The

1999–2000 NBA season The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association. The season began on November 2, 1999, and ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA championship, beating the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 in the 2000 ...

was the 24th season for the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

, and their 33rd season as a franchise. It was also the team's first season playing at their new arena, the Conseco Fieldhouse. During the off-season, the Pacers acquired small forward, top draft pick and high school basketball star Jonathan Bender from the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

, and acquired center, and first-round draft pick Jeff Foster out of

Texas State University Texas State University (TXST) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in San Marcos, Texas, United States, and another campus in Round Rock, Texas, Round Rock. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has ...

from the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

. The Pacers played around .500 basketball with a 7–7 start to the regular season, but then won 15 of their next 17 games, and held a 32–16 record at the All-Star break. The team finished in first place in the Central Division with a 56–26 record, highlighted by a franchise-best 25-game winning streak at home, which was worthy of the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the

NBA playoffs The NBA playoffs is the annual Playoffs, postseason Tournament#Knockout tournaments, tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held afte ...

, and guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Jalen Rose Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Michigan Wolverines, Wolverines' "Fab Five (University of Michigan), Fa ...

, who played the previous three seasons off the Pacers' bench, became the team's starting small forward replacing

Chris Mullin Christopher Paul Mullin (born July 30, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a five time NBA All-Star and four time All-NBA Team member. He is also two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time ...

in the starting lineup, averaging 18.2 points and 4.0 assists per game, and was named the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year. In addition,

Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...

finished second on the team in scoring averaging 18.1 points per game, and leading them with 165 three-point field goals, while Rik Smits provided with 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and Dale Davis contributed 10.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Austin Croshere played an increased role as the team's sixth man, averaging 10.3 points per game off the bench, while Travis Best contributed 8.9 points and 3.3 assists per game also off the bench, Mark Jackson provided with 8.1 points and 8.0 assists per game, and Sam Perkins averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Miller and Davis were both selected for the 2000 NBA All-Star Game in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. Rose and Miller both finished tied in thirteenth place in

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

voting, and Croshere finished in fourth place in Most Improved Player voting. In the 2000 NBA playoffs, the Pacers defeated the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

in five games in the Eastern Conference First Round, and the 5th-seeded

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

in six games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, before preceding to defeat their arch-rivals, the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

in the Eastern Conference Finals, who they were playing against in the playoffs for the sixth time in the last eight years; the Pacers defeated the Knicks in six games to reach the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

for the first time in franchise history. However, the Pacers would lose in the

2000 NBA Finals The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conferen ...

to the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

in six games. The Pacers would not return to the NBA Finals again until 25 years later, doing so in

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

against the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

. Following the season,

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...

resigned as head coach after three seasons, while Davis was traded to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

, Mullin was released and later re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the

, Jackson signed with the

, and Smits retired after playing twelve seasons in the NBA with the Pacers.

Offseason

NBA draft

Roster

Regular season

The Pacers began a new era by moving into Conseco Fieldhouse after 25 years at

Market Square Arena Market Square Arena (MSA) was an indoor arena in Indianapolis. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530 for basketball and 15,993 for ice hockey. Seating capacity for concerts and other events was adjusted by the use of larg ...

. They would start the season with a 7-7 record but finished with a 56-26 record, good enough to win their 2nd straight division title. The Pacers even won 25 straight games at their new arena.Indiana Pacers (1967-Present)
/ref>

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Regular season

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , November 2, 1999 , @

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

W 119–112
,

Miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents ...

(27) , Davis (13) , Jackson (5) ,

Continental Airlines Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...

, 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , November 4, 1999 , @ Charlotte
L 89–98
,

(20) , Davis,

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

(7) , Jackson (7) ,

Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum was a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was operated by the Charlotte Coliseum Authority, which also oversees the operation of Bojangles Coliseum, which was called Charlotte ...

, 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , November 6, 1999 ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

W 115–108
,

(29) , Davis (11) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , November 9, 1999
7:30p.m. EST , @

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

L 101–113
,

(17) , Davis (10) , Jackson (4) ,

Miami Arena Miami Arena was an indoor arena located in Miami, Florida. The venue served as the home of the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). From 1988 until 1999, it also ...

