Chasing AI: How the League Responded to Toronto’s Title
As the NBA entered a new millennium, an unlikely franchise stood at the top of the basketball world. In just their fourth season, the Toronto Raptors captured the 1999 NBA Championship behind the brilliance of 1996 No. 1 overall pick Allen Iverson.
Now the question was simple: Could they do it again?
Iverson, who never won an NBA championship in real life, had already captured both an NBA Championship and Finals MVP in just his third season in the Rewritten Rings universe.
At only 24 years old, he had quickly become the league's newest superstar, and every contender entered the 1999-2000 season with one goal in mind—knock off the defending champions.
As always, the offseason began with a wave of retirements. The biggest name to call it a career was Terry Cummings, whose legacy looked much different in this universe. Along with being a nine-time All-Star, Cummings retired as both an NBA Champion and Finals MVP.
The legendary 1984 draft class also began reaching the end of its run. Kevin Willis announced his retirement after a career that included a 1992 All-Star appearance.
Ralph Sampson, whose NBA career was cut short in real life, enjoyed a much longer journey in the Rewritten Rings universe. After spending 13 seasons with the Houston Rockets, and 3 more years elsewhere, Sampson retired as a two-time NBA Champion and nine-time All-Star, with Houston honoring him by retiring his jersey.
Several other familiar faces also stepped away from the game. Derek Harper retired after making two All-Star teams and helping Dallas reach the 1987 NBA Finals.
Jay Humphries closed the book on a career that featured five All-Star appearances and multiple Finals trips with the Detroit Pistons. Xavier "X-Man" McDaniel also retired, ending a career that included three NBA championships with the Bullets and Cavaliers.
When Hall of Fame weekend arrived, Terry Cummings became the lone inductee from this class.
With one era coming to an end, another was just beginning.
The Utah Jazz entered the Draft Lottery with the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick after selecting Vince Carter the previous year. Lottery luck struck once again, as Utah earned the top selection for a second consecutive season. The Milwaukee Bucks (via Cleveland) landed the No. 2 pick, while the Charlotte Hornets rounded out the top three.
Utah selected Baron Davis with the No. 1 overall pick despite already having Jason Kidd running the point, creating one of the biggest storylines of the draft.
Corey Maggette went second overall to Milwaukee after falling to 13th in real life. The Miami Heat traded Voshon Lenard and Rex Chapman to acquire the third overall pick, using it to select Shawn Marion.
Portland selected Steve Francis fourth overall, hoping he could replace the void left by Isiah Thomas. Lamar Odom went fifth to the Grizzlies, while real-life No. 1 overall pick Elton Brand slid all the way to Philadelphia at No. 9. The 76ers believed they had found the perfect heir to Charles Barkley.
Once the draft concluded, free agency quickly stole the spotlight.
The biggest headlines belonged to three members of the legendary 1987 draft class. After 12 seasons without ever reaching the NBA Finals, each decided it was time for a fresh start.
Scottie Pippen left Milwaukee after leading the Bucks to their first Conference Finals appearance (1996) since 1983 and signed with the Washington Wizards.
Reggie Miller also moved on from the only franchise he had ever known. After spending 12 seasons with the New Jersey Nets and never advancing beyond the Conference Finals, Miller joined Shawn Kemp and the Detroit Pistons in pursuit of his first championship. His last Conference Finals appearance came in 1995, when Len Bias' Pistons swept New Jersey.
Then there was Mark Jackson. In 12 NBA seasons, he had never experienced playoff basketball. Hoping to finally change that, Jackson signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, joining rising stars Stephon Marbury and Tim Duncan.
Several other notable veterans also found new homes. Tim Hardaway left Seattle for Indiana as the Pacers searched for a replacement after Gary Payton departed for Dallas the previous offseason. Hershey Hawkins signed with New Jersey in hopes of replacing Miller, while Joe Smith also joined the Nets to strengthen their frontcourt.
Eric Murdock headed to New York, while Nick Van Exel signed with Charlotte. Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen, who were real life teammates, teamed up here in Washington.
After losing Pippen, Milwaukee added Dee Brown to pair alongside Penny Hardaway. Doug Christie departed the defending champion Raptors for Chicago, while Pooh Richardson joined the champion Raptors.
As opening night approached, the movement wasn't over.
Doug West was traded to Washington, Karl Malone landed with the Chicago Bulls, Rodney Rogers joined Cleveland, and Kenny Smith was dealt to New Jersey in a trade that sent Felton Spencer to Houston.
