Buffalo Braves 1977-78 Roster and Stats

The 1977-78 Buffalo Braves season was their final one before the franchise relocated to become the San Diego Clippers. Under head coach Joe Mullaney, the Braves struggled, finishing with a 27-55 record. This placed them last in the Atlantic Division and tied for the second-worst record in the NBA. The team played their home games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, where they faced challenges both on and off the court, including dwindling attendance.

Despite the disappointing season, the Braves had some notable performances. Rookie center Marvin Webster was a bright spot, contributing significantly with his defensive prowess. However, the team lacked consistency and depth, which hindered their competitiveness. The conclusion of the 1977-78 season marked the end of the Braves’ era in Buffalo, as the franchise transitioned to San Diego, seeking a fresh start with hopes of rebuilding and finding greater success in a new market.

Regular Season Record: 27-55
Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs

Buffalo Braves Roster and Stats for 1977-78 Season

POINTS

Randy Smith

24.6

REBOUNDS

Swen Nater

13.2

ASSISTS

Randy Smith

5.6

	Regular Season							Playoffs
Player	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%
Randy Smith	82	24.6	3.8	5.6	1.1	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Billy Knight	53	22.9	7.2	3.0	0.8	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Swen Nater	78	15.5	13.2	2.8	0.2	0.3	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
John Shumate	18	12.4	7.1	3.1	0.4	0.4	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Larry McNeill	37	11.9	5.1	1.2	0.3	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Marvin Barnes	48	11.8	7.3	2.4	0.5	0.5	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Bird Averitt	34	9.5	1.5	3.8	0.4	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Mike Glenn	56	7.9	1.4	1.4	0.3	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Chuck Williams	73	7.3	1.9	4.3	0.4	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Wil Jones	79	6.8	4.2	1.5	0.4	0.4	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Bill Willoughby	56	6.7	3.9	0.7	0.3	0.3	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Jim McDaniels	42	5.6	4.3	1.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Ted McClain	41	5.2	1.8	3.0	0.4	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Gus Gerard	10	4.3	1.4	0.9	0.1	0.2	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Gary Brokaw	13	4.2	0.9	1.4	0.0	0.2	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Scott Lloyd	56	3.2	2.1	0.6	0.1	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Eddie Owens	8	2.6	1.3	0.6	0.1	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Larry Johnson	4	1.5	1.3	1.8	1.3	0.5	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Buffalo Braves 1977-78 Regular Season Game Log

Here is the game log for the 1977-78 season for the Buffalo Braves.