, 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , November 11, 1999 ,

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

W 116–101
,

(21) ,

(8) ,

(7) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , November 13, 1999 , Washington
W 105–83
,

(16) , Davis (8) ,

Best Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...

,
Jackson (6) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 4–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 7 , November 15, 1999 , @

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

W 96–87
, Harrington (18) , Davis (11) , Jackson (7) , Compaq Center , 5–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 8 , November 16, 1999 , @

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

L 87–90 (OT)
,

(28) , Davis (10) , Jackson,

,
Perkins (4) ,

Alamodome The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 milli ...

, 5–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 9 , November 19, 1999 ,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

L 99–105
,

,
Smits (21) , Harrington (8) , Jackson (12) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 5–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 10 , November 20, 1999 , @

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

W 107–98
,

(22) , Croshere (8) , Jackson,

(9) , Gund Arena , 6–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 11 , November 22, 1999 , @

L 85–95
, Davis (19) , Davis (12) , Jackson (8) , FleetCenter , 6–5 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 12 , November 25, 1999 ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

L 99–107
, Smits (23) , Davis (8) , Jackson (10) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 6–6 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 13 , November 26, 1999 ,

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

W 105–86
, Smits (17) , Croshere,
Smits (5) ,

(6) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 7–6 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 14 , November 28, 1999
8:00p.m. EST , @

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

L 91–102
, Davis (19) , Davis (12) ,

(5) , Key Arena
14,644 , 7–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 15 , November 29, 1999
10:00p.m. EST , @ Portland
W 93–91
,

(22) , Davis (12) , Jackson (9) ,

Rose Garden A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Designs vary tremendously and roses may be displayed alongside other plants or grouped ...

20,049 , 8–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 16 , December 1, 1999 , @

W 96–89
,

(26) , Croshere (9) , Jackson (10) ,

General Motors Place Rogers Arena, (formerly General Motors Place), is a multi-purpose arena at 800 Griffiths Way in the downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General Motors Place (GM Place) from its opening u ...

, 9–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 17 , December 3, 1999
8:00p.m. EST , @

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

W 100–75
,

(31) , Davis (13) , Jackson (9) , Delta Center
19,084 , 10–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 18 , December 7, 1999 ,

W 83–77
,

(23) , Davis (16) , Jackson (9) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 11–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 19 , December 10, 1999 ,

W 136–88
, Smits (25) , Davis (20) ,

(8) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 13–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 20 , December 11, 1999 , L.A. Clippers
W 108–90
,

(26) , Davis (18) , Jackson (9) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 14–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 21 , December 14, 1999 , @

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

L 97–105
,

(21) , Davis (10) ,

(7) ,

Air Canada Centre Scotiabank Arena (SBA), formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and t ...

, 13–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 22 , December 15, 1999 ,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

W 102–91
, Croshere (21) , Smits (8) , Jackson (5) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 14–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 23 , December 17, 1999
7:00p.m. EST ,

W 89–74
,

(19) , Croshere (11) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 15–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 24 , December 18, 1999 , @

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

L 95–109
,

(21) , Davis (15) , Jackson (10) , Bradley Center , 15–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 25 , December 21, 1999
7:00p.m. EST ,

W 113–103
,

(31) , Davis (9) , Jackson,

(11) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 16–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 26 , December 25, 1999
7:00p.m. EST ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

W 101–90
,

(26) , Croshere (10) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 17–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 27 , December 27, 1999 , @

W 103–91
, Davis (21) , Davis (8) , Jackson (13) ,

United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

, 18–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 28 , December 29, 1999 , @

W 116–89
,

(25) , Davis (12) , Jackson (14) ,

Philips Arena State Farm Arena is a Multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also served as home to the Atlanta Thrasher ...

, 19–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 29 , December 30, 1999 , Charlotte
W 109–99
,

(30) , Davis (11) , Jackson (11) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 20–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 30 , January 4, 2000 ,

W 116–111
,

(24) , Smits (9) , Jackson (15) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 21–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 31 , January 6, 2000 , @

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

W 102–87
,

(20) , Croshere,
Davis,
Perkins (7) , Jackson (10) ,

Pepsi Center Ball Arena (formerly known as the Pepsi Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado, United States. It is situated at Speer Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown Denver, and is served by two nearby exits off Int ...

