2000 NBA Finals Game 1 vs Los Angeles Lakers
Lakers take Game 1 behind Shaq's 43 points.
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the NBA's 1999–2000 season. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers in six games. This marked Indiana's first NBA Finals appearance.
Quick Facts
- Event
- 2000 NBA Finals - Game 1
- Competitors
- Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- Venue
- Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
- Series context
- First meeting of the franchises in an NBA Finals
- Key figures
- Reggie Miller (Pacers), Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
- Outcome
- Los Angeles Lakers victory
Lore & Background
In Game 1, the Lakers dominated from the start. The Lakers shot 15-for-20 (75%) in the first period while the Pacers shot only 7-for-20 (35%). Reggie Miller missed all of his shots in the first quarter. Austin Croshere came off the bench to score 9 points and grab 4 rebounds in the 2nd quarter. Mark Jackson led a Pacers comeback in the 3rd quarter, cutting the Lakers lead to 2. Miller hit his first field goal in the 3rd quarter, though it would be his last. The Lakers handled the Pacers in the final quarter with a 13–2 run, winning by 17 points. Shaquille O'Neal scored 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.
Reader's Guide
It only states that he missed all his shots in the first quarter and hit his first field goal in the 3rd quarter, which was his last.
Did You Know?
- Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP, his first of three consecutive honors.
- The Pacers would not return to the NBA Finals until 2025.
- This was the second time a Finals game was played on a Monday night since the NBA switched to the Wednesday-Friday-Sunday rotation in 1991.
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