The 2002 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0 in the 2002 NBA Finals. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year.
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| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 20–June 12, 2002 |
| Season | 2001–02 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Lakers (14th title) |
| Runner-up | New Jersey Nets |
| Semifinalists |
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← 2001
2003 →
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The 2002 playoffs are best remembered for that year's Western Conference Finals between the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. The matchup between the Lakers and Kings is regarded as one of the most controversial playoff series in NBA history.[1][2][3] At the time, there was widespread criticism of the officiating as favoring the Lakers, especially in Game 6. Several years later, disgraced referee Tim Donaghy accused the Game 6 officiating crew of fixing the game, at the behest of the NBA's front office.[4]
The 2002 NBA Playoffs marked the return of the Boston Celtics, who had last made the playoffs in 1995. In addition, the New Jersey Nets returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1998.
This also marked the last appearance of the Charlotte Hornets in the playoffs until 2010. The Hornets moved the next year to New Orleans, while an expansion team, formerly the Bobcats, was formed in 2004. The Hornets were renamed the Pelicans in 2013, after which the Bobcats reclaimed the Hornets name in 2014. The Hornets also reclaimed the history and records of the 1988–2002 Charlotte teams.
The New York Knicks missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, while the Miami Heat missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995. With that, Pat Riley missed the playoffs for the first time in his coaching career. Also the Phoenix Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
With their first round series win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics won their first playoff series since 1992.
With their first round series win over the Toronto Raptors, the Detroit Pistons won their first playoff series since 1991.
With their first round series win over the Indiana Pacers, the New Jersey Nets won a playoff series for the first time since 1984.
With similar sweeps on April 28, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers were the final teams to lose in three-game sweep; they fell to the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers respectively.
Game 4 of the Nets–Hornets series was the final playoff game ever played at Charlotte Coliseum.
Game 5 of the Lakers–Spurs series was the last NBA playoff game aired on TBS.
With their conference semifinals victory over the Charlotte Hornets, the New Jersey Nets made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. It also marked the first time the Nets won a best of seven playoff series in franchise history.
With their conference semifinals victory over the Detroit Pistons, the Boston Celtics made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 1988.
In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics created the biggest 4th quarter playoff comeback in Game 3, winning 94–90 after trailing by as much as 21 prior to the fourth quarter. (This record was later broken by the Los Angeles Clippers, who came back from 24 in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzliesin2012).
With their Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets made the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, preventing a Celtics–Lakers NBA Finals.
The Lakers’ Game 7 win over the Sacramento Kings marked the first time since 1982 that a road team won a Game 7 in the conference finals.
The 2002 NBA Finals marked the first time since 1995 that a team swept an NBA Finals series.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals was the last telecast on NBC. TBS and NBC were replaced with ESPN and ABC the following season, since both channels are owned by the Walt Disney Company. TBS has aired some NBA basketball in the ensuing years due to conflicts on sister network TNT. The total number of playoff games was 70, including the NBA Finals.
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Indiana | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Charlotte | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Charlotte | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Orlando | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Philadelphia | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Toronto | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sacramento* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Utah | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sacramento* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Dallas | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Dallas | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Minnesota | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sacramento* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Portland | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Seattle | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
The Sacramento Kings clinched the best record in the NBA and earned home-court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
The New Jersey Nets clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference and earned home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
Although the Nets won the series in 5, it would be most remarkable for more playoff heroics by Reggie Miller; Miller banked in a 40-footer at the buzzer to force OT, and then fly in for a dunk over 3 Net defenders with 3.1 seconds left in the extra session to force the 2nd overtime.[5]
April 20 |
| Indiana Pacers 89, New Jersey Nets83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–22, 24–20, 11–19, 26–22 | ||
