Bryant sprained his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 of the 2000 Finals against the Indiana Pacers after falling on Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. Bryant hit the game-winning jumper, putting the Lakers ahead 120-118. The Lakers won their first title since 1988 with a 116-111 victory in Game 6. After the season, Bryant was awarded the MVP award. Bryant also received criticism for leaving the game in the second half of the Finals while being down 3-1. He returned for Game 4 but didn't play well and the Lakers lost that game. Los Angeles went on to lose the next three games so without him they could never really get back into the series. In the end, it wasn't enough to save his season or career as some have suggested it might have been had he stayed in the game through four losses. Bryant's injury occurred when Rose stepped on his ankle as he fell toward the floor. The injury forced Bryant to miss the remainder of the season as well as the following year. Without Bryant, the Lakers failed to win a single game in the 2001 Finals vs. New Jersey Nets. The Lakers would go on to lose the series 4-0. Bryant returned for the start of the 2002-03 season but missed the first 14 games of the season due to another ankle injury.