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 four games to two. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP.

The San Antonio Spurs were the champions going into the playoffs, but following a season-ending injury to third-year star Tim Duncan, were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round, marking the first time since 1987 that a new champion would follow a team enjoying a single season championship tenure. 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 both O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, and the first Lakers championship since the 1988 NBA Finals. A. C. Green, the only player left from the Lakers' Showtime era, was in the Lakers starting lineup for this series 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 Dale Davis, Derrick McKey and Mark Jackson moving to other teams and Rik Smits retiring. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals was the last game Patrick Ewing ever played as a Knick, 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 five-year-old expansion Toronto Raptors. For the third straight year, New York eliminated Miami; it was their fourth consecutive postseason meeting.

This was also the first NBA postseason to not have any back-to-backs at all. (After 1988, they were still used in the conference semifinals.)

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

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

Western Conference

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
Los Angeles clippers
#Los Angeles Lakers (67–15, clinched Pacific division title and home court advantage throughout the playoffs)
#Utah Jazz (55–27, clinched Midwest division)
#Portland Trail Blazers (59–23)
#San Antonio Spurs (53–29)
#Phoenix Suns (53–29)
#Minnesota Timberwolves (50–32)
#Seattle SuperSonics (45–37)
#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

Eastern Conference First Round

(1)

Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks

*In Game 5, Travis Best hits the eventual series-winning 3 with 16.5 left. Also Reggie Miller scores 18 points in the 4th quarter of game 5.

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

(2)

Miami Heat vs. (7) Detroit Pistons

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Heat.

(3)

New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors

*In Game 2, Latrell Sprewell hits the game-winner with 7.9 left.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Knicks and the Raptors.

(4)

Charlotte Hornets vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers

This was the first playoff meeting between the 76ers and the Charlotte Hornets.

Western Conference First Round

(1)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Sacramento Kings

*Shaquille O'Neal scores playoff career-high 46 points in Game One.
*Kobe Bryant scores playoff career-high 32 points in Game Two.
*Bryant scores a new career-high 35 points in Game Three.

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

(2)

Utah Jazz vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics

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

(3)

Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

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

(4)

San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Phoenix Suns

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

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference Semifinals

(1)

Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers

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

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

Western Conference Semifinals

(1)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Phoenix Suns

*Kobe Bryant hits the game-winner with 2.6 seconds left in Game 2.

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

*In Game 5, Scottie Pippen hits the series-winning 3 with 7.3 seconds left. Game 5 is Jeff Hornacek's final NBA game.

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

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference Finals

(1)

Indiana Pacers vs. (3) New York Knicks

*In Game 6, Reggie Miller scores 17 points in the 4th quarter to help the Pacers reach the NBA Finals. It was also Patrick Ewing's last Knicks game before being dealt to the defunct Seattle Supersonics during the off-season.

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

Western Conference Finals

(1)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

*In Game 3, Arvydas Sabonis' potential game-tying shot was blocked by Kobe Bryant.
*In Game 7, the Lakers overcame a 16-point deficit (71-55) and sealed the victory with Kobe Bryant delivering an alley-oop to Shaquille O'Neal.

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

NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E1) Indiana Pacers

*In Game 4, Kobe Bryant came back from his injury from Game 2 and after his teammate, Shaquille O'Neal fouled out of the game in OT, he took over the game. He followed in a missed shot by Brian Shaw with 5.9 seconds left to give the Lakers a 3-point lead, and after a potential game-winning three by Reggie Miller bounced off the rim, the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead.
*Game 6 is Rik Smits final NBA game.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Lakers.

References

External links

CNNSI.com's 2000 Playoffs coverage

{{DEFAULTSORT:2000 NBA Playoffs
National Basketball Association playoffs
Playoffs
Sports in Portland, Oregon

fi:NBA-kausi 1999–2000#Pudotuspelit