, 22–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 32 , January 8, 2000 , @ L.A. Clippers
L 94–107
,

(20) , Davis,

,
Smits (6) , Jackson (6) ,

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...

, 22–10 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 33 , January 9, 2000
9:00p.m. EST , @

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

L 113–116
, Croshere (22) , Davis (12) ,

(8) ,

ARCO Arena ARCO Arena (known as Power Balance Pavilion from 2011 to 2012 and Sleep Train Arena from 2012 until 2022) was an indoor arena located in Sacramento, California, United States. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Sacramento Kings of the Nation ...

17,317 , 22–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 34 , January 12, 2000 , Washington
W 117–102
,

(25) , Davis (13) , Jackson (13) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 23–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 35 , January 14, 2000
8:00p.m. EST , L.A. Lakers
W 111–102
,

(22) , Croshere (12) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 24–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 36 , January 15, 2000 , @

W 96–89
, Croshere (14) , Davis (11) ,

(6) , Orlando Arena , 25–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 37 , January 17, 2000 , @

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

L 100–101
, Smits (20) , Croshere (13) , Jackson (11) ,

Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, h ...

, 25–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 38 , January 19, 2000 ,

W 106–84
,

(29) , Davis (13) , Jackson (12) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 26–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 39 , January 21, 2000 , @ Washington
L 113–123
,

(21) , Davis (9) , Jackson (13) ,

MCI Center Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Located in the Chinatown section of the larger Penn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. The arena was opened on D ...

, 26–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 40 , January 22, 2000
8:30p.m. EST , @

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

L 97–103
,

(28) , Davis (15) , Jackson (9) , First Union Center
20,623 , 26–14 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 41 , January 24, 2000 , @

L 82–83
,

(18) , Davis (11) , Jackson (12) ,

, 26–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 42 , January 25, 2000
7:00p.m. EST , Phoenix
W 93–87
,

(21) , Davis,

(9) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 27–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 43 , January 29, 2000
6:30p.m. EST ,

W 94–84
,

(30) , Croshere,
Davis (6) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 28–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 44 , February 1, 2000 ,

W 99–96
, Smits (26) , Davis (14) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 29–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 45 , February 4, 2000
8:00p.m. EST ,

W 104–94
,

(22) , Davis (13) , Jackson (15) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 30–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 46 , February 5, 2000 , @

L 102–107
,

(25) , Davis (14) ,

,
Jackson,

(4) , Orlando Arena , 30–16 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 47 , February 7, 2000
7:00p.m. EST ,

W 109–84
,

(32) ,

(7) , McKey,

(6) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 31–16 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 48 , February 9, 2000 , @

W 113–104
,

(23) , Davis (11) , Jackson (9) , FleetCenter , 32–16 , - align="center" , colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff", All-Star Break , - style="background:#cfc;" , - bgcolor="#bbffbb" , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 49 , February 16, 2000 ,

W 109–101
,

(32) , Davis (13) , Jackson (15) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 33–16 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 50 , February 17, 2000 , @

W 92–90
,

(23) , Croshere,
Davis,
Jackson (9) , Jackson (9) , Bradley Center , 34–16 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 51 , February 19, 2000
3:30p.m. EST , @

L 73–87
,

(16) , Davis (16) , Jackson (6) ,

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

19,763 , 34–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 52 , February 21, 2000 ,

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

W 94–93
,

(28) , Davis,
McKey (8) , Jackson (6) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 35–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 53 , February 23, 2000 , @

W 118–111
, Smits (29) , Smits (9) , Jackson (14) , The Palace of Auburn Hills , 36–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 54 , February 24, 2000 ,

W 100–83
,

(22) , McKey (10) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 37–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 55 , February 26, 2000 , Golden State
W 104–88
,

(29) , Perkins (7) , Jackson (9) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 38–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 56 , February 29, 2000 ,

W 115–105
,

(24) , Smits (12) , Jackson (13) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 39–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 57 , March 2, 2000
9:00p.m. EST , @ Phoenix
L 87–118
,

(20) , Croshere,
Davis (9) , Jackson (8) , America West Arena
19,023 , 39–18 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 58 , March 3, 2000
10:30p.m. EST , @ L.A. Lakers
L 92–107
,