The 62-Win Standard: Toronto Prepares to Defend the Crown
Even after the season began, teams continued reshaping their rosters. Juwan Howard signed with Dallas, Kurt Thomas joined Detroit, and Kenny Smith returned to Boston in a deal involving Terrell Brandon and Kevin Johnson.
Dallas remained aggressive, acquiring both Reggie Lewis and Doug West in exchange for Bryant Stith. Jeff McInnis headed to Philadelphia, while Terrell Brandon and Juwan Howard each changed teams once again during the season.
Cliff Robinson and Tom Gugliotta both found their way to Milwaukee, and New Jersey continued rebuilding by acquiring Donyell Marshall in a trade involving Calbert Cheaney.
Once the games finally began, one familiar face once again stood above the rest.
For the second straight season, Chris Webber captured the NBA Most Valuable Player Award after averaging 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
Elton Brand proved Philadelphia had found its future, winning Rookie of the Year after averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kurt Thomas completed an incredible turnaround by claiming Sixth Man of the Year after beginning the season without a team.
When the regular season came to an end, Toronto once again stood atop the NBA.
The defending champion Raptors matched last season's 62 victories, but this time they owned the league's best record outright. Chris Webber's Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference with 53 wins.
Detroit actually won one more game than Boston but settled for the third seed, as division winners were still guaranteed the conference's top two playoff positions.
Milwaukee finished fourth with 50 wins and earned a first-round matchup against the newly rebuilt New Jersey Nets, who finished just one game behind.
David Robinson led Cleveland back to the playoffs after missing them a year earlier. The sixth-seeded Cavaliers would now meet Reggie Miller and the Pistons in one of the most intriguing first-round matchups, featuring two former MVPs battling to keep their championship hopes alive.
Seventh-seeded Orlando also returned behind Shaquille O'Neal, setting up another fascinating showdown against the two-time defending league MVP and the former two-time Finals MVP (1996-97).
Then there were the New York Knicks.
Just one season earlier, New York had pushed the top-seeded Raptors to the brink in an unforgettable seven-game Eastern Conference Semifinal after trailing the series 3-1. Now, as the No. 8 seed, they once again stood in Toronto's path.
Could history repeat itself?
Out West, the Golden State Warriors remained the conference's measuring stick. For the third straight season, they earned the No. 1 seed after winning 57 games, finishing with the NBA's second-best record.
Minnesota secured the No. 2 seed once again with 48 victories, but last year's stunning first-round sweep at the hands of Seattle still lingered.
Would the Timberwolves finally erase those memories?
The Lakers actually finished with three more wins than Minnesota but remained the third seed because of the division format. The postseason would also mark Jackson's first playoff appearance after waiting 13 NBA seasons.
Vancouver tied Minnesota in the standings but lost the tiebreaker, settling for the fourth seed—the best regular-season finish in franchise history. Waiting for them were the Sacramento Kings, making their best playoff appearance in four years.
Gary Payton and the Dallas Mavericks slipped to the sixth seed, creating an immediate rematch with the Lakers after last season's upset victory.
The Clippers, now led by Rik Smits, returned to the playoffs after missing out a year earlier and would challenge the second-seeded Timberwolves. Rounding out the bracket were the San Antonio Spurs, who returned to postseason basketball in only their second season after Karl Malone's departure.
The stage was now set.
Sixteen teams remained. Only one would begin the new millennium as NBA champions.
Six Points in Eight Seconds: Inside the Wildest First Round in Universe History
The 2000 NBA Playoffs opened with the 4-5 matchup in the Eastern Conference between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Jersey Nets. Although just one game separated the two teams in the regular-season standings, this series quickly became one-sided.
It didn't start that way.
Game 1 was a battle from start to finish. After Hershey Hawkins knocked down a three-pointer to break a 91-91 tie, Milwaukee answered with a 7-0 run to take control. New Jersey refused to go away, scoring on back-to-back possessions to even the game once again.
With the game hanging in the balance, Penny Hardaway found Lorenzen Wright for a perfectly timed alley-oop that broke the tie in the closing seconds and ultimately proved to be the game-winning basket.
That heartbreaking finish changed the entire series.
Milwaukee cruised in Game 2 to take a commanding 2-0 lead before heading to New Jersey. The Nets made one final push in Game 3, trimming the deficit to five points late in the game, but Dee Brown buried a dagger three-pointer to stretch the lead back to eight and put the comeback to rest.
