2001 NBA Playoffs

2001 NBA playoffs

← 2000 2002 →

The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000-01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year. Since 2001, the 76ers have not advanced beyond the conference semifinals.

This was the 76ers' first Finals appearance since Moses Malone and Julius Erving led the 1983 squad to the NBA title (coincidentally, last defeating the Lakers) in the famous "fo', fo', fo'" year (it ended up being "fo', fi', fo'", as Philadelphia lost one second-round game that year).

However, it was the Lakers' turn to put together the most dominant postseason in NBA history, going 15–1 with their only loss coming in OT to the Sixers in Game 1 of the Finals. They set many records, including going undefeated in regulation and on the road (finishing 8–0 in the latter category). They were the second NBA champion to defeat four 50-win or better teams on their way to the title as the Rockets did it first in 1995.

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first playoff series since 1989, made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1986 and won the division for the first time since that year. As of 2016, however, they have been unable to duplicate this.

The Dallas Mavericks made the playoffs for the first time since 1990. Along the way they had many abysmal seasons, including back-to-back years with 11 and 13 wins. By beating Utah in the first round, they won their first playoff series since 1988. Reunion Arena, their home court for 21 years, hosted its last game (Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Spurs); they moved to American Airlines Center in 2002.

The Sacramento Kings won their first playoff series since 1981 (when they were the Kansas City Kings) and first since moving to Sacramento.

The Toronto Raptors won their first playoff series in franchise history 3–2 over the New York Knicks. For the first time since 1991, the Knicks failed to win a first-round playoff series.

Bracket

First Round

Conference Semifinals

Conference Finals

NBA Finals

E1

Philadelphia*

3

E8

Indiana

1

E1

Philadelphia

4

E5

Toronto

3

E4

New York

2

E5

Toronto

3

E1

Philadelphia

4

Eastern Conference

E2

Milwaukee

3

E3

Miami

0

E6

Charlotte

3

E6

Charlotte

3

E2

Milwaukee

4

E2

Milwaukee*

3

E7

Orlando

1

E1

Philadelphia

1

W2

LA Lakers

4

W1

San Antonio*

3

W8

Minnesota

1

W1

San Antonio

4

W5

Dallas

1

W4

Utah

2

W5

Dallas

3

W1

San Antonio

0

Western Conference

W2

LA Lakers

4

W3

Sacramento

3

W6

Phoenix

1

W3

Sacramento

0

W2

LA Lakers

4

W2

LA Lakers*

3

W7

Portland

0

Playoff qualifying

Western Conference

Best record in NBA

The San Antonio Spurs clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. However, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers gained home court advantage for the NBA Finals. San Antonio's 58 games remains the lowest for a team with home court advantage throughout the playoffs, being 3 games fewer than the Pacers and Cavs' 61 in 2004 and 2010, respectively.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:

1. San Antonio Spurs (clinched Midwest division)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (clinched Pacific division)
3. Sacramento Kings
4. Utah Jazz
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Phoenix Suns
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. Minnesota Timberwolves

Eastern Conference

Best record in conference

The Philadelphia 76ers clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

1. Philadelphia 76ers (clinched Atlantic division)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (clinched Central division)
3. Miami Heat
4. New York Knicks
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Orlando Magic
8. Indiana Pacers

Western Conference

Champion: Los Angeles Lakers

First Round

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (SA-MIN)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 21	Minnesota	82	San Antonio	87	1-0	Alamodome, San Antonio	NBC 5:30et		Bob Costas & Matt Guokas
2	April 23	Minnesota	69	San Antonio	86	2-0	Alamodome, San Antonio	TNT 9:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
3	April 28	San Antonio	84	Minnesota	93	2-1	Target Center, Minneapolis	NBC 5:30et		Bob Costas & Matt Guokas
4	April 30	San Antonio	97	Minnesota	84	3-1	Target Center, Minneapolis	TNT 8:30et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
San Antonio wins series 3–1

Regular-season series

San Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 2, 2000 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 91, San Antonio Spurs 103 Alamodome, San Antonio November 17, 2000 Recap San Antonio Spurs 94, Minnesota Timberwolves 99 (OT) Target Center, Minneapolis February 16, 2001 Recap San Antonio Spurs 91, Minnesota Timberwolves 85 Target Center, Minneapolis March 14, 2001 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 100, San Antonio Spurs 106 (OT) Alamodome, San Antonio

