The 1974–75 Buffalo Braves season was the fifth season of the club in the National Basketball Association. It was the team's third season under head coach Jack Ramsay.^[1] The team's home arena was the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, with six "home" games played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

Despite losing three key players in Gar Heard, Jim McMillian and Ernie DiGregorio 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 amassed a 40–26 mark (.606) in the 2011–12 season. Bob McAdoo captured the NBA MVP Award,^[2] leading the league with 34.5 points per game, while adding 14.1 rebounds per contest, fourth-best in the NBA.^[2]

In the 1975 NBA Playoffs, the Braves earned the franchise's second playoff berth, this time against the Washington Bullets. 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.

On March 21, Braves general manager Eddie Donovan announced that he would resign effective April 1.^[3] The resignation was controversial because there were rumors that he would return to work for his prior team, New York Knicks,^[4] 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 Walter Kennedy announced that the league would conduct a hearing on the matter.^[5] The transition was complicated by Donovan's 5% ownership of the Braves.^[6] Incoming commissioner, Larry O'Brien announced an amicable settlement as one of his first orders of business.^[7]

NBA draft

Main article: 1974 NBA draft

The following members of the 1974–75 Buffalo Braves were drafted during the 1974 NBA draft.^[8] McMillen played for a year in Europe before joining the 1975–76 Buffalo Braves.^[9] He played for a team in Bologna, Italy.^[10]

More information Round, Pick ...

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	9	Tom McMillen	Center	United States	Maryland
3	45	Kim Hughes	Center	United States	Wisconsin
4	63	Bernie Harris	Forward	United States	Virginia Commonwealth
5	81	Tony Byers	Guard	United States	Wake Forest
6	99	Gary Link	Forward	United States	Missouri
7	117	Tommy Curtis	Guard	United States	UCLA
8	135	Glenn Price	Forward	United States	St. Bonaventure
9	153	John Falconi	Guard	United States	Davidson
10	170	Andy Rimol	Forward	United States	Princeton

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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.^[11] Buffalo supplanted the New York Knicks as Boston's closest competitor in the Atlantic foursome with 49 wins and 33 losses. Buffalo boasted high-scoring super star Bob McAdoo, 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 Ernie DiGregorio to a knee injury that limited him to 31 games,^[12] watched former Laker Jim McMillian battle illness that caused him to miss 20 games,^[13] and also lost Gar Heard for 15 games,^[14] 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.^[11][15] The team defense improved sufficiently to create an average 2.2-point scoring margin after a slight average deficit the year before.^[11][16]

McMillian ranked tenth in the league in field goal percentage.^[13] Heard ranked 9th in blocks per game (1.8).^[14] Jack Marin, who played in 81 games, ranked seventh in free throw percentage (86.9%).^[17] Randy Smith, who played in all 82 regular-season games for the third consecutive season, finished fourth in assists per game (6.5).^[18] 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 honors.^[19]

During the playoffs, the Braves captured home court advantage with a victory over the Washington Bullets 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.^[11] DiGregorio missed the playoffs.^[12] McAdoo played 46.7 minutes per game during the playoffs and averaged 37.4 points, which both led the league.^[19] Heard averaged 11.7 points and 10.9 rebounds.^[14]

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.^[34][35] The Bullets rebounded for a 120–106 victory in game 2 in Buffalo.^[36] Wes Unseld totaled 25 rebounds and Elvin Hayes added 16 as well as 34 points. Meanwhile, McAdoo, who had averaged 14.1 rebounds during the regular season only had 6.^[37] In game 3, Phil Chenier 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.^[38] 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.^[39] 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.^[40] In the game, the score was tied at 89 with two minutes left when Nick Weatherspoon 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.^[41] 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.^[42] 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.^[43]

• Bob McAdoo, NBA Most Valuable Player
• Bob McAdoo, NBA Scoring Champion^[19]
• Bob McAdoo All-NBA Team (1st team)^[19]
• Bob McAdoo 1975 NBA All-Star Game^[19]

Prior to the season the team lost Bob Kauffman to the New Orleans Jazz in the May 20, 1974 NBA Expansion Draft.^[44]

On August 29, 1974, the Braves purchased Dale Schlueter from the Atlanta Hawks.^[45] On September 4, 1974, Matt Guokas was traded along with a 1977 NBA draft second round pick and a future second round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls for Bob Weiss.^[46] Bernie Harris was waived on January 20, 1975.^[47] Mike Macaluso did not return to play for the Braves and never played in the NBA again.^[48]

The Braves were involved in the following transactions during the 1974–75 season.