lakers 1999 playoffs

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It was the tied for the sixth highest point differential in Lakers franchise history. This would be a problem as Kobe Bryant scored 10 points and the Lakers took a 62–60 lead due to a Glen Rice three-pointer. They also have won their 50th game of the season. O'Neal led the Lakers with 46 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first meeting. [84] With the victory, Indiana advanced to the first NBA Finals in franchise history, becoming the second former ABA team to do so. Smits and Miller scored all 14 of Indiana's OT points, but it was not enough to overcome as Miller missed a last-second three-pointer, and L.A. was able to pull one out in Indianapolis. On March 12, their winning streak were nearly snapped as they overcame a 12-point deficit against the visiting Sacramento Kings. Twenty Stories From the Lakers’ 1999-2000 Championship Run. The Pacers would have a 20-point lead in the 2nd quarter, and eventually won by 33 – it was the worst Lakers NBA Finals loss since the 148–114 loss to Boston in the 1985 NBA Finals, known as the "Memorial Day Massacre.". On the second game, O'Neal recorded 40 points and 19 rebounds for the Lakers. The Lakers dominated from the start. Kobe Bryant once again led all players in scoring with 32 points to go along with 6 rebounds. Shaquille O'Neal led all scorers with 41 points and also pulled down 12 rebounds. They needed a clutch Travis Best three-pointer to dispatch the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. [16] Six days later, the Lakers won their 15th game of the season, led by Shaquille O'Neal who recorded 30 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks, in a 91-80 win over the visiting Washington Wizards. Miller also hit his first field goal in the 3rd quarter, though it would be his last. Game 5 of the Knicks–Pacers series was the last meaningful NBA game ever played at Market Square Arena. On March 1, the Lakers defeated the visiting Vancouver Grizzlies, 103-91, thus winning their 13th straight win. (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Sacramento Kings Last Playoff Meeting: 1984 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 3-0; Kings were in Kansas City, Missouri) Taking advantage of Kobe Bryant's ankle injury, Indiana restored a semblance of parity to the proceedings. [65] The Trail Blazers stormed back in the next game, giving the Lakers their worst home loss of the season in a 106–77 shellacking. On November 2, 1999, the Lakers started their season with a 91-84 win on the road against the Utah Jazz. However, Los Angeles suffered a major setback when Kobe Bryant left the game in the 2nd quarter due to a sprained ankle and did not return. [75] The 1999–2000 NBA season brought several major changes to the Pacers. [51], In Game 2, the Lakers were once again dominant, outscoring the visiting Kings in every quarter. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first meeting. [11] On November 18, the Lakers were up against the Nick Van Exel-led Nuggets. Bryant also added 23 points and 5 rebounds for the Lakers. [7][8] The Lakers will face the Houston Rockets the next two games, this time, they will face the Rockets first on the road before going home to face the Rockets there. [15] They finished the month of November with an 11-4 record. Roster Last transaction: November 12, 1999. Once the playoffs began, there was some heartbreak to be found. OG Anunoby picks off a pass and takes it the other way for a dunk. This was the first playoff meeting between the Knicks and the Spurs. Conversely, the Heat became the first team in NBA history to not past the First Round as a top 2 seed in consecutive seasons while also becoming the second #1 seed to lose a playoff series against a #8 seed in the First Round. Austin Croshere once again had another huge 2nd quarter, scoring 8 points as the Pacers shot 61% from the field. [22] Shaquille O'Neal recorded 35 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers took a narrow win over the visiting Mavericks, 108-106. After closing out game 6, fans rioted outside Staples Center by making bonfires, tipping cars, breaking windows of cars and buildings, and vandalizing businesses around the area. The Bulls, despite being defending champions, missed the playoffs for the first time since 1984 (mostly due to the second retirement of Michael Jordan and the departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman). Kobe Bryant attempted to play with his sore ankle but only managed to score 6 points in the first half. [40] They got back in the winning column, as they blown out the home team, the Detroit Pistons, 110-82. ", "CNN Sports provided by Bleacher Report – CNN.com", "Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz, November 2, 1999", "Vancouver Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, November 3, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers Box Score, November 6, 1999", "Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, November 7, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks Box Score, November 9, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets Box Score, November 10, 1999", "Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, November 14, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns Box Score, November 15, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets Box Score, November 18, 1999", "Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, November 19, 