With the NBA in an indefinite hiatus due to COVID-19, we continue our day-by-day look back at the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. We continue down our path into Sixers history every day as we look to fill the void left by the absence of basketball.
This one takes us back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 with the Sixers in a battle with the Milwaukee Bucks. Allen Iverson led the way on the road in Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2, but as the scene shifts back to Philadelphia, the Bucks had a lot of firepower to retake control. Iverson would not have the same type of game in this one and they would have to rely on others to get this one done.
May 30, 2001
Iverson could not find a groove in this one. Every good shot he had just could not drop. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Big 3 of Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, and Sam Cassell were firing on all cylinders. This seemed like one prime for the taking for Milwaukee to take a 3-2 lead back to the Bradley Center. However, Philadelphia found offense from other sources.
Dikembe Mutombo stepped up to the challenge and he led the way with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks while Eric Snow hopped off the bench and poured in 18 points to lead Philadelphia to an 89-88 win. Iverson shot 5-for-27 to score 15 points with nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals so he did other things to help the Sixers earn this one despite his struggles from the floor.
With the 3-2 series lead now in their favor with things shifting back to Wisconsin, the Sixers will need all hands on deck to combat the Bucks and their explosive offensive attack. They now sit just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1983.