The Bucks completed the sweep, advancing past the first round for the first time since 1996. Isaiah Rider led the closeout victory with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Next, the attention shifted to the Western Conference, where the second-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves looked to erase the memories of last year's shocking first-round sweep.
Facing the seventh-seeded Clippers, Minnesota made sure history wouldn't repeat itself.
The Timberwolves defended home court in the opening two games before finding themselves in another tight battle during Game 3. Nursing a slim lead late in the fourth quarter, the Clippers appeared ready to make one final run. After Calbert Cheaney was fouled and split a pair of free throws, the lead remained within reach.
Then came the turning point.
On the very next possession, Billy Owens knocked down a basket that pushed Minnesota's advantage to four points. The Timberwolves never looked back, completing the three-game sweep and putting last season's disappointment firmly behind them.
Owens led the closeout performance with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Staying in the West, the top-seeded Golden State Warriors opened their title defense against the eighth-seeded San Antonio Spurs.
Much like the previous postseason, Golden State immediately reminded everyone why they were the team to beat.
The Warriors dominated Game 1, but Game 2 proved far more competitive. With less than three minutes remaining, San Antonio had trimmed the deficit to just one point, threatening to steal home-court advantage.
Instead, the game slipped away.
Glenn Robinson missed five consecutive shots, while Golden State closed the contest on a 10-5 run, including six unanswered points. Any momentum the Spurs had disappeared, and the series never became competitive again.
The Warriors rolled to a 24-point victory in Game 3, completing another first-round sweep. Five-time MVP Len Bias led the closeout win with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Back in the Eastern Conference, one of the most intriguing matchups featured two former MVPs.
David Robinson had guided the Cleveland Cavaliers back to the playoffs after a one-year absence, while Reggie Miller was making his postseason debut with the Detroit Pistons after spending more than a decade with the New Jersey Nets.
Robinson struck first.
The Cavaliers stole Game 1 on the road to seize home-court advantage, but the Pistons responded immediately by evening the series before it shifted to Cleveland.
The Pistons earned a convincing 19-point victory in Game 3, then followed it with another road win in Game 4 to eliminate Cleveland in four games. Whatever confidence the Cavaliers gained from their opening upset quickly disappeared as Detroit adjusted and dominated the final three contests.
Darrell Armstrong paced the series-clinching victory with 26 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals, sending the Pistons into the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Back in the Western Conference, the 3-6 matchup featured a rematch of last year's thrilling 4-5 series. Gary Payton and the Dallas Mavericks had stunned the Lakers in that meeting. Could they do it again?
The Lakers looked determined to prevent history from repeating itself, opening the series with a 26-point victory in Game 1.
Dallas answered in emphatic fashion.
The Mavericks stormed into Los Angeles and returned the favor with a 31-point rout in Game 2, stealing home-court advantage and turning the series into a best-of-three.
Game 3 was the turning point.
With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, the two teams traded baskets until Dirk Nowitzki took over. The young star scored on back-to-back possessions, giving Dallas a four-point lead with 36 seconds remaining.
The Lakers refused to quit. After trading baskets again, they intentionally fouled Gary Payton, who split a pair of free throws to leave the door open.
Down three with one final possession, it was Mark Jackson, appearing in the first playoff series of his 13-year career, who buried the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime.
It wasn't enough.
Dallas controlled the extra period, pulling away for a 10-point victory.
Facing elimination in Game 4, the Lakers once again found themselves locked in a tight battle. This time it was Nowitzki who delivered the knockout blow, scoring six consecutive points before a Doug West three-pointer capped a 9-0 Dallas run that sealed both the game and the series.
The Mavericks eliminated the Lakers in four games, with Nowitzki leading the closeout victory with 27 points and 7 rebounds.
Back in the Eastern Conference, another battle of MVPs took center stage as Chris Webber's Celtics faced Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic.
Boston protected home court with victories in the opening two games, but Orlando finally pushed back once the series shifted to Florida.
Late in Game 3, the Magic appeared ready to climb back into the series, holding a five-point lead in the closing minutes.
Then the Celtics answered.
Boston scored six unanswered points, capped by a clutch basket from Paul Pierce, to take the lead. But with only seconds remaining, Bobby Hurley found Shaquille O'Neal for a thunderous dunk that proved to be the game-winning basket, giving Orlando life.
