Allen Iverson carried the Philadelphia 76ers to a playoff win for the ages on May 9th in 2001.
The postseason is a time of immense pressure. If your team has championship aspirations each game is an opportunity to in closer and closer to the Larry O’Brien Trophy. That held true for Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001.
In the spring of 2001, the Philadelphia 76ers were in the pit of a playoff run for the ages. After vanquishing their playoff nemesis the Indiana Pacers in round one, the 76ers were matched against the fifth seeded Toronto Raptors and their “All-World” superstar Vince Carter. It may be hard to believe considering the Vince Carter of 2016 is relegated to a jump shooter at an advanced age, but back in his matchup against Philadelphia’s Superstar Allen Iverson, this series would prove to be one for the ages.
The 76ers got off to a familiar start in game one of the series, losing game one at home for the second consecutive series, but if Sixers fans learned about Allen Iverson and a Sixer squad led by head coach Larry Brown, it was that they had a competitive response for every challenger they would face.
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Iverson put on one of the greatest performances in franchise history: a 54-point performance that at the time was a franchise record for a playoff game. The game proved to be a struggle for the Sixers as Toronto responded in kind to every run Philadelphia threw at them. Toronto led early in the first half, with Carter making miraculous shot after miraculous shot.
For a team that boasted the defensive player of the year in Dikembe Mutombo, Coach of the Year in Larry Brown, Sixth Man of the Year in Aaron Mckie and a top five defense in the NBA, there was nothing they could do with Carter as he scored 10 of Toronto’s 31 points in the first quarter. Iverson for his part scored eight, but Philadelphia trailed by 10.
The second quarter saw the four time scoring champion go on one of his signature scoring binges, netting 20 in the frame and giving the Sixers a two point lead at the half. Whether it was a jumper off the dribble, or attacking the basket amongst Toronto’s front court, “The Answer” would not be denied.
The second half mirrored the first as the Raptors and 76ers pushed a seesaw battle to the brink. With the Sixers holding a two point edge going into the final 12 minutes, every fan in the First Union Center knew their diminutive icon would make something happen. What came after took Iverson to the next level as he scored 19 of Philadelphia’s 24 points in the fourth. Raptor’s Hall of Fame head coach Lenny Wilkens refused to double team Iverson and it proved to be costly.
Iverson scored 54 of a team 97 points, which was much needed because Toronto fell just five points short. For this one-versus-five series to be so evenly matched in the second round, pressure was clearly placed upon Philadelphia’s shoulders considering the Sixers won a conference high 56 games and were favored to get to the NBA Finals. This season proved to be a dream for Iverson in particular as he won his second scoring title, All Star Game Most Valuable Player, League MVP, and had 17 40-point performances.
Next: Atlanta Hawks Questions = Sixers Answers
The Herculean effort by Iverson ended up being a prequel of what was to come, but on this night Sixers fans were given a glimpse into what made “The Answer” a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame class of 2016.