1975–76 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1975–76 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the sixth season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This season marked their first winning record, their first playoffs appearances and their first conference finals in history. The season is referred to as the "Miracle at Richfield" season for this reason, and helped propel local interest in the Cavaliers as almost every playoff game was sold-out and regular game attendance would rise in the coming seasons.

1975–76 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Division champions
Head coachBill Fitch
ArenaColiseum at Richfield
Results
Record49–33 (.598)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Central)
Conference: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finishEast Conference Finals
(eliminated 2–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWEWS-TV
RadioWWWE

Roster
1975–76 Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
PF 52 Brewer, Jim 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1951-12-03 Minnesota
SG 34 Carr, Austin 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1948-03-10 Notre Dame
F/C 22 Chones, Jim 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1949-11-30 Marquette
PG 35 Cleamons, Jim 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1949-09-13 Ohio State
SF 23 Garrett, Rowland 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1950-07-16 Florida State
PF 24 Lambert, John 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1953-01-14 USC
SF 20 Russell, Campy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1952-01-12 Michigan
G/F 7 Smith, Bingo 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1946-02-26 Tulsa
G/F 10 Snyder, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 1944-02-01 Davidson
C 42 Thurmond, Nate 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1941-07-25 Bowling Green
PG 14 Walker, Foots 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 184 lb (83 kg) 1951-05-21 West Georgia
C 44 Witte, Luke 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1950-10-19 Ohio State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: {{{access-date}}}

Season standings
Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Cleveland Cavaliers 4933.598–29–1220–2115–11
x-Washington Bullets 4834.585131–1017–2414–12
Houston Rockets 4042.488927–1313–2914–12
New Orleans Jazz 3844.4631122–1916–2515–11
Atlanta Hawks 2953.3542020–219–327–19
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics5428.659–
2 y-Cleveland Cavaliers4933.5985
3 x-Washington Bullets4834.5856
4 x-Philadelphia 76ers4636.5618
5 x-Buffalo Braves4636.5618
6 Houston Rockets4042.48814
7 New York Knicks3844.46316
8 New Orleans Jazz3844.46316
9 Atlanta Hawks2953.35425

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 —2–32–32–22–51–32–22–52–21–32–22–43–22–30–42–21–31–5
Boston 3–2—4–32–23–24–02–24–12–24–02–24–15–24–34–02–22–23–2
Buffalo 3–23–4—3–13–21–31–33–24–02–23–14–14–33–43–12–22–22–3
Chicago 2–22–21–3—0–43–41–41–31–63–23–42–20–40–42–31–42–30–4
Cleveland 5–22–32–34–0—2–21–32–41–32–24–04–33–23–23–14–03–14–2
Detroit 3–10–43–14–32–2—0–52–25–21–43–41–33–11–31–42–33–22–2
Golden State 2–22–23–14–13–15–0—2–24–15–25–02–24–03–14–24–24–33–1
Houston 5–21–42–33–14–22–22–2—2–21–32–22–43–23–20–43–12–23–4
Kansas City 2–22–20–46–13–12–51–42–2—2–32–51–31–31–33–20–52–31–3
Los Angeles 3–10–42–22–32–24–12–53–13–2—2–33–13–12–22–43–43–31–3
Milwaukee 2–22–21–34–30–44–30–52–25–23–2—2–22–22–23–22–32–32–2
New Orleans 4–21–41–42–23–43–12–24–23–11–32–2—2–31–41–33–11–34–3
New York 2–32–53–44–02–31–30–42–33–11–32–23–2—5–22–23–10–43–2
Philadelphia 3–23–44–34–02–33–11–32–33–12–22–24–12–5—3–14–02–22–3
Phoenix 4–00–41–33–21–34–12–44–02–34–22–33–12–21–3—5–24–30–4
Portland 2–22–22–24–10–43–22–41–35–04–33–21–31–30–42–5—3–32–2
Seattle 3–12–22–23–21–32–33–42–23–23–33–23–14–02–23–43–3—1–3
Washington 5–12–33–24–02–42–21–34–33–13–12–23–42–33–24–02–23–1—