| Pts: Jermaine O'Neal30 Rebs: Brad Miller12 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley7 |
Pts: Jason Kidd26 Rebs: Kenyon Martin13 Asts: Jason Kidd9 | |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
April 22 |
| Indiana Pacers 79, New Jersey Nets 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–18, 19–31, 22–23, 19–23 | ||
| Pts: Reggie Miller26 Rebs: Artest, O'Neal 6 each Asts: Jamaal Tinsley5 |
Pts: Jason Kidd20 Rebs: Jason Kidd10 Asts: Jason Kidd9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
April 26 |
| New Jersey Nets 85, Indiana Pacers84 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 21–16, 20–29, 21–18 | ||
| Pts: Jason Kidd24 Rebs: Keith Van Horn12 Asts: Jason Kidd11 |
Pts: Reggie Miller30 Rebs: Jeff Foster12 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley9 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 2–1 | ||
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana |
April 30 |
| New Jersey Nets 74, Indiana Pacers 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 14–16, 20–30, 21–29 | ||
| Pts: Kenyon Martin13 Rebs: Kenyon Martin6 Asts: Jason Kidd6 |
Pts: Artest, Croshere 18 each Rebs: Artest, B. Miller 8 each Asts: Kevin Ollie9 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana |
May 2 |
| Indiana Pacers 109, New Jersey Nets 120 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 27–24, 28–28, 17–17, Overtime: 11–11, 2–13 | ||
| Pts: Reggie Miller31 Rebs: Brad Miller17 Asts: Kevin Ollie8 |
Pts: Jason Kidd31 Rebs: Kidd, Martin 8 each Asts: Jason Kidd7 | |
| New Jersey wins series, 3–2 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first NBA playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Nets. As members of the ABA, both teams met in the 1972 ABA Finals, where the Pacers won 4–2.[6]
This series involved two teams that had exceeded expectations during the season. It was also the first time that professional sports teams from Detroit and Toronto met in a postseason series since the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs met in the 1993 Norris Division Semifinals, but no two teams from the two cities have met in a postseason series since. The Detroit Pistons were coming off a year where they had lost 50 games. The Raptors had lost their star forward, Vince Carter, for the remainder of the season. As a result, the Raptors lost 13 straight games without him. Although they looked down and out of playoff contention, the Raptors went on a surge, winning 12 of their last 14 games, locking up the 7th seed. The home team won each game of the series, with the Pistons winning the decisive Game 5 by 3 points. Raptors' Guard, Chris Childs, attempted to draw a foul on a three-point shot, instead of passing it to an open Dell Curry. In the post game interview, Childs stated that he thought the team was down by four points, not three. Detroit advanced to face the Boston Celtics in the second round. Meanwhile, Toronto, with a 39 year old Hakeem Olajuwon playing his final game, was on the couch.
April 21 |
| Toronto Raptors 63, Detroit Pistons 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 9–16, 25–26, 11–23, 18–20 | ||
| Pts: Antonio Davis15 Rebs: Antonio Davis14 Asts: Alvin Williams6 |
Pts: Jerry Stackhouse20 Rebs: Ben Wallace20 Asts: Jerry Stackhouse4 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
April 24 |
| Toronto Raptors 91, Detroit Pistons 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 19–19, 18–26, 24–24 | ||
| Pts: Chris Childs22 Rebs: Antonio Davis14 Asts: Chris Childs14 |
Pts: Jerry Stackhouse31 Rebs: Ben Wallace15 Asts: three players 4 each | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
April 27 |
| Detroit Pistons 84, Toronto Raptors 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–26, 23–25, 27–28, 17–15 | ||
| Pts: Chucky Atkins21 Rebs: Ben Wallace11 Asts: Jerry Stackhouse4 |
Pts: Antonio Davis30 Rebs: Antonio Davis8 Asts: Chris Childs10 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
April 29 |
| Detroit Pistons 83, Toronto Raptors 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 15–25, 25–20, 22–23 | ||
| Pts: Chucky Atkins20 Rebs: Ben Wallace12 Asts: Clifford Robinson6 |
Pts: Morris Peterson20 Rebs: Keon Clark16 Asts: Alvin Williams9 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
May 2 |
| Toronto Raptors 82, Detroit Pistons 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 22–25, 11–17, 23–22 | ||
| Pts: Dell Curry17 Rebs: Antonio Davis12 Asts: Childs, Williams 6 each |
Pts: Corliss Williamson23 Rebs: Ben Wallace17 Asts: Jerry Stackhouse7 | |
| Detroit wins series, 3–2 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
Game 5 is Hakeem Olajuwon's final NBA game.
| Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Raptors.[7]
This series marked the return of the Celtics to the playoffs for the first time in seven years, and they faced the reigning Eastern Conference champion in the first round. The first two games were played in Boston, where the Celtics won both games resoundingly. The 76ers fought back, however, and with Allen Iverson scoring 42 points the 76ers won Game 3 and stayed alive. In Game 4, Iverson was slowed down, scoring 26 points on just 9-of-26 shooting, and Antoine Walker stepped up for the Celtics, scoring 25. But Iverson's play at the end making a layup, scoring off an Eric Snow steal, and hitting some free throws after Walker drilled a three sealed the victory for the 76ers. This set the stage for a Game 5 in Boston to decide the series. The Celtics had control on this game throughout, but the 76ers kept within striking distance into the 4th quarter. But Boston went on an amazing streak of three-pointers, hitting an NBA playoff record nine of them in the 4th quarter and 19 in the game. Paul Pierce led the way with 46, on 8-10 shooting from downtown, and Boston won in a huge blowout, sending them to the conference semifinals to face second-seed Detroit.
