The 1973–74 Buffalo Braves season was the fourth season for the expansion

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball team based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference ...

franchise in the

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

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

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

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, ...

. 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 men's basketball, Canisius Golden Griffins (Nationa ...

. It was the first season where the team wore Columbia blue for their uniforms, which they retained for the rest of their tenure in Buffalo.

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 Mos ...

, who finished second in the NBA MVP Award voting, led the league in

scoring SCORE may refer to: *SCORE (software), a music scorewriter program * SCORE (television), a weekend sports service of the defunct Financial News Network *SCORE! Educational Centers *SCORE International, an offroad racing organization *Sarawak Corrido ...

;

Ernie DiGregorio Ernest DiGregorio (born January 15, 1951), also known as "Ernie D.", is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Buffalo Braves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics from ...

, who won the

NBA Rookie of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb Tr ...

, led the league in assists and

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

percentage, and every starter on the team was among the league's top ten in at least one statistical category. The team finished third in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. After three consecutive 60-loss seasons, the team made the

NBA playoffs The NBA playoffs is the annual Playoffs, postseason Tournament#Knockout tournaments, tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held afte ...

for the first time and became the youngest team to have ever done so in terms of average player age. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual champions, the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

Draft picks

Roster

Roster Notes

* Forward Jim Garvin played in only 6 games before being waived in November. * Both center

Kevin Kunnert Kevin Robert Kunnert (born November 11, 1951) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 7'0" and 230 lb center–power forward, was drafted out of the University of Iowa by the Chicago Bulls in ...

and guard

Dave Wohl David Bruce Wohl (born November 2, 1949) is an American former basketball player and coach, and the former general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers. A 6'2" guard who grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey and played collegiately at the Univer ...

were later traded away to 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 of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

in February.

Regular season

McAdoo had an outstanding second season and led the league in scoring with 30.6 ppg. The Braves led the league in team scoring (111.60) but were last in team defense (111.8). They totaled 427,270 in attendance in their 41 home games, ranking them 4th of 17 teams. The Braves played several home games at the

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church and Wellesley, Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was originally constructed in 1931 as an indoor arena to host ice hoc ...

in Toronto, in order to expand their fan base into Canada. This season was the first of three consecutive scoring titles for McAdoo. McAdoo also posted 15.1

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 and 3.3

blocked shot In basketball, a block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player to prevent a score. The defender is not allowed to make contact with the offensive player's hand (unless the def ...

s per game, which were each third in the league. It was the most recent time that one player averaged both 30 points and 15 rebounds in the same NBA season. In addition to McAdoo, the Braves were led by Ernie DiGregorio, who became the second straight Brave (following McAdoo) to capture NBA Rookie of the Year honors by leading the league in assists with 8.2 per game. 1974 NBA Rookie of the Year DiGregorio earned the first of two NBA free throw percentage championships (90.2%) and led the NBA in assists (8.2). That season DiGregorio set the NBA single-game rookie assists record (25), which still stands as unbroken (tied by

Nate McMillan Nathaniel McMillan (born August 3, 1964) is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 2000 to ...

). Jim McMillan would finish fifth in the NBA in minutes played (3322) and tenth in free throw percentage (85.8%). He also finished second on the Braves in scoring (18.6). Heard went on to rank in the top ten in rebounds (11.7, 10th) and

s (2.8, 6th) that season. Randy Smith, who was third on the team in scoring with a 15.5 average, finished third in the league in steals (2.5/game). ;October–November In his October 9, 1973 NBA debut against the

, Ernie DiGregorio had 14 assists. DiGregrorio had 17 points but it was a 25-foot basket with two seconds left 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) ...

by McAdoo, who had 31 points and 21 rebounds, that earned the Braves a 107–105 victory. An October 30 victory over the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and ...

gave the Braves a half game lead over the Celtics in the Atlantic Division with a 6–4 record. The Braves only won one of their next nine games. It came on November 14 when McAdoo set the franchise single game rebound record with 28 against the Atlanta Hawks. That night, he also scored 31 points for the fourth game in a row. Two weeks later on November 28, the Braves lost when

Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. He starred in college at Louisiana State University's Tigers basketball team; his father, Press Mar ...

