In the conference finals the Lakers went up against the number 1 seed San Antonio Spurs, who were expected to be more competitive than the Lakers' previous opponents. In the semifinals the Lakers took on the Sacramento Kings, a team who had also given the Lakers a tough series the previous season, but the Lakers took two close games at home and went to Sacramento to finish the Kings off with a 4–0 sweep as well. The series wasn't close, as the Lakers swept the Trail Blazers by double digits in all three games. The Trail Blazers were a team that struggled throughout the season but battled back to claim the 7th seed. The Lakers began the 2001 NBA Playoffs versus the team against whom they played the previous year in the Western Conference finals, the Portland Trail Blazers. But by April 1, 2001, the Lakers last loss was to the New York Knicks and they never looked back as the team closed out the season on an eight-game winning streak, thus finishing the season 56-26 and closing out as the number 2 seed in the West behind the San Antonio Spurs. Injuries also riddled the team as they struggled through the season. The Lakers began the season struggling on and off the court, as they were losing games at the beginning with the Shaq–Kobe feud. The club lost a few players to free agency, but they signed veteran players like Isaiah Rider and Horace Grant. The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2000–01 NBA season as the defending NBA champions. It was later surpassed after the NBA extended the first round series to a best-of-seven series by the 2016–17 Golden State Warriors. Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers was named the Most Valuable Player of the series for the second consecutive year.īy the end of the series, the 2000–01 Lakers held the record for the best postseason record with 15–1. The defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers took on the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers for the championship, with the Lakers holding home-court advantage in a best-of-seven format.Īfter losing the first game at home, the Lakers won the next four games to clinch their second consecutive title and 13th overall. The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2000–01 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. JSTOR ( May 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
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