(22) , Davis (13) , Jackson (6) ,

18,997 , 39–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 59 , March 5, 2000 , @ Golden State
W 114–95
, Croshere (18) , Davis (8) , Jackson (8) , The Arena in Oakland , 40–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 60 , March 7, 2000 ,

W 90–89
,

(19) , Davis (11) ,

(9) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 41–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 61 , March 9, 2000
7:00p.m. EST , Portland
W 127–119 (OT)
, Jackson (23) , Davis (13) , Jackson (9) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 42–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 62 , March 10, 2000 , @

W 95–92
,

(28) , McKey,
Smits (8) , Jackson (9) , Gund Arena , 43–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 63 , March 12, 2000
12:30p.m. EST ,

L 96–105
,

(26) , Davis (8) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 43–20 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 64 , March 14, 2000 , @

L 90–111
,

(26) , Croshere,

(13) ,

(5) ,

Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion, Dallas, Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Ass ...

, 43–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 65 , March 15, 2000 , @

W 113–107
,

(32) , Croshere (11) , Jackson (10) ,

, 44–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 66 , March 17, 2000 ,

W 111–102
,

(35) , Croshere (13) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 45–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 67 , March 18, 2000 , Charlotte
W 113–99
,

(22) , Smits (12) , Jackson (9) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 46–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 68 , March 21, 2000
8:00p.m. EST ,

W 95–91
,

(28) , Croshere (8) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 47–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 69 , March 23, 2000 ,

L 84–105
,

(22) , Croshere (7) , Jackson (5) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 47–22 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 70 , March 26, 2000
12:30p.m. EST ,

L 101–111
,

(19) , Smits (7) ,

,
Jackson (5) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 47–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 71 , March 28, 2000 , @

L 106–111
,

(27) , Croshere (10) , Jackson (11) ,

, 47–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 72 , March 31, 2000 ,

W 109–85
,

(27) , Davis,
Perkins (9) ,

(7) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 48–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 73 , April 2, 2000 , @

W 104–83
,

(23) , Davis,
Perkins (7) , Jackson (10) ,

, 49–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 74 , April 5, 2000 ,

W 105–101
, Smits (25) , Davis (11) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 50–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 75 , April 7, 2000 ,

W 95–94
,

(26) ,

(13) , Jackson (6) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 51–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 76 , April 9, 2000 , @ Charlotte
L 80–96
,

(18) , Davis (14) , Jackson (8) ,

, 51–25 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 77 , April 10, 2000
7:00p.m. EST , @

L 81–83
, Jackson (13) , Davis (12) , Jackson (5) ,

19,763 , 51–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 78 , April 12, 2000 ,

W 77–74
,

(24) , Davis (14) , Jackson,

(4) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 52–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 79 , April 14, 2000
7:00p.m. EST , @

W 105–101
,

(26) , Davis (7) , Jackson (5) , American Airlines Arena , 53–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 80 , April 16, 2000 , @

W 112–101
,

(21) , Davis (15) , Jackson (9) , The Palace of Auburn Hills , 54–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 81 , April 17, 2000
7:00p.m. EST , @

W 92–90
, Mullin (21) , Smits (10) ,

(9) , First Union Center
20,797 , 55–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 82 , April 19, 2000 ,

W 111–92
,

(19) , Foster (13) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse , 56–26

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , April 23, 2000 ,

W 88–85
,

(26) , Davis (17) , Jackson (11) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , April 27, 2000 ,

L 91–104
, Croshere (16) , Davis (12) , Jackson (5) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , April 29, 2000 , @

W 109–96
,

(34) , Croshere (11) ,

(5) , Bradley Center
18,717 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , May 1, 2000 , @

L 87–100
,

(17) , Davis (10) , Jackson (6) , Bradley Center
18,072 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , May 4, 2000 ,

W 96–95
,

(41) , Davis (12) , Jackson (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 3–2 , - , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , May 6, 2000
2:30p.m. EST ,

W 108–91
,

(40) , Croshere (11) , Jackson (10) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , May 8, 2000
7:00p.m. EST ,

W 103–97
,

(30) ,

(7) , Jackson (14) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 2–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , May 10, 2000
7:00p.m. EST , @