1999", "Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, November 21, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Seattle Supersonics Box Score, November 30, 1999", "Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, December 1, 1999", "Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, December 7, 1999", "Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, December 12, 1999", "Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, December 14, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves Box Score, December 17, 1999", "Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics Box Score, December 20, 1999", "San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, December 25, 1999", "Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, December 27, 1999", "Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, December 29, 1999", "Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, January 5, 2000", "Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, January 10, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks Box Score, January 12, 2000", "Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, January 28, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs Box Score, February 1, 2000", "Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, February 4, 2000", "Team Score Finder in Los Angeles Lakers History", "Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, February 9, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, February 20, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers Box Score, February 29, 2000", "Vancouver Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, March 1, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers Box Score, March 6, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors Box Score, March 9, 2000", "Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, March 12, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets Box Score, March 13, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Washington Wizards Box Score, March 16, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Detroit Pistons Box Score, March 17, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks Box Score, March 19, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat Box Score, March 20, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings Box Score, March 26, 2000", "Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, March 31, 2000", "New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 2, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors Box Score, April 5, 2000", "Seattle SuperSonics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 10, 2000", "Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 16, 2000", "NBA PLAYOFFS: Shaq is royal pain to underdog Kings", "Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 23, 2000", "Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 27, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings Box Score, April 30, 2000", "Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings Box Score, May 2, 2000", "Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, May 5, 2000", "2000 NBA Playoffs Summary | Basketball-Reference.com", "NBA Ironman Proud to Be a Virgin Until 38", "Robert Horry is a Hall of Famer. However, the Pacers couldn't practice in the building because of an Arena Football game. Lost in the Finals to Detroit Pistons, 4-1. Lakers: The 5 worst playoff games of LeBron James’ career When LeBron James plays poorly in a playoff game it feels like a cruel April Fools joke. [5] Their first loss of the season came on November 6 when the Lakers were defeated by the home team, Portland Trail Blazers, led by Scottie Pippen. At halftime, the Lakers led the Spurs, 50-42, before the Spurs surged in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers, 25-21, cutting the lead to four. Iverson later led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals. In that game, they've won their 54th game of the season. It was their 15th straight win[26] The next game, they traveled in Milwaukee in which they recorded their 16th straight win after beating the Bucks, 103-94. He just played 16 minutes for the entire game. The 1999 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association’s 1998-99 season. [80] The Pacers, like the Lakers, struggled in the playoffs. They played first at the Lakers homecourt then the next game, on the Mavericks homecourt. Monday, June 19, 2000, 9:00 at the Staples Center. The Lakers have been involved in the following transactions during the 1999–2000 season. The Pacers made one final valiant effort, but it fell short and the Lakers clinched their first championship in twelve years. The Pacers took a quick 9–2 lead due to Rik Smits hitting his first four shots. The Lakers clinched the top seed in the playoffs for the 25th time in franchise history and the first in nine years. The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. They've been in the playoffs a total of 59 times in their 70 seasons. In the first half, the Pacers would lead by as many as twelve points. Following their loss against the Supersonics, in the next 6 games, they have a record of 2 wins and 4 losses, and 3 of the 4 losses came on the road. The Lakers now have won their 61st game of the season, the first time they have won over 61 games for over a decade. However, the Nuggets stormed back as they got the win, 93-82. Although many expected the Lakers to reach the Finals, the road would be a rocky one. Eastern Conference; Description Home Away Result; First Round ... 