After going 11-0 in the first three rounds of the 2001 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers entered the NBA Finals versus the Philadelphia 76ers widely expected to run the table and become the first team to win the NBA championship while going undefeated through the postseason.
The Sixers possessed league MVP Allen Iverson and Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo, but no one else on their roster would’ve cracked the rotation of most other good or great teams.
Still, Philly shocked L.A. by defeating it in Game 1. It was the first time the Lakers had lost a game in over two calendar months. In Game 2, the Lakers returned to basics, and their two superstars set the tone.
