# 2001 NBA playoffs

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.

## Overview

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 between 1993 and 1994.
The Los Angeles Lakers entered the postseason with an eight-game winning streak, while the Milwaukee Bucks entered the playoffs as division champions for the first time since 1986.
For the first time since 1997, all four late 80's expansion teams (Miami, Orlando, Charlotte, and Minnesota) made the playoffs. As of 2024, this remains the most recent occurrence of all four expansion teams making the playoffs.
With their series win over the Orlando Magic, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first playoff series since 1989.
With their 3–2 series win over the Utah Jazz in the first round, the Dallas Mavericks won their first playoff series since 1988. This also marked the first time since 1995 that the Jazz failed to advance past the first round.
The Sacramento Kings won their first playoff series since 1981 (when they were the Kansas City Kings) and the first since moving to Sacramento. The Toronto Raptors also won their first playoff series in franchise history with their 3–2 first round victory over the New York Knicks. They would not win another playoff series until 2016.
For the first time since 1991, the Knicks failed to win a first–round playoff series. Coincidentally, this also marked the first time since 1996 that the Heat and the Knicks did not meet in the playoffs as both teams were eliminated in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors, respectively. The Heat and the Knicks would not return to the playoffs until 2004.
2001 also marked the closest the Charlotte Hornets came to making the Eastern Conference Finals, taking a 3–2 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks before bowing out in seven games. As of 2024, the Hornets were one of two active teams (the other being the New Orleans Pelicans) to never advance to the Conference Finals. After eliminating the Hornets, the Milwaukee Bucks made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1986. For the Bucks, this was their most recent playoff series win until 2019.
The Western Conference Semi–Finals series between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks also marked the start of the Mavericks–Spurs rivalry. The Spurs would win this playoff series (along with subsequent series victories in 2003 and 2010), while the Mavericks won in 2006 and 2009. Game 4 of the series was the last NBA game ever played at Reunion Arena, as the Mavericks moved to the American Airlines Center the following season.
With their Western Conference Finals sweep of the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers went 11–0 through the first three rounds, extending their winning streak to 19 games (regular season and playoffs)). The Lakers also equaled the previous records set by their 1989 team by winning their first 11 post–season games and sweeping three series in the post-season. Their playoff dominance would be bested after the first round of playoffs was extended to a best of seven format instead of the best of five in the 2003 NBA playoffs by the 2016–17 Golden State Warriors who would go 16–1 on their way to their fifth championship.
With their Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Philadelphia 76ers made the NBA Finals for the first time since 1983, when Moses Malone and Julius Erving led the 1983 team 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 to the Milwaukee Bucks that year). With the loss, the Bucks would not return to the Conference Finals until 2019.
Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals was extremely notable for two things.
* Allen Iverson's step over Tyronn Lue
* The Philadelphia 76ers giving the Lakers their only loss of the postseason (107–101 in Overtime).
With their Game 5 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers won their 13th NBA championship. With the win, the Lakers put together the most dominant postseason in NBA history, going 15–1. They set many records, including going undefeated in regulation and on the road (finishing 8–0 in the latter category). They were also 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.

## Bracket

| First Round | First Round | First Round | | | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | NBA Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals |
| E1 | Philadelphia* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Indiana | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Indiana | 1 | | | E1 | Philadelphia* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E5 | Toronto | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | New York | 2 | | | E5 | Toronto | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Toronto | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Toronto | 3 | | | | | | E1 | Philadelphia* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Philadelphia* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E2 | Milwaukee* | 3 | | | | |
| E3 | Miami | 0 | | | | | | | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 3 | | | | |
| E6 | Charlotte | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Charlotte | 3 | | | E6 | Charlotte | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Milwaukee* | 3 | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Orlando | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Orlando | 1 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Philadelphia* | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W1 | San Antonio* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W8 | Minnesota | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | Minnesota | 1 | | | W1 | San Antonio* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W5 | Dallas | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Utah | 2 | | | W5 | Dallas | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Dallas | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Dallas | 3 | | | | | | W1 | San Antonio | 0 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | San Antonio | 0 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| W3 | Sacramento | 3 | | | | | | | | | W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| W6 | Phoenix | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Phoenix | 1 | | | W3 | Sacramento | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | LA Lakers* | 3 | | | W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Portland | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## Playoff qualifying
### Western Conference
#### Best record in NBA

The San Antonio Spurs clinched the best record in the NBA, and they 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 remain tied for the lowest for a team with home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, being equal to the 2023 Milwaukee Bucks.

#### Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
* San Antonio Spurs – Midwest Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions, NBA regular season champions (58–24)
* Los Angeles Lakers – Pacific Division champions (56–26)
* Sacramento Kings (55–27)
* Utah Jazz (53–29, 2–2 head-to-head vs. DAL, 14–10 record vs. Midwest Division, 35–17 record vs. Western Conference)
* Dallas Mavericks (53–29, 2–2 head-to-head vs. DAL, 14–10 record vs. Midwest Division, 30–22 record vs. Western Conference)
* Phoenix Suns (51–31)
* Portland Trail Blazers (50–32)
* Minnesota Timberwolves (47–35)

### 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:
* Philadelphia 76ers – Atlantic Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions (56–26)
* Milwaukee Bucks – Central Division champions (52–30)
* Miami Heat (50–32)
* New York Knicks (48–34)
* Toronto Raptors (47–35)
* Charlotte Hornets (46–36)
* Orlando Magic (43–39)
* Indiana Pacers (41–41)

## First round

    Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA.

### Eastern Conference first round
#### (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Indiana Pacers

* NBC
* April 21 12:30 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 79, Philadelphia 76ers 78 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–29, 19–23, 22–13, 21–13 |||
| Pts: Miller, Rose 17 each Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 20 Asts: Travis Best 10 | Pts: Aaron McKie 18 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 22 Asts: Iverson, McKie 7 each |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,613 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, Greg Willard
* TBS
* April 24 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 98, Philadelphia 76ers 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 32–33, 19–30, 20–25 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 41 Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 11 Asts: Travis Best 6 | Pts: Allen Iverson 45 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 11 Asts: Allen Iverson 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,739 Referees: Dick Bavetta, James Capers Jr., Terry Durham
* NBC
* April 28 1:40 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 92, Indiana Pacers 87 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 24–17, 29–19, 18–27 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 32 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 15 Asts: Allen Iverson 6 | Pts: Reggie Miller 35 Rebs: Travis Best 11 Asts: Travis Best 9 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Mike Callahan, Hugh Evans, Ron Olesiak
* TBS
* May 2 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 88, Indiana Pacers 85 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 17–21, 22–21, 24–16 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 33 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 11 Asts: Aaron McKie 6 | Pts: Reggie Miller 32 Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 14 Asts: Travis Best 12 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 3–1 |||
* Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Mike Mathis, Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore
* In Game 1, Reggie Miller hit the game-winning 3 with 2.9 seconds left.
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.
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

* TNT
* April 22 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Orlando Magic 90, Milwaukee Bucks 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 24–28, 28–30, 16–24 |||
| Pts: Tracy McGrady 33 Rebs: McGrady, Outlaw 9 each Asts: Tracy McGrady 8 | Pts: Scott Williams 19 Rebs: Scott Williams 16 Asts: Sam Cassell 8 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Mike Callahan, Ronnie Nunn
* TNT
* April 25 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Orlando Magic 96, Milwaukee Bucks 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 25–20, 26–29, 19–21 |||
| Pts: Tracy McGrady 35 Rebs: Doleac, Outlaw 7 each Asts: Tracy McGrady 7 | Pts: Ray Allen 27 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 13 Asts: Ray Allen 7 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–0 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Sean Corbin, Bob Delaney, Hugh Evans
* TNT
* April 28 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 116, Orlando Magic 121 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 27–20, 24–36, 36–30, Overtime: 6–11 |||
| Pts: Ray Allen 27 Rebs: Sam Cassell 16 Asts: Ray Allen 6 | Pts: Tracy McGrady 42 Rebs: Bo Outlaw 14 Asts: Tracy McGrady 10 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–1 |||
* TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,248 Referees: Joe Forte, Bennett Salvatore, Mark Wunderlich
* TBS
* May 1 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 112, Orlando Magic 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 35–25, 40–26, 15–17 |||
| Pts: Ray Allen 26 Rebs: Tim Thomas 10 Asts: Sam Cassell 6 | Pts: Tracy McGrady 25 Rebs: Bo Outlaw 12 Asts: Armstrong, McGrady 8 each |
| Milwaukee wins series, 3–1 |||
* TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,248 Referees: Jim Clark, Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa
* In Game 3, Ray Allen sends the game to overtime with a dunk over Tracy McGrady with 3.5 seconds left.
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.

