Relive the Epic 2000 NBA Playoffs Bracket: Complete Results and Analysis

I still get chills thinking about the 2000 NBA playoffs. That bracket wasn't just a tournament—it was a masterclass in basketball drama that unfolded over two grueling months. When I look back at the complete playoff tree now, what strikes me most isn't just the results but the sheer competitive fire that defined that postseason. There's a quote that perfectly captures the mentality of that era's champions: "I'm active now. I don't pick my opponents. I fight them all." That warrior spirit echoed through every series, from first-round upsets to the championship finale.

The Western Conference alone was an absolute bloodbath that year. I remember analyzing the matchups as they unfolded and thinking how brutal that path to the Finals would be. The Lakers, led by a young but dominant Shaquille O'Neal and emerging superstar Kobe Bryant, had to battle through a gauntlet of 50-win teams. Their first-round series against Sacramento went the full five games, with Game 4 going to overtime—a contest that nearly derailed their championship aspirations before they truly began. What many forget is that the Kings actually outscored the Lakers by 12 points total across that series, yet Los Angeles found ways to win the close games. That's championship DNA right there.

Portland's run to the Western Conference Finals remains one of the most underappreciated stories of that postseason. The Blazers battled past a tough Minnesota team in four games, then survived a physical five-game war against Utah in the semifinals. I've always felt that series against Utah doesn't get enough attention—the Jazz were still a formidable opponent with Stockton and Malone, but Portland's depth ultimately wore them down. When the Blazers took a 3-1 series lead against the Lakers in the Conference Finals, I genuinely thought we were witnessing one of the greatest upsets in playoff history. That fourth quarter collapse in Game 7 though—Portland scoring just 13 points in the final period—still haunts me whenever I rewatch those highlights.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the narrative was all about redemption for Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. They'd been knocking on the door for years, and 2000 felt like their last, best chance with Larry Bird coaching his final season. Their six-game battle against Philadelphia in the second round featured some of the most dramatic basketball I've ever witnessed. Allen Iverson dropped 40 points in Game 2, but Indiana's veteran composure ultimately prevailed. What often gets overlooked is how dominant Indiana was at home during those playoffs—they went 9-1 at Conseco Fieldhouse, with their only loss coming against Milwaukee in the first round.

The Finals matchup between Los Angeles and Indiana delivered exactly what basketball purists wanted—a clash of styles and philosophies. The Lakers' twin towers versus Indiana's perimeter-oriented attack. That series had everything: Shaq's historic Game 1 performance where he put up 43 points and 19 rebounds, Kobe's clutch fourth-quarter heroics in Game 4 despite battling an ankle injury, and Reggie Miller's iconic Game 5 performance where he scored 35 points to keep Indiana alive. I've always maintained that if Jalen Rose hadn't been suspended for Game 6, we might be telling a different story about that series. The Pacers were within 5 points with three minutes left in that clinching game—closer than most remember.

Looking back at the complete bracket now, what stands out statistically is how dominant Shaq truly was throughout that entire postseason. He averaged 30.7 points and 15.4 rebounds in 23 playoff games—numbers that still feel video game-like two decades later. The Lakers played 23 postseason games total, and Shaq scored 30-plus in 14 of them. Yet what the stats don't capture is how different teams tried to defend him. Indiana used multiple defenders including Rik Smits and Dale Davis, while Portland threw everything including double and triple teams at him. None of it mattered. That's where that "I fight them all" mentality manifested most clearly—Shaq didn't care who you put in front of him, he was going through them regardless.

The legacy of the 2000 playoffs extends beyond just the championship. It marked the beginning of the Lakers' three-peat dynasty and represented the culmination of Indiana's gradual building process. For me personally, it was the postseason that truly demonstrated how playoff basketball differs from the regular season—the slower pace, the heightened defensive intensity, the strategic adjustments game to game. I've watched countless playoff brackets unfold since then, but there was something uniquely compelling about how the 2000 tournament progressed. Each round built naturally upon the last, with storylines that intertwined and culminated in a Finals that went six hard-fought games. That's the beauty of playoff basketball—you don't get to choose your path, you just have to fight through whatever stands in your way.