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.
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.
- 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.
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