April 21 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 82, Boston Celtics 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 20–23, 11–19, 23–19 | ||
| Pts: Allen Iverson20 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo11 Asts: Eric Snow5 |
Pts: Paul Pierce31 Rebs: Paul Pierce11 Asts: Kenny Anderson5 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
April 25 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 85, Boston Celtics 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 19–22, 21–21, 24–24 | ||
| Pts: Allen Iverson29 Rebs: Derrick Coleman13 Asts: Allen Iverson7 |
Pts: Paul Pierce25 Rebs: Pierce, Walker 10 each Asts: three players 4 each | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
April 28 |
| Boston Celtics 103, Philadelphia 76ers 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 31–28, 29–25, 22–25 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce29 Rebs: Rodney Rogers11 Asts: Paul Pierce7 |
Pts: Allen Iverson42 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo11 Asts: Eric Snow5 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
May 1 |
| Boston Celtics 81, Philadelphia 76ers 83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–16, 16–22, 25–18, 20–27 | ||
| Pts: Antoine Walker25 Rebs: Paul Pierce8 Asts: Kenny Anderson8 |
Pts: Allen Iverson28 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo14 Asts: Eric Snow11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
May 3 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 87, Boston Celtics 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 25–32, 20–18, 20–43 | ||
| Pts: Allen Iverson31 Rebs: Matt Harpring8 Asts: Iverson, McKie 4 each |
Pts: Paul Pierce46 Rebs: Antoine Walker9 Asts: Pierce, Walker 6 each | |
| Boston wins series, 3–2 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Philadelphia won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the 19th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning 10 of the first 18 meetings.
| Boston leads 10–8 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April 20 |
| Orlando Magic 79, Charlotte Hornets 80 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 16–19, 24–18, 11–23 | ||
| Pts: Tracy McGrady20 Rebs: Horace Grant10 Asts: Tracy McGrady6 |
Pts: Baron Davis28 Rebs: P. J. Brown15 Asts: Baron Davis7 | |
| Charlotte leads series, 1–0 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina |
April 23 |
| Orlando Magic 111, Charlotte Hornets 103 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 35–21, 15–28, 22–24, Overtime: 12–4 | ||
| Pts: Tracy McGrady31 Rebs: Tracy McGrady11 Asts: Tracy McGrady7 |
Pts: Elden Campbell27 Rebs: Elden Campbell13 Asts: Baron Davis10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina |
April 27 |
| Charlotte Hornets 110, Orlando Magic 100 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 23–18, 16–24, 26–23, Overtime: 18–8 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis33 Rebs: Baron Davis14 Asts: Baron Davis10 |
Pts: Tracy McGrady37 Rebs: Garrity, Grant 10 each Asts: Darrell Armstrong8 | |
| Charlotte leads series, 2–1 | ||
TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida |
April 30 |
| Charlotte Hornets 102, Orlando Magic85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 26–17, 24–28, 27–16 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis28 Rebs: Baron Davis11 Asts: Baron Davis10 |
Pts: Tracy McGrady35 Rebs: Patrick Ewing10 Asts: Tracy McGrady6 | |
| Charlotte wins series, 3–1 | ||
TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida |
Game 4 is Patrick Ewing's final NBA game.