Any momentum the Magic gained disappeared almost immediately.
Boston dominated Game 4, winning by 25 points on the road to advance to its fourth consecutive Conference Semifinal. Ray Allen led the closeout victory with 30 points and 6 assists.
The final two series would be historic.
Out West, the fourth-seeded Vancouver Grizzlies entered the postseason after recording the best regular season in franchise history.
In 1998, the Grizzlies stood one win away from eliminating the second-seeded Spurs, only to lose the series. Now they were determined to avoid another collapse.
Vancouver opened with a victory in Game 1, but Sacramento answered with a 20-point win on the road. The Grizzlies reclaimed control by winning Game 3 in Sacramento by 21 points, putting themselves just one victory away from the first playoff series win in franchise history.
The Kings weren't finished.
Sacramento evened the series, forcing a decisive Game 5 and bringing back painful memories of the Grizzlies' collapse two years earlier.
This time, history would be different.
Behind Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a two-time NBA champion who had signed with Vancouver during the offseason, the Grizzlies finally broke through. Abdul-Rauf poured in 35 points while adding 6 assists, leading Vancouver to its first playoff series victory in franchise history.
Then came a series that may have become the greatest in Rewritten Rings history.
The defending champion Toronto Raptors and the eighth-seeded New York Knicks had already produced an unforgettable seven-game battle one year earlier. This time, with the opening round still played as a best-of-five, they somehow delivered an even more dramatic sequel.
New York stunned Toronto by stealing Game 1 on the road.
From that point forward, every game became an instant classic.
In Game 2, the Raptors held a five-point lead late before Bryant "Big Country" Reeves scored the Knicks' final six points, including the game-tying basket.
Overtime somehow became even more chaotic.
With Toronto battling foul trouble, role players Jimmy King and Terry Dehere combined to score five unanswered points, giving the Raptors the lead.
Reeves answered once again, then the teams traded baskets, and finally Austin Croshere found Erick Dampier for the go-ahead layup as Toronto escaped with the victory.
If Game 2 was unforgettable, Game 3 became legendary.
With only 11 seconds remaining, the Knicks led by five points and appeared to be on the verge of taking a commanding series lead.
Instead, Austin Croshere buried a three-pointer. Eric Murdock split a pair of free throws. Then, with the season hanging in the balance, Allen Iverson drilled another three-pointer to tie the game and send it to overtime.
It wasn't Reggie Miller's eight points in nine seconds, but six points in eight seconds was remarkable in itself.
The Raptors pulled away in overtime, completing what became the greatest comeback in Rewritten Rings history.
Somehow, Game 4 was just as dramatic.
Toronto led by eight points with only two minutes remaining before New York answered with an 8-0 run, fueled by Bryant Reeves, who scored six of the eight points. For the third consecutive game, the series headed to overtime.
New York opened overtime on a 6-2 run, and although Latrell Sprewell knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one with under two minutes remaining, the Raptors never got any closer. The Knicks held on for a two-point victory, forcing a winner-take-all Game 5.
Naturally, the deciding game came down to the final minutes.
With 2:37 remaining, Toronto clung to a two-point lead. The score remained unchanged until Tracy McGrady buried a three-pointer with 45 seconds left, giving the Knicks the lead and putting the defending champions on the brink of elimination.
On the very next possession, Erick Dampier grabbed a crucial offensive rebound. With Bryant Reeves already sidelined by injury, the Knicks were forced to move Roy Rogers, normally their power forward, over to center. Rogers was whistled for the foul on the rebound, sending Dampier to the free-throw line with Toronto's season hanging in the balance.
Dampier calmly knocked down both free throws, and the defending champions regained the lead for good.
The Raptors held on for a four-point victory, surviving one of the greatest first-round series in Rewritten Rings history. Allen Iverson led the deciding win with 23 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals, sending Toronto into the Eastern Conference Semifinals after narrowly escaping the eighth-seeded Knicks.
Gentleman’s Sweeps and Giant Killings: The Battle for the Conference Finals
The Conference Semifinals opened in the Western Conference, where the second-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves faced the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks.
After upsetting the Lakers in the first round for the second consecutive year, Gary Payton and the Mavericks were back in the Conference Semifinals after last season's run to the Western Conference Finals. Standing in their way was a Minnesota team making its deepest playoff run since 1996.
Despite owning home-court advantage, the Timberwolves were facing the more battle-tested team.
