1998–99 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1998–99 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 31st season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association.^[1] Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.^[2] The Bucks received the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, and selected power forward, and German basketball star Dirk Nowitzki, but soon traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for rookie power forward, and first-round draft pick Robert Traylor from the University of Michigan.^[3][4][5] During the off-season, the team signed free agents, three-point specialist Dell Curry,^[6][7][8] and Vinny Del Negro.^[9][10] The Bucks also hired George Karl as their new head coach; Karl previously coached the Seattle SuperSonics, and led them to the 1996 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games.^[11][12][13]

Under Karl and with the addition of Dell Curry, Del Negro and Traylor, the Bucks won five of their first six games of the regular season, and posted a six-game winning streak between February and March. At mid-season, the team traded Terrell Brandon to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and acquired Sam Cassell and Chris Gatling from the New Jersey Nets, in exchange for Elliot Perry in a three-team trade;^[14][15][16] however, Cassell only played just four games with the team due to an ankle injury he sustained with the Nets.^[17][18][19] In another mid-season trade, the Bucks traded Tyrone Hill, and second-year forward Jerald Honeycutt to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for second-year forward Tim Thomas, and Scott Williams,^[15][16][20] and also signed free agent Haywoode Workman.^[21] The Bucks played above .500 in winning percentage for the entire season, and finished in fourth place in the Central Division with a 28–22 record, earning the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1990–91 season, ending a seven-year playoff drought.^[22]

Glenn Robinson averaged 18.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Ray Allen averaged 17.1 points and 3.6 assists per game, and led the Bucks with 74 three-point field goals, and Cassell provided the team with 13.8 points, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game off the bench during his short four-game stint. In addition, Dell Curry contributed 10.1 points per game and 69 three-point field goals off the bench, while shooting .476 in three-point field-goal percentage, while Thomas provided with 8.5 points per game in 33 games, and Armen Gilliam averaged 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Gatling contributed 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 30 games, Workman provided with 6.9 points and 5.9 assists per game, and Del Negro contributed 5.9 points and 3.6 assists per game. On the defensive side, Traylor was the team's starting center, averaging 5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, while off the bench, Ervin Johnson averaged 5.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, and Michael Curry contributed 4.9 points per game.^[23]

Robinson finished tied in 16th place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[24] while Dell Curry finished tied in fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting;^[24] Workman finished tied in tenth place in Most Improved Player voting,^[24] Michael Curry finished tied in seventh place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[24] and Karl finished tied in eighth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[24]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Bucks faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Central Division champion Indiana Pacers, who were led by All-Star guard Reggie Miller, All-Star center Rik Smits, and sixth man Jalen Rose. The Bucks lost the first two games to the Pacers on the road at the Market Square Arena, before losing Game 3 at home, 99–91 at the Bradley Center, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep.^[25][26][27]

The Bucks finished 22nd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 381,948 at the Bradley Center during the regular season.^[23][28] Following the season, Dell Curry signed as a free agent with the Toronto Raptors,^[29][30][31] while Gatling and Gilliam were both traded to the Orlando Magic,^[32][33][34] and Michael Curry re-signed with his former team, the Detroit Pistons.^[35][36]