| Charlotte won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Magic and the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats franchise.[9]
April 20 |
| Utah Jazz 86, Sacramento Kings 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 27–21, 17–25, 22–18 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone25 Rebs: Donyell Marshall10 Asts: John Stockton12 |
Pts: Chris Webber24 Rebs: Chris Webber12 Asts: Chris Webber7 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 1–0 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
April 23 |
| Utah Jazz 93, Sacramento Kings86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15–14, 29–15, 20–23, 29–34 | ||
| Pts: Donyell Marshall19 Rebs: Karl Malone12 Asts: John Stockton12 |
Pts: Vlade Divac21 Rebs: Chris Webber9 Asts: Doug Christie5 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
April 27 |
| Sacramento Kings 90, Utah Jazz87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–21, 14–24, 23–21, 21–21 | ||
| Pts: Mike Bibby26 Rebs: Chris Webber13 Asts: Mike Bibby5 |
Pts: Karl Malone23 Rebs: Malone, Russell 6 each Asts: Malone, Stockton 7 each | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
April 29 |
| Sacramento Kings 91, Utah Jazz86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 18–20, 21–22, 24–24 | ||
| Pts: Peja Stojaković30 Rebs: Chris Webber9 Asts: Doug Christie9 |
Pts: Karl Malone14 Rebs: Greg Ostertag15 Asts: John Stockton9 | |
| Sacramento wins series, 3–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Sacramento won 4–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
| Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 20 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 89, San Antonio Spurs 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–24, 23–28, 13–38, 24–20 | ||
| Pts: Vin Baker22 Rebs: Vin Baker7 Asts: four players 2 each |
Pts: Duncan, Parker 21 each Rebs: Tim Duncan10 Asts: Tim Duncan11 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
April 22 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 98, San Antonio Spurs90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 30–18, 21–17, 25–19 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton21 Rebs: Gary Payton11 Asts: Gary Payton5 |
Pts: Tim Duncan32 Rebs: Tim Duncan12 Asts: Tim Duncan3 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
April 27 |
| San Antonio Spurs 102, Seattle SuperSonics75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 34–18, 22–15, 23–21 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan27 Rebs: Tim Duncan13 Asts: Tim Duncan5 |
Pts: Gary Payton20 Rebs: Brent Barry8 Asts: Gary Payton6 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
May 1 |
| San Antonio Spurs 79, Seattle SuperSonics 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 18–33, 28–19, 20–15 | ||
| Pts: Malik Rose28 Rebs: Malik Rose13 Asts: Porter, Rose 3 each |
Pts: Gary Payton28 Rebs: Gary Payton12 Asts: Gary Payton11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
May 3 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 78, San Antonio Spurs 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 10–27, 16–28, 32–26, 20–20 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton23 Rebs: Gary Payton9 Asts: Gary Payton5 |
Pts: Tim Duncan23 Rebs: Malik Rose13 Asts: Steve Smith6 | |
| San Antonio wins series, 3–2 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.
| San Antonio leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 21 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 87, Los Angeles Lakers 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 21–27, 18–22, 25–27 | ||
| Pts: Rasheed Wallace25 Rebs: Rasheed Wallace14 Asts: Bonzi Wells6 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant34 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal9 Asts: Rick Fox6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
April 25 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 96, Los Angeles Lakers 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–27, 19–24, 26–26, 33–26 | ||
| Pts: Rasheed Wallace31 Rebs: Rasheed Wallace11 Asts: Damon Stoudamire5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal14 Asts: Kobe Bryant5 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
April 28 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 92, Portland Trail Blazers91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 31–22, 17–26, 25–24 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant25 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal11 Asts: Bryant, O'Neal 7 each |
Pts: Rasheed Wallace20 Rebs: Rasheed Wallace12 Asts: Scottie Pippen8 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 | ||
Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon |
The Lakers sweep the Blazers thanks to a series-winning 3 by Robert Horry with 2.1 seconds left in Game 3.
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the 11th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first ten meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 8–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dirk Nowitzki was virtually unstoppable in this series, averaging 33 points and 16 rebounds per game.[13]
April 21 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 94, Dallas Mavericks 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 16–28, 26–23, 21–28 | ||
| Pts: Chauncey Billups25 Rebs: Kevin Garnett21 Asts: Chauncey Billups9 |
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki30 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki15 Asts: Nick Van Exel7 | |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas |
April 24 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 110, Dallas Mavericks 122 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 31–30, 28–34, 23–25 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett31 Rebs: Kevin Garnett18 Asts: Billups, Garnett 4 each |
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki31 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki15 Asts: Steve Nash10 | |
| Dallas leads series, 2–0 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas |
April 28 |
| Dallas Mavericks 115, Minnesota Timberwolves 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 40–28, 27–29, 30–22, 18–23 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki39 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki17 Asts: Steve Nash11 |
