For the most part this decade, the Philadelphia 76ers have struggled. There have been poor seasons on the court, bad decisions made in the front office and coaches coming in and out faster than most people can keep track. There was one season where everything came together, and this moment comes from that year.
Moment #4: Allen Iverson steps over Tyronn Lue-June 6, 2001
The 2001 season for the Sixers was one that looked like it would have promise when it started, but then snowballed into something far greater. The team won its first ten games and proceeded to finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference. A midseason trade for Dikembe Mutombo helped solidify the defense, and the team raked in the awards for the season. Allen Iverson was named the MVP, Mutombo won Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron McKie was named the Sixth Man of the Year, and Larry Brown won Coach of the Year. Things didn't go as smoothly in the playoffs, as the Sixers faced seven game series against both the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks that could have gone either way with just a few key plays. In the end, the Sixers stood atop the Eastern Conference for the first time since the 1983 season, but the team they would face in the NBA Finals was on a roll that no other team had ever been on.
The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2001 season with the second best record in the Western Conference, but that didn't matter. In all three rounds of the playoffs, the Lakers swept their opponents. First, Portland was beaten in three games, and then Los Angeles took out both Sacramento and San Antonio in four games to earn an 11-0 record heading into the Finals. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were still in pre-breakup mode and playing at an insane level, while Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry and Horace Grant helped build around the foundation that head coach Phil Jackson had to work with.
To say that the odds were against the Sixers heading into Game 1 would be like suggesting the Pope is Catholic. The Sixers had just been through the ringer in the Eastern Conference, playing 18 games in their three series, while the Lakers were well rested and undefeated in the playoffs. The Finals were set to open in Los Angeles, and just about everyone assumed that the Sixers would just be another speed bump on Los Angeles' way to a second straight title.
For most of the first quarter, those people were right. The Lakers had a 16-0 run in the first quarter on their way to building a 21-9 early lead. After that, Allen Iverson took over. The MVP brought the Sixers back to within a point by the end of the first quarter, and dropped 30 points in the first half to give the Sixers a 56-50 lead at the break. The Philadelphia lead would grow to as many as 15 points in the second half, and it looked like the Sixers were not only for real, but were going to stun the Lakers at home in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. It wasn't the ideal situation for the Lakers, and they responded by unleashing their secret weapon.
Tyronn Lue played in only 38 games during the 2001 regular season, but the second year player from the University of Nebraska was Los Angeles' answer to Allen Iverson. Phil Jackson used him in the time leading up to the NBA Finals to mirror Iverson's moves in practice, and now he was going to be used to guard Iverson during a key stretch of Game 1. The plan worked perfectly. Iverson was held to just three points during the fourth quarter, while Lue was able to produce three assists and two steals to help the Lakers get back into the game. The Sixers as a team only scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, and after Dikembe Mutombo missed two free throws near the end of the quarter, the game headed into overtime tied at 94.
As the overtime started, it looked the Lakers would be too much for Philadelphia. Los Angeles scored five points to build a quick lead, and the Sixers looked lost. Finally, as it was during the regular season, Allen Iverson put the team on his back again for one last run. The NBA MVP showed why he won that award during the overtime, scoring seven straight points, including the shot that is the fourth best moment of the decade. With about a minute to play in the overtime, Iverson got the ball down in the corner, with Tyronn Lue guarding him again. This time, Iverson worked over Lue, and eventually crossed him up to gain space for a three point shot. The shot hit nothing but cotton, Lue hit the floor, and in a moment that will be remembered forever, Iverson looked down at Lue, then stepped over him on his way back on defense. The basket put the Sixers ahead for good, and they would eventually shock the Lakers with a 107-101 victory in Game 1. The hope of an undefeated Los Angeles postseason run was over, thanks to a six foot guard from Georgetown.
Unfortunately, the rest of the series didn't turn out so well. The Lakers would take Game 2 to even the series, and then won the next three games in Philadelphia to claim their second straight title. Allen Iverson averaged over 35 points a game, but even he couldn't get the Sixers another win. Even with the outcome, the fact that he scored 48 points in the first game of series that most people didn't think his team even belonged in is impressive even now. The shot he made over Tyronn Lue remains one of the iconic moments of his entire career, and will be seen in every highlight reel of moments of this decade until the end of time.
I actually didn't even get to see the first half of this game when it happened. That night, I was at the Phillies game with my dad and brother, watching them take on the Mets. I remember walking back to our seats at some point after the Sixers game had started, and there were more people watching the NBA Finals in the bars around the Vet than there were watching the Phillies play. That's how much the Sixers had captivated the city during the 2001 season. I got home just in time for the overtime period, and watched as Allen Iverson nailed that shot over Tyronn Lue. Even then, I knew that was a moment that was going to be remembered for a long time. Now, eight and a half years later, it still is known as one of the top basketball moments of the decade, let alone one of the Philadelphia sports moments.
Yes, there is video for this one as well. Enjoy watching Iverson own Lue time and time again.
That's all for the Sixers and Flyers on the countdown. We finish up with the final three moments, which belong to the Phillies and Eagles. The Phils get the next one, and it's a moment that New York Mets fans would like to forget. As for me, I love it.
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