Dallas stole Game 1 on the road with a convincing double-digit victory, immediately putting pressure on Minnesota. The Timberwolves answered with a double-digit win of their own in Game 2 before the series shifted to Dallas. The Mavericks suffered a major blow during the game when starting guard Doug West went down with an injury that would likely end his postseason.
The Timberwolves dominated both games in Dallas by double digits, then returned home to finish the job in Game 5. After dropping the opener, Minnesota responded by winning four straight games, with every victory coming by double figures.
Billy Owens led the closeout win with 29 points and 9 rebounds, sending the Timberwolves to their first Western Conference Finals since 1996. As for Dallas, another magical playoff run came to an end.
The action then shifted to the Eastern Conference, where the second-seeded Boston Celtics met the third-seeded Detroit Pistons. Although Detroit finished one game ahead of Boston in the standings, the Celtics claimed home-court advantage by winning their division.
Boston made the most of it.
The Celtics opened the series with back-to-back blowout victories, immediately putting the Pistons in a difficult position.
Detroit finally pushed back in Game 3.
With just under three minutes remaining, the Celtics held only a one-point lead. After a free throw from Shawn Kemp and a basket by Rex Walters, the Pistons suddenly found themselves in front.
The reigning NBA MVP Chris Webber answered with back-to-back buckets to put Boston back on top. Moments later, Kevin Garnett followed with an offensive putback, capping a 6-0 Celtics run.
Detroit made one final push behind consecutive three-pointers from Reggie Miller, but by then the Pistons were forced to foul, and Boston calmly converted its free throws to hold on.
Detroit avoided the sweep by winning a hard-fought Game 4 by four points, but the series returned to Boston, where the Celtics delivered another convincing victory to close it out in five games.
Webber finished the series-clinching win with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 steals, sending Boston to its second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. Despite adding Reggie Miller during the offseason, Shawn Kemp once again fell to the franchise that originally drafted him.
Back in the Western Conference, the top-seeded Golden State Warriors welcomed the Vancouver Grizzlies, who were appearing in the Conference Semifinals for the first time in franchise history.
The Grizzlies showed no signs of being overwhelmed.
Vancouver stunned the Warriors with a 17-point victory in Game 1, stealing home-court advantage and threatening another upset.
Late in Game 2, Golden State clung to a four-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. Neither team could find a field goal down the stretch, but the Warriors converted four straight free throws to escape with an eight-point victory, evening the series before it shifted north of the border.
Golden State dominated both games in Vancouver by double digits, then returned home to complete the gentleman's sweep with a 16-point victory in Game 5.
Len Bias once again led the way, finishing with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists as the Warriors returned to the Western Conference Finals after a one-year absence.
Remarkably, both Western Conference favorites responded in identical fashion. After dropping Game 1 on their home floors, Minnesota and Golden State combined to win the next eight games, turning two potential upsets into convincing series victories.
The final series belonged to the defending champion Toronto Raptors, who had just survived what many considered the greatest first-round series in Rewritten Rings history against the New York Knicks.
Waiting for them were the Milwaukee Bucks, a franchise making its first Conference Semifinal appearance since 1996.
Toronto looked refreshed to begin the series, cruising to a 17-point victory in Game 1 after being pushed to the limit in the opening round.
The Bucks erupted for 146 points in Game 2, winning by 20 to steal home-court advantage before the series shifted to Wisconsin.
Toronto regained control by winning Game 3 on the road, but once again Milwaukee responded with an offensive explosion, scoring more than 140 points to even the series.
With the series tied, Game 5 became a turning point.
Holding a two-point lead with less than three minutes remaining, the Bucks traded baskets with Toronto until Penny Hardaway found Tom Gugliotta on a perfectly executed give-and-go, stretching Milwaukee's lead to six with just over a minute to play.
The Bucks hit their free throws, winning by 11 to move within one victory of eliminating the defending champions.
Facing elimination in Game 6, Toronto once again found itself in a battle deep into the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee led by four points with just under three minutes remaining, and for nearly two minutes neither team managed to score. Finally, Allen Iverson drew a foul and converted only one of two free throws, trimming the deficit to three with 45 seconds left.
On the very next possession, Penny Hardaway threw a perfect alley-oop to Lorenzen Wright, increasing the lead to five with only 28 seconds remaining.
The defending champions never recovered.
