1987-2004 Recap
1987-90: "Dr. J" Calls It A Career
Julius Erving retired after the 1986-87 season, having scored 30,026 points in his combined ABA and NBA careers. He played 11 marvelous NBA seasons with the Sixers-totaling 18,364 points-and left in third place on the team's all-time scoring list behind Hal Greer (21,586) and Dolph Schayes (19,249). Erving was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Jim Lynam replaced Matt Guokas as head coach in Philadelphia midway through the 1987-88 season, but the 76ers were without the firepower to manage a winning record, finishing at 36-46 and out of the playoffs. Barkley had a tremendous season, finishing fourth in the league in scoring (28.3 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (11.9 rpg). Cliff Robinson was the team's second-leading scorer at 19.0 points per game. Philadelphia enlisted rookie bomber Hersey Hawkins and swingman Ron Anderson for the 1988-89 campaign. They were welcome additions, and they teamed with Barkley (25.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg) and center Mike Gminski (17.2 ppg) to compile a 46-36 record and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division (behind New York but ahead of Boston). Philadelphia met the Knicks in a first-round playoff series and lost in three straight.
Barkley's era with the 76ers peaked in 1989-90. Rick Mahorn was enlisted to give the Sixers 500 pounds of forwards, while Johnny Dawkins and Hersey Hawkins formed the league's best-rhyming backcourt. Hawkins scored to the tune of 18.5 points per game; Dawkins chimed in with 14.3 points per contest. The Sixers finished at 53-29 and edged Boston by one game for the Atlantic Division title. They then slipped past Cleveland in a tightly-contested five-game playoff series but ran into a rising Chicago Bulls team in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Chicago would begin its three-year title reign the following season, and in 1990 Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were too much for Philadelphia, as the Bulls won the best-of-seven series in five games.
1990-92: Injuries Take Their Toll
In 1990-91 Philadelphia charted a similar course through the playoffs, winning a first-round series before losing to the Bulls again in the conference semifinals. During the regular season a Sixers team in decline had won nine fewer games than the previous year and had finished second to the Celtics in the Atlantic Division.
Dawkins was lost to a knee injury four games into the 1990-91 season, knocking a hole in the team's chances for a long postseason run. Barkley was brilliant as ever, averaging 27.6 points (fourth best in the NBA), shooting .570 from the field (also fourth), hauling in 10.1 rebounds per game, and capturing the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. Hawkins was a model of consistency at off guard, contributing 22.1 points per contest.
Injuries took their toll, however. The only two Sixers to play in all 82 games were Ron Anderson and Manute Bol, a 7-7 former tribesman from Sudan who blocked 247 shots (fourth best in the NBA) despite playing just 18.6 minutes per game.
The 1991-92 Sixers dipped below .500, finishing 35-47 and fifth in the Atlantic Division. The club let Rick Mahorn go to Italy, a move that did not sit well with Barkley, and suffered from injuries and poor chemistry throughout the year. The 1983 championship team now seemed a distant memory, as positions once played by Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Maurice Cheeks were now occupied by Charles Shackleford, Armon Gilliam, and Johnny Dawkins.
1992-93: Rebuilding Sixers Trade Barkley
Although the Sixers didn't make the playoffs, Barkley kept them in the headlines with his tremendous play (23.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg) and his public restlessness in Philadelphia. At season's end, the Sixers obliged Barkley and took a major step toward rebuilding when they traded their portly superstar to the Phoenix Suns for guard Jeff Hornacek, forward Tim Perry, and center Andrew Lang.
The Sixers also changed coaches, moving Jim Lynam into the general manager position and hiring Doug Moe to run the team. Philadelphia then scored in the 1992 NBA Draft with the selection of Southern Mississippi's Clarence Weatherspoon, an explosive forward who, ironically enough, reminded many of Barkley.
