2002–03 Minnesota Timberwolves season

The 2002–03 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 14th season for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association.^[1] During the off-season, the Timberwolves signed free agents Troy Hudson, Kendall Gill and Rod Strickland.^[2][3][4] However, prior to the start of the regular season, the team lost both Terrell Brandon, and Felipe López for the entire season due to knee injuries.^[5][6]

With the addition of Hudson, Gill and Strickland, and despite the loss of Brandon and López, the Timberwolves played around .500 in winning percentage with a 9–8 record in November. The team posted two six-game winning streaks in January and February, while posting a 12–1 record in February, and holding a 29–20 record at the All-Star break.^[7] The Timberwolves posted a seven-game winning streak between February and March, and finished in third place in the Midwest Division with a 51–31 record, earning the fourth seed in the Western Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.^[8]

Kevin Garnett averaged 23.0 points, 13.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Wally Szczerbiak averaged 17.6 points per game, but only played 52 games due to injury, while Hudson provided the team with 14.2 points and 5.7 assists per game, Rasho Nesterovic provided with 11.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and Gill contributed 8.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Anthony Peeler contributed 7.7 points per game, Joe Smith averaged 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, Strickland provided with 6.8 points and 4.6 assists per game, and Gary Trent contributed 6.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.^[9]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Garnett was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[10][11][12] Garnett scored 37 points along with 9 rebounds and 5 steals, and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, as the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference in double-overtime, 155–145.^[13][14] Garnett finished in second place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs with 43 first-place votes,^[15][16] and also finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting;^[17][16] Hudson finished in ninth place in Most Improved Player voting, while Garnett finished tied in 21st place, and Nesterovic finished tied in 26th place,^[16] and head coach Flip Saunders finished in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[16]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Timberwolves faced off against the 5th–seeded, and 3-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by All-Star guard Kobe Bryant, All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal, and Derek Fisher. The Timberwolves lost Game 1 to the Lakers at home, 117–98 at the Target Center, but managed to win the next two games, which included a Game 3 road win over the Lakers at the Staples Center in overtime, 114–110 to take a 2–1 series lead. However, the Timberwolves lost the next three games, including a Game 6 loss to the Lakers at the Staples Center, 101–85, thus losing the series in six games; it was the seventh consecutive year that the Timberwolves lost in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.^[18][19][20]

The Timberwolves finished 18th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 643,684 at the Target Center during the regular season.^[9][21] Following the season, Smith was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks,^[22][23] while Peeler signed as a free agent with the Sacramento Kings,^[24] Gill signed with the Chicago Bulls,^[25] Brandon was traded to the Atlanta Hawks,^[26] and Strickland was released to free agency.