# 1975–76 Boston Celtics season

The 1975–76 Boston Celtics season was their 30th in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and concluded with their 13th championship, defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 1976 NBA Finals to win their 13th NBA Championship. The Celtics also won their division for the 5th consecutive season, and made their 14th finals appearance. This championship would be ranked 11th in the easiest paths to an NBA Finals championship by HoopsHype in 2024 due to the record of the team they played against in the championship match.

## Offseason
### Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |

## Regular season and postseason recap

The Celtics lost Don Chaney to the American Basketball Association before the 1975–76 season. To fill the gap in the backcourt they traded Paul Westphal to the Phoenix Suns for Charlie Scott, who had averaged more than 20 points in each of the previous three seasons. Despite an uncharacteristically weak bench, the Celtics finished in first place in their division and the second best record in the NBA this season. Boston earned a shot at another NBA title by defeating the Buffalo Braves and then the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.
Boston's opponents in the 1976 NBA Finals were the Phoenix Suns, who had posted a 42–40 regular-season record. The Team in Green was the oddsmakers' choice in the contest. The Celtics took the first two games at Boston Garden, but the Suns came back to win games 3 and 4 on their home court. Game 5 ranks among the all-time thrillers in NBA history. The Suns trailed by 5 points with less than a minute left on the clock, but Westphal made up the deficit almost single-handedly, sending the game into a first overtime period, which ended in a tie.
John Havlicek's basket with 2 seconds remaining in double overtime gave the Celtics a one-point lead, which Boston stretched to two points after sinking a technical foul. Then the Suns' Garfield Heard hit a last-second basket to send the contest into a third overtime. The longest game in NBA history finally ended, after three extra periods, with the Celtics winning 128–126. Two days later Boston captured yet another NBA championship, the 13th in franchise history.

### Season standings

| Atlantic Divisionvte | 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 Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | 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 |

### 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 | — |

### Game log

1975–76 game log :
October: 3–0 (home: 3–0; road: 0–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1
October 24
Houston
W 109–94
Boston Garden
1–0
2
October 29
Golden State
W 115–106
Boston Garden
2–0
3
October 31
Portland
W 112–94
Boston Garden
3–0 :
November
: 6–6 (home: 3–3; road: 3–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
4
November 1
@ Chicago
L 82–84
Chicago Stadium
3–1
5
November 5
Buffalo
W 105–95
Boston Garden
4–1
6
November 7
@ Milwaukee
L 101–104
Dave Cowens (28)
MECCA Arena
4–2
7
November 8
@ Detroit
W 118–104
Cobo Arena
5–2
8
November 11
Atlanta
L 91–100
Jo Jo White (24)
Hartford Civic Center
5–3
9
November 13
@ Washington
L 107–110
Capital Centre
5–4
10
November 14
Philadelphia
L 109–119
Boston Garden
5–5
11
November 15
@ Buffalo
W 112–110
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
6–5
12
November 21
New York
W 110–101
Boston Garden
7–5
13
November 23
@ Cleveland
W 105–90
Richfield Coliseum
8–5
14
November 26
Seattle
L 109–110
Boston Garden
8–6
15
November 28
Atlanta
W 114–107
Boston Garden
9–6 :
1975–76 schedule :

## Playoffs

1976 playoff game log :
Conference Semifinals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 21
Buffalo
W 107–98
Dave Cowens (30)
Dave Cowens (17)
Jo Jo White (8)
Boston Garden 13,919
1–0
2
April 23
Buffalo
W 101–96
Dave Cowens (27)
Dave Cowens (18)
Charlie Scott (6)
Boston Garden 15,320
2–0
3
April 25
@ Buffalo
L 93–98
Jo Jo White (26)
Dave Cowens (14)
Charlie Scott (7)
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 12,079
2–1
4
April 28
@ Buffalo
L 122–124
Dave Cowens (29)
Dave Cowens (26)
Jo Jo White (11)
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 16,193
2–2
5
April 30
Buffalo
W 99–88
Dave Cowens (30)
Paul Silas (22)
Jo Jo White (6)
Boston Garden 15,320
3–2
6
May 2
@ Buffalo
W 104–100
Jo Jo White (23)
Paul Silas (18)
Charlie Scott (8)
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 16,261
4–2 :
Conference Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 5
Cleveland
W 111–99
John Havlicek (26)
Dave Cowens (12)
Dave Cowens (7)
Boston Garden 14,264
1–0
2
May 9
Cleveland
W 94–89
Jo Jo White (24)
Paul Silas (19)
three players tied (4)
Boston Garden 12,098
2–0
3
May 11
@ Cleveland
L 78–83
Jo Jo White (22)
Paul Silas (21)
Jo Jo White (7)
Richfield Coliseum 21,564
2–1
4
May 14
@ Cleveland
L 87–106
Jo Jo White (23)
Dave Cowens (18)
Dave Cowens (4)
Richfield Coliseum 21,564
2–2
5
May 16
Cleveland
W 99–94
Dave Cowens (26)
Paul Silas (13)
Dave Cowens (6)
Boston Garden 12,951
3–2
6
May 18
@ Cleveland
W 94–87
Jo Jo White (29)
Dave Cowens (18)
White, Cowens (5)
Richfield Coliseum 21,564
4–2 :
NBA Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 23
Phoenix
W 98–87
Dave Cowens (25)
Dave Cowens (21)
Dave Cowens (10)
Boston Garden 15,320
1–0
2
May 27
Phoenix
W 105–90
John Havlicek (23)
Paul Silas (17)
Jo Jo White (9)
Boston Garden 15,320
2–0
3
May 30
@ Phoenix
L 98–105
Jo Jo White (24)
Dave Cowens (17)
Charlie Scott (5)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,284
2–1
4
June 2
@ Phoenix
L 107–109
Jo Jo White (25)
Paul Silas (14)
Jo Jo White (5)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 13,306
2–2
5
June 4
Phoenix
W 128–126 (3OT)
Jo Jo White (33)
Dave Cowens (19)
Jo Jo White (9)
Boston Garden 15,320
3–2
6
June 6
@ Phoenix
W 87–80
Charlie Scott (25)
Dave Cowens (17)
Jo Jo White (6)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 13,306
4–2 :
1976 schedule :