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

* TNT
* April 21 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 106, Miami Heat 80 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 27–19, 31–18, 25–22 |||
| Pts: Jamal Mashburn 28 Rebs: P. J. Brown 7 Asts: Baron Davis 8 | Pts: Eddie House 16 Rebs: Brian Grant 10 Asts: Tim Hardaway 5 |
| Charlotte leads series, 1–0 |||
* American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,085 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Scott Foster, Eddie F. Rush
* TNT
* April 23 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 102, Miami Heat 76 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 28–26, 24–7, 24–17 |||
| Pts: Jamal Mashburn 22 Rebs: P. J. Brown 8 Asts: Baron Davis 4 | Pts: Eddie Jones 21 Rebs: Grant, Jones 6 each Asts: Tim Hardaway 4 |
| Charlotte leads series, 2–0 |||
* American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 16,500 Referees: Ron Garretson, Jack Nies, Greg Willard
* TNT
* April 27 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Miami Heat 79, Charlotte Hornets 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–27, 14–31, 24–15, 24–21 |||
| Pts: Eddie Jones 22 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 9 Asts: Anthony Carter 5 | Pts: Davis, Mashburn 21 each Rebs: P. J. Brown 12 Asts: Jamal Mashburn 8 |
| Charlotte wins series, 3–0 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 22,283 Referees: Jim Clark, Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney
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.

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

* NBC
* April 22 12:30 PM
* Boxscore
Toronto Raptors 85, New York Knicks 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–22, 26–19, 21–25, 20–26 |||
| Pts: Davis, Williams 19 each Rebs: Antonio Davis 15 Asts: Alvin Williams 8 | Pts: Allan Houston 23 Rebs: Marcus Camby 18 Asts: Mark Jackson 6 |
| New York leads series, 1–0 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Tony Brothers, Joe DeRosa, Hugh Evans
* TNT
* April 26 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Toronto Raptors 94, New York Knicks 74 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–16, 19–19, 27–17, 28–22 |||
| Pts: Alvin Williams 23 Rebs: Antonio Davis 12 Asts: Chris Childs 7 | Pts: Kurt Thomas 23 Rebs: Kurt Thomas 12 Asts: Mark Jackson 5 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Dan Crawford, Terry Durham, Ron Olesiak
* NBC
* April 29 12:30 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 97, Toronto Raptors 89 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–16, 25–25, 23–26, 29–22 |||
| Pts: Allan Houston 24 Rebs: Kurt Thomas 9 Asts: Latrell Sprewell 5 | Pts: Antonio Davis 21 Rebs: Antonio Davis 12 Asts: Chris Childs 9 |
| New York leads series, 2–1 |||
* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario Attendance: 20,217 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Jim Clark, Bernie Fryer
* TNT
* May 2 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 93, Toronto Raptors 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 19–18, 23–26, 29–30 |||
| Pts: Allan Houston 27 Rebs: Kurt Thomas 10 Asts: Kurt Thomas 5 | Pts: Vince Carter 32 Rebs: Antonio Davis 9 Asts: Carter, Childs 4 each |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario Attendance: 20,282 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Don Vaden
* TNT
* May 4 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Toronto Raptors 93, New York Knicks 89 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 24–19, 21–16, 23–30 |||
| Pts: Vince Carter 27 Rebs: Antonio Davis 12 Asts: Chris Childs 9 | Pts: Latrell Sprewell 29 Rebs: Kurt Thomas 12 Asts: Mark Jackson 7 |
| Toronto wins series, 3–2 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush, Bennett Salvatore
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.
New York leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
2000
New York Knicks 3, Toronto Raptors 0
2000 Eastern Conference First Round :

