Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Philadelphia 48-34, New Orleans 47-35
Game 1 on Sunday, 20 Apr: New Orleans loses at Philadelphia, 98-pts-90
Game 2 on Wednesday, 23 Apr: New Orleans loses at Philadelphia, 90-pts-85
Game 3 on Saturday, 26 Apr: Philadelphia loses at New Orleans, 99-pts-85
Game 4 on Monday, 28 Apr: Philadelphia wins at New Orleans, 96-pts-87
Game 5 on Wednesday, 30 Apr: New Orleans wins at Philadelphia, 93-pts-91
Game 6 on Friday, 2 May: Philadelphia wins at New Orleans, 107-pts-103

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: Down six points vs. the Hornets after one quarter in New Orleans, the Philadelphia 76ers rallied to defeat the New Orleans Hornets 107-pts-103, thereby eliminating the New Orleans Hornets 4-games-2 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 891. The Philadelphia 76ers thus improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 18-19, while the New Orleans Hornets fall to 0-1 (0-5 as the New Orleans/Charlotte Hornets). The Philadelphia win order in best-of-7 series 891 was WWLWLW; series 891 is the 27th best-of-7 series overall and the 14th best-of-7 NBA series to follow that win order.

After Game 5: With series 891 back in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia 76ers missed an opportunity to win the series on their home floor, falling in Game 5 to the New Orleans Hornets 93-pts-91. The 76ers' series lead is now 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Philadelphia 76ers have a series record of 9-2, with a current four-series winning streak; the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets are trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2 for the first time in series 891.

After Game 4: The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New Orleans Hornets in New Orleans, 96-pts-87, thereby taking a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 891. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Philadelphia 76ers have an 8-2 series record; when trailing 3-games-1, the old Charlotte Hornets had an 0-3 series record. NBA teams opening a best-of-7 playoff series with a win order of WWLW have a series record of 49-1; the sole loss was by the 1995 Phoenix Suns, in best-of-7 series 691 (the 1995 Quarterfinals) to the Houston Rockets. Those 1995 Houston Rockets thus set a favorable precedent for the 2003 New Orleans Hornets.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 891 having shifted to New Orleans, the New Orleans Hornets did not disappoint the first crowd to see a best-of-7 format playoff game in New Orleans, as they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 99-pts-85. Philadelphia now leads series 891 by a 2-games-1 margin. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, Philadelphia has a 9-4 series record; when trailing 2-games-1, the Charlotte Hornets had a series record of 0-4.

After Game 2: Taking a 2-games-nil lead in best-of-7 series 891, the Philadelphia 76ers again defeated the New Orleans Hornets in Philadelphia, this time by a final score of 90-pts-85. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 10-1 series record (and a seven-series winning streak) and a 6-5 Game 3 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the old Charlotte Hornets (the predecessor franchise to the current New Orleans Hornets) had a perfect 3-0 Game 3 record and a perfect 0-3 series record. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series history from 1947 through 2002, when a team won Game 1 by eight points and won Game 2 by five points, its series record was 1-1.

After Game 1: The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New Orleans Hornets in Philadelphia by a score of 98-pts-90, thereby taking a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 playoff series 891. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Philadelphia 76ers have a series record of 14-5. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the old Charlotte Hornets had a series record of 0-4.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers finished 1 game ahead of the New Orleans Hornets. From 1947 through 2002, when an NBA team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by 1 regular-season game, it has gone on to post a 11-10 best-of-7 series record against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 891 is the 37th best-of-7 playoff series for the Philadelphia 76ers and the first for the Hornets in New Orleans. In best-of-7 playoff series, Philadelphia has a 17-19 series record and a 19-17 Game 1 record, while the Charlotte Hornets (the predecessor franchise to the current New Orleans Hornets) have a 0-4 series record and a 0-4 Game 1 record. Series 891 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Philadelphia and New Orleans. The Philadelphia 76ers last played in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series in 2001; the Charlotte Hornets last did so in 2002.