2003 NBA playoffs
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Article ImagesThe 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2002–03 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets, 4 games to 2, in the NBA Finals. Tim Duncan was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time.
Tournament details | |
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Dates | April 19 – June 15, 2003 |
Season | 2002–03 |
Teams | 16 |
Final positions | |
Champions | San Antonio Spurs (2nd title) |
Runner-up | New Jersey Nets |
Semifinalists | |
The 2003 Playoffs were notable for several reasons.
- This postseason featured the most series decided by six games in NBA playoff history. (Coincidentally, the Spurs won every single playoff series in six games en route to the championship.)
- For the first time since 1974, all series were conducted in a best-of-seven format. From 1984 to 2002, the first-round series were best of five. It is also notable as the only time the first round did not include any series sweeps.
- This is the first postseason that the NBA Playoffs carried more games on cable television than regular broadcast television, and marks the debut for the NBA Playoffs to be aired on NBA TV, and the return broadcast on ESPN and ABC after the NBA departed from NBC and TBS.
- This was the final postseason appearance for David Robinson, Steve Kerr, and John Stockton
Despite relocating to New Orleans in the offseason, the Hornets made their third consecutive postseason. After Charlotte reclaimed the Hornets name and pre-2002–03 history in 2014 (and the Pelicans claimed the Hornets' history from 2002–03 onwards), this marked the first postseason for the New Orleans franchise.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz continued the longest active Western Conference playoff appearance streaks at the time, entering their 21st and 20th postseason appearances, respectively.
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered their seventh consecutive postseason. In addition, they were awarded home-court advantage for the first time in franchise history in their series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Orlando Magic became the seventh team to lose a playoff series despite leading 3–1, losing to the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The Magic would not win another playoff game again until 2008.
Game 5 of the Kings–Jazz series was the final game featuring Karl Malone and John Stockton as members of the Utah Jazz. Stockton would retire after the season while Malone would sign with the Lakers in the offseason. After this, the Jazz would not return to the playoffs until 2007.
With their first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves earned the dubious distinction of making their first seven postseason appearances, only to lose in the first round. They would break that streak by winning their first playoff series the following postseason.
The Portland Trail Blazers snapped a ten-game playoff losing streak dating back to 2000 with a Game 4 win in their first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks. The Trail Blazers also became the third team in NBA History to force a Game 7 after trailing 0–3 before bowing out. They would not return to the playoffs until 2009.
With their conference semifinals loss to the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics were swept in a postseason series for the first time since 1983, and would not return to the Conference Semifinals until 2008.
With their conference semifinals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers' championship streak was snapped at 3. With the win, the Spurs returned to the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five seasons.
With their conference semifinals win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Detroit Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars-led team was swept by the Chicago Bulls in 1991. The Pistons would go on to appear in six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals through 2008, the most consecutive appearances for any Eastern Conference team since the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics (1956–69).
With their conference semifinals victory over the Sacramento Kings, the Dallas Mavericks made the conference finals for the first time since 1988.
This was the first Western Conference Finals since 1995 to take place entirely in the state of Texas.
With their Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Detroit Pistons, the New Jersey Nets won ten straight postseason games, the most since the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.
In Game 6 of the Spurs–Mavericks series, Steve Kerr and Manu Ginóbili sparked a 42–15 run to help the Spurs advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The Mavericks would not return to the Conference Finals (let alone face the Spurs in the playoffs) until 2006.
As of 2023, the 49–win New Jersey Nets are the most recent NBA Finals participant to win fewer than 50 games in an 82–game season. Four teams have since made the Finals with sub-50 win records, but each of those times, the season was shorter than 82 games for particular reasons:
- The Miami Heat (46–20) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (47–19) both made the 2012 Finals, but the 2011–12 season was shortened to 66 games due to the 2011 NBA lockout.
- The Miami Heat (44–29) made the Finals in the 2019–20 season, but that season was cut short due to the COVID–19 pandemic and no team played a full 82-game schedule.
- The Milwaukee Bucks (46–26) made it to the Finals in the 2020–21 season, however that season was only 72 games long due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seed | Team | Record |
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1 | San Antonio Spurs | 60–22 (2–2 head-to-head vs. DAL, 36–16 record vs. Western Conference) |
2 | Sacramento Kings | 59–23 |
3 | Dallas Mavericks | 60–22 (2–2 head-to-head vs. SAS, 34–18 record vs. Western Conference) |
4 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 51–31 |
5 | Los Angeles Lakers | 50–32 (2–2 head-to-head vs. POR, 15–9 record vs. Pacific Division, 33–19 record vs. Western Conference) |
6 | Portland Trail Blazers | 50–32 (2–2 head-to-head vs. LAL, 15–9 record vs. Pacific Division, 29–23 record vs. Western Conference) |
7 | Utah Jazz | 47–35 |
8 | Phoenix Suns | 44–38 |
Seed | Team | Record |
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1 | Detroit Pistons | 50–32 |
2 | New Jersey Nets | 49–33 |
3 | Indiana Pacers | 48–34 (2–2 head-to-head vs. PHI, 35–19 record vs. Eastern Conference) |
4 | Philadelphia 76ers | 48–34 (2–2 head-to-head vs. IND, 35–19 record vs. Eastern Conference) |
5 | New Orleans Hornets | 47–35 |
6 | Boston Celtics | 44–38 |
7 | Milwaukee Bucks | 42–40 (2–2 head-to-head vs. ORL, 32–22 record vs. Eastern Conference) |
8 | Orlando Magic | 42–40 (2–2 head-to-head vs. MIL, 31–23 record vs. Eastern Conference) |
First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
E1 | Detroit* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E8 | Orlando | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E1 | Detroit* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E4 | Philadelphia | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E4 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E5 | New Orleans | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E1 | Detroit* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
E2 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E3 | Indiana | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E6 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E6 | Boston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
E2 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E2 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E7 | Milwaukee | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E2 | New Jersey* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W8 | Phoenix | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W5 | LA Lakers | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W4 | Minnesota | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W5 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
W3 | Dallas | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W3 | Dallas | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W6 | Portland | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W3 | Dallas | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W2 | Sacramento* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W2 | Sacramento* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W7 | Utah | 1 |
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
Eastern Conference first round
The Pistons became the 7th team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit and the first 1st seed to do so.
