks , , 93–105, , 49–33, , Loss 1 , -

Playoffs

During the playoffs, the Braves captured home court advantage with a victory over the

in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but the Bullets returned the favor in game two. The home teams won the remaining games as Buffalo lost the series in seven games. DiGregorio missed the playoffs. McAdoo played 46.7 minutes per game during the playoffs and averaged 37.4 points, which both led the league. Heard averaged 11.7 points and 10.9 rebounds. During the regular season the Bullets had been 36–5 (which was an NBA single-season record for home victories) at home, but lost both games to the Braves. The Braves then opened the series at the Capital Centre with a 113–102 victory in game 1. McAdoo was the game-high scorer with 35 and game-high rebounder with 14. The Bullets rebounded for a 120–106 victory in game 2 in Buffalo.

Wes Unseld Westley Sissel Unseld Sr. (March 14, 1946June 2, 2020) was an American professional basketball player, coach and executive. He spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. Unseld ...

totaled 25 rebounds and

Elvin Hayes Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945), nicknamed "the Big E", is an American former professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma-mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and a ...

added 16 as well as 34 points. Meanwhile, McAdoo, who had averaged 14.1 rebounds during the regular season only had 6. In game 3,

Phil Chenier Philip Chenier (born October 30, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player who was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for ten seasons. He was also a television sports broadcaster for the NBA's Washingto ...

scored 18 points in the third quarter as the Bullets expanded a 53–52 lead to 81–70. Unseld had 18 rebounds and Hayes had 16 to go along with his 30 points. McAdoo had a game-high 34 and Smith added 26 in a losing effort. Before game 4, McAdoo received his hardware for his league MVP and league scoring title and responded that night with a 50-point performance as the Braves evened the series 2–2 with a 108–102 victory. Two nights later Hayes responded with 46 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, as the Bullets completed a 97–93 comeback victory to regain the series lead 3–2. In the game, the score was tied at 89 with two minutes left when

Nick Weatherspoon Nick Levoter Weatherspoon (July 20, 1950 – October 17, 2008) was an American professional basketball player. Career Weatherspoon, nicknamed "Spoon", scored 1,431 points at Canton McKinley High School, holding the Bulldog scoring record for 37 y ...

hit a 17-foot jumper to give the Bullets the lead for good. Chenier and Hayes built the lead up to 94–89 before McMillian made two short shots to bring the Braves back within 1 point in the final minute. An Unseld offensive rebound and putback of a Hayes miss gave the Bullets crucial points in the final seconds. On the night Hayes shot 19-for 26 and McAdoo countered with 34 points. In game 6, the Braves earned a 102–96 victory as McAdoo scored 9 of his 37 points in the final five minutes. The game had 19 tie scores, with the last being at 89. In game 7, Washington jumped to a 28–13 lead after one quarter behind 14 points by Chenier. Washington expanded the lead to 42–19 before closing the first half with a 56–38 lead. On the night, Chenier had a career-high 39 points in the 115–96 victory. McAdoo had 36 for Buffalo.

Playoff schedule

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , April 10 , @

W 113–102
,

(35) ,

(14) , Randy Smith (9) , Capital Centre
17,140 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , April 12 ,

L 106–120
,

(36) ,

(10) , Randy Smith (7) ,

17,189 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , April 16 , @

L 96–111
,

(34) ,

(19) , Randy Smith (7) , Capital Centre
19,035 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , April 18 ,

W 108–102
,

(50) ,

(21) , Randy Smith (10) ,

15,307 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 5 , April 20 , @

L 93–97
,

(34) ,

(14) , Heard,

Smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

(5) , Capital Centre
18,820 , 2–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , April 23 ,

W 102–96
,

(37) ,

(10) ,

, Weiss (7) ,

15,172 , 3–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 7 , April 25 , @

