1975–76 ABA season
The 1975-76 American Basketball Association season was the ninth and last season for the ABA. The ABA changed from the 30 second shot clock to the 24 second shot clock to match the NBA.
Prior to the start of the 1975-76 season the Memphis Sounds relocated to Baltimore, Maryland and became the Baltimore Claws. The Claws folded during the preseason after playing three exhibition games. The San Diego Conquistadors were replaced for the 1975-76 season by the San Diego Sails. During the season the San Diego and the Utah Stars folded. The Virginia Squires folded following the end of the season, unable to make a $75,000 league assessment.
The 1976 ABA All-Star Game saw the first place Denver Nuggets come from behind to defeat the ABA All Stars 144-138 in Denver. The game saw the first ever Slam Dunk Contest, won by Julius Erving.
With the conclusion of the season the June 1976 ABA-NBA merger saw the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs join the NBA, while the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis accepted deals to fold.
Season standings
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets | 60 | 24 | .714 | - |
| New York Nets C | 55 | 29 | .655 | 5 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 50 | 34 | .595 | 10 |
| Kentucky Colonels | 46 | 38 | .548 | 14 |
| Indiana Pacers | 39 | 45 | .464 | 21 |
| Spirits of St. Louis | 35 | 49 | .417 | 25 |
| Virginia Squires | 15 | 68 | .181 | 44 |
| San Diego Sails | 3 | 8 | .273 | - |
| Utah Stars | 4 | 12 | .250 | - |
| Baltimore Claws | 0 | 0 | .000 | - |
C - ABA Champions
Playoffs
The 1976 ABA Playoffs opened with the Kentucky Colonels defeating the Indiana Pacers 2 games to 1 in the quarterfinals. The Colonels then lost a seven game semifinal series to the #1 seeded Denver Nuggets, 4 games to 3. The other semifinal saw the New York Nets outlast the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 3. In the finals the Nets beat the Nuggets, 4 games to 2.
See also
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