Pts: Kevin Garnett22 Rebs: Kevin Garnett17 Asts: Kevin Garnett5 | |
| Dallas wins series, 3–0 | ||
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Timberwolves.[14]
May 5 |
| Charlotte Hornets 93, New Jersey Nets 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 29–19, 22–32, 20–22 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis23 Rebs: P. J. Brown9 Asts: David Wesley8 |
Pts: Jason Kidd21 Rebs: Jason Kidd7 Asts: Jason Kidd7 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 1–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
May 7 |
| Charlotte Hornets 88, New Jersey Nets 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 31–29, 22–27, 16–22 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis21 Rebs: George Lynch11 Asts: Baron Davis7 |
Pts: Lucious Harris24 Rebs: Keith Van Horn11 Asts: Jason Kidd6 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 2–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
May 9 |
| New Jersey Nets 97, Charlotte Hornets 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 27–23, 24–33, 28–31 | ||
| Pts: Richard Jefferson16 Rebs: Collins, Kidd 7 each Asts: Jason Kidd6 |
Pts: Baron Davis26 Rebs: George Lynch12 Asts: Baron Davis8 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 2–1 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina |
May 12 |
| New Jersey Nets 89, Charlotte Hornets79 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 14–20, 25–20, 25–15 | ||
| Pts: Jason Kidd24 Rebs: Kidd, Van Horn 11 each Asts: Jason Kidd8 |
Pts: Baron Davis20 Rebs: P. J. Brown16 Asts: Baron Davis6 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 3–1 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina |
May 15 |
| Charlotte Hornets 95, New Jersey Nets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 26–23, 22–27, 23–28 | ||
| Pts: Magloire, Nailon 14 each Rebs: George Lynch13 Asts: Baron Davis8 |
Pts: Jason Kidd23 Rebs: Kenyon Martin8 Asts: Jason Kidd13 | |
| New Jersey wins series, 4–1 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Hornets.[15]
May 5 |
| Boston Celtics 84, Detroit Pistons 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–22, 21–28, 19–28, 22–18 | ||
| Pts: Antoine Walker20 Rebs: Paul Pierce10 Asts: Paul Pierce5 |
Pts: Clifford Robinson30 Rebs: Ben Wallace12 Asts: Atkins, Stackhouse 8 each | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
May 8 |
| Boston Celtics 85, Detroit Pistons77 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 22–16, 17–23, 18–18 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce22 Rebs: Tony Battie11 Asts: Kenny Anderson5 |
Pts: Jerry Stackhouse25 Rebs: Ben Wallace16 Asts: Chucky Atkins4 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
May 10 |
| Detroit Pistons 64, Boston Celtics 66 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 16–20, 15–11, 16–18 | ||
| Pts: Jerry Stackhouse19 Rebs: Ben Wallace21 Asts: Clifford Robinson5 |
Pts: Paul Pierce19 Rebs: Tony Battie10 Asts: Paul Pierce5 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 12 |
| Detroit Pistons 79, Boston Celtics 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 22–20, 19–25, 21–24 | ||
| Pts: Clifford Robinson24 Rebs: Ben Wallace21 Asts: Damon Jones9 |
Pts: Antoine Walker30 Rebs: Paul Pierce17 Asts: Paul Pierce6 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 14 |
| Boston Celtics 90, Detroit Pistons81 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 20–24, 20–10, 26–26 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce18 Rebs: Antoine Walker13 Asts: Kenny Anderson6 |
Pts: Chucky Atkins22 Rebs: Ben Wallace16 Asts: Robinson, Stackhouse 5 each | |
| Boston wins series, 4–1 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning three series apiece.
| Tied 3–3 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 4 |
| Dallas Mavericks 91, Sacramento Kings 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 26–28, 24–27, 17–26 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki23 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki14 Asts: Steve Nash5 |
Pts: Peja Stojaković26 Rebs: Vlade Divac16 Asts: Bibby, Christie 8 each | |
| Sacramento leads series, 1–0 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
May 6 |
| Dallas Mavericks 110, Sacramento Kings 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–36, 36–24, 22–20, 29–22 | ||
| Pts: Steve Nash30 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki15 Asts: Steve Nash8 |
Pts: Bibby, Webber 22 each Rebs: Stojaković, Webber 12 each Asts: Mike Bibby7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
May 9 |
| Sacramento Kings 125, Dallas Mavericks 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–25, 28–41, 25–25, 34–28 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber31 Rebs: Chris Webber15 Asts: Mike Bibby9 |
Pts: Michael Finley37 Rebs: Raef LaFrentz13 Asts: Steve Nash15 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas |
May 11 |
| Sacramento Kings 115, Dallas Mavericks 113 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 26–27, 31–35, 27–20, Overtime: 6–4 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber30 Rebs: Vlade Divac14 Asts: Bobby Jackson5 |
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki31 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki12 Asts: Dirk Nowitzki7 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 3–1 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas |
May 13 |
| Dallas Mavericks 101, Sacramento Kings 114 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 27–27, 20–27, 28–28 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki32 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki12 Asts: Steve Nash9 |
Pts: Bibby, Webber 23 each Rebs: Hedo Türkoğlu13 Asts: Doug Christie7 | |
| Sacramento wins series, 4–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
| Dallas won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Kings.[17]
The Spurs led going into the fourth quarter of four out of the five games, yet were able to win only one. Bryant would pace Los Angeles to 2 crucial victories in the Alamodome with 31 points in Game 3 and a game-winning bucket in Game 4,[18] and would offset the steady production of Tim Duncan (who had a double double in every game including 34 points and 25 rebounds in Game 5) with his fourth quarter heroics. It would be San Antonio's final 2 home games in the Alamodome, as they would move into the SBC Center (now the AT&T Center) the following year.
