The 1975–76 Phoenix Suns season was the eighth season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

. The season included an improbable run to the NBA Finals

NBA Finals

The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....

 by a team that had never won a playoff series and made the playoffs only one other season in the franchise's existence. With a regular season record of 42–40, the Suns had finished third in the Pacific

Pacific Division (NBA)

The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings...

 division standings and improved upon last season's win total by 10 games. The ensuing playoff run took plenty by surprise, including a seven-game series win against the Western Conference

Western Conference (NBA)

Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....

's top seed Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

, a team that had finished 17 games ahead of the Suns in the divisional standings. The franchise's first Finals appearance pitted them against a 12-time champion in the Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

, who's roster featured three players from that season's All-Star Game. The 1976 NBA Finals

1976 NBA Finals

The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season.-Background:The Phoenix Suns finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA...

 would feature a memorable Game 5 triple-overtime thriller filled with controversies in which the Suns narrowly lost. Returning home for Game 6, the demoralized Suns would lose Game 6 and the series but not before endearing a generation of fans to the Suns franchise and showcasing a basketball from the desert southwest

Southwestern United States

The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...

. John MacLeod was head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 and the Suns played their home games at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, located on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair...

.

Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...

 was the team's leading scorer at 20.5 points per game. The Suns use of their fourth spot in the 1976 draft

1976 NBA Draft

The 1976 NBA Draft was the 30th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 8, 1976 before the 1976–77 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...

 was used to select Alvan Adams

Alvan Adams

Alvan Leigh Adams is a retired American professional basketball player. After starring at the University of Oklahoma, the 6'9" power forward/center was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 4th pick of the 1975 NBA Draft...

, who would supplant Westphal's scoring with 19 points

Point (basketball)

Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....

 and nine rebounds

Rebound (basketball)

A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...

. Adams was selected as an All-Star and later voted the league's Rookie of the Year

NBA Rookie of the Year Award

The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...

.

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	4	Alvan Adams Alvan Adams Alvan Leigh Adams is a retired American professional basketball player. After starring at the University of Oklahoma, the 6'9" power forward/center was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 4th pick of the 1975 NBA Draft...	Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...		Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball -1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
1	16	Ricky Sobers Ricky Sobers Ricky Brad Sobers is a former professional basketball player who spent eleven seasons in the NBA....	Forward		UNLV UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are a NCAA Division I men's basketball team who play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2011 when they received an at–large bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning an 8-seed in...
2	35	Allen Murphy Allen Murphy Allen Murphy is a retired American professional basketball player. Murphy was a 6'4½" 190 lbs guard and at played shooting guard for the University of Louisville Cardinals of whom he was part of their 1975 Final Four team...	Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...		Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
2	36	Jimmy Dan Conner	Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...		Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
3	54	Bayard Forrest Bayard Forrest Bayard Forrest is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'10" 235 lb center who played at Grand Canyon University before being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1976 NBA Draft...	Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...		Grand Canyon Grand Canyon University Grand Canyon University is a for-profit Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Grand Canyon Education . GCU was founded in 1949 as a non-profit liberal arts college. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. purchased Grand Canyon University in February 2004...
4	58	Sam McCants	Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...		Oral Roberts Oral Roberts Golden Eagles men's basketball The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The school's team currently competes in The Summit League. The team earned an automatic berth in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. It was their third...
5	76	Joe Pace Joe Pace Joe Pace is a retired American basketball player with the NBA's Washington Bullets. A 6'10" center from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Coppin State University, he played from 1976 to 1978 and averaged 3.2 points per game. Pace won a league championship with the Bullets in 1978...	Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...		Coppin State Coppin State University Coppin State University is a historically black college located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is part of the University System of Maryland...
6	94	Buff Burrell			USC
7	112	Dave Edmunds			West Georgia University of West Georgia The University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003...
8	130	Jack Schrader			Arizona State
9	147	Owen Brown			Maryland Maryland Terrapins men's basketball The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
10	163	Mike Moon			Arizona State

Roster

{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 85%; width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #423189; color: #FF8800; text-align: center;" | Phoenix Suns roster
|- style="background-color: #FF8800; color: #423189; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Height !! Weight !! DOB (Y-M-D) !! From
|-

Depth chart

{| style="text-align: center; background:#423189; color:white"
!width="40"|Pos.
!width="165"|Starter
!width="165"|Bench
!width="165"|Reserve
!width="165"|Inactive
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FF8800" | C

Center (basketball)

The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...

| Alvan Adams

Alvan Adams

Alvan Leigh Adams is a retired American professional basketball player. After starring at the University of Oklahoma, the 6'9" power forward/center was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 4th pick of the 1975 NBA Draft...

|| Dennis Awtrey

Dennis Awtrey

Dennis Wade Awtrey is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'10" center from Santa Clara University, Awtrey was drafted by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers in 1970...

 || || style="background:#FF8800" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FF8800" | PF

Power forward (basketball)

Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...

| Gar Heard

Gar Heard

Garfield "Gar" Heard, is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the third round of the 1970 NBA Draft...

|| || || style="background:#FF8800" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FF8800" | SF

Small forward

The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...

| Curtis Perry

Curtis Perry

Curtis R. Perry is a retired American basketball player. He attended Southwest Missouri State University and played at forward....

|| Keith Erickson

Keith Erickson

Keith Raymond Erickson is a former American basketball player.After graduating from El Segundo High School , Erickson played at UCLA, where he was a member of the 1964 and 1965 NCAA Champion teams. Erickson, who attended UCLA on a shared baseball/basketball scholarship, also played on the 1964 US...

 || John Wetzel

John Wetzel

John Francis Wetzel is an American former professional basketball player and coach. A 6'5" guard, he played collegiately at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 8th round of the 1966 NBA Draft...

 || style="background:#FF8800" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FF8800" | SG

Shooting guard

The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...

| Ricky Sobers

Ricky Sobers

Ricky Brad Sobers is a former professional basketball player who spent eleven seasons in the NBA....

|| Dick Van Arsdale

Dick Van Arsdale

Richard Albert Van Arsdale is a former professional basketball player and coach, and a current NBA executive. A graduate of Indianapolis Emmerich Manual High School, the 6'5" guard played collegiately at Indiana University, Van Arsdale was selected by the New York Knickerbockers in the 2nd round...

 || Nate Hawthorne

Nate Hawthorne

Nathaniel "Nate" Hawthorne was an American former pro basketball player. He spent three seasons in the NBA, one with the Los Angeles Lakers and two with the Phoenix Suns . The Mount Vernon, Illinois native attended Southern Illinois University prior to his NBA stint...

Pat Riley

Pat Riley

Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...

 || style="background:#FF8800" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FF8800" | PG

Point guard

Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...

| Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...

|| Phil Lumpkin

Phil Lumpkin

Phil Lumpkin was an American professional basketball player and high school basketball coach. He was born in Dayton, Ohio....

|| || style="background:#FF8800" |
|}

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