The 2000–01 NBA season was the Mavericks' 21st season in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Mavericks acquired Christian Laettner and Loy Vaught from the Detroit Pistons, acquired Howard Eisley from the Utah Jazz, and acquired top draft pick Courtney Alexander from the Orlando Magic. In their final season at the Reunion Arena, the Mavericks won ten of their first fifteen games, and played above .500 for the entire season, holding a 31–19 record before the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Laettner, Vaught and Alexander along with Hubert Davis, and top draft pick Etan Thomas (who missed the entire season with a toe injury and never played for the Mavericks) to the Washington Wizards for Juwan Howard and second-year center Calvin Booth, as the team signed free agent Vernon Maxwell, who was previously released by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Mavericks finished third in the Midwest Division with a 53–29 record, and made their first playoff appearance since the 1989–90 season, ending a ten-year playoff drought. Dirk Nowitzki averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Michael Finley finished second on the team in scoring averaging 21.5 points per game, and was selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, which was his second and final All-Star selection. Steve Nash showed improvement averaging 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game.