Detroit won 2–1 in the regular-season series |
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December 25, 2002 Detroit Pistons 99, Orlando Magic 104 February 13, 2003 Orlando Magic 88, Detroit Pistons 98 |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.
Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
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- In Game 3, Rodney Rogers hit the game winner with 2 seconds left.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
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December 27, 2002 Milwaukee Bucks 90, New Jersey Nets 110 March 19, 2003 Milwaukee Bucks 104, New Jersey Nets 85 |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first two meetings.
Milwaukee leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
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Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.
Boston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series. |
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New Orleans won 2–1 in the regular-season series. |
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November 19, 2002 November 25, 2002 April 13, 2003 |
This was the first playoff meeting between the 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.[4]
Western Conference first round
In Game 1, after Amar'e Stoudemire banks in a game-tying 3 with 7.9 seconds left in regulation, Stephon Marbury hits the game-winning 3 at the buzzer in OT.
Phoenix won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
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This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning three of the first five meetings.
Phoenix leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series. |
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Game 5 was John Stockton's final NBA game. It was also Karl Malone's last game in Utah as he joined the Los Angeles Lakers during the following offseason.
Sacramento won 3–1 in the regular-season series. |
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series |
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The Trail Blazers became the third NBA team to force a Game 7 after being down 0–3, after the New York Knicks in the 1951 NBA Finals and the Denver Nuggets in the 1994 Western Conference semifinals. This would not happen again until 2023.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
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November 11, 2002 December 4, 2002 January 26, 2003 March 28, 2003 |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first two meetings.
Portland leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
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Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
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December 1, 2002 Minnesota Timberwolves 110, Los Angeles Lakers 107 December 17, 2002 March 7, 2003 March 14, 2003 |
This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Timberwolves.[8]
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
- In Game 5, Chucky Atkins hit the game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds left after Derrick Coleman was called for goaltending on the shot.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
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January 8, 2003 Detroit Pistons 103, Philadelphia 76ers 94 (OT) January 22, 2003 March 20, 2003 Philadelphia 76ers 85, Detroit Pistons 113 April 8, 2003 |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first meeting, which occurred when the Nationals/76ers franchise were in Syracuse and the Pistons franchise were in Fort Wayne.
Philadelphia/ Syracuse leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
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New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
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December 25, 2002 Boston Celtics 81, New Jersey Nets 117 March 13, 2003 Boston Celtics 75, New Jersey Nets 90 |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nets winning the first meeting.
New Jersey leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
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Western Conference semifinals
- In Game 5, the Lakers nearly overcame a 25-point deficit, but Robert Horry's potential game-winning 3 went in and out.
San Antonio won 4–0 in the regular-season series |
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October 29, 2002 February 14, 2003 San Antonio Spurs 103, Los Angeles Lakers 95 |
This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first eight meetings.
Los Angeles leads 6–2 in all-time playoff series |
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Sacramento won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
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February 4, 2003 Sacramento Kings 110, Dallas Mavericks 109 February 27, 2003 Sacramento Kings 126, Dallas Mavericks 124 (OT) March 16, 2003 Dallas Mavericks 129, Sacramento Kings 123 (OT) |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Kings winning the first meeting.
Sacramento leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
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Eastern Conference finals
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (2) New Jersey Nets
- Jason Kidd hit the game-winning jumper with 1.4 seconds left in Game 1.
Detroit won 2–1 in the regular-season series |
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December 15, 2002 New Jersey Nets 91, Detroit Pistons 101 December 21, 2002 Detroit Pistons 92, New Jersey Nets 100 February 1, 2003 New Jersey Nets 84, Detroit Pistons 106 |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first meeting.
Detroit leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
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Western Conference finals
Steve Kerr puts on a shooting performance for the ages connecting on 4 3-pointers closing out Dallas in game 6. Dirk Nowitzki missed the final three games with a knee injury.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
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February 20, 2003 March 20, 2003 San Antonio Spurs 112, Dallas Mavericks 110 (OT) |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.
San Antonio leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
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NBA Finals (W1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (E2) New Jersey Nets
- Game 6 is David Robinson's final NBA game.
The Spurs become the first team to win all playoff series in 6 games.
Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series |
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November 13, 2002 San Antonio Spurs 82, New Jersey Nets 91 |
This was the first NBA playoff meeting between the Nets and the Spurs. As members of the ABA, both teams met in the 1976 ABA Semifinals, where the Nets won 4–3.[15]
Category | Game High | Average | |||||
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Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
Points | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | 55 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | 32.1 | 12 |
Rebounds | Tim Duncan Ben Wallace |
San Antonio Spurs Detroit Pistons |
24 | Jermaine O'Neal | Indiana Pacers | 17.5 | 6 |
Assists | Gary Payton Jason Kidd |
Milwaukee Bucks New Jersey Nets |
14 | Gary Payton | Milwaukee Bucks | 8.7 | 6 |
Steals | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 7 | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 2.5 | 17 |
Blocks | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 8 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 3.3 | 24 |
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — New Orleans Pelicans versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Phoenix Suns versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Sacramento Kings versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Minnesota Timberwolves (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Brooklyn Nets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus San Anfsertonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.