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series^[1]

San Antonio leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
1999 Minnesota Timberwolves 1, San Antonio Spurs 3 1999 Western Conference First Round

(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Portland Trail Blazers

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (LAL-POR)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 22	Portland	93	Los Angeles	106	1-0	Staples Center, Los Angeles	NBC 5:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
2	April 26	Portland	88	Los Angeles	106	2-0	Staples Center, Los Angeles	TNT 10:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
3	April 29	Los Angeles	99	Portland	86	3-0	Rose Garden Arena, Portland	NBC 5:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
Los Angeles wins series 3–0

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

October 31, 2000 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 96, Portland Trail Blazers 86 Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon December 13, 2000 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 86, Portland Trail Blazers 96 Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon December 25, 2000 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 109, Los Angeles Lakers 104 Staples Center, Los Angeles April 15, 2001 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 100, Los Angeles Lakers 105 Staples Center, Los Angeles

This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first nine meetings.

Previous playoff series^[2]

Los Angeles leads 7–2 in all-time playoff series

1977 Los Angeles Lakers 0, Portland Trail Blazers 4 1977 Western Conference Finals 1983 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1 1983 Western Conference Semifinals 1985 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1 1985 Western Conference Semifinals 1989 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Portland Trail Blazers 0 1989 Western Conference First Round 1991 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 2 1991 Western Conference Finals 1992 Los Angeles Lakers 1, Portland Trail Blazers 3 1992 Western Conference First Round 1997 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Portland Trail Blazers 1 1997 Western Conference First Round 1998 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Portland Trail Blazers 1 1998 Western Conference First Round 2000 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 3 2000 Western Conference Finals

(3) Sacramento Kings vs. (6) Phoenix Suns

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (SAC-PHX)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 22	Phoenix	86	Sacramento	83	0-1	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	NBC 3:00et		Bob Costas & Matt Guokas
2	April 25	Phoenix	90	Sacramento	116	1-1	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	TNT 10:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
3	April 29	Sacramento	104	Phoenix	96	2-1	America West Arena, Phoenix	NBC 3:00et		Bob Costas & Matt Guokas
4	May 2	Sacramento	89	Phoenix	82	3-1	America West Arena, Phoenix	TNT 10:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
Sacramento wins series 3–1

Regular-season series

Sacramento won 3–1 in the regular-season series
December 1, 2000 Recap Phoenix Suns 98, Sacramento Kings 105 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California January 2, 2001 Recap Phoenix Suns 117, Sacramento Kings 121 (OT) ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California March 7, 2001 Recap Sacramento Kings 100, Phoenix Suns 89 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona April 15, 2001 Recap Sacramento Kings 86, Phoenix Suns 88 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning two of the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series^[3]

Phoenix leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1979 Phoenix Suns 4, Kansas City Kings 2 1979 Western Conference Semifinals 1980 Phoenix Suns 2, Kansas City Kings 1 1980 Western Conference First Round 1981 Phoenix Suns 3, Kansas City Kings 4 1981 Western Conference Semifinals

(4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (UTA-DAL)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 21	Dallas	86	Utah	88	1-0	Delta Center, Salt Lake City	NBC 3:00et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
2	April 24	Dallas	98	Utah	109	2-0	Delta Center, Salt Lake City	TBS 10:30et		Bob Neal & Reggie Theus
3	April 28	Utah	91	Dallas	94	2-1	Reunion Arena, Dallas	NBC 3:00et		Mike Breen & Bill Walton
4	May 1	Utah	77	Dallas	107	2-2	Reunion Arena, Dallas	TBS 9:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
5	May 3	Dallas	84	Utah	83	2-3	Delta Center, Salt Lake City	TNT 8:30et		Bob Neal & Reggie Theus
Dallas wins series 3–2

