The 1999-2000

1999-2000 NBA season

-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...

 Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...

 season was Indiana's 24th season in the NBA. It was the 1st season Indiana played at the Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers went to the 2000 NBA Finals

2000 NBA Finals

The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1999-2000 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Indiana Pacers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage...

 for the first time, only to lose to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 in six games.

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	26	Vonteego Cummings Vonteego Cummings Vonteego Marfeek Cummings is an American professional basketball player. He is a 1.91 m combo guard who has played in the National Basketball Association during his career. He has also had a successful career in Europe where he has played in several different countries...	G		Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

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Depth chart

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Reserve	Inactive
C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	Rik Smits Rik Smits Rik Smits is a retired Dutch professional basketball player who spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. The 7'4" center was drafted by the Pacers out of Marist College with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft...	Sam Perkins Sam Perkins Samuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...	Žan Tabak Žan Tabak Žan Tabak is a retired Croatian professional basketball player. His basketball career, spanning twenty years, was marked by several notable achievements, despite injuries....	Jeff Foster
PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...	Dale Davis Dale Davis (basketball) Elliott Lydell Davis is a former American professional basketball player who played center and power forward. He is 6'11" and weighs 252 pounds....	Austin Croshere Austin Croshere Austin Nathan Croshere is a retired American professional basketball player and current analyst for Fox Sports Indiana broadcasts of Indiana Pacers games.-Education:...	Jonathan Bender Jonathan Bender Jonathan Rene Bender is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association .-Career:...	Al Harrington Al Harrington Albert "Al" Harrington is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Denver Nuggets...
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	Jalen Rose Jalen Rose Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...	Derrick McKey Derrick McKey Derrick Wayne McKey is a retired American basketball player who played the most part of his NBA career between the small forward and the power forward positions.-Early life and college career:...
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	Reggie Miller Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...	Chris Mullin Chris Mullin Chris Mullin may refer to:*Chris Mullin , English politician, journalist, and author*Chris Mullin , American basketball player...
PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	Mark Jackson Mark Jackson (basketball) Mark A. Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He played point guard for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in the NBA in a career...	Travis Best Travis Best Travis Eric Best is an American former professional basketball player, who played in the NBA and in Europe.-High school career:...

Regular season

The Pacers began a new era by moving into Conseco Fieldhouse

Conseco Fieldhouse

Conseco Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena, it is home to the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association...

 after 25 years at Market Square Arena

Market Square Arena

Market Square Arena was an indoor arena, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530, for basketball and 15,993, for ice hockey.-History:...

. The Pacers would start the season with a 7-7 record. The Pacers finished with a 56-26 record that was good enough to win their 2nd straight division title. The Pacers even won 25 straight games at their new arena.
In the playoffs, the Pacers went to five games against the Milwaukee Bucks. In the fifth and deciding game, Dale Davis pulled down a rebound off the Bucks for a desperation last second 3-pointer. In the 2nd round, the Pacers would beat the Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games. This would lead to a rematch with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers took Game 5 at home to take a 3-2 series lead. The Pacers would clinch the series in 6 games as Reggie Miller scored 34 points. The Pacers reached the NBA Finals but found themselves overmatched to a Los Angeles Lakers team that had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers won the NBA Finals in 6 games. Following the season, Head Coach Larry Bird

Larry Bird

Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...

 would step down. Bird’s explanation was with regards to the daily grind of coaching.

Roster

Head Coach: Larry Bird

Larry Bird

Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...

 

Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller

Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...

  |
Jalen Rose

Jalen Rose

Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...

  |
Rik Smits

Rik Smits

Rik Smits is a retired Dutch professional basketball player who spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. The 7'4" center was drafted by the Pacers out of Marist College with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft...

  |
Austin Croshere

Austin Croshere

Austin Nathan Croshere is a retired American professional basketball player and current analyst for Fox Sports Indiana broadcasts of Indiana Pacers games.-Education:...

  |
Dale Davis

Dale Davis (basketball)

Elliott Lydell Davis is a former American professional basketball player who played center and power forward. He is 6'11" and weighs 252 pounds....

  |
Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson (basketball)

Mark A. Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He played point guard for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in the NBA in a career...

  |
Al Harrington

Al Harrington

Albert "Al" Harrington is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Denver Nuggets...

  |
Sam Perkins

Sam Perkins

Samuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...

  |
Chris Mullin

Chris Mullin (basketball)

Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame....

  |
Jeff Foster  |
Derrick McKey

Derrick McKey

Derrick Wayne McKey is a retired American basketball player who played the most part of his NBA career between the small forward and the power forward positions.-Early life and college career:...

  |
Jonathan Bender

Jonathan Bender

Jonathan Rene Bender is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association .-Career:...

  |
Zan Tabak

Žan Tabak

Žan Tabak is a retired Croatian professional basketball player. His basketball career, spanning twenty years, was marked by several notable achievements, despite injuries....

  |

Standings

Central Division

Team	W	L	PCT	GB
Indiana Pacers Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...	56	26	.683	-
Charlotte Hornets	49	33	.598	7
Toronto Raptors Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...	45	37	.549	11
Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...	42	40	.512	14
Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....	42	40	.512	14
Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...	32	50	.390	24
Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...	28	54	.341	28
Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...	17	65	.207	39

Schedule

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Pacers points	Opponents	Record	Streak	Notes
1

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average

Player	GP	REB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS	AVG

2000 NBA Finals

• Lakers' backup center John Salley
  John Salley
  John Thomas "Spider" Salley is a retired American professional basketball player, actor and talk show host. He was the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises....
  
   became the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises, as he won titles in 1989 and '90 with the Detroit Pistons
  Detroit Pistons
  The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
  
   and 1996 with the Chicago Bulls
  Chicago Bulls
  The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
  
  .
• This was the Lakers first NBA Finals in the new Staples Center
  Staples Center
  Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
  
  .
• After closing out game 6, fans rioted outside Staples Center by making bonfires, tipping cars, breaking windows of cars and buildings, and vandalizing businesses around the area. Overall, they caused $1 million in damages. In Lakers' championship run the following year, the LAPD came out in bigger force after the Lakers won and prevented the same thing from happening again.
• Staples Center, which was a first-year building in 2000, had a very tricky shooting background and opposing teams often had difficulty shooting there. Pacers coach Larry Bird wanted to have a shoot-around in the arena the day before Game 6 to help his team shoot more consistently because they shot very poorly in Games 1 and 2. However, the Pacers couldn't practice in the building because of an Arena Football game. Bird was very upset about this, and his team had to go down to the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo.
• The two arenas in this series, Conseco Fieldhouse
  Conseco Fieldhouse
  Conseco Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena, it is home to the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association...
  
   and Staples Center
  Staples Center
  Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
  
  , were both first-year arenas.

Summary

The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers.

Team	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4*	Game 5	Game 6	Wins
Los Angeles (West)	104	111	91	120	87	116	4
Indiana (East)	87	104	100	118	120	111	2