Legendary Night! Carter forced the strongest Iverson with 39 points

On May 20, 2001, the air at the Toronto Aviation Center Arena was nearly solidified. In the G6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Raptors played against the 76ers until the last 14 seconds after the 89-drawn draw, Vince Carter received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right, facing Tyrone Hill's three-pointer - the ball cut through the trajectory of the sky, becoming one of the most classic shots in NBA playoff history. This knocked the game into overtime and ignited an epic 53-minute matchup between Carter and Iverson.

Tactical Game Behind the Data

Carter's Killing Technique: Behind the 39 points of 14 of 27 shots (3 of 5 three-pointers) is the "Fist Down" tactic carefully designed by the Raptors coaching staff. Through Antonio Davis's continuous pick-and-roll, Carter completed a mid-range jump shot near the free throw line seven times. This "dessert area" with a shooting percentage of 48% that year became a nightmare for the 76ers' defense.

Iverson responded: Despite fighting with left knee effusion, "Answer" still tear the Raptors' joint defense with 39 points and 5 assists. Its signature "Butterfly Step Through Flowers" caused Chris Chiles to commit 3 fouls, and his 11-point straight performance in the second quarter forced the Raptors to switch to the BOX-1 tactic.

Forgotten Win-Action

In overtime, Charles Oakley's death entanglement against Deakinbe Mutombo became a turning point. The 38-year-old veteran used three key frontcourt rebounds (7 in the game) to eliminate the 76ers against the counterattack, and Iverson's performance of losing 5 shots in overtime confirmed the physical crisis. Carter's breakthrough dunk of 1 minute and 22 seconds before the final game brought the series suspense back to Philadelphia.

Twenty years later, Doug Smith, the then Raptors reporter, disclosed in his memoir: Carter repeatedly watched the 50-point video of Iverson G5 before the game. This match-up full of fate ultimately created the only peak dialogue in NBA history that won the All-Star vote king + Best Rookie + MVP + Score King (Iverson) and the dunk king + Olympic gold medal (Carter) in the same year. Now watching the video again, the prototype of modern basketball where the two run without the ball in total 78 times is far more interesting than the score.

"Basketball won't lie, but legend needs witnesses. " - Vince Carter talks about this battle at the 2020 retirement ceremony