1998-1999 New York Knicks NBA Finals Schedule. Roster. Los Angeles Lakers 1999 Playoff Stats All the statistics recorded by the Lakers players in the 1998-1999 NBA Playoffs, with points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, games played and scoring details [45] They ended the month of March with a 15-1 win record, only losing to the Washington Wizards. They also became the first defending champion since the 1969–70 Boston Celtics to miss the playoffs. This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning three of the first five meetings. Summary. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win 5 NBA championships over the course of the next 12 years. However, the Lakers responded in the fourth quarter as they pulled away and won their eighth straight game. O'Neal recorded 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks as he led the Lakers towards the win. Their seventh loss came against the Seattle Supersonics wherein Gary Payton led the Supersonics towards the win. The 1999 NBA All-Star Game, booked in Philadelphia — on Valentine’s Day, at that — was the most high-profile casualty of an NBA lockout that threatened the entire 1998-99 season. The Lakers handled the Pacers in the final quarter, with a 13–2 run winning by 17 points. [67] The Lakers underestimated the Trail Blazers, however. PLAYER P GP GS MIN PTS RB BL AS FG 3P FT ST TO PF EF; S. O'Neal: C: 8: 8: 39.4: 26.6: Friday, June 9, 2000, 9:00 at the Staples Center. Although the Spurs had home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, they played more road games (9) than home games (8), as all their series were won on the road, which included back-to-back sweeps of the Lakers and Blazers (who would meet in next year's West Finals). Sunday, June 11, 2000, 7:30 at the Conseco Fieldhouse. Jrue Holiday speeds in looking for a layup and can't drop it in, but Brook Lopez flies in for the putback jam. 1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers roster and season stats: Average stats by player in regular season and playoffs and team standings. [63][64] In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, Rasheed Wallace earned two technical fouls and was ejected; the Lakers took advantage of Wallace's absence and secured victory. O'Neal led the Lakers in scoring with 31 points. [43] On March 26, in a road game against the Sacramento Kings, the Kings jumped out on an early lead, leading the Lakers 50-47 by the end of the first half. When was the last time the Lakers were in the playoffs? Date Opponent Result Venue Record New York Leaders Glen Rice led the Lakers with 28 points to go along with 5 3-pointers made. [55], (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Phoenix Suns The Lakers, determined to avenge their losses, blows out the visiting Kings, 113-86, thus advancing to the next round. In the first round, the Lakers won the first two games against the Sacramento Kings, only to drop the next two games in Sacramento. [66] This setback did not affect Los Angeles, as they assembled a 3–1 series lead by winning the next two games in Portland. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 1. Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Le$$, May 24, 2020. Their 65 wins have matched their 2nd highest win total for a single season in franchise history, matching the 1986-87 Lakers season. The Lakers carried this momentum all the way towards the second half, thus winning Game 1 of the series. Rockets and Basketball from Houston Chronicle (best of 5, Lakers win 3-1) Sun May 9 @ L.A. Lakers, 101-100; Tue May 11 @ L.A. Lakers, 110-98; Thu May 13 @ Houston Rockets, 102-88; Sat May 15 @ Houston Lakers, 98-88 O'Neal scored 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. 1 seed Lakers in the by losing Game 5. After an 8–4 start to the season, the Lakers won seven consecutive games, then posted a 16-game winning streak between December and January, a 19-game winning streak between February and March, and an 11-game winning streak between March and April, finishing the regular season with 67 wins and 15 losses, the most wins since the 1971–72 team won a franchise-record 69 games. no all-star game was played in philadelphia in 1999 due to the nba lockout The 1998/99 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association. They cruised past the Rockets on the first round, before bowing down to the eventual champions, the Spurs. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. The season is memorable, 21-year-old Kobe Bryant being named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team while emerging as one of the NBA's young superstars, Glen Rice finishing first on the Lakers with 84 three-pointers, the Lakers signing Ron Harper and Brian Shaw to give the team a veteran presence, and hiring Phil Jackson to give the team a championship experience. Their first game on April was against the visiting Knicks. However, the Lakers chipped away and entered intermission trailing 56–53. [33] During their last game of February, O'Neal and Bryant recorded 55 points of the 90 Laker points as they led the Lakers towards their 12th straight win, escaping the home team, Portland Trail Blazers, 90-87. For the first time since 1991, no series went to seven games. [77] Jalen Rose replaced Chris Mullin in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award,[78] while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man.