2002–03 Dallas Mavericks season

The 2002–03 Dallas Mavericks season was the 23rd season for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association.^[1] During the off-season, the Mavericks signed free agents Walt Williams,^[2] and Raja Bell.^[3]

The Mavericks got off to a fast start by winning their first fourteen games of the regular season; the team defeated the Detroit Pistons on the road, 102–82 at The Palace of Auburn Hills on November 27, 2002, to extend their winning streak to fourteen games, which was one win short of tying the NBA record set by the 1948–49 Washington Capitols, and the 1993–94 Houston Rockets, who both won their first fifteen games of the regular season.^[4][5] However, the team's winning streak ended after losing to the Indiana Pacers on the road, 110–98 at the Conseco Fieldhouse on November 28.^[6] The Mavericks later on held a 38–10 record at the All-Star break,^[7] finished in second place in the Midwest Division with a 60–22 record, and earned the third seed in the Western Conference; the Mavericks lost the tie-breaker with the San Antonio Spurs for the Midwest Division title.^[8]

Dirk Nowitzki averaged 25.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, led the Mavericks with 148 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Michael Finley averaged 19.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, along with 119 three-point field goals, and Steve Nash provided the team with 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, contributed 111 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In addition, sixth man Nick Van Exel contributed 12.5 points and 4.3 assists per game, along with 118 three-point field goals off the bench, while Raef LaFrentz provided with 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and Shawn Bradley averaged 6.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Eduardo Nájera averaged 6.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, but only played just 48 games, Williams contributed 5.5 points per game, Adrian Griffin provided with 4.4 points per game, and Bell contributed 3.1 points per game.^[9]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Nowitzki and Nash were both selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[10][11][12] Nowitzki finished in seventh place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Nash finished tied in eleventh place;^[13] Nowitzki also finished tied in 14th place in Most Improved Player voting, while Nash finished tied in 26th place,^[13] Van Exel finished in fourth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting,^[13] and head coach Don Nelson finished in eighth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[13]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Mavericks faced off against the 6th–seeded Portland Trail Blazers, a team that featured Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells and Derek Anderson. The Mavericks won the first two games over the Trail Blazers at home at the American Airlines Center, before winning Game 3 on the road, 115–103 at the Rose Garden Arena to take a 3–0 series lead. However, the Mavericks lost the next three games, which included a Game 6 loss to the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden Arena, 125–103. With the series tied at 3–3, the Mavericks won Game 7 over the Trail Blazers at the American Airlines Center, 107–95 to win in a hard-fought seven-game series.^[14][15][16]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, and for the second consecutive year, the team faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Pacific Division champion Sacramento Kings, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Chris Webber, All-Star forward Peja Stojaković, and Mike Bibby. The Mavericks lost Game 1 to the Kings at the American Airlines Center, 124–113,^[17] but managed to win Game 2 at home, 132–110, in which the Kings lost Webber to a season-ending knee injury.^[18][19] The Mavericks won Game 3 over the Kings on the road in double-overtime, 141–137 at the ARCO Arena II, as Van Exel scored 40 points off the bench to help the Mavericks take a 2–1 series lead.^[20] After holding a 3–2 series lead, the Mavericks lost Game 6 at the ARCO Arena II, 115–109 as the Kings evened the series. The Mavericks won Game 7 over the Kings at the American Airlines Center, 112–99 to win in another hard-fought seven-game series, and advance to the Conference Finals for the first time since the 1987–88 season.^[21][22][23]

In the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks then faced off against the top–seeded, and Midwest Division champion Spurs, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Tim Duncan, second-year star Tony Parker, and David Robinson. The Mavericks won Game 1 over the Spurs, 113–110 at the SBC Center, but then lost Game 2 on the road, 119–106. In Game 3 at the American Airlines Center, Nowitzki suffered a season-ending knee injury, as the Mavericks lost to the Spurs, 96–83,^[24][25] and then lost Game 4 at home, 102–95. The Mavericks managed to win Game 5 at the SBC Center, 103–91, but then lost Game 6 to the Spurs at the American Airlines Center, 90–78, thus losing the series in six games.^[26][27][28] The Spurs would go on to defeat the New Jersey Nets in six games in the 2003 NBA Finals, winning their second NBA championship in franchise history.^[29][30][31]

The Mavericks finished third in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 816,429 at the American Airlines Center during the regular season.^[9][32] Following the season, Van Exel and Avery Johnson were both traded to the Golden State Warriors,^[33][34] while LaFrentz was traded to the Boston Celtics,^[35][36] Griffin signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets,^[37] Bell signed with the Utah Jazz, and Williams retired.