This Date in NBA History (May 11): Vince Carter makes Toronto Raptors history with 50-piece vs. Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 playoffs

Yash Matange

This Date in NBA History (May 11): Vince Carter makes Toronto Raptors history with 50-piece vs. Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 playoffs image

On May 11th in 2001, Vince Carter dropped a playoff career-high and a franchise-record 50 points in Game 3 of their Conference Semifinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

It was the first-ever Conference Semifinals game that the Raptors were hosting and Carter ensured it was one to remember. His performance, which came a couple of days after Allen Iverson's 54-point performance in Game 2, led the Canadian franchise to a 102-78 win, which gave the Raptors a 2-1 series lead. 

In 45 minutes, Carter also finished with seven assists, six rebounds, nine 3-pointers (playoff career-high), and four blocks (playoff career-high). He knocked down eight of those nine long-range bombs in the first half, which is an NBA playoff record for most 3-pointers in a half.

Vince Carter vs. Philadelphia 76ers in 2001

To this date, he remains the only player in franchise history to score 50 or more in a single postseason game.

This playoff series will forever be remembered for the iconic scoring duel between Iverson and Carter. While the 76ers' guard averaged 33.7 points, which included two 50-point games, Carter averaged 30.4. 

The Raptors would go on to lose the series in heartbreaking fashion - 88-87 in Game 7, but this Game 3 showcase remains one of the most memorable games in franchise history.

More notable events on May 11th

 

  • In 1980, in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Julius Erving's reverse layup went down as one of the most iconic and memorable moves in NBA history. 
  • In 1992, the Portland Trail Blazers, the eventual Conference Champions, defeated the Phoenix Suns 153-151 in double overtime in Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals. This is the highest-scoring game in NBA Playoff history.

Elton Brand and Steve Francis

  • In 2000, Elton Brand of the Chicago Bulls and Steve Francis of the Houston Rockets were named co-winners of the Rookie of the Year Award. Both players received 58 of a possible 121 votes.

Notable playoff eliminations on May 11th

  • In 2017, the San Antonio Spurs, without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, eliminated the Houston Rockets with a blowout 114-75 Game 6 victory in the Conference Semifinals. This was the first Spurs-Rockets playoff matchup over the course of the Spurs' 22 straight postseason appearances.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.

Yash Matange

Yash Matange Photo