[79]. Results, Statistics, Leaders and more for the 1999 NBA playoffs. Wednesday, June 14, 2000, 9:00 at the Conseco Fieldhouse. Game 4 of the Lakers–Rockets series turned out to be the final postseason appearance in Charles Barkley’s Hall of Fame career. It was the Lakers' first championship since 1988. [89], Season of National Basketball Association team the Los Angeles Lakers, Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (Home: 3–0; Road: 1–1), Conference Finals: 4–3 (Home: 2–2; Road: 2–1), "1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.com", "Near-Unanimous Vote Elects O'Neal M.V.P. Although the Pacers attempted a comeback in the 2nd quarter, they were still down by 12. Michael Jordan NBA Playoffs on DVD. [29] The next game, the Lakers blows out the visiting Utah Jazz, 113-67. This page was last edited on 23 February 2021, at 18:20. In Game 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers' first-round series against the Orlando Magic, Iverson poured in 33 points, five rebounds, five assists, and 10 … [36] Three days after, Bryant and O'Neal combined for 59 points as they defeated the home team, Golden State Warriors, 109-92, to extend their winning streak to 17 in a row. Tim Duncan was named NBA Finals MVP. The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles. It was their sixth loss of the season. Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (27.4 / 14.0 / 2.4) 1999 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Latrell Sprewell (407) TRB: Tim Duncan (195) AST: Avery Johnson (126) WS: Tim Duncan (3.7) More playoffs info Pacers coach Larry Bird wanted to have a shoot-around in the arena the day before Game 6 to help his team shoot more consistently because they shot very poorly in Games 1 and 2. O'Neal once again led the Lakers with 22 points, 16 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 blocks. [25] On January 10, Bryant and O'Neal combined for 61 of the 130 points of the Lakers whom they guided towards a win over the visiting Nuggets. Green won championships with the team in the 1980s. O'Neal recorded 21 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks and Bryant added 18 points as the Lakers dismissed the Clippers, 95-68. Van Exel was the former point guard of the Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal, NBA All-Defensive Second Team, This page was last edited on 3 April 2021, at 07:56. 1998-1999 Los Angeles Lakers Playoff Roster. Kobe Bryant paved the way with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists. [71] Rallying back with a 25–4 run, the Lakers won the game and secured a berth in the NBA Finals. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse,[76] as well as their first since 1993 without center Antonio Davis, who was traded for the rights to the No. This was the last NBA postseason to feature back-to-backs in the conference semifinals. Lakers' regular-season record, 56-26. Reggie Miller came out and made 5 straight shots including a 4-point play. The game remained close going into the fourth quarter, when O'Neal and Reggie Miller scored 14 and 13 points respectively, sending the game into overtime. Despite the Lakers outscoring the Kings in the third quarter, the Kings responded in the fourth quarter, thus the Lakers lost again on the road, 88-101. The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home. [20] Three days later, Shaquille O'Neal recorded 34 points, 20 rebounds and 2 blocks in a 99-90 win over the home team, Boston Celtics, for the seventh straight win. [19] On December 17, the Lakers won their fifth straight game as they won on the road against the Timberwolves, 97-88. This was the first playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Bucks. The Los Angeles Lakers last made the playoffs in 2020, when they won the NBA Finals. They won twelve straight games, and finished 15–2 for a postseason record previously equalled by the 1991 Chicago Bulls and beaten only by a 15–1 playoff record with the only loss in overtime from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001, and by a 16–1 playoff record from the Golden State Warriors in 2017. Bryant recorded 40 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists and O'Neal added 39 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists. Because of their dominant regular and postseason performance, as well as O'Neal's individual achievements, this Los Angeles Lakers team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. It was also the first time that the Lakers played in STAPLES Center. Desperate to try to gain the lead, Larry Bird resorted to the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy. Shaquille O'Neal became the first player to record that statline since Hakeem Olajuwon back in 1987. The Lakers would build a seven-point lead, but the Pacers fought back to tie the score at 103. During their first meeting on November 10, the Lakers were pushed to the limit for Shaquille O'Neal was fouled out in the game. For the Lakers, O'Neal was again the leading scorer with 37 points to go along with 19 rebounds. Midway through overtime, O'Neal committed his sixth foul but 21-year-old Bryant delivered three clutch shots, as the Lakers were able to overcome back-up center John Salley's inability to effectively defend Smits. Western Conference Semifinals: San Antonio Spurs - Los Angeles Lakers (4-0) Eastern Conference First Round: Los Angeles Lakers - Houston Rockets (3-1) Los Angeles Lakers: Players stats for the 1999 playoffs series. [9] They match-up against each other again two days after, but without O'Neal