| Team: | Boston Celtics |
| End Year: | 1976 |
| Championshipwin: | yes |
| Conferencewin: | yes |
| Divisionwin: | yes |
| Wins: | 54 |
| Losses: | 28 |
| Division: | Atlantic |
| Division Place: | 1 |
| Conf Place: | 1 |
| Coach: | Tom Heinsohn |
| Gm: | Red Auerbach |
| Arena: | Boston Garden Hartford Civic Center |
| Television: | WBZ-TV, WATR |
| Radio: | WBZ Radio, WTIC |
| Playoffs: | NBA Champions (Defeated Suns 4–2) |
| Bbr Team: | BOS |
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.[1]
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.
| 1975–76 NBA records | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | 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 | — | |
|-| 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
|-| 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
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| April 21| Buffalo| W 107–98| Dave Cowens (30)| Dave Cowens (17)| Jo Jo White (8)| Boston Garden
13,919| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 2| April 23| Buffalo| W 101–96| Dave Cowens (27)| Dave Cowens (18)| Charlie Scott (6)| Boston Garden
15,320| 2–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 3| April 25| @ Buffalo| L 93–98| Jo Jo White (26)| Dave Cowens (14)| Charlie Scott (7)| Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
12,079| 2–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 4| April 28| @ Buffalo| L 122–124| Dave Cowens (29)| Dave Cowens (26)| Jo Jo White (11)| Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
16,193| 2–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 5| April 30| Buffalo| W 99–88| Dave Cowens (30)| Paul Silas (22)| Jo Jo White (6)| Boston Garden
15,320| 3–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 6| May 2| @ Buffalo| W 104–100| Jo Jo White (23)| Paul Silas (18)| Charlie Scott (8)| Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
16,261| 4–2|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| May 5| Cleveland| W 111–99| John Havlicek (26)| Dave Cowens (12)| Dave Cowens (7)| Boston Garden
14,264| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 2| May 9| Cleveland| W 94–89| Jo Jo White (24)| Paul Silas (19)| three players tied (4)| Boston Garden
12,098| 2–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 3| May 11| @ Cleveland| L 78–83| Jo Jo White (22)| Paul Silas (21)| Jo Jo White (7)| Richfield Coliseum
21,564| 2–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 4| May 14| @ Cleveland| L 87–106| Jo Jo White (23)| Dave Cowens (18)| Dave Cowens (4)| Richfield Coliseum
21,564| 2–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 5| May 16| Cleveland| W 99–94| Dave Cowens (26)| Paul Silas (13)| Dave Cowens (6)| Boston Garden
12,951| 3–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 6| May 18| @ Cleveland| W 94–87| Jo Jo White (29)| Dave Cowens (18)| White, Cowens (5)| Richfield Coliseum
21,564| 4–2|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 1| May 23| Phoenix| W 98–87| Dave Cowens (25)| Dave Cowens (21)| Dave Cowens (10)| Boston Garden
15,320| 1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 2| May 27| Phoenix| W 105–90| John Havlicek (23)| Paul Silas (17)| Jo Jo White (9)| Boston Garden
15,320| 2–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 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|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 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|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 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|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 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|-