1998–99 Phoenix Suns season

The 1998–99 Phoenix Suns season was the 31st season for the Phoenix Suns 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] During the off-season, the Suns signed free agent and All-Star forward Tom Gugliotta,^[3][4][5] acquired Luc Longley from the Chicago Bulls,^[6][7][8] acquired rookie power forward Pat Garrity from the Dallas Mavericks,^[9][10] signed Chris Morris, and re-signed former Suns center Joe Kleine.^[11]

With the addition of Gugliotta and Longley, the Suns got off to an 8–5 start to the regular season in February. However, the team soon fell below .500 in winning percentage by posting a 7–11 record in March. With a 15–18 record as of April 3, 1999, the Suns won 12 of their final 17 games of the season, and finished tied with the Sacramento Kings for third place in the Pacific Division with a 27–23 record, earning the seventh seed in the Western Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year.^[12]

Gugliotta averaged 17.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, while Jason Kidd averaged 16.9 points, 10.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game, Clifford Robinson provided with 16.4 points and 1.5 steals per game, and Rex Chapman contributed 12.1 points per game; Kidd was named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, sixth man Danny Manning averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game off the bench, while Longley provided the team with 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, George McCloud contributed 8.9 points per game and led the Suns with 69 three-point field goals, and Garrity contributed 5.6 points per game.^[13] Kidd also finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[14][15] while Robinson finished tied in seventh place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[15] and also finished tied in tenth place in Most Improved Player voting.^[15]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Suns faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers, who were led by Isaiah Rider, Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire. The Suns lost the first two games to the Trail Blazers on the road at the Rose Garden Arena, before losing Game 3 at home, 103–93 at the America West Arena, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep.^[16][17][18] It was the fourth consecutive year that the Suns lost in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

The Suns finished seventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 472,283 at the America West Arena during the regular season.^[13][19] Following the season, Manning and Garrity were both traded to the Orlando Magic,^[20][21][22] who then traded Manning to the Milwaukee Bucks two weeks later,^[23][24][25] while McCloud signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets,^[26][27][28] Kleine signed with the Portland Trail Blazers,^[29] and Morris retired.