Miracle Of Richfield

Clevelanders will never forget Dick Snyder and the “Miracle of Richfield.”

In the 1976 NBA playoffs, The #2 seed Cavs and the #3 seed Washington Bullets split the first six games of their second-round series, and after 47 minutes and 51 seconds were locked at an 85-all stalemate during Game Seven at the two-year-old Richfield Coliseum.

Former Ohio State guard Jim Cleamons inbounded at half court with nine seconds to go. He flipped a pass to Dick Snyder, a 31-year-old nine-year NBA veteran, on the left wing. Snyder attacked Wes Unseld, dribbling twice and taking off just before the block. Weakside help came, but couldn’t stop Snyder from skying a right-handed floater that banked high off the glass and fell with four seconds to play!

The Bullets missed a jumper from the corner, the buzzer sounded, and the Cavaliers proceeded to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Even though they’d eventually bow to the World Champion Celtics, these Cavs were the first Cleveland team to make the playoffs since the franchise arrived in 1970.

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