The changes didn't produce immediate results, though. Hornacek averaged 19.1 points, but Perry and Lang didn't excel, and Dawkins seemed to fall out of favor. Weatherspoon was a pleasant addition, averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds and earning selection to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
With the team stalled at 19-37 after a 56-point loss to Seattle, Philadelphia replaced Moe with Fred Carter, a former Sixers player who had spent 12 years as an NBA assistant. The team finished with a 26-56 record and with the No. 2 pick in the 1993 NBA Draft. (Barkley, meanwhile, carried Phoenix to the NBA Finals and won the league's Most Valuable Player Award.)
1993-94: Sixers Stumble, Then Look To Lucas For Help
The Sixers used their No. 2 pick on Shawn Bradley, the most intriguing prospect in the 1993 NBA Draft. Bradley was a 7-6 center with undeniable athletic ability, but he had played only one year of college basketball before spending two years as a Mormon missionary in Australia. Nevertheless, Philadelphia made the untested giant the center of its rebuilding effort. Prior to the 1993-94 season the Sixers released several players and shipped Hersey Hawkins off to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that brought Dana Barros to Philadelphia. Then, at midseason, the Sixers traded Jeff Hornacek to the Utah Jazz for Jeff Malone. The team started slowly as Bradley, who hadn't played for two years, tried to learn the NBA game. He quickly developed into one of the leading shotblockers in the league, improved his scoring gradually, and often kept the Sixers competitive. But on February 18 he dislocated his kneecap and was lost for the rest of the year. The team fared poorly after that, dropping 11 straight home games in one stretch and 17 of its final 19 contests on the road to finish at 25-57. Clarence Weatherspoon, who was quietly developing into one of the league's best young forwards, topped the Sixers in both scoring (18.4 ppg) and rebounding (10.1 rpg). In the summer of 1994 Philadelphia's rebuilding effort continued at a frantic pace. The Sixers replaced Fred Carter with John Lucas, who came over from the San Antonio Spurs to serve as the team's head coach and general manager. Then, wielding two first-round picks in the NBA Draft, Philadelphia came away with center Sharone Wright and point guard B. J. Tyler, two excellent prospects. And finally, the Sixers signed free agent Scott Williams.
1994-95: Barros's Brilliant Breakthrough
The Philadelphia 76ers were weak again in 1994-95, finishing at 24-58 and out of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Philadelphia fans nevertheless found a few reasons to be hopeful for the future. Foremost among them was the play of 5-11 Dana Barros, who won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award after emerging as one of the league's most dangerous point guards. Barros ranked second in the league in minutes (3,318), third in three-point shooting (.464) and free throw shooting (.899), 10th in steals (1.82 per game), 11th in assists (7.5 apg), and 18th in scoring (20.6 ppg). On March 14 he poured in 50 points to become only the third player under 6 feet tall in NBA history to reach that mark, and he finished the campaign with a single-season NBA record of 58 games in which he made at least one three-point field goal. He played in the All-Star Game, set a franchise single-game road record with 19 assists, and registered his first career triple-double on April 8.
Philadelphia received another solid season from Clarence Weatherspoon, as well as inspired and promising work at forward and center from both rookie Sharone Wright and newly acquired Scott Williams. Center Shawn Bradley's development continued on an upward path. Early in the season he was frequently in foul trouble-he led the league in disqualifications-yet he flourished in the second half of the campaign, posting 13 double-doubles in points and rebounds in his last 17 contests. Bradley finished third in the league in blocks with 3.34 per game.
A foot injury that limited off guard Jeff Malone to only 19 games resulted in a gap in the Sixers' attack. Looking for help at that spot and on the bench, Philadelphia used a team-record 20 players during the year. The team called up three players from the Continental Basketball Association and used four others who were frequent minor league performers. The Sixers were 9-26 in games decided by six points or less, losing more games by that margin than any other team in the league. Philadelphia's outlook for the 1995-96 season got a little brighter when they selected underclassman Jerry Stackhouse out of North Carolina with the third overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.