, who entered the game in the second quarter and posted 42 points off the bench, led 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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

over the Braves by 130–106. ;December–January The Braves' December 12 game against the Celtics was played in Providence, Rhode Island, making it a homecoming game for DiGregorio, the former Providence Friar. The Braves lost for the 20th consecutive time to the Celtics that night. Following a December 30 loss to 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 Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, the Braves fell to a 16–22 record at the end of 1973 but began the New Year with a season high seven-game winning streak. Heard set a career high with 22 rebounds in game five of the streak on January 8. The fifth game of the streak set a new franchise record for consecutive wins and gave the team 21 wins, which matched their total of the prior season. The resulting 23–22 record following the January 12 victory over the Capital Bullets gave them their first winning record since their 6–5 start. McAdoo, who would go on to finish second in the NBA Most Valuable Player Award balloting, represented the team in the January 15,

1974 NBA All-Star Game The 1974 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on January 15, 1974, at the Seattle Center Coliseum in Seattle. The MVP of the game was Bob Lanier, who scored 24 points. Coaches: East: Tom Heinsohn, West: Larry ...

. By the end of the month the Braves had fallen back to a 26–29 record. ;February–March On February 1, the Braves traded Kunnert and Wohl to the Rockets for Goukas and Marin. The team then went 10–5 in February. On February 27, the Braves earned their first victory over the Boston Celtics after 22 defeats. By late February, the team had the top scoring offense in the league. They clinched their first playoff experience in a victory at a home game held at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens against 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 Northwest Division (N ...

as McAdoo again had 28 rebounds as well as 29 points. The clinching game on March 10 was the Braves 74th game. The team reached five games over .500 three times following their 40th, 41st and 42nd wins but lost the last three games of a five-game western road trip to conclude the season at 42–40. The team made the playoffs by finishing in 3rd place in the Atlantic Division.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Season schedule

, - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 1, , October 9 , , Houston Rockets , , 107–105 (OT), , 1–0, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 2, , October 12 , , @ Boston Celtics , , 112–118, , 1–1, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 3, , October 13 , , Los Angeles Lakers , , 122–125, , 1–2, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 4, , October 16 , , @ New York Knicks , , 91–117, , 1–3, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 5, , October 20 , , Philadelphia 76ers , , 116–110, , 2–3, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 6, , October 24 , , @ Milwaukee Bucks , , 113–130, , 2–4, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 7, , October 26 , , Cleveland Cavaliers (at Toronto, Canada) , , 104–97, , 3–4, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 8, , October 27 , , @ Cleveland Cavaliers , , 111–101, , 4–4, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 9, , October 28 , , @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 112–100, , 5–4, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 10, , October 30 , , Seattle SuperSonics , , 105–103, , 6–4, , Win 4 , - , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 11, , November 2 , , @ Chicago Bulls , , 97–107, , 6–5, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 12, , November 3 , , Golden State Warriors , , 121–124 (OT), , 6–6, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 13, , November 4 , , Chicago Bulls (at Toronto, Canada) , , 95–101 (OT), , 6–7, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 14, , November 7 , , @ Seattle SuperSonics , , 113–130, , 6–8, , Loss 4 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 15, , November 9 , , @ Portland Trail Blazers , , 108–122, , 6–9, , Loss 5 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 16, , November 10 , , @ Golden State Warriors , , 105–128, , 6–10, , Loss 6 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 17, , November 13 , , Atlanta Hawks , , 121–114, , 7–10, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 18, , November 15 , , @ New York Knicks , , 86–97, , 7–11, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 19, , November 17 , , Detroit Pistons , , 94–98, , 7–12, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 20, , November 18 , , @ Capital Bullets , , 112–101, , 8–12, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 21, , November 20 , , Phoenix Suns , , 127–100, , 9–12, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 22, , November 24 , , Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 143–131, , 10–12, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 23, , November 27 , , Milwaukee Bucks , , 110–115, , 10–13, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 24, , November 28 , , @ Atlanta Hawks , , 106–130, , 10–14, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 25, , November 30 , , Capital Bullets , , 113–121, , 10–15, , Loss 3 , - , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 26, , December 5 , , Portland Trail Blazers , , 114–110, , 11–15, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 27, , December 7 , , New York Knicks , , 108–113, , 11–16, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 28, , December 9 , , Boston Celtics (at Toronto, Canada) , , 114–118, , 11–17, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 29, , December 11 , , @ Atlanta Hawks , , 132–127 (OT), , 12–17, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 30, , December 12 , , Boston Celtics (at Providence, RI) , , 119–126, , 12–18, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 31, , December 14 , , @ Cleveland Cavaliers , , 102–98, , 13–18, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 32, , December 18 , , Cleveland Cavaliers , , 100–93, , 14–18, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 33, , December 21 , , New York Knicks , , 117–115, , 15–18, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 34, , December 22 , , @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 112–122, , 15–19, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 35, , December 23 , , Capital Bullets (at Toronto, Canada) , , 85–110, , 15–20, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 36, , December 26 , , Boston Celtics , , 123–125, , 15–21, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 37, , December 29 , , @ Phoenix Suns , , 120–108, , 16–21, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 38, , December 30 , , @ Los Angeles Lakers , , 105–108, , 16–22, , Loss 1 , - , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 39, , January 1 , , @ Portland Trail Blazers , , 120–119, , 17–22, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 40, , January 2 , , @ Seattle SuperSonics , , 115–111, , 18–22, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 41, , January 5 , , @ New York Knicks , , 111–110, , 19–22, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 42, , January 6 , , Atlanta Hawks (at Toronto, Canada) , , 117–109, , 20–22, , Win 4 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 43, , January 8 , , Atlanta Hawks , , 100–96, , 21–22, , Win 5 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 44, , January 11 , , Houston Rockets , , 117–99, , 22–22, , Win 6 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 45, , January 12 , , @ Capital Bullets , , 97–96, , 23–22, , Win 7 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 46, , January 13 , , Houston Rockets (at Toronto, Canada) , , 112–121, , 23–23, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 47, , January 18 , , Capital Bullets , , 98–94, , 24–23, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 48, , January 20 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 112–129, , 24–24, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 49, , January 22 , , Philadelphia 76ers , , 119–109, , 25–24, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 50, , January 23 , , Milwaukee Bucks (at Madison, WI) , , 88–114, , 25–25, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 51, , January 25 , , Kansas City-Omaha Kings , , 113–118, , 25–26, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 52, , January 26 , , @ Atlanta Hawks , , 122–132, , 25–27, , Loss 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 53, , January 27 , , @ Houston Rockets , , 122–108, , 26–27, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 54, , January 29 , , Golden State Warriors , , 121–128, , 26–28, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 55, , January 30 , , @ Detroit Pistons , , 96–111, , 26–29, , Loss 2 , - , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 56, , February 3 , , Philadelphia 76ers (at Toronto, Canada), , 112–98, , 27–29, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 57, , February 6 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 114–98, , 28–29, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 58, , February 8 , , Chicago Bulls , , 106–101, , 29–29, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 59, , February 9 , , @ New York Knicks , , 103–100 (OT), , 30–29, , Win 4 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 60, , February 10 , , @ Cleveland Cavaliers , , 121–125, , 30–30, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 61, , February 12 , , New York Knicks , , 93–100, , 30–31, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 62, , February 13 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 129–106, , 31–31, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 63, , February 15 , , Detroit Pistons , , 118–116, , 32–31, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 64, , February 16 , , @ Capital Bullets , , 92–101, , 32–32, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 65, , February 17 , , @ Houston Rockets , , 135–118, , 33–32, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 66, , February 19 , , Milwaukee Bucks , , 145–109, , 34–32, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 67, , February 21 , , New York Knicks (at Toronto, Canada) , , 119–97, , 35–32, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 68, , February 22 , , Boston Celtics , , 109–116, , 35–33, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 69, , February 26 , , Los Angeles Lakers , , 112–119, , 35–34, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 70, , February 27 , , Boston Celtics (at Providence, RI) , , 122–104, , 36–34, , Win 1 , - , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 71, , March 1 , , Boston Celtics , , 110–94, , 37–34, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 72, , March 2 , , @ Philadelphia 76ers , , 103–99, , 38–34, , Win 3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 73, , March 8 , , Seattle SuperSonics , , 117–123 (OT), , 38–35, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 74, , March 10 , , Portland Trail Blazers (at Toronto, Canada) , , 122–112, , 39–35, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 75, , March 12 , , Phoenix Suns , , 124–94, , 40–35, , Win 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 76, , March 15 , , @ Chicago Bulls , , 97–114, , 40–36, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 77, , March 16 , , Cleveland Cavaliers , , 114–105, , 41–36, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 78, , March 17 , , @ Detroit Pistons , , 109–116, , 41–37, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="bbffbb" , 79, , March 21 , , @ Golden State Warriors , , 115–102, , 42–37, , Win 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 80, , March 22 , , @ Phoenix Suns , , 119–126, , 42–38, , Loss 1 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 81, , March 24 , , @ Los Angeles Lakers , , 124–150, , 42–39, , Loss 2 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 82, , March 26 , , @ Houston Rockets , , 96–119, , 42–40, , Loss 3 , -

