<P> In Game One, the Lakers jumped out to an 18--5 lead, but the 76ers stormed back to take a 15 - point lead in the second half . Los Angeles rallied to force a 94--94 tie at the end of regulation before scoring the first five points of the overtime period, but the 76ers closed the game on a 13--2 run for a 107--101 triumph . Iverson hit a go - ahead three - pointer with 1: 19 to go in the extra period, and followed that with a jump shot after which he infamously stepped over Tyronn Lue after making the basket . Eric Snow hit a running jump shot in the waning seconds with the shot clock expiring to clinch the stunning victory . The series would come back to Philadelphia even as Los Angeles took Game Two, 98--89 . In Game Three, Shaquille O'Neal fouled out late in the fourth quarter, and the Sixers pulled to within a point with less than a minute to play after trailing by 12 earlier in the second half . Robert Horry, however, hit a clutch three - pointer in that final minute, and the Lakers prevailed, 96--91 . Los Angeles wrapped up the second of what would be three consecutive NBA titles with a 100--86 win in Game Four and a 108--96 victory in Game Five . </P> <P> In addition to their Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles, the 2000--01 76ers featured the NBA's MVP (Iverson), Coach of the Year (Brown), Defensive Player of the Year (Mutombo), and Sixth Man of the Year (Aaron McKie). </P> <P> The 76ers went into the 2001--02 season with high expectations, but were able to produce only a 43--39 record, sixth in the Eastern Conference . In the first round of the playoffs, Philadelphia was defeated 3--2 by the Boston Celtics . In the 2002--03 season, the 76ers sprinted to a 15--4 start, but a 10--20 swoon left them 25--24 at the All - Star break . After the break, the 76ers caught fire, winning nine in a row at one point, and 23 of their last 33 to finish at 48--34, earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs . Iverson scored 55 points in the playoff opener against the New Orleans Hornets and the Sixers went on to win the series in six games . In the second round, the Detroit Pistons ended Philadelphia's playoff run in a frustrating six - game series that saw the 76ers lose twice in overtime, and once on a last - second shot in regulation . It would be nine years before the Sixers won another playoff series . </P> <P> On Memorial Day, 2003, Brown abruptly resigned as head coach, taking over the reins in Detroit a few days later . Brown's Pistons would win the 2004 NBA Championship over the Los Angeles Lakers, in some ways avenging his loss to them in 2001 . After being turned down by Jeff Van Gundy and Eddie Jordan, the 76ers hired Randy Ayers, an assistant coach under Brown, as their new head coach . Ayers lasted only 52 games and was fired with the team's record at 21--31 . Chris Ford took over, but the 76ers finished the 2003--04 season at 33--49, missing the playoffs for the first time in six years . Iverson, who was at odds with Ford throughout the interim coach's tenure, played only 48 games in a stormy, injury - plagued season . </P>

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