NBA
When was the last time the Philadelphia 76ers made it to the conference finals in the NBA playoffs?
Over two decades in the making, we take a look at the last time the Sixers were in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
It has been a long time coming for the Philadelphia 76ers, who are in the Eastern Conference semifinals Game 7 decider against the Boston Celtics tonight. This marks the high-water mark of Philly’s season now for over two decades.
The last time that the Sixers made it into the final was way back in 2001, when Alan Iverson led them to an iconic run, losing in the final to the Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers. There have been chances for the Sixers along the way, when they have stretched the semifinals to a Game 7 in 2012, 2019, and 2021. But that is as far as they have gotten.
2001 NBA Easter Conference Final
Alan Iverson was the league MVP for the 2000-2001 season and he led the Sixers to a thrilling Game 7 win over the Raptors in the semifinals. Philly advanced to the finals where they had another seven-game nail-biter, eliminating the Bucks to make it to the NBA final.
Iverson was on fire throughout the playoffs, upping his 31.1 points per game in the season to a sizzling 32.9 points per game in the playoffs.
As it turned out, the phenomenal run by the Sixers fell short in the final, where Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers ripped through the series, taking it in just five games.
The Sixers have won three NBA titles in their history, in 1955 when they were still in Syracuse, in 1967 and then again in 1983. This is now the fortieth year since that win and Philly would love to add to their silverware collection.