Game log
1975–76 game log
Total: 49–33 (Home: 29–12; Road: 20–21)
October: 1–2 (home: 1–1; road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
1October 23, 1975Golden State
2October 25, 1975@ New York
3October 30, 1975Chicago
November: 6–9 (home: 1–5; road: 5–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
4November 1, 1975New Orleans
5November 4, 1975@ Washington
6November 6, 1975
8:05 PM EST		@ Atlanta W 113–108 Snyder (25) The Omni
3,761		 2–4
7November 7, 1975@ New Orleans
8November 8, 1975@ Houston
9November 11, 1975@ Golden State
10November 14, 1975@ Seattle
11November 15, 1975@ Portland
12November 18, 1975Houston
13November 20, 1975Buffalo
14November 22, 1975@ New York
15November 23, 1975Boston
16November 25, 1975@ Chicago
17November 27, 1975Kansas City
18November 29, 1975Seattle
December: 11–4 (home: 6–1; road: 5–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
19December 2, 1975Portland
20December 4, 1975@ Kansas City
21December 5, 1975@ Buffalo
22December 9, 1975@ Philadelphia
23December 11, 1975New York
24December 12, 1975@ Milwaukee
25December 13, 1975New Orleans
26December 16, 1975@ Los Angeles
27December 17, 1975@ Seattle
28December 19, 1975@ Phoenix
29December 21, 1975Los Angeles
30December 26, 1975
8:00 PM EST		Atlanta L 97–98 Russell,
Walker (17)		 Coliseum at Richfield
19,832		 15–15
31December 27, 1975@ Washington
32December 28, 1975Buffalo
33December 30, 1975Kansas City
January: 9–6 (home: 7–2; road: 2–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
34January 2, 1976@ Philadelphia
35January 3, 1976Detroit
36January 7, 1976@ Detroit
37January 8, 1976Philadelphia
38January 10, 1976
8:05 PM EST		@ Atlanta W 106–100 Russell (18) The Omni
5,766		 20–18
39January 11, 1976Washington
40January 14, 1976@ Washington
41January 15, 1976
8:00 PM EST		Atlanta L 91–98 Smith (30) Coliseum at Richfield
8,364		 21–20
42January 17, 1976Phoenix
43January 20, 1976Boston
44January 22, 1976Seattle
45January 24, 1976Milwaukee
46January 27, 1976Detroit
47January 28, 1976@ Houston
48January 30, 1976@ Chicago
February: 9–2 (home: 5–0; road: 4–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
49February 1, 1976@ New Orleans
All-Star Break
50February 6, 1976@ Philadelphia
51February 8, 1976Washington
52February 12, 1976Chicago
53February 13, 1976@ Milwaukee
54February 14, 1976@ Buffalo
55February 17, 1976
8:00 PM EST		Atlanta W 112–92 Russell (23) Coliseum at Richfield
10,417		 33–22
56February 19, 1976Portland
57February 22, 1976Houston
58February 23, 1976@ Houston
59February 25, 1976@ Detroit
60February 29, 1976@ Los Angeles
March: 9–7 (home: 6–2; road: 3–5)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
61March 3, 1976@ Phoenix
62March 5, 1976@ Portland
63March 6, 1976@ Golden State
64March 11, 1976Golden State
65March 13, 1976Phoenix
66March 16, 1976Los Angeles
67March 18, 1976Philadelphia
68March 19, 1976@ New Orleans
69March 20, 1976
8:05 PM EST		@ Atlanta W 113–108 Chones,
Cleamons (20)		 The Omni
3,761		 41–28
70March 21, 1976Washington
71March 25, 1976Buffalo
72March 26, 1976@ Boston
73March 27, 1976Milwaukee
74March 30, 1976Houston
75March 31, 1976@ New Orleans
April: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
76April 1, 1976Boston
77April 3, 1976@ Kansas City
78April 4, 1976
3:00 PM EST		Atlanta W 120–92 Carr (27) Coliseum at Richfield
8,439		 46–32
79April 6, 1976@ Boston
80April 8, 1976New Orleans
81April 10, 1976New York
82April 11, 1976@ New York
1975–76 schedule

Playoffs
1976 playoff game log
Conference Semifinals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 April 13 Washington L 95–100 Jim Chones (23) Campy Russell (11) Jim Cleamons (8) Richfield Coliseum
19,974		 0–1
2 April 15 @ Washington W 80–79 Bingo Smith (17) Nate Thurmond (10) Bingo Smith (4) Capital Centre
17,988		 1–1
3 April 17 Washington W 88–76 Smith, Carr (17) Jim Brewer (12) Jim Brewer (6) Richfield Coliseum
21,061		 2–1
4 April 21 @ Washington L 98–109 Campy Russell (22) Jim Brewer (10) Foots Walker (6) Capital Centre
17,542		 2–2
5 April 22 Washington W 92–91 Dick Snyder (26) Jim Brewer (12) Cleamons, Snyder (4) Richfield Coliseum
21,312		 3–2
6 April 25 @ Washington L 98–102 (OT) Austin Carr (27) Jim Brewer (12) Cleamons, Carr (5) Capital Centre
19,035		 3–3
7 April 29 Washington W 87–85 Dick Snyder (23) Jim Brewer (16) Jim Cleamons (6) Richfield Coliseum
21,564		 4–3
Conference Finals: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 May 5 @ Boston L 99–111 Snyder, Russell (21) Nate Thurmond (16) Jim Cleamons (6) Boston Garden
14,264		 0–1
2 May 9 @ Boston L 89–94 Snyder, Smith (16) Jim Brewer (9) Foots Walker (6) Boston Garden
12,098		 0–2
3 May 11 Boston W 83–78 Jim Cleamons (18) Jim Brewer (15) Nate Thurmond (6) Richfield Coliseum
21,564		 1–2
4 May 14 Boston W 106–87 Bingo Smith (27) Jim Brewer (11) Jim Cleamons (8) Richfield Coliseum
21,564		 2–2
5 May 16 @ Boston L 94–99 Jim Cleamons (18) Nate Thurmond (10) Cleamons, Smith (4) Boston Garden
12,951		 2–3
6 May 18 Boston L 87–94 Austin Carr (26) Nate Thurmond (14) Thurmond, Cleamons (5) Richfield Coliseum
21,564		 2–4
1976 schedule

Awards and records

References
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