May 5 |
| San Antonio Spurs 80, Los Angeles Lakers 86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–13, 21–19, 23–25, 19–29 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan26 Rebs: Tim Duncan21 Asts: Tim Duncan5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal23 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal17 Asts: three players 4 each | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
May 7 |
| San Antonio Spurs 88, Los Angeles Lakers85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 25–14, 17–25, 15–20 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan27 Rebs: Tim Duncan17 Asts: Tony Parker9 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant26 Rebs: Robert Horry11 Asts: Kobe Bryant6 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
May 10 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 99, San Antonio Spurs89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 29–24, 21–19, 25–18 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal15 Asts: Kobe Bryant6 |
Pts: Tim Duncan28 Rebs: Tim Duncan12 Asts: Tony Parker5 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
May 12 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 87, San Antonio Spurs85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 17–21, 25–29, 20–10 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant28 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal11 Asts: Shaquille O'Neal5 |
Pts: Tim Duncan30 Rebs: Duncan, Robinson 11 each Asts: Tim Duncan6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
May 14 |
| San Antonio Spurs 87, Los Angeles Lakers 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–15, 23–24, 16–23, 26–31 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan34 Rebs: Tim Duncan25 Asts: Tony Parker6 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant26 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal11 Asts: Rick Fox7 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
| Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first seven meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 5–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Nets won game one, but Boston came back to steal game two in New Jersey to send the series back to Boston tied 1-1. In Game 3, the Celtics were down by as much as 26 points (21 coming into the 4th quarter), but they accomplished the biggest comeback in NBA Playoff history as the Celtics outscored the Nets 41-16 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics almost completed another comeback in game four, but the Nets held on for the victory to tie the series at two games apiece. The Nets won games five and six to advance to the team's first of two consecutive NBA Finals.
May 19 |
| Boston Celtics 97, New Jersey Nets 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 22–26, 19–24, 29–23 | ||
| Pts: Pierce, Walker 27 each Rebs: Tony Battie11 Asts: Kenny Anderson6 |
Pts: Jason Kidd18 Rebs: Jason Kidd13 Asts: Jason Kidd11 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 1–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
May 21 |
| Boston Celtics 93, New Jersey Nets86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–17, 21–25, 27–19, 18–25 | ||
| Pts: Antoine Walker26 Rebs: Paul Pierce14 Asts: Kenny Anderson7 |
Pts: Jason Kidd23 Rebs: Jason Kidd16 Asts: Jason Kidd10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
May 25 |
| New Jersey Nets 90, Boston Celtics 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–13, 26–21, 20–19, 16–41 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles19 Rebs: Todd MacCulloch11 Asts: Jason Kidd11 |
Pts: Paul Pierce28 Rebs: Antoine Walker12 Asts: Pierce, Walker 4 each | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 27 |
| New Jersey Nets 94, Boston Celtics92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–18, 17–24, 25–27, 21–23 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles22 Rebs: Keith Van Horn10 Asts: Jason Kidd9 |
Pts: Paul Pierce31 Rebs: three players 9 each Asts: four players 4 each | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 29 |
| Boston Celtics 92, New Jersey Nets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–31, 22–24, 31–17, 23–31 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce24 Rebs: Antoine Walker13 Asts: Kenny Anderson6 |
Pts: Kerry Kittles21 Rebs: Jason Kidd12 Asts: Jason Kidd7 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 3–2 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
May 31 |
| New Jersey Nets 96, Boston Celtics88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 23–26, 26–15, 26–19 | ||
| Pts: Kenyon Martin16 Rebs: Jason Kidd13 Asts: Jason Kidd13 |
Pts: Kenny Anderson18 Rebs: Antoine Walker9 Asts: Kenny Anderson7 | |
| New Jersey wins series, 4–2 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Nets.[20]
The 2002 Western Conference finals is widely regarded as one of the best series in NBA playoff history,[by whom?] with the last four games coming down to the final seconds. Two games were decided on game winning shots and Game 7 was decided in overtime. However, the series was marred by controversy and allegations of corruption. On June 10, 2008, convicted NBA referee Tim Donaghy's attorney filed a court document alleging that Game 6 was fixed by two referees. The letter states that Donaghy "learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be 'company men', always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series." The Lakers won Game 6 106-102, attempting 18 more free throws than the Kings in the fourth quarter, and went on to win the series, and eventually the NBA championship. The document claimed that Donaghy told federal agents that in order to increase television ratings and ticket sales, "top executives of the NBA sought to manipulate games using referees". It also said that NBA officials would tell referees to not call technical fouls on certain players, and states that a referee was privately reprimanded by the league for ejecting a star player in the first quarter of a January 2000 game. Stern denied the accusations, calling Donaghy a "singing, cooperating witness".