Date	Opponent	Result	High Scorer
Oct 19, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 112-108	Billy Knight (31 pts)
Oct 22, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 101-96	Billy Knight (29 pts)
Oct 25, 1977	@ Portland Trail Blazers	L 107-85	Billy Knight (19 pts)
Oct 26, 1977	@ Seattle SuperSonics	L 97-92	Billy Knight (22 pts)
Oct 28, 1977	@ Golden State Warriors	L 104-97	Randy Smith (20 pts)
Oct 29, 1977	@ Denver Nuggets	L 127-111	Randy Smith (29 pts)
Nov 02, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 104-100	Randy Smith (32 pts)
Nov 04, 1977	@ Chicago Bulls	W 100-92	Randy Smith (27 pts)
Nov 05, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 111-101	Randy Smith (40 pts)
Nov 09, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 124-113	Billy Knight (30 pts)
Nov 11, 1977	@ Boston Celtics	L 109-103	Randy Smith (34 pts)
Nov 12, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 106-103	Randy Smith (23 pts)
Nov 15, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 100-94	Randy Smith (22 pts)
Nov 16, 1977	@ Houston Rockets	W 101-97	Billy Knight (38 pts)
Nov 17, 1977	@ San Antonio Spurs	L 111-108	Billy Knight (32 pts)
Nov 19, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 102-98	Billy Knight (32 pts)
Nov 21, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 114-97	Billy Knight (14 pts)
Nov 22, 1977	@ New York Knicks	W 102-101	Billy Knight (34 pts)
Nov 26, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 112-107	Billy Knight (30 pts)
Nov 30, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 105-93	Billy Knight (32 pts)
Dec 03, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 102-95	Randy Smith (28 pts)
Dec 06, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 113-90	Billy Knight (32 pts)
Dec 11, 1977	@ Los Angeles Lakers	L 124-119	Randy Smith (35 pts)
Dec 13, 1977	@ Portland Trail Blazers	L 111-108	Billy Knight (31 pts)
Dec 14, 1977	@ Phoenix Suns	L 113-103	Billy Knight (36 pts)
Dec 17, 1977	@ Detroit Pistons	W 126-122	Randy Smith (31 pts)
Dec 18, 1977	@ Milwaukee Bucks	L 111-100	Randy Smith (28 pts)
Dec 20, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	L 110-104	Billy Knight (27 pts)
Dec 23, 1977	@ New Jersey Nets	L 103-102	Billy Knight (27 pts)
Dec 25, 1977	@ Cleveland Cavaliers	L 111-105	Billy Knight (26 pts)
Dec 27, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 108-105	Billy Knight (41 pts)
Dec 28, 1977	@ Washington Bullets	L 106-87	Randy Smith (22 pts)
Dec 30, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 103-87	Randy Smith (24 pts)
Jan 04, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 94-93	Randy Smith (30 pts)
Jan 07, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 107-97	Randy Smith (26 pts)
Jan 12, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 111-92	Randy Smith (28 pts)
Jan 13, 1978	@ Philadelphia 76ers	L 118-93	Randy Smith (18 pts)
Jan 14, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 130-93	Randy Smith (36 pts)
Jan 17, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 96-94	Billy Knight (28 pts)
Jan 18, 1978	@ Detroit Pistons	L 113-100	Randy Smith (32 pts)
Jan 22, 1978	@ Indiana Pacers	L 99-90	Billy Knight (18 pts)
Jan 25, 1978	@ Denver Nuggets	L 121-119	Billy Knight (40 pts)
Jan 27, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 101-94	Billy Knight (29 pts)
Jan 29, 1978	@ Atlanta Hawks	L 107-102	Randy Smith (21 pts)
Jan 31, 1978	@ New Orleans Jazz	L 114-95	Randy Smith (33 pts)
Feb 03, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 104-101	Swen Nater (35 pts)
Feb 07, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 132-105	Marvin Barnes (18 pts)
Feb 08, 1978	@ Milwaukee Bucks	L 104-103	Larry McNeill (22 pts)
Feb 10, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 116-110	Marvin Barnes (24 pts)
Feb 14, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 101-100	Swen Nater (31 pts)
Feb 16, 1978	@ Washington Bullets	L 123-109	Swen Nater (20 pts)
Feb 17, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 108-100	Randy Smith (25 pts)
Feb 18, 1978	@ New York Knicks	W 122-112	Randy Smith (29 pts)
Feb 21, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 114-111	Randy Smith (30 pts)
Feb 24, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 106-99	Randy Smith (27 pts)
Feb 25, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 110-106	Billy Knight (30 pts)
Feb 26, 1978	@ Atlanta Hawks	L 119-117	Randy Smith (31 pts)
Feb 28, 1978	@ New Orleans Jazz	L 125-108	Randy Smith (27 pts)
Mar 01, 1978	@ Houston Rockets	W 114-104	Randy Smith (27 pts)
Mar 02, 1978	@ San Antonio Spurs	L 128-107	Randy Smith (20 pts)
Mar 04, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 111-107	Swen Nater (27 pts)
Mar 05, 1978	@ New Jersey Nets	L 109-103	Bird Averitt (24 pts)
Mar 08, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 120-108	Swen Nater (28 pts)
Mar 10, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 118-117	Swen Nater (30 pts)
Mar 12, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 96-90	Randy Smith (27 pts)
Mar 14, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 123-115	Randy Smith (38 pts)
Mar 15, 1978	@ Indiana Pacers	L 111-106	Randy Smith (38 pts)
Mar 17, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	L 136-127	Larry McNeill (31 pts)
Mar 19, 1978	@ Kansas City Kings	L 122-108	Randy Smith (30 pts)
Mar 21, 1978	@ Golden State Warriors	L 111-104	Swen Nater (28 pts)
Mar 22, 1978	@ Seattle SuperSonics	L 97-92	Randy Smith (31 pts)
Mar 24, 1978	@ Los Angeles Lakers	L 120-115	Randy Smith (33 pts)
Mar 25, 1978	@ Phoenix Suns	L 112-106	Randy Smith (34 pts)
Mar 28, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 123-118	Randy Smith (29 pts)
Mar 29, 1978	@ Philadelphia 76ers	L 149-118	Randy Smith (37 pts)
Apr 01, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 110-102	Swen Nater (25 pts)
Apr 03, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 104-95	Randy Smith (39 pts)
Apr 04, 1978	@ Cleveland Cavaliers	L 116-105	Swen Nater (20 pts)
Apr 05, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 87-74	Bird Averitt (17 pts)
Apr 07, 1978	@ Chicago Bulls	W 113-103	Randy Smith (28 pts)
Apr 08, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 118-107	Randy Smith (23 pts)
Apr 09, 1978	@ Boston Celtics	L 131-114	Swen Nater (28 pts)

NBA

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Northwest

Pacific

Southwest

Buffalo Braves 1977-78 Roster and Stats

Buffalo Braves Roster and Stats for 1977-78 Season

Buffalo Braves 1977-78 Regular Season Game Log