1995-96: Sixers "Stack" Deck for Future
The addition of Jerry Stackhouse gave the Sixers one of the brightest young stars in the NBA. He and Clarence Weatherspoon provided a nice young nucleus from which to build. However finding talent to surround them with was often difficult, as injuries and personnel moves forced the team to dress 24 players, the second-most in franchise history.
The team stumbled home with a record of 18-64, finding a dubious place in NBA history as the first team to see its losses increase for a sixth straight season. Dana Barros had left before the season, signing with the Boston Celtics as a free agent. Shawn Bradley, the onetime future of the team, was dealt to New Jersey in a trade that brought Derrick Coleman to Philadelphia, but injuries limited Coleman to only 11 games.
Stackhouse led all NBA rookies with 19.2 ppg, and was the Rookie of the Month in March, but even he wasn't immune to injuries. He suffered an injured thumb on April 5, and was lost for the final weeks of the season. Weatherspoon added 16.7 points and led the team with 9.7 rebounds.
The Sixers' four biggest moves came in the offseason. The team was sold by Harold Katz to Pat Croce, a former 76ers strength and conditioning coach, and the Comcast Corporation. The coaching reins were handed from John Lucas to Johnny Davis. The team moved from the Spectrum, their longtime home, into the new CoreStates Center for the 1996-97 season, and having won the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Lottery, tabbed point guard Allen Iverson to run the team's offense.
1996-97: Iverson Points the Way
Billed as "The Answer," Allen Iverson arrived on the NBA scene and immediately became one of the league's most exciting players. With unmatched quickness, Iverson wowed crowds at the new CoreStates Center with a spectacular crossover dribble and a seeming ability to score at will. While he couldn't save the Sixers from a disappointing 22-60 season, his play gave every indication that he is indeed the Answer to many of the Sixers' struggles.
Iverson proved his worth under the national spotlight on All-Star Saturday, winning Most Valuable Player honors at the Schick Rookie Game. But the telltale sign of his explosiveness came in April, when he set an NBA rookie record by scoring 40 or more points in five consecutive games, highlighted by a 50-point outburst against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 12. He was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year.
Iverson (23.5 ppg) and teammate Jerry Stackhouse (20.7 ppg) were one of the highest scoring duos in the NBA. Forward Derrick Coleman was hampered by an assortment of injuries but averaged 18.1 ppg and 10 rpg, while Clarence Weatherspoon continued to improve. But a lack of depth proved costly to the Sixers.
Solving that problem was high on the list of priorities for Larry Brown, who was named the team's head coach at season's end, replacing Johnny Davis. Brown began to reshape his team after the 1997 NBA Draft by acquiring veterans Eric Montross and Jimmy Jackson and draftees Tim Thomas and Anthony Parker in exchange for second overall pick Keith Van Horn and three expendable veterans.
1997-98: Brown Begins to Build a Winner
A new day dawned in Philadelphia in May, when Larry Brown hired as the new head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown, a master of improving the fortunes of young teams, spent the 1997-98 season tinkering with his latest project, and the result was a Sixers team that was much different, and much better, than the one which took the court on opening night.
By season's end, only five players remained from the previous summer's roster. The Sixers ended the season with a record of 31-51, a nine-game improvement. Despite not making the playoffs, Philadelphia accumulated enough impressive wins to indicate that Brown and his team are on the right track, and the fanatic Philly fans turned out in record numbers to show their approval.
Allen Iverson followed last season's Rookie of the Year performance with a strong sophomore season, leading the team in scoring (22.0 ppg, 8th in the NBA), assists (6.2 apg) and steals (2.20 spg, 5th). The 22-year-old continued to develop his game and improved his shooting percentage from last season's .416 to a respectable .461.
Derrick Coleman was the team's leading rebounder (9.9 rpg) and second-leading scorer (17.6 ppg). When healthy, Coleman combined with Iverson to provide the Sixers with a powerful inside-outside tandem. The other constant in Philadelphia's lineup was rookie forward Thomas, an athletic player who averaged 11.0 points and 3.7 rebounds.