The Lakers and Kings split the first two games in Sacramento. Los Angeles raced out to a 36-point first quarter in Game 1 behind 67% shooting and never trailed, paced by Kobe Bryant's 30 point effort and 26 points from Shaquille O'Neal. Chris Webber had 28 points and 14 rebounds, but the other Kings combined shot under 40 percent.[21] Sacramento rebounded to win Game 2, paced behind Webber (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Mike Bibby (20 points). O'Neal had 35 points and 13 rebounds, but struggled with foul trouble; Bryant shot 9-for-21 from the field and was suffering from food poisoning which he contracted from a meal at the team hotel, and some felt it was done deliberately by the hotel staff.[22] The loss snapped the NBA record 12-game playoff road winning streak for the Lakers.[23]
The Kings went to Staples Center and dominated Game 3 to regain home-court advantage, leading by as many as 27 and never trailing. They were again paced by Webber and Bibby, who combined for 50 points, and got solid contributions from Doug Christie (17 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) and Vlade Divac (11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks). Other than a brief 3-point barrage in the 4th quarter by the Lakers to cut the lead to 12, there was not much help provided for O'Neal, who had 20 points and 19 rebounds.[24]
In Game 4, Sacramento again got out to a fast start with a 40-point first quarter and built a 24-point first half lead. However, the Lakers cut the lead to 14 at halftime with a Samaki Walker 3-pointer at the buzzer that should not have counted (replay was not used at the time), and to 7 after three quarters. They whittled it down to 2 on the final possession with a chance to tie or win it, but Bryant missed a running layup and Shaq missed a put-back attempt. Divac knocked the ball away from the hoop in an attempt to run out the clock, but instead it wound up going to a wide open Robert Horry behind the 3 point line, who hit the 3 over Webber at the buzzer to give the Lakers an improbable victory, which tied the series going back to Sacramento. Horry scored 11 of his 18 points in the 4th quarter, including two more crucial 3-pointers. O'Neal finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds, Bryant had 25. Divac, Webber and Bibby all finished with 20+ points for the Kings.[25]
As the series shifted back to Sacramento for Game 5, the Kings trailed almost the entire fourth quarter, but a jump shot by Bibby off a screen with 8.2 seconds left gave them the lead and was the game-winner in a 92–91 win. Bibby scored 23 in all, and Webber had 29 points and 13 rebounds in support. Bryant led Los Angeles with 30 points, but missed a potential game winner at the buzzer.[26] O'Neal had 28 points, but did not take a shot in the 4th quarter and fouled out.[27]
Game 6 is considered to be one of the most controversial games in not just NBA history, but arguably all of North American professional sports history,[citation needed] as numerous questionable calls went against the Kings in the fourth quarter. The Lakers, led by O'Neal's 41 points and 17 rebounds, won 106-102, setting the stage for Game 7 in Sacramento. There are allegations that the game was affected by the referees in relationship to the Tim Donaghy scandal.[28] The Lakers shot 40 free throws overall, 27 in the fourth quarter alone, and the Kings' big men were plagued with foul trouble (Divac, Webber, Scot Pollard, and Lawrence Funderburke were called for 20 fouls, with Divac and Pollard both fouling out). Webber nearly had a triple double (26 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists), Bibby scored 23, and Divac had 12 points and 12 rebounds.[29] The Washington Post sports columnist Michael Wilbon responded to the calls in Game 6: "I wrote down in my notebook six calls that were stunningly incorrect, all against Sacramento, all in the fourth quarter when the Lakers made five baskets and 21 foul shots to hold on to their championship." For example, Wilbon pointed out that Kobe Bryant did not get a foul called on him after elbowing Mike Bibby in front of an official.[30]
Game 7 was tense, featuring 16 ties and 19 lead changes. In the final ten seconds with Los Angeles up 99–98, Peja Stojaković air-balled a wide open 3, and O'Neal was fouled on the rebound. After O'Neal hit 1 of 2 free throws, Bibby was fouled by Bryant and made both free throws to force overtime. The Kings' offense stalled in the extra period, and the Lakers prevailed 112–106. Sacramento was undone by poor free throw shooting (16–30 from the line), a horrid 2–20 from behind the arc, and a seeming unwillingness for anyone other than Bibby to take crucial shots down the stretch. O'Neal scored 35 and Bryant added 30 in the victory, as all five Lakers starters finished in double figures. Bibby finished with 29 points, and Webber finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Divac added 15 points and 10 rebounds.[31]
This would be the last Western Conference finals to be decided in seven games until 2016.
