1975–76 Philadelphia 76ers season

1975–76 Philadelphia 76ers season
Head coachGene Shue
General managerPat Williams
ArenaThe Spectrum
Results
Record46–36 (.561)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Atlantic)
Conference: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finishFirst round
(lost to Braves 1–2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWKBS-TV
RadioWCAU
< 1974–75 1976–77 >

The 1975–76 NBA season was the 76ers 27th season in the NBA and 13th season in Philadelphia.[1] The Philadelphia 76ers posted a 46–36 regular-season record, and returned to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 1971, ending a string of four consecutive losing seasons. The team had acquired forward George McGinnis from the ABA's Indiana Pacers, and also drafted shooting guard Lloyd Free (later changed name to World B. Free). The Sixers, however, lost to the Buffalo Braves, two games to one in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. This season would also be the last as a player for Billy Cunningham, who suffered an injury early in the season.

NBA draft

Main article: 1975 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 5 Darryl Dawkins C  United States
2 23 World B. Free SG  United States Guilford
3 39 Jimmie Baker F  United States Hawaiʻi
3 41 Charles Cleveland SG  United States Alabama
4 59 Louis Dunbar F  United States Houston
5 77 Ken Tyler  United States Gonzaga
6 95 Ken Alston  United States Valdosta State
7 113 Mike Flynn G  United States Kentucky
8 131 Freeman Blade G  United States MSU Billings
9 148 Larry Harralson  United States Drake
10 164 Rick Reed  United States Azusa Pacific

Roster

Philadelphia 76ers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
PF 23 Bryant, Joe 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1954-10-19 La Salle
PG 3 Carter, Fred 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1945-02-14 Mount St. Mary's
C 42 Catchings, Harvey 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1951-09-02 Hardin–Simmons
SG 20 Collins, Doug 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1951-07-28 Illinois State
SF 32 Cunningham, Billy Injured 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1943-06-03 North Carolina
C 53 Dawkins, Darryl 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 251 lb (114 kg) 1957-01-11 Maynard Evans HS (FL)
PF 25 Ellis, Leroy 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1940-03-10 St. John's
SG 21 Free, Lloyd 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1953-12-09 Guilford
C 34 Lee, Clyde 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1944-03-14 Vanderbilt
PF 30 McGinnis, George 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1950-08-12 Indiana
SF 50 Mix, Steve 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1947-12-30 Toledo
PG 22 Norman, Connie 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1953-09-24 Arizona
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Boston Celtics 54 28 .659 – 31–10 23–18 13–8
x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 8 34–7 12–29 9–12
x-Buffalo Braves 46 36 .561 8 28–14 18–22 10–11
New York Knicks 38 44 .463 16 24–17 14–27 10–11
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics 54 28 .659 –
2 y-Cleveland Cavaliers 49 33 .598 5
3 x-Washington Bullets 48 34 .585 6
4 x-Philadelphia 76ers 46 36 .561 8
5 x-Buffalo Braves 46 36 .561 8
6 Houston Rockets 40 42 .488 14
7 New York Knicks 38 44 .463 16
8 New Orleans Jazz 38 44 .463 16
9 Atlanta Hawks 29 53 .354 25
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1975–76 NBA records
Team ATL BOS BUF CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCK LAL MIL NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SEA WAS
Atlanta — 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
Boston 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
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
Chicago 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
Cleveland 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
Detroit 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
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
Houston 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
Kansas City 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
Los Angeles 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
Milwaukee 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
New Orleans 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
New York 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
Philadelphia 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
Phoenix 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
Portland 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
Seattle 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
Washington 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 —

Playoffs

1976 playoff game log
First Round: 1–2 (home: 0–2; road: 1–0)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 15 Buffalo L 89–95 Fred Carter (30) George McGinnis (15) George McGinnis (4) Spectrum
14,352 		0–1
2 April 16 @ Buffalo W 131–106 George McGinnis (34) George McGinnis (11) Fred Carter (6) Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
12,049 		1–1
3 April 18 Buffalo L 123–124 (OT) Fred Carter (32) George McGinnis (15) Fred Carter (6) Spectrum
13,087 		1–2
1976 schedule

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ 1975–76 Philadelphia 76ers