• In Game 5, Calvin Booth made the series winning layup with 9.6 seconds left. The Mavs would then not only become the 8th team in playoff history to overcome an 0-2 deficit, but also win their first playoff series since 1988.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
November 4, 2000 Recap Utah Jazz 112, Dallas Mavericks 106 Reunion Arena, Dallas November 20, 2000 Recap Dallas Mavericks 107, Utah Jazz 98 Delta Center, Salt Lake City March 26, 2001 Recap Dallas Mavericks 98, Utah Jazz 90 Delta Center, Salt Lake City April 7, 2001 Recap Utah Jazz 116, Dallas Mavericks 103 Reunion Arena, Dallas

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Mavericks winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series^[4]

Dallas leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
1986 Dallas Mavericks 3, Utah Jazz 1 1986 Western Conference First Round

Conference Semifinals

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (SA-DAL)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	May 5	Dallas	78	San Antonio	94	1-0	Alamodome, San Antonio	NBC 6:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
2	May 7	Dallas	86	San Antonio	100	2-0	Alamodome, San Antonio	TNT 8:30et		Bob Neal & Hubie Brown
3	May 9	San Antonio	104	Dallas	90	3-0	Reunion Arena, Dallas	TNT 9:30et		Bob Neal & Kenny Smith
4	May 12	San Antonio	108	Dallas	112	3-1	Reunion Arena, Dallas	NBC 3:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
5	May 14	Dallas	87	San Antonio	105	4-1	Alamodome, San Antonio	TNT 8:30et		Bob Neal & Hubie Brown
San Antonio wins series 4–1

Regular-season series

San Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 10, 2000 Recap San Antonio Spurs 77, Dallas Mavericks 79 Reunion Arena, Dallas February 13, 2001 Recap Dallas Mavericks 92, San Antonio Spurs 104 Alamodome, San Antonio February 24, 2001 Recap San Antonio Spurs 107, Dallas Mavericks 104 Reunion Arena, Dallas April 10, 2001 Recap Dallas Mavericks 79, San Antonio Spurs 91 Alamodome, San Antonio

This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Spurs.^[5]

(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Sacramento Kings

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (LAL-SAC)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	May 6	Sacramento	105	Los Angeles	108	1-0	Staples Center, Los Angeles	NBC 3:00et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
2	May 8	Sacramento	90	Los Angeles	96	2-0	Staples Center, Los Angeles	TBS 10:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
3	May 11	Los Angeles	103	Sacramento	81	3-0	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	TNT 10:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
4	May 13	Los Angeles	119	Sacramento	113	4-0	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	NBC 5:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
Los Angeles wins series 4–0

Regular-season series

Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 16, 2000 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 112, Sacramento Kings 110 (OT) ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California February 4, 2001 Recap Sacramento Kings 94, Los Angeles Lakers 100 Staples Center, Los Angeles March 25, 2001 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 84, Sacramento Kings 72 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California March 28, 2001 Recap Sacramento Kings 108, Los Angeles Lakers 84 Staples Center, Los Angeles

This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first eight meetings.

Previous playoff series^[6]

Los Angeles leads 7–1 in all-time playoff series

1949 Minneapolis Lakers 2, Rochester Royals 0 1949 Western Division Finals 1951 Minneapolis Lakers 1, Rochester Royals 3 1951 Western Division Finals 1952 Minneapolis Lakers 3, Rochester Royals 1 1952 Western Division Finals 1954 Minneapolis Lakers 1, Rochester Royals 0 1954 Western Division Round Robin Semifinals 1954 Minneapolis Lakers 2, Rochester Royals 1 1954 Western Division Finals 1955 Minneapolis Lakers 2, Rochester Royals 1 1955 Western Division Semifinals 1984 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Kansas City Kings 0 1984 Western Conference First Round 2000 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Sacramento Kings 2 2000 Western Conference First Round

Conference Finals

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (SA-LAL)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	May 19	Los Angeles	104	San Antonio	90	0-1	Alamodome, San Antonio	NBC 6:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
2	May 21	Los Angeles	88	San Antonio	81	0-2	Alamodome, San Antonio	TNT 8:30et		Kevin Harlan, John Thompson & Danny Ainge
3	May 25	San Antonio	72	Los Angeles	111	0-3	Staples Center, Los Angeles	NBC 9:00et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
4	May 27	San Antonio	82	Los Angeles	111	0-4	Staples Center, Los Angeles	NBC 5:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
Los Angeles wins Western Conference Finals series 4–0

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
November 8, 2000 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 81, San Antonio Spurs 91 Alamodome, San Antonio December 1, 2000 Recap San Antonio Spurs 100, Los Angeles Lakers 109 Staples Center, Los Angeles February 21, 2001 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 101, San Antonio Spurs 99 Alamodome, San Antonio March 9, 2001 Recap San Antonio Spurs 93, Los Angeles Lakers 89 (OT) Staples Center, Los Angeles

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first six meetings.