Announcers: for NBC, Mike Breen announced Game 1, Marv Albert Games 3-7; Bill Walton & Steve Jones joined them as the analysts. TNT had Kevin Harlan, Danny Ainge, & John Thompson on hand for Game 2.
May 18 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 106, Sacramento Kings99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–22, 22–23, 24–24, 24–30 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant30 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal9 Asts: three players 5 each |
Pts: Chris Webber28 Rebs: Chris Webber14 Asts: Chris Webber6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
May 20 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 90, Sacramento Kings 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 24–27, 17–24, 23–20 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal35 Rebs: Robert Horry20 Asts: Fisher, Horry 4 each |
Pts: Chris Webber21 Rebs: Vlade Divac14 Asts: Mike Bibby8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
May 24 |
| Sacramento Kings 103, Los Angeles Lakers90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–15, 20–25, 23–12, 28–38 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber26 Rebs: Chris Webber12 Asts: Christie, Webber 6 each |
Pts: Kobe Bryant22 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal19 Asts: Brian Shaw7 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
May 26 |
| Sacramento Kings 99, Los Angeles Lakers 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 40–20, 25–31, 15–22, 19–27 | ||
| Pts: Vlade Divac23 Rebs: Hedo Türkoğlu12 Asts: Christie, Webber 5 each |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal27 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal18 Asts: Robert Horry5 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
May 28 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 91, Sacramento Kings 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–27, 13–24, 28–22, 17–19 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant30 Rebs: Robert Horry11 Asts: three players 3 each |
Pts: Chris Webber29 Rebs: Chris Webber13 Asts: three players 3 each | |
| Sacramento leads series, 3–2 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
May 31 |
| Sacramento Kings 102, Los Angeles Lakers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 30–23, 19–24, 27–31 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber26 Rebs: Chris Webber13 Asts: Chris Webber8 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal41 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal17 Asts: Bryant, Horry 5 each | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California |
June 2 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 112, Sacramento Kings 106 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 30–33, 21–20, 27–26, Overtime: 12–6 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal35 Rebs: Rick Fox14 Asts: Bryant, Fox 7 each |
Pts: Mike Bibby29 Rebs: Vlade Divac10 Asts: Chris Webber11 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
| Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first nine meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 8–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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June 5 |
| New Jersey Nets 94, Los Angeles Lakers 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–29, 22–19, 27–24, 31–27 | ||
| Pts: Jason Kidd23 Rebs: Jason Kidd10 Asts: Jason Kidd10 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal16 Asts: Kobe Bryant6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles |
June 7 |
| New Jersey Nets 83, Los Angeles Lakers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 22–22, 18–28, 22–29 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles23 Rebs: Jason Kidd9 Asts: Jason Kidd7 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal40 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal12 Asts: Shaquille O'Neal8 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles |
June 9 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 106, New Jersey Nets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–23, 21–23, 26–32, 28–25 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal11 Asts: Derek Fisher6 |
Pts: Jason Kidd30 Rebs: Van Horn, Kidd 5 each Asts: Jason Kidd10 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford |
June 12 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 113, New Jersey Nets 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–34, 31–23, 26–23, 29–27 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal34 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal10 Asts: Kobe Bryant8 |
Pts: Kenyon Martin35 Rebs: Kenyon Martin11 Asts: Jason Kidd12 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford |
In Game 1, the Nets stayed within striking distance, but Shaquille O'Neal's 36 points and 16 rebounds led the Lakers to victory. In Game 2, the Nets were blown out by 23, with O'Neal leading the way again, putting up 40 points and 12 rebounds and coming within 2 assists of a triple double. This brought the series to New Jersey with the Lakers up 2-0. Game 3 was a close matchup with Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant all scoring 26 or more points. Bryant and O'Neal's combined 71 points was too much for the Nets to handle though, and the Lakers took a 3-0 series lead. In Game 4, O'Neal put up 34 points and the Lakers won the game and the championship, accomplishing the NBA's second three-peat in seven years. Game 4 is Mitch Richmond's final NBA game. Game 4 was also the last NBA game to be televised on NBC.
| Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Lakers.[33]
| Category | Game High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
| Points | Paul Pierce | Boston Celtics | 46 | Tracy McGrady | Orlando Magic | 30.8 | 4 |
| Rebounds | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 25 | Kevin Garnett | Minnesota Timberwolves | 18.7 | 3 |
| Assists | Steve Nash | Dallas Mavericks | 15 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 10.0 | 4 |
| Steals | Baron Davis | Charlotte Hornets | 7 | Baron Davis | Charlotte Hornets | 3.6 | 9 |
| Blocks | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 7 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 4.3 | 9 |