1974-75

Injuries hobbled the Braves during the 1974-75 season, but the campaign was the start of a two-year run that still is considered the franchise's glory years. Three key players went down with injuries: Heard missed 15 games, McMillian sat out 20, and DiGregorio was absent for 51. But with McAdoo at center, Buffalo was still an offensive force to reckon with. The 6-9 post player combined a guard's shooting touch with a forward's leaping ability, and he outshot and outjumped the rest of the league on his way to a second straight scoring title (34.5 ppg) and the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The Braves were quick out of the starting gate, winning four of five games to open the season. The club won 11 straight in November, and December saw a four-game winning streak. In January they managed to string together seven straight victories and went 11-4 overall. A pair of three-game streaks in February and a five-game streak in March helped propel the team to a 49-33 record and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division. Buffalo squared off against the Washington Bullets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. For the second straight year the Braves found themselves tied at two wins apiece after four playoff games. Washington took Game 5, 97-93; then Buffalo came back to force Game 7 by beating the Bullets, 102-96, in Game 6. In the deciding contest Washington took the title with a convincing 115-96 victory.