### Western Conference first round
#### (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves

* NBC
* April 21 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Minnesota Timberwolves 82, San Antonio Spurs 87 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 13–26, 28–12, 17–24 |||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 25 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 13 Asts: Terrell Brandon 8 | Pts: Tim Duncan 33 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Duncan, Ferry 4 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 33,983 Referees: Ron Garretson, Jack Nies, Mark Wunderlich
* TNT
* April 23 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Minnesota Timberwolves 69, San Antonio Spurs 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–20, 20–30, 15–24, 18–12 |||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 18 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12 Asts: six players 2 each | Pts: Tim Duncan 18 Rebs: Duncan, Robinson 11 each Asts: Duncan, Porter 4 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–0 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 31,759 Referees: Joe Crawford, Luis Grillo, Hue Hollins
* NBC
* April 28 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 84, Minnesota Timberwolves 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 23–23, 24–21, 18–25 |||
| Pts: David Robinson 22 Rebs: David Robinson 17 Asts: Derek Anderson 4 | Pts: Kevin Garnett 22 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 8 Asts: Terrell Brandon 9 |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 |||
* Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 17,676 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Tim Donaghy
* TNT
* April 30 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 97, Minnesota Timberwolves 84 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 25–24, 27–20, 26–21 |||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 24 Rebs: Tim Duncan 16 Asts: Derek Anderson 6 | Pts: Wally Szczerbiak 20 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 15 Asts: Terrell Brandon 6 |
| San Antonio wins series, 3–1 |||
* Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 16,336 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bill Spooner
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.
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

* NBC
* April 22 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 93, Los Angeles Lakers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 29–21, 24–23, 21–32 |||
| Pts: Rasheed Wallace 24 Rebs: Arvydas Sabonis 9 Asts: three players 4 each | Pts: Kobe Bryant 28 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 20 Asts: Kobe Bryant 7 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Bill Spooner, Don Vaden
* TNT
* April 26 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 88, Los Angeles Lakers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–25, 17–30, 19–25, 23–26 |||
| Pts: Scottie Pippen 21 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 8 Asts: Damon Stoudamire 5 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 32 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12 Asts: Kobe Bryant 7 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Steve Javie, Ronnie Nunn, Derrick Stafford
* NBC
* April 29 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Portland Trail Blazers 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 31–21, 25–25, 20–14 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 25 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 15 Asts: Kobe Bryant 9 | Pts: Smith, Stoudamire 25 each Rebs: Rasheed Wallace 13 Asts: Stoudamire, Wallace 4 each |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 |||
* Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 20,580 Referees: Ron Garretson, Jack Nies, Greg Willard
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.
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

* NBC
* April 22 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 86, Sacramento Kings 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 10–19, 28–22, 20–17 |||
| Pts: Shawn Marion 21 Rebs: Jake Tsakalidis 11 Asts: Jason Kidd 14 | Pts: Chris Webber 27 Rebs: Chris Webber 15 Asts: Christie, Williams 5 each |
| Phoenix leads series, 1–0 |||
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Mike Mathis, Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore
* TNT
* April 25 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 90, Sacramento Kings 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 21–32, 20–32, 27–21 |||
| Pts: Tony Delk 14 Rebs: Tom Gugliotta 8 Asts: Jason Kidd 9 | Pts: Peja Stojaković 22 Rebs: Jackson, Webber 9 each Asts: Chris Webber 5 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Bernie Fryer, Don Vaden
* NBC
* April 29 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Sacramento Kings 104, Phoenix Suns 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–36, 34–19, 22–18, 29–23 |||
| Pts: Chris Webber 23 Rebs: Vlade Divac 12 Asts: Doug Christie 4 | Pts: Jason Kidd 19 Rebs: Shawn Marion 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 16 |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 |||
* America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 19,023 Referees: Steve Javie, Ronnie Nunn, Derrick Stafford
* TNT
* May 2 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Sacramento Kings 89, Phoenix Suns 82 :
| Scoring by quarter: 14–29, 22–18, 23–16, 30–19 |||
| Pts: Peja Stojaković 37 Rebs: Scot Pollard 13 Asts: Bobby Jackson 5 | Pts: Clifford Robinson 24 Rebs: Jake Tsakalidis 12 Asts: Jason Kidd 14 |
| Sacramento wins series, 3–1 |||
* America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,836 Referees: Scott Foster, Hue Hollins, Jack Nies
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.
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

