A complete history of the Raptors-76ers rivalry in the postseason
By Jason Mills
2. The Vince Carter era playoff excitement to Toronto
Once known as “Half Man, Half Amazing” Carter electrified the Toronto fan base from his arrival as a rookie in 1998. It was Carter’s ability to attack the basket and score from anywhere that coincided with Toronto’s first three-year playoff run in the NBA Playoffs between 2000 and 2002.
The Raptors led by Carter would taste playoff victory for the first time in 2001 vs the Knicks. The Toronto fan base was amped up for the next round vs Philly. Carter, who averaged 27.3 points per game during that regular season did his best to outperform Iverson averaging 30.4 PPG in the second round 2001 playoff series.
Vince Carter was dominant for the Toronto Raptors.
Carter would produce 35, 50, and 39 points in games 1,3, and 6. All were wins for Toronto. The series was an outstanding duel between two of the NBA’s brightest stars at the time in Carter and Iverson.
However, the heartbreaking, defining moment of the series was Carter missing a corner jumper at the end of Game Seven. This sent Philadelphia into the Conference Finals and on their way to being a 2001 NBA Finalist. It was a gutting moment for the player, organization, and fan base.
However, in defeat, Raptors fans had hope for what might come and were certainly entertained by a great series.