2001 NBA Playoffs
| 2001 NBA playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Season | 2000–01 | ||||
| Teams | 16 | ||||
| Champions | Los Angeles Lakers (13th title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Philadelphia 76ers (9th finals appearance) | ||||
| Semifinalists | |||||
|
|||||
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000-01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year. Since 2001, the 76ers have not advanced beyond the conference semifinals.
This was the 76ers' first Finals appearance since Moses Malone and Julius Erving led the 1983 squad to the NBA title (coincidentally, last defeating the Lakers) in the famous "fo', fo', fo'" year (it ended up being "fo', fi', fo'", as Philadelphia lost one second-round game that year).
However, it was the Lakers' turn to put together the most dominant postseason in NBA history, going 15–1 with their only loss coming in OT to the Sixers in Game 1 of the Finals. They set many records, including going undefeated in regulation and on the road (finishing 8–0 in the latter category). They were the second NBA champion to defeat four 50-win or better teams on their way to the title as the Rockets did it first in 1995.
The Milwaukee Bucks won their first playoff series since 1989, made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1986 and won the division for the first time since that year. As of 2016, however, they have been unable to duplicate this.
The Dallas Mavericks made the playoffs for the first time since 1990. Along the way they had many abysmal seasons, including back-to-back years with 11 and 13 wins. By beating Utah in the first round, they won their first playoff series since 1988. Reunion Arena, their home court for 21 years, hosted its last game (Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Spurs); they moved to American Airlines Center in 2002.
...
Wikipedia