Playoffs

In the

1974 NBA Playoffs The 1974 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1973-74 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Buck ...

the Braves were matched up against the

. The Celtics had won 22 of 24 matches between the teams. However, the Braves had won the most recent two matches after 22 straight defeats, including 5 earlier that season. Through four games, the series was even at two games apiece. However the Celtics would pull away with two more wins to take the series in six games. With rookie DiGregorio and 2nd year McAdoo leading the way, the team became the youngest NBA playoff team (24.42, using data going back to 1952) based on average age weighted by minutes played. The 1977–78 Milwaukee Bucks (23.82) would surpass this record. The Celtics went on to win the NBA championship in the

1974 NBA Finals The 1974 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1973–74 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks 4 games t ...

. In game 1, the Braves lost a 17-point lead as

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 B ...

led a fourth quarter rally despite five personal fouls. In game 2, the Braves evened the series 1–1 with a 115–105 victory despite balanced scoring by the Celtics who had three 20-point scorers:

Jo Jo White Joseph Henry White (November 16, 1946 – January 16, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. As an amateur, he played at the University of Kansas, where he was named a second-team All-American twice. White was part of the U.S. m ...

had 27,

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 ...

had 21 and

John Havlicek John Joseph Havlicek (often nicknamed Hondo) ( ; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A swingman, Hav ...

had 20. McAdoo had 23 and DiGregorio had 18 for Buffalo. The Braves led most of game 2 and held on for the victory. In game 3, the Celtics scored 39 first quarter points on their way to a 120–107 victory. Havlicek had 43 points (26 in the first half), and Cowens added 23 (17 in the first half). The Braves recovered from an early fourth quarter 10-point deficit to win game 4 104–102. The game had a frenetic final 15 seconds as McMillian lost the ball on a drive resulting in a game-tying fast break by the Celtics. Then when a McAdoo shot rolled off the rim, McMillian tipped the ball in as time expired for the victory. The Braves had rallied from an 84–74 deficit to tie the score at 98 largely on the performance of McAdoo. In the game the lead changed hands 9 times, and the Braves outrebounded the Celtics 62–38, including 20–3 offensive rebounds (11 by McMillian). The Celtics won game 5 by a 100–97 margin. Although McAdoo was held to 16 points on the night, the Braves led 89–85 with four minutes left. The Celtics won game 6 of the series when White sank two free throws after time expired in regulation play for a 106–104 victory. McAdoo had tied the score at 104 with 7 seconds left, but he fouled White at midcourt. In the playoffs, Heard bettered his regular season 15.3 points and 11.7 rebounds averages with 16.8 points and 14.7 rebounds. Likewise, McAdoo contributed 31.7 points and 13.7 rebounds. McMillian contributed 14.5 points and 8.8 rebounds. Following 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 on July 13, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York, to LeRoy and ...

to the New Orleans Jazz in the May 20, 1974 NBA expansion draft.

