With the NBA on hiatus and New York continuing its battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, Brooklyn Nets games will not be played for the foreseeable future.
For the Nets, as much as any team, this comes at an odd time — Brooklyn was battling the Orlando Magic for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. At the stoppage of play, the Nets had a half-game advantage over the Magic.
Since there aren’t any games, each day Nets Wire will highlight impressive individual performances and major moments throughout Nets history:
The 1975-76 season was the ABA’s last. For some teams, it was the end of the line. For others, like the Nets, it marked the start of a new chapter. But before the Nets moved onto the NBA, they made sure to have a better end to their ABA run than anyone else.
Up 3-2 in the 1976 ABA Finals heading into Game 6 on May 13, the Nets fell behind in the first quarter, still trailed at halftime and entered the fourth down 92-78.
Then everything changed in the final quarter. The Nets followed up their 33-point third quarter with a 34-point fourth, while holding the Denver Nuggets to a measly 14 points, en route to a 112-106 Game 6 win and their second ABA title in three seasons (full box score).
Julius Erving finished with a team-high 31 points, 19 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocked shots. Jim Eakins also had a double-double (15 points and 13 rebounds) while John Williamson (28 points) and Brian Taylor (24) helped provided most of the Nets’ offense, along with Dr. J.