On Dec. 18, the nucleus of players around Coleman, Thomas and Iverson began to take on a new look. The Sixers traded Jerry Stackhouse and Eric Montross to Detroit for forward-center Theo Ratliff, guard Aaron McKie and a conditional first-round draft pick. Though Stackhouse was a visible presence in Philaelphia, he appeared to be worth the price of obtaining Ratliff, who led the Sixers in blocks (3.15 bpg) and field goal percentage (.513). Prior to the trade with the Pistons, the Sixers ranked 18th in the league in blocked shots per game. With Ratliff on board, Philadelphia moved up to fifth. Philly's other big move came on Feb. 17, when Jim Jackson and Clarence were sent to Golden State in exchange for forward Joe Smith (14.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg) and guard Brian Shaw.
The new-look Sixers had success against teams it had beaten for some time. The Sixers, who beat defending NBA champion Chicago twice, snapped losing streaks against the Bulls (16 games), the Cavaliers (12 games) and the Rockets (11 games), and notched their first win over the Suns at America West Arena. In addition, the Sixers swept the season series against the Lakers for the first time since the 1982-83 season and won all their home games against rival New York for the first time since 1989-90.
1998-99: Iverson Claims Scoring Title as the Sixers Capture the Heart of the City
The 1998-1999 NBA Season was one never to be forgotten in Philadelphia. It began post-lockout in January and ended in May with the Sixers first post-season play-off berth in eight years.
February ended with an 8-5 record, marking the first time since January of 1994 that the Sixers registered a winning month. After averaging 28.5 points, 6.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.31 steals in 40.3 minutes per game, Allen Iverson made his way into the record books by becoming the fourth player in team history to earn League Player of the Month honors.
In March the Sixers claimed a 15 point victory over the Lakers (105-90), before a sell-out crowd at the First Union Center. This was Philadelphia's largest victory over LA since 1978 and marked the third straight time the Sixers have defeated the Lakers.
April saw the Sixers record double-figure home victories over Orlando and Indiana, both on national TV and in front of sellout crowds. The team won each of their final six games in the month and went 5-5 on the road.
In May the Sixers beat Toronto at home, clinching a play-off spot for the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Sixers finished the regular season with an overtime win over Detroit. Allen Iverson finished the game with 33 points and became the first 76er since Wilt Chamberlain to win the NBA scoring title. Allen finished the year averaging a career high of 26.8 points, the sixth best in franchise history. Larry Brown finished second in the race for Coach of the year and Eric Snow finished second in the race for Most Improved, along with being selected as the Divisional winner for the 1998-1999 NBA Sportsmanship Award. The Sixers ended the regular season with a 28-22 record.
The Sixers returned to the NBA Playoffs ending their longest post season drought in franchise history. They upset Orlando in the first round capturing the best-of-five series, three games to one. With the win over the Magic, the Sixers advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to take on the Indiana Pacers. Although the Pacers took the series 4-0, 3 of the four meetings were decided by four points or less.
The incredible part of the Sixers playoff run included more than just the team. The support of the fans was truly amazing. From ralley towels to "Croce Crew Cuts", the fans were in the game 100% from beginning to end. There were signs filling the arena claiming "Allen Iverson for MVP", "Larry Brown Coach of the Year", and "Let It Snow." However, the one that stood out the most and will remain clear was "We'll Be Back."
1999-2000: Sixers Make Second Straight Playoff Appearance
The opening of the 1999-2000 season showcased the Sixers' ability to exhibit a team effort, as six different players tied or led the team in scoring during the first month: Allen Iverson, Aaron McKie, Tyrone Hill, Larry Hughes, George Lynch and Eric Snow. Rookie center Todd MacCulloch also made an impression on Sixers fans as he filled in admirably for Theo Ratliff and Matt Geiger, who were both injured.
Because of the wide array of talent being exhibited by the team, the loss of Iverson for 10 games when he suffered a fractured right thumb did not cause a major disruption. The 76ers rallied in his absence and were 6-4 while their star was out. Upon his return on Dec. 15, Iverson took over the scoreboards, leading the team in scoring for 22 straight games.