* NBC
* April 21 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 86, Utah Jazz 88 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 22–18, 23–21, 24–27 |||
| Pts: Michael Finley 26 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 12 Asts: Steve Nash 7 | Pts: Karl Malone 26 Rebs: Bryon Russell 12 Asts: John Stockton 18 |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,100 Referees: Joe Crawford, Luis Grillo, Hue Hollins
* TBS
* April 24 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 98, Utah Jazz 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 22–25, 27–31, 30–25 |||
| Pts: Michael Finley 32 Rebs: Bradley, Finley 8 each Asts: Steve Nash 6 | Pts: Karl Malone 34 Rebs: Bryon Russell 8 Asts: John Stockton 9 |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Mike Mathis, Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore
* NBC
* April 28 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 91, Dallas Mavericks 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 21–20, 22–21, 26–22 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: John Stockton 10 | Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 33 Rebs: Juwan Howard 11 Asts: Steve Nash 7 |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 18,187 Referees: Dan Crawford, Scott Foster, Eddie F. Rush
* TBS
* May 1 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 77, Dallas Mavericks 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–17, 18–28, 21–36, 14–26 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 25 Rebs: Donyell Marshall 9 Asts: John Stockton 9 | Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 33 Rebs: Michael Finley 12 Asts: Steve Nash 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 18,300 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Steve Javie, Mark Wunderlich
* TNT
* May 3 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 84, Utah Jazz 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–20, 17–28, 24–23, 27–12 |||
| Pts: Michael Finley 33 Rebs: Juwan Howard 8 Asts: Steve Nash 7 | Pts: Karl Malone 24 Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 11 |
| Dallas wins series, 3–2 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Bob Delaney, Hugh Evans, Joe Forte
* 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.
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.
Dallas leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1986
Dallas Mavericks 3, Utah Jazz 1
1986 Western Conference First Round :

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors

* NBC
* May 6 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Toronto Raptors 96, Philadelphia 76ers 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–17, 26–20, 26–24, 23–32 |||
| Pts: Vince Carter 35 Rebs: Antonio Davis 12 Asts: Vince Carter 7 | Pts: Allen Iverson 36 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 12 Asts: Eric Snow 7 |
| Toronto leads series, 1–0 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,892 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Luis Grillo, Jack Nies
* TNT
* May 9 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Toronto Raptors 92, Philadelphia 76ers 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–21, 16–28, 24–24, 21–24 |||
| Pts: Vince Carter 28 Rebs: Antonio Davis 10 Asts: Chris Childs 9 | Pts: Allen Iverson 54 Rebs: Tyrone Hill 10 Asts: Eric Snow 5 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,870 Referees: Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Don Vaden
* TNT
* May 11 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 78, Toronto Raptors 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 18–35, 20–17, 17–27 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 23 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 9 Asts: Allen Iverson 8 | Pts: Vince Carter 50 Rebs: Antonio Davis 14 Asts: Chris Childs 10 |
| Toronto leads series, 2–1 |||
* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario Attendance: 20,436 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, Hue Hollins
* NBC
* May 13 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 84, Toronto Raptors 79 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 23–18, 21–25, 14–18 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 30 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 17 Asts: Iverson, McKie 5 each | Pts: Vince Carter 25 Rebs: Davis, Oakley 11 each Asts: Chris Childs 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario Attendance: 20,351 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Greg Willard
* TNT
* May 16 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Toronto Raptors 88, Philadelphia 76ers 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 12–33, 28–29, 27–31, 21–28 |||
| Pts: Vince Carter 16 Rebs: three players 5 each Asts: Chris Childs 8 | Pts: Allen Iverson 52 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 9 Asts: Aaron McKie 9 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–2 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,939 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore
* TNT
* May 18 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 89, Toronto Raptors 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–27, 22–27, 29–16, 21–31 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 20 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 14 Asts: Aaron McKie 6 | Pts: Vince Carter 39 Rebs: Antonio Davis 13 Asts: Morris Peterson 7 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario Attendance: 20,499 Referees: Hugh Evans, Bernie Fryer, Ronnie Nunn
* NBC
* May 20 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Toronto Raptors 87, Philadelphia 76ers 88 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–31, 21–19, 24–19, 21–19 |||
| Pts: Antonio Davis 23 Rebs: Charles Oakley 10 Asts: Vince Carter 9 | Pts: Aaron McKie 22 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 17 Asts: Allen Iverson 16 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–3 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,848 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Dan Crawford, Eddie F. Rush
* 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.
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.