W 97–89
,

(29) , Davis (17) , Jackson (8) , First Union Center
20,823 , 3–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , May 13, 2000
2:30p.m. EST , @

L 90–92
, Smits (20) , Davis (11) , Jackson (7) , First Union Center
20,675 , 3–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 5 , May 15, 2000
7:00p.m. EST ,

L 86–107
, Smits (15) , Davis (8) , Jackson,

(6) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , May 19, 2000
5:30p.m. EST , @

W 106–90
,

(25) , Davis (11) , Jackson (11) , First Union Center
20,969 , 4–2 , - , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , May 23, 2000
7:30p.m. EST ,

W 102–88
, Croshere (22) , Davis (16) , Jackson (13) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , May 25, 2000
7:30p.m. EST ,

W 88–84
,

(24) , Davis (16) , Jackson (5) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 2–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , May 27, 2000
2:30p.m. EST , @

L 95–98
,

(26) , Davis (16) , Jackson,

(6) ,

19,763 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , May 29, 2000
4:30p.m. EST , @

L 89–91
,

(24) , Davis (11) , Jackson (7) ,

19,763 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , May 31, 2000
8:00p.m. EST ,

W 88–79
,

(24) , McKey (9) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , June 2, 2000
6:00p.m. EST , @

W 93–80
,

(34) , Davis (16) ,

,
Jackson (4) ,

19,763 , 4–2 , - , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , June 7, 2000
8:00p.m. EST , @ L.A. Lakers
L 87–104
, Jackson (18) , Davis (8) , Jackson (7) ,

18,997 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , June 9, 2000
8:00p.m. EST , @ L.A. Lakers
L 104–111
,

(30) , Davis (10) , Jackson (8) ,

18,997 , 0–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , June 11, 2000
6:30p.m. EST , L.A. Lakers
W 100–91
,

(33) , Davis (12) , Jackson (6) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , June 14, 2000
8:00p.m. EST , L.A. Lakers
L 118–120 (OT)
,

(35) , Davis (8) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 1–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , June 16, 2000
8:00p.m. EST , L.A. Lakers
W 120–87
,

(32) , Croshere (9) , Jackson (7) , Conseco Fieldhouse
18,345 , 2–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 6 , June 19, 2000
8:00p.m. EST , @ L.A. Lakers
L 111–116
,

(29) , Davis (14) , Jackson (11) ,

18,997 , 2–4 , -

Game officials

Pre season

Regular season

Playoffs

Player statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

NBA Finals

* Lakers' backup center John Salley became the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises, as he won titles in 1989 and '90 with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

and 1996 with the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

. * This was the Lakers first NBA Finals in the new

. * After closing out game 6, fans rioted outside Staples Center by making bonfires, tipping cars, breaking windows of cars and buildings, and vandalizing businesses around the area. Overall, they caused $1 million in damages. In Lakers' championship run the following year, the LAPD came out in bigger force after the Lakers won and prevented the same thing from happening again. * Staples Center, which was a first-year building in 2000, had a very tricky shooting background and opposing teams often had difficulty shooting there. Pacers coach Larry Bird wanted to have a shoot-around in the arena the day before Game 6 to help his team shoot more consistently because they shot very poorly in Games 1 and 2. However, the Pacers couldn't practice in the building because of an Arena Football game. Bird was very upset about this, and his team had to go down to the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo. * The two arenas in this series, Conseco Fieldhouse and

, were both first-year arenas.

Summary

The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers.

Aspects

Although the Lakers were one of the more talented teams in the NBA the previous year, they failed to win a single game against the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

in the 1999 NBA Playoffs. Twenty-four days after being swept by the eventual league champion, the Lakers signed

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...

as head coach. Jackson, famous for coaching

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

and the six-time champion

, would build his triangle offense around

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...

and

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

. general manager

Jerry West Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...

surrounded O'Neal and Bryant with effective role players such as Glen Rice, Ron Harper (who had experience with Jackson's triangle offense as part of the '96–'98 Bulls), and A.C. Green (member of the last two Lakers championship teams). Along with these starters, the Lakers also possessed a strong bench.

Robert Horry Robert Keith Horry ( ; born August 25, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player and current sports commentator. Horry was a member of seven championship winning teams and is considered, by some, to be one of the most clutch sho ...

not only had championship experience with the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

but also was a threat on the perimeter and a defensive star. Derek Fisher was a defensively minded point-guard with the ability to shoot well from long range.