Previous playoff series^[7]

Los Angeles leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series

1982 Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 0 1982 Western Conference Finals 1983 Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 2 1983 Western Conference Finals 1986 Los Angeles Lakers 3, San Antonio Spurs 0 1986 Western Conference First Round 1988 Los Angeles Lakers 3, San Antonio Spurs 0 1988 Western Conference First Round 1995 Los Angeles Lakers 2, San Antonio Spurs 4 1995 Western Conference Semifinals 1999 Los Angeles Lakers 0, San Antonio Spurs 4 1999 Western Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

Champion: Philadelphia 76ers

First Round

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Indiana Pacers

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (PHI-IND)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 21	Indiana	79	Philadelphia	78	0-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 12:30et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
2	April 24	Indiana	98	Philadelphia	116	1-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TBS 8:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
3	April 28	Philadelphia	92	Indiana	87	2-1	Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	NBC 12:30et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
4	May 2	Philadelphia	88	Indiana	85	3-1	Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	TBS 7:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
Philadelphia wins series 3–1

• In Game 1, Reggie Miller hit the game-winning 3 with 2.9 seconds left.

Regular-season series

Philadelphia won 3–0 in the regular-season series
January 28, 2001 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 86, Indiana Pacers 81 Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis April 1, 2001 Recap Indiana Pacers 93, Philadelphia 76ers 104 First Union Center, Philadelphia April 17, 2001 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 111, Indiana Pacers 105 (OT) Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning two of the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series^[8]

Indiana leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1981 Indiana Pacers 0, Philadelphia 76ers 2 1981 Eastern Conference First Round 1999 Indiana Pacers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 0 1999 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2000 Indiana Pacers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals

(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (7) Orlando Magic

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (MIL-ORL)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 22	Orlando	90	Milwaukee	103	1-0	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	TNT 8:30et		Bob Neal & Reggie Theus
2	April 25	Orlando	96	Milwaukee	103	2-0	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	TNT 8:00et		Bob Neal & Reggie Theus
3*	April 28	Milwaukee	116	Orlando	121	2-1	TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando	TNT 8:30et		Bob Neal & Reggie Theus
4	May 1	Milwaukee	112	Orlando	104	3-1	TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando	TBS 7:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
Milwaukee wins series 3–1

• In Game 3, Ray Allen sends the game to overtime with a dunk over Tracy McGrady with 3.5 seconds left.

Regular-season series

Milwaukee won 4–0 in the regular-season series
November 27, 2000 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 104, Orlando Magic 95 TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida December 26, 2000 Recap Orlando Magic 77, Milwaukee Bucks 89 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 23, 2001 Recap Orlando Magic 103, Milwaukee Bucks 115 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin April 16, 2001 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 101, Orlando Magic 89 TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida

This was the first playoff meeting between the Bucks and the Magic.^[9]

(3) Miami Heat vs. (6) Charlotte Hornets

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (MIA-CHA)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 21	Charlotte	106	Miami	80	0-1	American Airlines Arena, Miami	TNT 8:30et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
2	April 23	Charlotte	102	Miami	76	0-2	American Airlines Arena, Miami	TNT 7:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
3	April 27	Miami	79	Charlotte	94	0-3	Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte	TNT 8:30et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
Charlotte wins series 3–0

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
November 3, 2000 Recap Miami Heat 79, Charlotte Hornets 83 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina November 14, 2000 Recap Charlotte Hornets 86, Miami Heat 89 (OT) American Airlines Arena, Miami December 20, 2000 Recap Miami Heat 56, Charlotte Hornets 65 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina April 6, 2001 Recap Charlotte Hornets 76, Miami Heat 81 American Airlines Arena, Miami

This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats franchise.^[10]