To start the New Year, the Sixers scored 100 or more points in nine straight games. On Jan. 22 the team avenged their 0-4 sweep out of the last season's playoffs by Indiana, when they defeated the Pacers in front of a sold out home crowd and a prime-time national TV audience.
In February Iverson became the first 76er to be voted a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team since Charles Barkley in 1992. Even though the Eastern Conference Team fell to the West, Iverson led all scorers in the game with 26 points.
Toni Kukoc, who the Sixers acquired in a three-way deal with Golden State and Chicago, recorded a triple-double in March. This was the first triple-double for the team in five years. Kukoc's contribution, along with Iverson's scoring, the consistent rebounding of Hill and an outstanding overall number of assists by Snow, led the team to win five of their last six games. This secured a spot in the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Sixers dispatched of the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the playoffs, 3-1 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There they squared off against the Pacers once again. Although Philadelphia did not come close to enduring the sweep of the previous season, the Sixers ultimately fell to the Pacers in Game 6 after putting up an amazing fight. The season seemed to make quite an impression overall on the fans of Philadelphia, as the team once again shattered previous attendance marks. New highs were set for both average attendance and total attendance this season, and Philadelphia fans knew that the following year promised to be even brighter for their 76ers.
2000-01: Sixers Go for Greatness Once Again
The Sixers came out of the gate full throttle in the beginning of the season and never slowed down. They began the season with a franchise record 10-straight wins, beginning with a 101-72 victory over the Knicks in New York.
Head Coach Larry Brown would have one of his bigger coaching challenges in Dec as injuries began to take their toll on the squad. Despite the losses of Eric Snow and Allen Iverson, the Sixers began a franchise high 13 game road win streak with wins in Vancouver and Portland. Aaron McKie closed out the month of Dec by recording his first career triple-double versus the Kings and earned Player of the Week honors.
Aaron McKie began the new year the same way he ended the last with a triple-double. Iverson was named Player of the Week for the first week of Jan, making him and McKie the first back-to-back Player of the Week winners since Chicago's Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. The Sixers 13-game road winning streak ended in Toronto on Jan 28.
Larry Brown, Allen Iverson and Theo Ratliff represented the Sixers in the All-Star Game in Washington, DC. Iverson earned MVP honors for the game in the East's come from behind victory. Ratliff had to sit out of the game because of injuries and eventually had surgery on his wrist. After missing 32 games, Eric Snow returned to the Sixers lineup versus the Bucks on Feb 13. A few days after the All-Star Game, General Manager Billy King pulled the trigger on six-player trade that sent Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, Toni Kukoc and Pepe Sanchez to Atlanta for Dikembe Mutombo and Roshown McLeod.
The Sixers clinched their first Atlantic Division crown since 1989-90 on Apr 6 against Cleveland. The following game on Apr 9, they officially claimed the best record in the Eastern Conference with a victory over the Celitcs. They ended the regular season with a 56-26 record.
The playoffs proved to be just as exciting as the regular season for the Sixers. They knocked off the team that ousted them the previous two seasons, the Pacers. After a scare in Game One, the Sixers won the series in four games. Their opponent in the Eastern Conference Semis were the Toronto Raptors. This exciting series was extended to seven games and came down to the last shot and resulted in the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is where they faced the Bucks in another grueling seven game series that sent the Sixers to the NBA Finals versus the defending champion Los Angels Lakers.
The underdog Sixers went into the Finals against the heavily favored Lakers and pulled out a Game One victory. But they eventually fell to the Lakers in five games.
If there was one impressive and lasting impression of the Sixers 2000-2001 season, it was the constant overcoming of adversity. From playing an NBA second most back-to-back contests and sweeping 10 of them, to overcoming numerous injuries such as losing No 1 draft choice Speedy Claxton in the preseason to starting point guard Eric Snow for 32 games to Allen Iverson for 11 games to Matt Geiger for 43 games to Aaron McKie for six games.