Milwaukee closed out a 10-point victory to win the series in six games. Hardaway finished the clincher with 27 points and 11 assists, sending the Bucks to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 1996.
Toronto's title defense was over.
For the first time all postseason, one thing became certain.
When the playoffs ended, there would be a new NBA champion.
Clutch Free Throws and Closing Blows: How the 2000 Finals Matchup Was Set
The Eastern Conference Finals featured a matchup between two teams looking to return to the NBA Finals after long absences. The second-seeded Boston Celtics, led by the reigning two-time MVP Chris Webber, were trying to reach the Finals for the first time since 1990.
A year earlier, their championship hopes had ended on a buzzer-beating jumper by Allen Iverson. Standing in their way this time were Penny Hardaway and the Milwaukee Bucks, who had just eliminated the defending champion Raptors and were making their first Conference Finals appearance since 1996 and hadn't been to the Finals since 1974.
Boston came out firing in Game 1, blowing out Milwaukee by 32 points and immediately putting the Bucks in a difficult position. Game 2 was a completely different story.
With just two minutes remaining, the Celtics were clinging to a one-point lead when Hardaway drove to the basket for a dunk, giving Milwaukee the lead with 1:35 to play.
Boston answered, but Hardaway wasn't finished. He scored the Bucks' final seven points, giving Milwaukee another one-point advantage with a minute remaining.
Webber responded with a dunk of his own, and then the scoring suddenly stopped. Neither team could find the basket until Boston had possession with 11 seconds left and Milwaukee was forced to foul.
Larry Hughes made one of two free throws, leaving the Bucks down just two with a chance to steal the game. Hardaway took the final shot, but it wouldn't fall, and the Celtics escaped with the victory to take a 2-0 series lead back to Milwaukee.
The Bucks finally woke up in Game 3, responding with a 29-point victory to cut the deficit in half. Any thought that Milwaukee had completely seized the momentum, however, disappeared in the very next game.
The Celtics answered with a blowout of their own on the Bucks' home floor, putting Boston one victory away from its first Finals appearance in a decade.
Back in Boston for Game 5, it appeared the Celtics were finally going to finish the job. With less than three minutes remaining, Boston held a nine-point lead, and a return to the Finals seemed inevitable.
Then Milwaukee made one final push, scoring five unanswered points, including a Cliff Robinson three-pointer with less than a minute remaining. The Bucks had opportunities to cut further into the deficit, but Boston's missed shots didn't result in points, and with 30 seconds remaining Milwaukee was forced to begin fouling.
Kenny Smith went to the free-throw line and made one of two, giving Boston a five-point cushion. The Bucks refused to go quietly, knocking down back-to-back threes from Penny Hardaway and Dee Brown, but Smith answered every time he was sent back to the line, calmly making all four of his next free throws.
Milwaukee's furious comeback attempt had finally run out of time, and the Celtics held on for a four-point victory, punching their ticket to the NBA Finals.
Chris Webber led the way with 25 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 6 blocks, but it was Smith's clutch free-throw shooting that ultimately put Boston over the top.
There was also something special about the moment for Smith. Originally drafted by the Celtics in 1987, he had been a member of their last Finals team in 1990 before being traded away in the mid-90s. Boston brought him back this season, and now, after a decade away, Smith was heading back to the Finals with the franchise that drafted him.
In the Western Conference, the top two seeds finally met with a trip to the championship round on the line. The No. 1 Golden State Warriors were back in the Conference Finals after a one-year absence, while the No. 2 Minnesota Timberwolves were making their first appearance at this stage since 1996.
Both teams had been the top two seeds in the West a year earlier, only to suffer stunning upsets in the earlier rounds. This time, they had finally survived the chaos and were one series away from the Finals.
Golden State took control immediately, winning Game 1 by 20 points, although the Timberwolves were forced to play without Larry Johnson, who was unable to suit up because of an injury suffered in the previous round.
Minnesota responded in Game 2 with a statement of its own, winning by 19 points on the road to even the series and steal home-court advantage.
Game 3 in Minnesota became a battle that went down to the final minutes. With less than three minutes remaining, Golden State held a two-point lead, and the teams traded baskets as the margin continued to fluctuate. Then Grant Hill found the corner and buried a three-pointer, giving the Warriors a five-point lead with just over a minute remaining.
Alonzo Mourning wasn't ready to let Minnesota's season end. He immediately scored on the next possession to cut the deficit to three, then followed it with two free throws to make it a one-point game. Mourning had now scored the Timberwolves' last eight points, and Minnesota had one final chance to take control.