(4) New York Knicks vs. (5) Toronto Raptors

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (NYK-TOR)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	April 22	Toronto	85	New York	92	1-0	Madison Square Garden, New York	NBC 12:30et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
2	April 26	Toronto	94	New York	74	1-1	Madison Square Garden, New York	TNT 8:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
3	April 29	New York	97	Toronto	89	2-1	Air Canada Centre, Toronto	NBC 12:30et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
4	May 2	New York	93	Toronto	100	2-2	Air Canada Centre, Toronto	TNT 8:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
5	May 4	Toronto	93	New York	89	2-3	Madison Square Garden, New York	TNT 8:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
Toronto wins series 3–2

Regular-season series

Toronto won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 25, 2000 Recap Toronto Raptors 79, New York Knicks 75 Madison Square Garden, New York City December 14, 2000 Recap New York Knicks 68, Toronto Raptors 70 Air Canada Centre, Toronto March 4, 2001 Recap New York Knicks 88, Toronto Raptors 98 Air Canada Centre, Toronto March 15, 2001 Recap Toronto Raptors 72, New York Knicks 88 Madison Square Garden, New York City

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series^[11]

New York leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2000 New York Knicks 3, Toronto Raptors 0 2000 Eastern Conference First Round

Conference Semifinals

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (PHI-TOR)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	May 6	Toronto	96	Philadelphia	93	0-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 5:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
2	May 9	Toronto	92	Philadelphia	97	1-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TNT 7:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
3	May 11	Philadelphia	78	Toronto	102	1-2	Air Canada Centre, Toronto	TNT 8:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
4	May 13	Philadelphia	84	Toronto	79	2-2	Air Canada Centre, Toronto	NBC 3:00et		Mike Breen & Bill Walton
5	May 16	Toronto	88	Philadelphia	121	3-2	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TNT 8:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
6	May 18	Philadelphia	89	Toronto	101	3-3	Air Canada Centre, Toronto	TNT 8:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
7	May 20	Toronto	87	Philadelphia	88	4-3	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 5:30et		Mike Breen, Doug Collins & Bill Walton
Philadelphia wins series 4–3

• Iverson-Carter duel
• 76ers ended a 16-year drought by advancing to the conference finals when Vince Carter's long jumper at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

Regular-season series

Toronto won 3–1 in the regular-season series

November 1, 2000 Recap Toronto Raptors 98, Philadelphia 76ers 104 First Union Center, Philadelphia January 21, 2001 Recap Toronto Raptors 110, Philadelphia 76ers 106 (OT) First Union Center, Philadelphia January 30, 2001 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 89, Toronto Raptors 96 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario April 3, 2001 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 85, Toronto Raptors 100 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

This was the first playoff meeting between the 76ers and the Raptors.^[12]

(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Charlotte Hornets

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (MIL-CHA)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	May 6	Charlotte	92	Milwaukee	104	1-0	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	NBC 12:30et		Bob Costas & Matt Guokas
2	May 8	Charlotte	90	Milwaukee	91	2-0	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	TBS 8:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
3	May 10	Milwaukee	92	Charlotte	102	2-1	Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte	TNT 8:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
4	May 13	Milwaukee	78	Charlotte	85	2-2	Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte	NBC 12:30et		Bob Costas, Matt Guokas & Steve Jones
5	May 15	Charlotte	94	Milwaukee	86	2-3	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	TBS 8:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
6	May 17	Milwaukee	104	Charlotte	97	3-3	Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte	TNT 8:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
7	May 20	Charlotte	95	Milwaukee	104	4-3	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	NBC 3:00et		Bob Costas, Matt Guokas & Steve Jones
Milwaukee wins series 4–3

Regular-season series

Charlotte won 3–1 in the regular-season series

November 24, 2000 Recap Charlotte Hornets 106, Milwaukee Bucks 90 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin January 19, 2001 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 105, Charlotte Hornets 98 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina February 17, 2001 Recap Charlotte Hornets 103, Milwaukee Bucks 93 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 10, 2001 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 90, Charlotte Hornets 100 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina

This was the first playoff meeting between the Hornets and the Bucks.^[13]

