Milwaukee Bucks: Ray Allen’s greatest moments as a Buck

Leading the charge to force Game 7 against Philly

As the Bucks’ playoff run during the 2000-01 season continued into the Eastern Conference Finals against the one-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, Allen grew into the peak of his powers.

Standing as the team’s most potent offensive force, Allen did his best to counteract that year’s Most Valuable Player, 76ers guard Allen Iverson, in what still stands as a hotly contested playoff series for a variety of reasons between the East’s two best teams that season.

But it was in Game 6 when the Bucks, with their backs firmly against the wall, badly needed a victory on their home floor to keep their sensational season alive to force a do-or-die Game 7 after going down 3-2 to the 76ers.

As it turned out, Allen rose to the occasion by leading the way as the Bucks took care of the 76ers to win 110-100 back on June 1 in the Bradley Center. Allen put on a shooting clinic from beyond the arc all night long to help break open the game in the Bucks’ favor, all of which started in the second quarter as they led by as much as 30 points near the final couple of minutes in the period.

Iverson tried to, ahem, answer the Bucks’ scoring assault by leading an unlikely comeback during the second half, but the Bucks eventually put a stop to that midway through the fourth quarter.

All in all, Allen finished with 41 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field (9-for-13 from three, 8-of-8 from the line), four assists, three steals, two rebounds as well as two turnovers and was a +9 in exactly 43 minutes of action.

Although Allen would have greater postseason scoring performances later in his career (his 51-point game with the Celtics in the 2009 NBA Playoffs quickly comes to mind), his Game 6 performance to extend the series against the 76ers will remain special in the hearts and minds of Bucks fans.