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

* NBC
* May 6 12:40 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 92, Milwaukee Bucks 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 16–28, 33–23, 19–26 |||
| Pts: Jamal Mashburn 23 Rebs: Elden Campbell 13 Asts: Baron Davis 7 | Pts: Ray Allen 26 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 12 Asts: Glenn Robinson 11 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ronnie Nunn, Mark Wunderlich
* TBS
* May 8 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 90, Milwaukee Bucks 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–27, 17–20, 26–21, 28–23 |||
| Pts: David Wesley 20 Rebs: P. J. Brown 11 Asts: David Wesley 7 | Pts: Ray Allen 28 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 12 Asts: Ray Allen 9 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–0 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Mike Mathis
* TNT
* May 10 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 92, Charlotte Hornets 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 25–26, 18–25, 23–26 |||
| Pts: Glenn Robinson 23 Rebs: Scott Williams 10 Asts: Sam Cassell 9 | Pts: Jamal Mashburn 36 Rebs: P. J. Brown 16 Asts: three players 6 each |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–1 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 17,392 Referees: Mike Callahan, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush
* NBC
* May 13 12:30 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 78, Charlotte Hornets 85 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 27–22, 21–20, 12–15 |||
| Pts: Ray Allen 19 Rebs: Glenn Robinson 12 Asts: Ray Allen 10 | Pts: Jamal Mashburn 31 Rebs: P. J. Brown 13 Asts: Baron Davis 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 18,756 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Hue Hollins
* TBS
* May 15 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 94, Milwaukee Bucks 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 26–23, 28–20, 14–17 |||
| Pts: Jamal Mashburn 24 Rebs: Elden Campbell 10 Asts: Jamal Mashburn 8 | Pts: Glenn Robinson 22 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 17 Asts: Ray Allen 7 |
| Charlotte leads series, 3–2 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ron Garretson, Greg Willard
* TNT
* May 17 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 104, Charlotte Hornets 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 22–25, 28–18, 33–26 |||
| Pts: Sam Cassell 33 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 13 Asts: Sam Cassell 11 | Pts: David Wesley 27 Rebs: Jamal Mashburn 9 Asts: Jamal Mashburn 7 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 23,509 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Jack Nies, Derrick Stafford
* NBC
* May 20 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 95, Milwaukee Bucks 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 21–21, 17–29, 31–31 |||
| Pts: Baron Davis 29 Rebs: Elden Campbell 10 Asts: Jamal Mashburn 9 | Pts: Glenn Robinson 29 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 11 Asts: Sam Cassell 13 |
| Milwaukee wins series, 4–3 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore, Don Vaden
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.

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks

* NBC
* May 5 6:30 PM
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 78, San Antonio Spurs 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 11–16, 23–31, 19–29, 25–18 |||
| Pts: Michael Finley 17 Rebs: Shawn Bradley 12 Asts: Steve Nash 6 | Pts: Tim Duncan 31 Rebs: Tim Duncan 13 Asts: Avery Johnson 8 |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 32,798 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Terry Durham, Derrick Stafford
* TNT
* May 7 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 86, San Antonio Spurs 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–23, 24–23, 20–29, 24–25 |||
| Pts: Michael Finley 24 Rebs: Juwan Howard 11 Asts: Michael Finley 7 | Pts: Tim Duncan 25 Rebs: Tim Duncan 22 Asts: Terry Porter 9 |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–0 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 27,690 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie, Don Vaden
* TNT
* May 9 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 104, Dallas Mavericks 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 22–21, 30–11, 26–36 |||
| Pts: David Robinson 19 Rebs: Duncan, Robinson 14 each Asts: Avery Johnson 6 | Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 15 Rebs: Greg Buckner 12 Asts: Michael Finley 5 |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–0 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 18,237 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Joe Forte, Bennett Salvatore
* NBC
* May 12 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 108, Dallas Mavericks 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 33–27, 30–27, 21–26 |||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 29 Rebs: Tim Duncan 18 Asts: Terry Porter 8 | Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 30 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 9 Asts: Steve Nash 14 |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 18,187 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ronnie Nunn, Eddie F. Rush
* TNT
* May 14 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 87, San Antonio Spurs 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–32, 20–25, 23–22, 23–26 |||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 42 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 18 Asts: Eisley, Finley 4 each | Pts: Tim Duncan 32 Rebs: Tim Duncan 20 Asts: Antonio Daniels 9 |
| San Antonio wins series, 4–1 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 25,853 Referees: Mike Callahan, Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer
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.