Conference Finals

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Milwaukee Bucks

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (PHI-MIL)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	May 22	Milwaukee	85	Philadelphia	93	1-0	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TNT 8:00et		Marv Albert & Mike Fratello
2	May 24	Milwaukee	92	Philadelphia	78	1-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TNT 8:00et		Dick Stockton & Hubie Brown
3	May 26	Philadelphia	74	Milwaukee	80	1-2	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	NBC 5:30et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
4	May 28	Philadelphia	89	Milwaukee	83	2-2	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	NBC 5:30et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
5	May 30	Milwaukee	88	Philadelphia	89	3-2	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 9:00et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
6	June 1	Philadelphia	99	Milwaukee	110	3-3	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	NBC 9:00et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
7	June 3	Milwaukee	91	Philadelphia	108	4-3	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 7:30et		Mike Breen, Bill Walton & Steve Jones
Philadelphia wins Eastern Conference Finals series 4–3

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
February 13, 2001 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 107, Milwaukee Bucks 104 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin February 26, 2001 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 98, Philadelphia 76ers 91 First Union Center, Philadelphia March 17, 2001 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 78, Milwaukee Bucks 87 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 26, 2001 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 78, Philadelphia 76ers 90 First Union Center, Philadelphia

This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning five of the first eight meetings.

Previous playoff series^[14]

Philadelphia leads 5–3 in all-time playoff series

1970 Milwaukee Bucks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1 1970 Eastern Division Semifinals 1981 Milwaukee Bucks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1982 Milwaukee Bucks 2, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1982 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1983 Milwaukee Bucks 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1983 Eastern Conference Finals 1985 Milwaukee Bucks 0, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1985 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1986 Milwaukee Bucks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1987 Milwaukee Bucks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 2 1987 Eastern Conference First Round 1991 Milwaukee Bucks 0, Philadelphia 76ers 3 1991 Eastern Conference First Round

NBA Finals

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Last Playoff Meeting: 1983 NBA Finals (Philadelphia won 4-0)

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (LAL-PHI)	Venue	TV Time	Recap	TV Commentators
1	June 6	Philadelphia	107	Los Angeles	101	0-1	Staples Center, Los Angeles	NBC 9:00et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
2	June 8	Philadelphia	89	Los Angeles	98	1-1	Staples Center, Los Angeles	NBC 9:00et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
3	June 10	Los Angeles	96	Philadelphia	91	2-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 8:30et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
4	June 13	Los Angeles	100	Philadelphia	86	3-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 9:00et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
5	June 15	Los Angeles	108	Philadelphia	96	4-1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	NBC 9:00et		Marv Albert & Doug Collins
Los Angeles wins NBA Finals series 4–1

• This was Philadelphia's first NBA Finals loss to the Lakers in 19 years.
• In Game 1, Allen Iverson scored 48 points including his famous crossover on Tyronn Lue as the 76ers stop the Lakers' 11-game playoff winning streak (19 overall) dramatically to end the Lakers' perfect run, but his greatest season didn't end the way it was supposed to as the Lakers would still win their second straight title for the first time since 1988.

Regular-season series

Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series
December 5, 2000 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 85, Los Angeles Lakers 96 Staples Center, Los Angeles February 14, 2001 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 97, Philadelphia 76ers 112 First Union Center, Philadelphia

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first five meetings.

Previous playoff series^[15]

Los Angeles leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series
1950 Minneapolis Lakers 4, Syracuse Nationals 2 1950 NBA Finals 1954 Minneapolis Lakers 4, Syracuse Nationals 3 1954 NBA Finals 1980 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2 1980 NBA Finals 1982 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2 1982 NBA Finals 1983 Los Angeles Lakers 0, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1983 NBA Finals

See also

• 2000–01 National Basketball Association playoff leaders

References

1. "Team Rivalry Finder — Minnesota Timberwolves versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
2. "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
3. "Team Rivalry Finder — Phoenix Suns versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
4. "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
5. "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
6. "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
7. "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
8. "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
9. "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
10. "Team Rivalry Finder — Charlotte Hornets versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
11. "Team Rivalry Finder — New York Knicks versus Toronto Raptors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
12. "Team Rivalry Finder — Philadelphia 76ers versus Toronto Raptors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
13. "Team Rivalry Finder — Charlotte Hornets versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
14. "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
15. "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.

External links

• NBA.com's 2001 Playoffs coverage