Aside from the trip to the NBA Finals the season will also be remembered for the individual achievements. The Sixers became the first team in NBA History to win four major awards: MVP (Allen Iverson), Coach of the Year (Larry Brown), Defensive Player of the Year (Dikembe Mutombo) and Sixth Man of the Year (Aaron McKie).
2001-02: Sixers Show Tenacity and Resiliency Despite Injuries
The injury-plagued Sixers got off to a slow start at the beginning of the 2001 season, with reigning MVP Allen Iverson, Sixth Man of the Year Aaron McKie, and starting point guard Eric Snow all sidelined due to injuries. The Sixers started out 0-5, their worst start since Head Coach Larry Brown's first year with the team in 1997-98.
Fortunately, things picked up with the return of Iverson and McKie, which helped the Sixers win their next seven consecutive contests. Brown won his 1,200th career game as a college and NBA head coach on Nov. 21 with a victory versus Detroit. During the week of Nov. 12, Iverson was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the seven-game winning streak.
Dikembe Mutombo led the Sixers to victory against Chicago on Dec. 1, where he recorded his first triple-double as a Sixer (10th career) and tied an NBA record with eight blocks in the third quarter of that game. Later in the month, Brown earned his 800th NBA victory in his 30th year as a head coach when the Sixers knocked off the L.A. Clippers on Dec. 26.
The Sixers came out strong in the New Year, winning three of their first four contests in January. Perhaps this was due to the headbands that the team sported for the first time at Phoenix on Jan. 2 as a statement of unity. Iverson recorded his first career triple-double versus the L.A. Clippers on Jan. 7, and knocked down his 500th career three-pointer on his way to 58 points in an overtime victory versus Houston on Jan. 15. His 58 points proved to be a career-high, NBA season-high, and tied for the fourth best mark in Sixers history. For his play in the month, Iverson was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice, becoming the first player to win back-to-back awards since Karl Malone in 1997.
In February 2002 both Iverson and Mutombo were starters for the Eastern Conference team in the 2001-02 NBA All-Star Game played in Philadelphia. After the All-Star break, the Sixers began a roller-coaster ride with the .500 mark.
The Sixers had been battling injuries all season long, and had only been able to play with a full roster on three occasions. Following a streak of six straight road victories in March, the Sixers had to face the fact that they would be playing with the remainder of the season without Iverson, who suffered a fractured left hand in a March 22 game at Boston. The team rallied to win the Boston game despite playing the entire second half without the NBA's leading scorer. Snow scored 25 points in the game and began a stretch that lasted the final 22 games in which he shouldered the scoring load. In nine of those 22, Snow scored 20 or more points per game, with an overall average of seven assists per game.
A 95-89 victory at Orlando in April assured the Sixers of a playoff berth for the fourth straight season. The team ended the regular season sixth in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Atlantic Division.
After trailing the Celtics 0-2 in the first round series, the Sixers extended the best-of-five contest to a fifth and deciding game when they came back to win both Games 3 and 4. Unfortunately, their bid to become the seventh team in NBA history to win such a series after trailing 0-2, fell short in Boston. They were handed their third worst loss in Philadelphia playoff history with a 120-87 defeat.
Despite the final loss, this season will be commemorated for the tenacity and resiliency showed by the Sixers throughout the season despite numerous injuries affecting many of their key players. In addition, the various awards, honors, and milestones by both the players and Head Coach Larry Brown made the 2001-02 season one to remember.
2002-03: Sixers Stage Second Half Surge; Brown Steps Down As Coach
The Sixers opened the 2002-03 season with the additions of Todd MacCulloch and Keith Van Horn in the line-up after an offseason trade with New Jersey. Allen Iverson captured back-to-back Player of the Week honors on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, when he led the Sixers to a 7-1 record.
