2000 NBA Playoffs

The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999-2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP.

The San Antonio Spurs were the champions going into the playoffs, but were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round, marking the first time since 1987 that a title-winning team did not repeat. They were also the first defending champion to be eliminated in the first round since the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984.

The Lakers' win was the first title for Shaq and Kobe Bryant, both considered future first-ballot Hall of Famers, and first in the post-Magic Johnson-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-James Worthy era. A. C. Green, the only player left from the Lakers' Showtime era, was in the starting lineup for this team as well.

For the Pacers, it was their first Eastern Conference title after four previous appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals; however, after this season, the team was radically altered with key players Rik Smits, Antonio Davis, Derrick McKey and Mark Jackson moving to other teams (or in Smits' case, retiring). Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals was the last game Patrick Ewing ever played as a Knick. The 2000 playoffs was the last involving the Ewing-led Knicks, and New York would not win another playoff series until 2013.

The Trail Blazers defeated the Timberwolves and the Jazz in the first two rounds before falling to the Lakers in the conference final. The Trail Blazers would not win another playoff series until 2014.

This season's playoffs also marked the debut of the 5-year-old expansion Toronto Raptors. For the 3rd straight year, New York eliminated Miami; it was their fourth consecutive postseason meeting.

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

  1. Indiana Pacers (56–26, clinched Central division and home court advantage for the Eastern Conference playoffs)
  2. Miami Heat (52–30, clinched Atlantic division)
  3. New York Knicks (50–32)
  4. Charlotte Hornets (49–33)
  5. Philadelphia 76ers (49–33)
  6. Toronto Raptors (45–37)
  7. Detroit Pistons (42–40)
  8. Milwaukee Bucks (42–40)

Western Conference

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:

  1. Los Angeles Lakers (67–15, clinched Pacific division title and home court advantage throughout the playoffs)
  2. Utah Jazz (55–27, clinched Midwest division)
  3. Portland Trail Blazers (59–23)
  4. San Antonio Spurs (53–29)
  5. Phoenix Suns (53–29)
  6. Minnesota Timberwolves (50–32)
  7. Seattle SuperSonics (45–37)
  8. Sacramento Kings (44–38)

Bracket

This was the outlook for the playoffs. Teams in italics have home court advantage. Teams in bold advance to the next round. Numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's original playoffs seeding in their respective conferences. Numbers to the right of each team indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions possess an asterisk (*)

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
1 L.A. Lakers 3
8 Sacramento 2
1 L.A. Lakers 4
5 Phoenix 1
4 San Antonio 1
5 Phoenix 3
1 L.A. Lakers 4
Western Conference
3 Portland 3
3 Portland 3
6 Minnesota 1
3 Portland 4
2 Utah 1
2 Utah 3
7 Seattle 2
W1 L.A. Lakers 4
E1 Indiana 2
1 Indiana 3
8 Milwaukee 2
1 Indiana 4
5 Philadelphia 2
4 Charlotte 1
5 Philadelphia 3
1 Indiana 4
Eastern Conference
3 New York 2
3 New York 3
6 Toronto 0
3 New York 4
2 Miami 3
2 Miami 3
7 Detroit 0

Western Conference

First Round

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Sacramento Kings

May 5
Sacramento Kings 86, Los Angeles Lakers 113
Los Angeles wins series, 3-2

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

(3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

This was the first playoff meeting between the Timberwolves and the Trail Blazers.[2]

(2) Utah Jazz vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics

May 5
Seattle SuperSonics 93, Utah Jazz 96
Utah wins series, 3-2

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

(4) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Phoenix Suns

May 2
San Antonio Spurs 85, Phoenix Suns 89
Phoenix wins series, 3-1

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece.

Conference Semifinals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Phoenix Suns

May 16
Phoenix Suns 65, Los Angeles Lakers 87
Los Angeles wins series, 4-1

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

(2) Utah Jazz vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

May 16
Utah Jazz 79, Portland Trail Blazers 81
Portland wins series, 4-1

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning three of the first five meetings.

Conference Finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

June 4
Portland Trail Blazers 84, Los Angeles Lakers 89
Los Angeles wins series, 4-3

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

Eastern Conference

First Round

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks

May 4
Milwaukee Bucks 95, Indiana Pacers 96
Indiana wins series, 3-2

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

(4) Charlotte Hornets vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers

May 1
Charlotte Hornets 99, Philadelphia 76ers 105
Philadelphia wins series, 3-1

This was the first playoff meeting between the 76ers and the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats franchise.[9]

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors

April 30
New York Knicks 87, Toronto Raptors 80
New York wins series, 3-0

This was the first playoff meeting between the Knicks and the Raptors.[10]

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Detroit Pistons

April 29
Miami Heat 91, Detroit Pistons 72
Miami wins series, 3-0

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Heat.[11]

Conference Semifinals

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers

May 19
Indiana Pacers 106, Philadelphia 76ers 90
Indiana wins series, 4-2

Jalen Rose and Reggie Miller both scored 40 points to lead the Pacers to the series-opening victory.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) New York Knicks

May 21
New York Knicks 83, Miami Heat 82
New York wins series, 4-3

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

Conference Finals

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (3) New York Knicks

June 2
Indiana Pacers 93, New York Knicks 80
Indiana wins series, 4-2

In game 6 Reggie Miller scores 17 points in the 4th quarter to help the pacers reach the nba finals.

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

NBA Finals

Main article: 2000 NBA Finals

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Lakers.[15]

References

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

External links

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