Playoff Schedule

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , March 30 , @

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

L 97–107
,

(29) ,

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 (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) in the third rou ...

(20) ,

(8) ,

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" (later ...

14,300 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , April 2 ,

W 115–105
,

(23) ,

(20) ,

(12) ,

17,507 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , April 3 , @

L 107–120
,

(38) ,

(13) ,

(8) ,

14,656 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , April 6 ,

W 104–102
,

(44) ,

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 for the Columbia Lions. He led Columbia to a t ...

(18) ,

(11) ,

18,119 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 5 , April 9 , @

L 97–100
, Randy Smith (25) ,

(16) ,

(4) ,

15,320 , 2–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 6 , April 12 ,

L 104–106
,

(40) , McAdoo, Heard (15) ,

(9) ,

18,257 , 2–4 , - Source
www.basketball-reference.com

Player stats

Awards and honors

, NBA Rookie of the Year * Ernie DiGregorio, led NBA in assists (663) * Ernie DiGregorio, led NBA in

percentage *

led the NBA in scoring. * 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 sel ...

(2nd team) * Bob McAdoo

Transactions

Prior to this season the Braves had lost 60 games or more each year and failed to make the

. Over the course of the season, the team made a series of player transactions that were part of the résumé that earned

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 sideli ...

the

NBA Executive of the Year Award The NBA Executive of the Year is an annual award in the National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general manager, president of basketball/business operations, or another high-ranking e ...

and put the team into the playoffs for the first time. Donovan's season bolstered his reputation as a wheeler and dealer. The Braves drafted four players in the

1973 NBA draft The 1973 NBA draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 24 and May 5, 1973, before the 1973–74 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college baske ...

who played for the team during the 1973–74 season: DiGregorio,

Ken Charles Kenneth M. Charles (born July 10, 1951) is a Trinidadian retired basketball player who played guard for the Buffalo Braves (1973–1976) and Atlanta Hawks (1976–1978). He was a , guard. Charles was born on the island of Trinidad and moved to ...

Mike Macaluso Michael Emilius Macaluso (July 21, 1951 – November 16, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played 30 games for the Buffalo Braves of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 1973–74 season. Macaluso played colle ...

, and Jim Garvin. In addition, the team made two

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

signings. On September 11, 1973, the team signed Paul Ruffner. On September 17, 1973, the team waived Dick Garrett and Bill Hewitt. The other members of the 1972–73 team who were not traded or waived and did not play on the 1973–74 team were Howard Komives, Fred Hilton and Harold Fox. On November 24, 1973, the Braves waived Garvin. On November 27, 1973, the team signed Lee Winfield. Prior to the

1973–74 NBA season The 1973–74 NBA season was the 28th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Notable occurrences * The ...

and

were traded from 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 Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

to the

for John Hummer, a

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

2nd round pick and a

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 ...

2nd round pick. Also before the season, the Braves also traded

Elmore Smith Elmore Smith (born May 9, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player born in Macon, Georgia. A center from Kentucky State University, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1971 to 1979. He was a member ...

to the

for

.Buffalo Braves (1970–1978)
/ref> The trade of Smith, who had been the team's leading scorer and rebounder the prior year, was controversial at first. Other trades during the season included the February 1, 1974, trade of Kunnert and

for

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

and 1973 NBA All-Star Jack Marin. The Braves were involved in the following transactions during the 1973–74 season.

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Subtractions

References

External links

*
Braves on Basketball Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:1973-74 Buffalo Braves season Buffalo Buffalo Braves seasons Buffalo Buffalo