The 76ers won their first 10 home games, their longest streak to begin a season since 1966-67. In a December 18 three-team trade, the Sixers acquired forward Kenny Thomas from the Rockets. Two nights later, Iverson’s 32 points and team-record-tying nine steals carried Philadelphia to a 107-104 overtime victory against the Lakers.
After heading into the New Year with a 13-2 home record, the 76ers posted a 2-8 record at the First Union Center in January. Iverson scored his 12,000th career point in the second quarter against Boston on Jan. 20, becoming the 11th fastest player in NBA history to reach the plateau.
A midseason slump left the Sixers with a 25-24 record at the All-Star Break. After the break, the 76ers rattled off eight-straight wins. On Feb. 26, Eric Snow recorded his first career triple-double against Memphis with a season-high 22 points, 11 assists and a season-high 10 rebounds.
Larry Brown earned back-to-back Coach of the Month honors in February and March as he guided the Sixers to an 11-5 record in March, including wins in nine of 12 road games. On March 6, the Sixers held Portland to a 76ers post-shot clock opponent low 60 points. Philadelphia erased double-digit deficits in wins against East leaders Indiana on March 12 and the Nets on the 16th. The month ended as the Sixers clinched their fifth-straight playoff berth in an overtime win at Orlando while Iverson had a season-high 42 points. With 24 points and 20 rebounds, Kenny Thomas had Philadelphia’s first 20-20 performance since 1997.
Without the services of MacCulloch since February with foot neuropathy, the Sixers also lost Van Horn and Coleman for multiple games in April. Luckily for the depleted Sixers, Thomas posted 10 double-doubles in the season’s final 15 contests. In a win against the Pistons on April 8, Iverson scored 37 points, including the 13,000th point of his career, and broke the Sixers single-season steals record set by Steve Mix (212) in 1973-74. A season-best crowd of 21,257 sent Michael Jordan off in his final NBA game on April 16 with a 107-87 against Washington, clinching home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
The Sixers defeated New Orleans in the first year of the NBA’s best-of-seven First Round format. Allen Iverson started off the playoffs with gusto, scoring a franchise playoff record 55 points in a 98-90 win in Game 1 against the Hornets. The teams split the two games in New Orleans before the Hornets stole Game 5 at the First Union Center to close the gap to 3-2. Iverson’s 45 points in Game 6 helped the Sixers advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the fourth time in five years.
Philadelphia fell to top-seeded Detroit in a Semifinal series that included two overtime losses and another defeat at the buzzer for the 76ers. Facing a 2-0 deficit, Iverson totaled 61 points and 22 assists in the two home contests as the Sixers knotted the series at 2-2. Coleman’s goaltending violation on a Chucky Atkins layup with 0.9 seconds to play lifted Detroit to a 78-77 Game 5 victory at Auburn Hills. The Sixers and Pistons went to overtime in the Game 6 elimination contest, where Chauncey Billups scored nine of his 28 points to end Philadelphia’s season.
Ten days after bowing out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and after six years at the helm, Brown announced on May 26, 2003, that he was stepping down as the 76ers coach and vice president of basketball operations. At the same time it was announced that General Manager Billy King was named president of the team, and that Dave Coskey, the team’s executive vice president, will expand his duties and become president of a new Comcast-Spectacor Marketing Division.
2003-04: Despite Injuries, Sixers Show Potential
First-year head coach, Randy Ayers, earned his first career win, as the Sixers defeated the heat in the season opener against Miami. After dropping the first two road games of the year, Glenn Robinson made his 76ers debut and helped the team earn its first road win of the year over Portland. However, a left ankle sprain would sideline Robinson for the next month. Allen Iverson earned Easter Conference Player of the Week honors for the week ending on Nov. 16, helping the Sixers post a 2-1 record that included a 36-point, 12-assist performance in a win over defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Philadelphia dropped four of their next six games, but bounced back with a victory over the Detroit Pistons in Larry Brown’s first return to Philadelphia. Iverson finished November with his sixth career 50-point performance against Atlanta, as the Sixers evened their record at 9-9.
Sim Quarter Length- 12 minutes
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