Rick Fox Ulrich Alexander Fox (born July 24, 1969) is a Bahamian-Canadian actor and former basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and played college basketball for the North Caro ...

, acquired after being released by the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

, was the Lakers'

sixth man The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starting lineup, starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves, often being the first player to be substituted in, and the first to be used against the other team's subst ...

. With a healthy O'Neal, the Lakers dominated the regular season, with winning streaks of 11, 16, and 19 en route to a 67–15 record, tying the 1992 Chicago Bulls and 1986 Boston Celtics as the fifth best record in NBA regular season history. Although many expected the Lakers to reach the Finals, the road would be a rocky one. In the first round, the Lakers won the first two games against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

, only to drop the next two games in

. The Lakers then defeated Sacramento in Game 5, 113–86, to face the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

in the conference semi-finals. The Lakers clobbered the Suns, winning the series 4–1 (with their only loss coming in Game 4). In Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the

Rasheed Wallace Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. A native of Philadelphia, Wallace played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before declaring for the draft in 1995. ...

earned two technical fouls and was ejected; the Lakers took advantage of Wallace's absence and secured victory. The Trail Blazers stormed back in the next game, giving the Lakers their worst home loss of the season in a 106–77 shellacking. This setback did not affect Los Angeles, as they assembled a 3–1 series lead by winning the next two games in Portland. The Lakers underestimated the Trail Blazers, however. Led by former Jackson linchpin Scottie Pippen, Portland won back-to-back elimination games and forced a series-deciding Game 7. Amid several controversial foul calls by referee Dick Bavetta against members of the Trail Blazers, Portland relinquished a 75–60 fourth quarter lead. Rallying back with a 25–4 run, the Lakers won the game and secured a berth in the NBA Finals. In the 1997–1998 NBA season, the

narrowly defeated the Pacers, 4 games to 3, in the Eastern Conference finals. The 1998–1999 NBA season began with a lockout but saw Indiana return to the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell to the

. The

brought several major changes to the Pacers. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse, as well as their first since 1993 without center

Antonio Davis Antonio Lee Davis (born October 31, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played f ...

, who was traded for the rights to the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.

replaced

in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award, while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man. The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home. The Pacers, like the Lakers, struggled in the playoffs. They needed a

clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...

Travis Best three-pointer to dispatch the

in five games. Indiana faced the

in the second round and took the series in six games, earning a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers would face their rival Knicks, winning a memorable six-game series in a reversal of fortunes from years past. With the victory, Indiana advanced to the first NBA Finals in franchise history, becoming the second former ABA team to do so.

Game 1

''Wednesday, June 7, 2000, 9:00 at the

.'' The Lakers dominated from the start. The Lakers shot 15-for-20 (75%) in the first period while the Pacers shot only 7-for-20 (35%). Miller would miss all of his shots in the first quarter to give the Lakers a 15-point lead. Croshere came off the bench to keep the Pacers alive in the 2nd quarter, scoring 9 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in the quarter. Although the Pacers attempted a comeback in the 2nd quarter, they were still down by 12. In the 3rd quarter, it would be Jackson who led the Pacers to a comeback, cutting the Lakers lead by 2. Miller also hit his first field goal in the 3rd quarter, though it would be his last. The Lakers handled the Pacers in the final quarter, with a 13–2 run winning by 17 points. O'Neal scored 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.

Game 2

''Friday, June 9, 2000, 9:00 at the Staples Center.'' Los Angeles and Indiana were evenly matched for the first quarter, both scoring 28. However, Los Angeles suffered a major setback when Kobe Bryant left the game in the 2nd quarter due to a sprained ankle and did not return. Jalen Rose later admitted that he intentionally stuck out his foot when Kobe shot a jumpshot in order to trip him when he landed. Ron Harper went in for Bryant and scored 21 points for the game. Desperate to try to gain the lead, Larry Bird resorted to the " Hack-a-Shaq" strategy. Shaq shot 39 free throws, making only 18, an NBA record for most free throws attempted. Despite this low percentage, Shaq made 9 of 16 in the 4th quarter to keep a Lakers lead. The Pacers cut the lead to 99–96 and were looking to foul Shaq, but when Shaq got the ball he passed to Robert Horry who converted not only the layup, but the foul shot as well giving them a 102–96 lead en route to a 111–104 Lakers victory.