L 96–115
,

(36) ,

(14) , Randy Smith (4) , Capital Centre
19,035 , 3–4 , - 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" , - , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", Player , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", GP , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", MPG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", FG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", FGA , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", FG% , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", FT , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", FTA , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", FT% , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", ORPG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", DRPG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", RPG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", APG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", SPG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", BPG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", PFPG , style="text-align:center; background:#106bb4; color:orange;", PPG , - , , , 82, , 43.2, , 13.4, , 26.1, , 0.512, , 7.8, , 9.7, , 0.805, , 3.7, , 10.3, , 14.1, , 2.2, , 1.1, , 2.1, , 3.4, , 34.5 , - , , , 82, , 36.6, , 7.4, , 15.4, , 0.484, , 2.9, , 3.6, , 0.8, , 1.2, , 3, , 4.2, , 6.5, , 1.7, , 0, , 3, , 17.8 , - , , , 62, , 34.4, , 5.6, , 11.2, , 0.499, , 3.1, , 3.7, , 0.84, , 2, , 4.2, , 6.2, , 2.5, , 1.1, , 0.2, , 2.1, , 14.3 , - , , , 81, , 26.5, , 4.7, , 10.3, , 0.455, , 2.4, , 2.7, , 0.869, , 1.3, , 3.2, , 4.5, , 1.6, , 0.6, , 0.2, , 2.9, , 11.8 , - , , , 67, , 32.1, , 4.7, , 12.2, , 0.388, , 1.6, , 2.8, , 0.564, , 2.8, , 7.2, , 9.9, , 2.8, , 1.6, , 1.8, , 3.6, , 11.1 , - , , , 31, , 23, , 3.3, , 7.5, , 0.44, , 1.1, , 1.5, , 0.778, , 0.2, , 1.3, , 1.5, , 4.9, , 0.6, , 0, , 2, , 7.8 , - , , , 79, , 21.4, , 3, , 6.5, , 0.466, , 1.5, , 1.8, , 0.822, , 0.9, , 1.2, , 2.1, , 2.2, , 1.1, , 0.3, , 2.1, , 7.6 , - , , , 68, , 18.5, , 2.4, , 4.6, , 0.526, , 0.7, , 1, , 0.721, , 0.7, , 1.2, , 1.9, , 2, , 0.6, , 0.4, , 1.6, , 5.5 , - , , , 42, , 16, , 1.8, , 3.9, , 0.475, , 0.5, , 0.9, , 0.553, , 1.4, , 3.3, , 4.7, , 1, , 0.3, , 0.3, , 1.9, , 4.2 , - , , , 76, , 12.7, , 1.2, , 2.3, , 0.517, , 1.1, , 1.6, , 0.694, , 1, , 2.4, , 3.5, , 1.4, , 0.2, , 0.6, , 2.1, , 3.5 , - , , , 76, , 17.6, , 1.3, , 3.4, , 0.391, , 0.7, , 0.9, , 0.806, , 0.3, , 1.1, , 1.4, , 3.4, , 1.1, , 0.3, , 1.9, , 3.4 , - , , , 22, , 4.7, , 1, , 2.1, , 0.468, , 0, , 0.2, , 0.2, , 0.5, , 0.5, , 1, , 0.3, , 0.1, , 0.1, , 1, , 2 , - , , , 11, , 2.3, , 0.2, , 1, , 0.182, , 0.1, , 0.2, , 0.5, , 0.2, , 0.5, , 0.7, , 0.1, , 0, , 0.1, , 0, , 0.5

Awards and honors

* Bob McAdoo, NBA Most Valuable Player * Bob McAdoo, NBA Scoring Champion * Bob McAdoo

All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...

(1st team) * Bob McAdoo

1975 NBA All-Star Game The 1975 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on January 14, 1975, in Phoenix, Arizona at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It was the 25th edition of the event. The East won the game 108–102. The MVP of the ...

Transactions

Prior to the season the team lost

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 ...

to the New Orleans Jazz in the May 20, 1974 NBA Expansion Draft. On August 29, 1974, the Braves purchased Dale Schlueter from 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 ...

. On September 4, 1974,

Matt Guokas Matthew George Guokas Jr. (; born February 25, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. His father, Matt Sr. and uncle, Al, have also played in the NBA. Guokas and his father, Matt Sr., were the first father-son ...

was traded along with 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 ...

second round pick and a future second round draft pick to the

for

was waived on January 20, 1975. Mike Macaluso did not return to play for the Braves and never played in the NBA again. The Braves were involved in the following transactions during the 1974–75 season.

Trades

{, border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align: center; width: 100%" bordercolor="#DFDFDF" cellpadding="5" , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , September 4,

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

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

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 ...

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

* Matt Goukas, a 1977 2nd round draft pick & a future 2nd round draft pick. , - , - bgcolor="eeeeee" , style="width:12%" , January 8,

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

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 ...

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

* 1976 5th round 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" , Dale Schlueter , , style="font-size: 80%", Purchased contract, August 29 , ,

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" ,

, , style="font-size: 80%", expansion draft, May 20 , , New Orleans Jazz , - style="height:40px" , Mike Macaluso , , style="font-size: 80%", free agency, July 1 , , Israel Sabras (EPBL) , - style="height:40px" ,

, , style="font-size: 80%", waived, January 20 , ,

Wilkes-Barre Barons The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a basketball team from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Barons played between 1933 and 1980 in different American leagues. The team won 11 titles during this time, including while playing in the American Basketball ...

(

EBA Ẹ̀bà (in Nigeria) or Pinon (in Togo, Benin, and southern Ghana) is a staple food mainly eaten in the West African sub-region and other African countries. The term èbà originates from the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria. It is a coo ...

)

References

External links

Braves on Database Basketball

{{DEFAULTSORT:1974-75 Buffalo Braves Season Buffalo Buffalo Braves seasons Buffalo Buffalo