who was suspended, they bowed to the visiting Rockets, 81-97, who was led by Hakeem Olajuwon and Steve Francis. Le$$ Member. [52], In Game 3, the series now shifted in Sacramento, wherein the Kings now host the Lakers. [16], (2) Indiana Pacers vs. (7) Milwaukee Bucks, (3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers, (4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Detroit Pistons, (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves, (2) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (7) Phoenix Suns, (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets, (2) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers, (4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) New York Knicks, (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (4) Los Angeles Lakers, (2) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (3) Utah Jazz, (2) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) New York Knicks, (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Portland Trail Blazers, NBA Finals: (W1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (E8) New York Knicks, "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Orlando Magic versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Minnesota Timberwolves versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Phoenix Suns versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Sacramento Kings versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Portland Trail Blazers versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)", http://www.nba.com/encyclopedia/moments/60moments_hm_21-31.html, "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — Portland Trail Blazers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)", "Team Rivalry Finder — New York Knicks versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)", Basketball – Reference.com's 1999 Playoffs section, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1999_NBA_playoffs&oldid=1008516931, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Playoffs from Sports at L.A. Times; Blazers from Sports at The Oregonian ( best of 7, Lakers win 4-3 ) Sat, May 20 @ Los Angeles, Lakers 109-94 [74] The 1998–1999 NBA season began with a lockout but saw Indiana return to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell to the New York Knicks. Western Finals vs. Portland. The Lakers got four timely three-pointers from Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, and Rick Fox. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece. However, they were no match for the dominance of O'Neal who averaged 28.5 points per game, 15.0 rebounds per game and 2 blocks per game in those two contests. O'Neal led the Lakers with 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks as the Lakers captured their 62nd win of the season, 106-82. [61] The Lakers then defeated Sacramento in Game 5, 113–86, to face the Phoenix Suns in the conference semifinals. He was awarded the Finals MVP.[88]. O'Neal led the Lakers towards their eighth win of the season as they defeat the visiting Bulls, 103-95. The "Twin Towers" proved too much for the Lakers. The turning point occurred on a play where Brian Shaw stole the ball from Jalen Rose, leading to a fast break where Shaquille O'Neal hit an off-balance shot to give the Lakers the lead. 1998-99. [30][31] On February 9, the Lakers had another blowout win, this time against the visiting Timberwolves. [41] O'Neal again led the Lakers as he recorded 43 points and 10 rebounds as they won again, 92-85, against the home team, New York Knicks. O'Neal added 23 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks for the Lakers. [53], In Game 4, the Kings opened up their largest lead of the series in the first half, leading the visiting Lakers, 56-45, at halftime. [35] Five days later, the Lakers were up against the Clippers, and they won their 16th straight win, 123-103. Despite this low percentage, Shaq made 9 of 16 in the 4th quarter to keep a Lakers lead. O'Neal also contributed 28 points and 23 rebounds as they got the 12th win of the season. With a healthy O'Neal, the Lakers dominated the regular season, with winning streaks of 11, 16, and 19 en route to a 67–15 record, tying the 1992 Chicago Bulls and 1986 Boston Celtics as the fifth best record in NBA regular season history. Overall, they caused $1 million in damages. In Game 2 Reggie Miller hit the game winning free throws with 2 seconds remaining, In Game 3 Larry Johnson makes a game-winning 4-point play with 5.7 seconds left. The 1999 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association’s 1998-99 season. With their loss in Game 5, the Lakers record in close-out games dropped to 3–6 in the 2000 NBA Playoffs (the other losses coming in Games 3 and 4 in the first round against Sacramento, Game 4 in the series against Phoenix, and Games 5 and 6 versus Portland). Shaquille O'Neal led all scorers with 36 points to go along with 8 rebounds. And now, the Lakers were up against their division rivals, the L.A. Clippers. Briefly, the Lakers considered to trade Kobe Bryant for Grant Hill, but it never came close to consummation. [1] It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center, becoming co-tenants with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers. [23] On their last game of the century and year 1999, the Lakers won their tenth straight game, after defeating the visiting Suns, 103-88, thanks to Shaquille O'Neal's performance of 27 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks.