Chicago BullsVERSUSPhiladelphia 76ers

Allen Iverson's rookie season unfolded under the shadow of Michael Jordan, whose Bulls were defending champions and the standard for the entire league. Their Philadelphia meeting offered the 21-year-old guard a direct possession against the player every new perimeter star was measured against.

• Iverson was on his way to Rookie of the Year, while Jordan was pursuing a fifth championship.
• Chicago was the vastly stronger team, so the enduring stakes belonged to a single one-on-one exchange rather than the standings.