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

* NBC
* May 6 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Sacramento Kings 105, Los Angeles Lakers 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 24–25, 24–31, 27–24 |||
| Pts: Chris Webber 34 Rebs: Scot Pollard 14 Asts: Jason Williams 4 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 44 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 21 Asts: Kobe Bryant 5 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson, Bill Spooner
* TBS
* May 8 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Sacramento Kings 90, Los Angeles Lakers 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 15–25, 28–18, 13–31, 34–22 |||
| Pts: Chris Webber 22 Rebs: Chris Webber 18 Asts: Bobby Jackson 4 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 43 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 20 Asts: Rick Fox 7 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Greg Willard
* TNT
* May 11 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Sacramento Kings 81 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 17–18, 19–17, 38–27 |||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 18 Asts: Brian Shaw 6 | Pts: Chris Webber 28 Rebs: Chris Webber 14 Asts: Doug Christie 5 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 |||
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore
* NBC
* May 13 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 119, Sacramento Kings 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 26–37, 27–25, 39–29 |||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 48 Rebs: Kobe Bryant 16 Asts: Brian Shaw 5 | Pts: Peja Stojaković 26 Rebs: Chris Webber 11 Asts: Chris Webber 8 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–0 |||
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Terry Durham, Jack Nies
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.
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
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Milwaukee Bucks

* TNT
* May 22 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 85, Philadelphia 76ers 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 16–32, 28–19, 22–23 |||
| Pts: Ray Allen 31 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 15 Asts: Allen, Cassell 7 each | Pts: Allen Iverson 34 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 18 Asts: Iverson, Snow 6 each |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,877 Referees: Joe Crawford, Terry Durham, Joe Forte
* TNT
* May 24 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 92, Philadelphia 76ers 78 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–16, 17–21, 20–20, 23–21 |||
| Pts: Ray Allen 38 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 7 Asts: Sam Cassell 11 | Pts: Aaron McKie 21 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 20 Asts: Allen Iverson 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,998 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie
* NBC
* May 26 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 74, Milwaukee Bucks 80 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 22–19, 21–26, 14–11 |||
| Pts: Aaron McKie 22 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 10 Asts: Aaron McKie 5 | Pts: Sam Cassell 24 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 13 Asts: Ray Allen 5 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–1 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Bob Delaney, Hugh Evans, Don Vaden
* NBC
* May 28 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 89, Milwaukee Bucks 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 16–20, 29–20, 20–21 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 28 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 15 Asts: Aaron McKie 9 | Pts: Glenn Robinson 20 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 17 Asts: Ray Allen 6 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ted Bernhardt, Dan Crawford
* NBC
* May 30 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 88, Philadelphia 76ers 89 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 22–21, 19–28, 18–19 |||
| Pts: Glenn Robinson 22 Rebs: Sam Cassell 12 Asts: Allen, Cassell 4 each | Pts: Dikembe Mutombo 21 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 13 Asts: Allen Iverson 8 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–2 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 21,087 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Ronnie Nunn, Bennett Salvatore
* NBC
* June 1 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Milwaukee Bucks 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 15–25, 16–35, 23–20, 46–30 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 46 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 14 Asts: Aaron McKie 9 | Pts: Ray Allen 41 Rebs: Ervin Johnson 12 Asts: Sam Cassell 11 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jack Nies, Eddie F. Rush
* NBC
* June 3 7:30 PM
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 91, Philadelphia 76ers 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 24–31, 21–26, 20–26 |||
| Pts: Ray Allen 26 Rebs: Tim Thomas 12 Asts: Ray Allen 6 | Pts: Allen Iverson 44 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 19 Asts: Aaron McKie 13 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–3 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 21,046 Referees: Dan Crawford, Hugh Evans, Steve Javie
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.
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 :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers

* NBC
* May 19 6:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 104, San Antonio Spurs 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–17, 27–25, 29–24, 24–24 |||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 45 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Horace Grant 6 | Pts: Tim Duncan 28 Rebs: Tim Duncan 14 Asts: Tim Duncan 6 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 36,068 Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe Forte, Ron Garretson
* TNT
* May 21 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 88, San Antonio Spurs 81 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 17–24, 28–21, 22–14 |||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 28 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 14 Asts: Kobe Bryant 6 | Pts: Tim Duncan 40 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Antonio Daniels 5 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 35,574 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Bob Delaney, Hugh Evans
* NBC
* May 25 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 72, Los Angeles Lakers 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 23–20, 20–32, 8–25 |||
| Pts: David Robinson 24 Rebs: Tim Duncan 13 Asts: Tim Duncan 7 | Pts: Kobe Bryant 36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 17 Asts: Kobe Bryant 8 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dan Crawford, Jack Nies, Ronnie Nunn
* NBC
* May 27 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 82, Los Angeles Lakers 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–33, 18–31, 25–22, 16–25 |||
| Pts: Daniels, Duncan 15 each Rebs: David Robinson 11 Asts: Terry Porter 4 | Pts: Derek Fisher 28 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10 Asts: Kobe Bryant 11 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–0 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Eddie F. Rush, Bennett Salvatore
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.
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 :

## NBA Finals: (W2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E1) Philadelphia 76ers

* NBC
* June 6 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 107, Los Angeles Lakers 101 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 34–27, 23–27, 15–17, Overtime: 13–7 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 48 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 16 Asts: Aaron McKie 9 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 44 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 20 Asts: three players 5 each |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson
* NBC
* June 8 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 89, Los Angeles Lakers 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 23–24, 20–28, 22–21 |||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 23 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 13 Asts: Aaron McKie 6 | Pts: Kobe Bryant 31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 20 Asts: Shaquille O'Neal 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Steve Javie, Ronnie Nunn
* NBC
* June 10 7:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 96, Philadelphia 76ers 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 30–20, 18–21, 23–25 |||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 32 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12 Asts: four players 3 each | Pts: Allen Iverson 35 Rebs: Iverson, Mutombo 12 each Asts: Aaron McKie 8 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,900 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore
* NBC
* June 13 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 100, Philadelphia 76ers 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–14, 29–23, 26–22, 23–27 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 34 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 14 Asts: Kobe Bryant 9 | Pts: Allen Iverson 35 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 9 Asts: Iverson, Snow 4 each |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,896 Referees: Hugh Evans, Jack Nies, Eddie F. Rush
* NBC
* June 15 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 108, Philadelphia 76ers 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 28–21, 31–20, 25–28 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 29 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 13 Asts: Bryant, Fox 6 each | Pts: Allen Iverson 37 Rebs: Tyrone Hill 13 Asts: Eric Snow 12 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 |||
* First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,890 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer
* In Game 1, Allen Iverson scored 48 points in his first-ever Finals game as the 76ers ended Lakers' 11-game playoff winning streak (19 overall) and ended the Lakers' perfect playoff run that season.
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.
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 :

## Statistical leaders

| Category | Game High | Game High | Game High | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Category | Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP |
| Points | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | 54 | Tracy McGrady | Orlando Magic | 33.8 | 4 |
| Rebounds | Tim Duncan Dikembe Mutombo | San Antonio Spurs Philadelphia 76ers | 22 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | 15.4 | 16 |
| Assists | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 18 | Jason Kidd | Phoenix Suns | 13.3 | 4 |
| Steals | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | 7 | Baron Davis | Charlotte Hornets | 2.8 | 10 |
| Blocks | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | 8 | Dikembe Mutombo | Philadelphia 76ers | 3.1 | 23 |