Game 3

''Sunday, June 11, 2000, 7:30 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.'' Taking advantage of Kobe Bryant's ankle injury, Indiana restored a semblance of parity to the proceedings. Kobe's absence was felt as the Pacers had an 11–2 run in the first quarter to take an 8-point lead. Austin Croshere once again had another huge 2nd quarter, scoring 8 points as the Pacers shot 61% from the field. The Lakers tried to make a run to get back into the game, but upon doings so, Indiana answered with 12 straight points and led by 17. The Lakers were desperate and attempted another run to get within 3 points, but Reggie Miller nailed all his free throws at the end of the game to give Indiana a 9-point win.

Game 4

''Wednesday, June 14, 2000, 9:00 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.'' The Pacers took a quick 9–2 lead due to Rik Smits hitting his first four shots. Kobe Bryant attempted to play with his sore ankle but only managed to score 6 points in the first half. Even though Bryant and O'Neal were in foul trouble in the first half (each picking up his third with 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter), Indiana could not take advantage and did not extend their lead. This would be a problem as Kobe Bryant scored 10 points and the Lakers took a 62–60 lead due to a Glen Rice three-pointer. The game remained close going into the fourth quarter, when O'Neal and Reggie Miller scored 14 and 13 points respectively, sending the game into overtime. Midway through overtime, O'Neal committed his sixth foul but 21-year-old Bryant delivered three clutch shots, as the Lakers were able to overcome back-up center John Salley's inability to effectively defend Smits. Smits and Miller scored all 14 of Indiana's OT points, but it was not enough to overcome as Miller missed a last-second three-pointer, and L.A. was able to pull one out in Indianapolis.

Game 5

''Friday, June 16, 2000, 9:00 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.'' Reggie Miller and the Pacers dominated the game from the start in what would be Larry Bird's last game as a coach in the state of Indiana. Reggie Miller came out and made 5 straight shots including a 4-point play. The Pacers hit their first 6 three-point shots in the game. The Pacers would have a 20-point lead in the 2nd quarter, and eventually won by 33 – it was the worst Lakers NBA Finals loss since the 148–114 loss to Boston in the

1985 NBA Finals The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference pl ...

, known as the "Memorial Day Massacre." With their loss in Game 5, the Lakers record in close-out games dropped to 3–6 in the 2000 NBA Playoffs (the other losses coming in Games 3 and 4 in the first round against Sacramento, Game 4 in the series against Phoenix, and Games 5 and 6 versus Portland). As a result, the series returned to California.

Game 6

''Monday, June 19, 2000, 9:00 at the Staples Center.'' After the two teams traded blows in the first quarter, Mark Jackson concluded the period with a turn-around half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Pacers a 26–24 advantage. They would not relinquish their lead until the fourth quarter. In the first half, the Pacers would lead by as many as twelve points. However, the Lakers chipped away and entered intermission trailing 56–53. Indiana, however, added two more points to their lead, and entered the final period in a position to force a decisive seventh game. In the fourth quarter, the momentum shifted. The Lakers got four timely three-pointers from Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, and Rick Fox. The turning point occurred on a play where Brian Shaw stole the ball from Jalen Rose, leading to a fast break where Shaquille O'Neal hit an off-balance shot to give the Lakers the lead. The Pacers never led after that point. The Lakers would build a seven-point lead, but the Pacers fought back to tie the score at 103. After a timeout, the Lakers scored six unanswered points to regain control. The Pacers made one final valiant effort, but it fell short and the Lakers clinched their first championship in twelve years. Shaquille O'Neal led all scorers with 41 points and also pulled down 12 rebounds. He was awarded the Finals MVP.

Awards, records, and honors

NBA Most Improved Player Award The NBA's Most Improved Player (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportsw ...

NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...

* Dale Davis, NBA All-Star Game

Transactions

References

Pacers on Basketball Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:1999-2000 Indiana Pacers season Indiana Pacers seasons Eastern Conference (NBA) championship seasons

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Pace Pace