After the Wolves were forced to foul, Chris Whitney calmly knocked down both free throws. Billy Owens had one final opportunity to tie the game with a three-pointer, but the shot missed, and the Warriors escaped to take a 2-1 series lead.
Golden State carried that momentum into Game 4, winning by nine points and moving within one victory of a return to the NBA Finals. Back in Oakland, the Warriors finished the job in Game 5, winning by 16 points to close out the Timberwolves and return to the Finals.
Grant Hill led the way with 31 points and 6 assists, earning his third Finals appearance in the Rewritten Rings universe. After the Warriors' one-year absence from the championship round, Golden State was back—and once again, the road to the title would run through them.
Does Webber Gets His Ring?: The 2000 NBA Finals Breakdown
The 2000 NBA Finals featured two very different organizations. The No. 1-seeded Warriors had dominated the league over the previous three seasons ever since Len Bias joined the franchise.
In their first season with Bias, they won it all, while last year their title defense ended in the Conference Semifinals after an upset, partly because they entered the playoffs without their defensive anchor Ben Wallace.
Now everyone was healthy again, and the Warriors were looking to make it two championships in three seasons. Their opponents, the Boston Celtics, hadn't been to the Finals in a decade and hadn't won a championship in 15 years.
Chris Webber, the current two-time MVP, had already accomplished more in his first seven seasons in this universe than he did during his entire real-life career. The only thing missing from his résumé was a championship.
For the first time all postseason, the Celtics didn't have home-court advantage to start a series. Every series in the Eastern Conference had opened in Boston, but now they had to begin the Finals on the road in Oakland.
The change in location didn't change the result. Boston won Game 1, continuing a remarkable trend that had seen them win the opening game of every series they played during these playoffs.
The similarities didn't end there, as the Celtics came right back and won Game 2, putting themselves in a commanding 2-0 position. Boston was now a perfect 8-0 in the first two games of every series during this postseason, while the Warriors suddenly had to head to Boston needing to win on the road just to stay alive.
The script continued in Game 3, as the Celtics delivered blowout victory and moved within one win of their first championship since 1985. The champagne would have to wait, however, as the Warriors finally responded with a double-digit road victory to keep their season alive.
Back in Oakland for Game 5, Golden State was even more dominant, winning by 21 points and suddenly turning what had looked like a quick Celtics championship into a real series.
Boston still led 3-2, but the momentum had completely shifted. Twelve years earlier, the Lakers had made history by blowing a 3-0 lead to the eventual champion Bullets.
Now, with Boston holding that same advantage, there was suddenly a question nobody expected to be asking after three games: could history repeat itself?
Game 6 in Boston went down to the wire, with the Celtics clinging to a four-point lead with less than three minutes remaining. After multiple misses by both teams, Paul Pierce found Webber running on the break, and the MVP threw down a dunk to push the lead to six with 1:37 remaining.
Grant Hill answered on the other end to cut it back to four, but with 27 seconds left the Warriors were forced to foul. Once again, Kenny Smith was heading to the free-throw line.
Smith's clutch shooting from the stripe had helped Boston get through the Conference Finals, and now he had a chance to help them win the championship.
He calmly knocked down both free throws, restoring the six-point lead. Len Bias responded for Golden State, cutting it back to four, but the Warriors had no choice but to foul again.
This time it was Ray Allen who stepped to the line, and he made both attempts to put Boston back up by six with only 17 seconds remaining. The Warriors would not score again until Hill hit a meaningless jumper, and the Celtics closed out the game with a five-point victory.
After 15 years, the Boston Celtics were champions again, bringing the franchise its 17th banner, eight years sooner than they would have in real life.
Chris Webber finished the deciding game with 37 points and 12 rebounds, but it was Kevin Garnett who took home the Finals MVP award after averaging 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks during the series.
The championship completed a remarkable rise for Webber, who had already become a two-time MVP in this universe and now finally had the ring that had eluded him.
It also gave Boston a young core of Webber, Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce that suddenly looked capable of much more. If those four can stay healthy and remain together, they could become the first team in Rewritten Rings history to three-peat. But before they can chase three straight, they will have to do something the Raptors and Warriors couldn't do: repeat.
And with that, the 2000 season is officially in the books. The Celtics are back on top, as a new champion has been crowned. Stay tuned for the 2000-01 season coming soon!
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