2002–03 Indiana Pacers season

2002–03 Indiana Pacers season
Head coachIsiah Thomas
General managerDonnie Walsh
ArenaConseco Fieldhouse
Results
Record48–34 (.585)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Central)
Conference: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finishFirst Round
(lost to Celtics 2–4)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
TelevisionFox Sports Net Midwest, WTTV

The 2002–03 Indiana Pacers season was the 27th season for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, and their 36th season as a franchise.[1] During the off-season, the Pacers signed free agent Erick Strickland.[2][3]

Despite a few early-season injuries,[4] the Pacers got off to a fast start by winning 14 of their first 16 games of the regular season, which included a 9-game winning streak in November, as the team held a 34–15 record at the All-Star break.[5] However, the Pacers struggled and played below .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, losing 12 of 13 games between February 16 and March 12, 2003, while posting two six-game losing streaks.[6] In March, the team signed free agent, and former All-Star guard Tim Hardaway, who played in ten games for the Pacers.[7][8] The Pacers finished in second place in the Central Division with a 48–34 record, earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.[9]

Jermaine O'Neal averaged 20.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Ron Artest averaged 15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Brad Miller provided the team with 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. In addition, Reggie Miller contributed 12.6 points per game, and led the Pacers with 113 three-point field goals, while sixth man Al Harrington provided with 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game off the bench, and second-year guard Jamaal Tinsley averaged 7.8 points, 7.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Off the bench, Ron Mercer contributed 7.7 points per game, while Jonathan Bender averaged 6.6 points per game, Strickland provided with 6.5 points and 2.9 assists per game, and Austin Croshere contributed 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.[10]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, O'Neal and Brad Miller were both selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while head coach Isiah Thomas was selected to coach the Eastern Conference; it was Miller's first ever All-Star appearance.[11][12][13] The All-Star Game was also known as a storybook ending for Michael Jordan, but O'Neal ruined the moment, fouling Western Conference All-Star guard Kobe Bryant, who attempted a 3-pointer; Bryant hit 2 of 3 free throws to send the game into overtime, as the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference, 155–145 in double overtime.[14][15] Meanwhile, Tinsley was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Sophomores team.[16][17]

Artest finished in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons,[18][19] while Harrington finished in eighth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting;[19] Artest also finished in 13th place in Most Improved Player voting, while O'Neal finished tied in 14 place, and Brad Miller finished tied in 18th place,[19] and Thomas finished tied in 15th place in Coach of the Year voting.[19]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Pacers faced off against the 6th–seeded Boston Celtics, a team that featured All-Star guard Paul Pierce, All-Star forward Antoine Walker, and Tony Delk. Despite having home-court advantage in the series, the Pacers struggled as the Celtics took a 3–1 series lead, after the Pacers lost Game 4 on the road, 102–92 at the FleetCenter. The Pacers managed to win Game 5 at home in overtime, 93–88 at the Conseco Fieldhouse, but then lost Game 6 to the Celtics at the FleetCenter, 110–90, thus losing the series in six games.[20][21][22]

The Pacers finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 670,461 at the Conseco Fieldhouse during the regular season.[10][23] Following the season, Thomas was fired after three seasons with the Pacers;[24][25] he would later return to coach the New York Knicks in 2006.[26] Also following the season, Brad Miller was traded to the Sacramento Kings, while Mercer was traded to the San Antonio Spurs,[27][28] Strickland signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks,[29] and Hardaway retired after thirteen seasons in the NBA.

One notable highlight of the regular season was the Pacers defeating the Chicago Bulls, 140–89 at the Conseco Fieldhouse on March 28, 2003.[30][31]

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 2002 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 14 Fred Jones SG  United States Oregon

Roster

2002–03 Indiana Pacers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
F 23 Ron Artest 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 244 lb (111 kg) 1979–11–13 St. John's
F 24 Jonathan Bender 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 202 lb (92 kg) 1981–01–30 Picayune Memorial HS (MS)
G 2 Jamison Brewer 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 184 lb (83 kg) 1980–11–19 Auburn
C 27 Primož Brezec 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 252 lb (114 kg) 1979–10–02 Slovenia
F 44 Austin Croshere 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1975–05–01 Providence
C 10 Jeff Foster 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1977–01–16 Texas State
G 14 Tim Hardaway 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1966–09–01 UTEP
F 3 Al Harrington 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1980–02–17 St. Patrick HS (NJ)
G 20 Fred Jones 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1979–03–11 Oregon
G/F 5 Ron Mercer 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1976–05–18 Kentucky
C 52 Brad Miller 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 244 lb (111 kg) 1976–04–12 Purdue
G/F 31 Reggie Miller 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1965–08–24 UCLA
F/C 7 Jermaine O'Neal 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1978–10–13 Eau Claire HS (SC)
G 21 Erick Strickland 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1973–11–25 Nebraska
G 11 Jamaal Tinsley 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1978–02–28 Iowa State
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: 2012–10–10

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Detroit Pistons 50 32 .610 – 30–11 20–21 19–9
x-Indiana Pacers 48 34 .585 2 32–9 16–25 19–9
x-New Orleans Hornets 47 35 .573 3 29–12 18–23 17–11
x-Milwaukee Bucks 42 40 .512 8 25–16 17–24 16–12
e-Atlanta Hawks 35 47 .427 15 26–15 9–32 14–14
e-Chicago Bulls 30 52 .366 20 27–14 3–38 12–16
e-Toronto Raptors 24 58 .293 26 15–26 9–32 10–18
e-Cleveland Cavaliers 17 65 .207 33 14–27 3–38 5–23
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Detroit Pistons 50 32 .610 –
2 y-New Jersey Nets 49 33 .598 1
3 x-Indiana Pacers 48 34 .585 2
4 x-Philadelphia 76ers 48 34 .585 2
5 x-New Orleans Hornets 47 35 .573 3
6 x-Boston Celtics 44 38 .537 6
7 x-Milwaukee Bucks 42 40 .512 8
8 x-Orlando Magic 42 40 .512 8
9 e-New York Knicks 37 45 .451 13
10 e-Washington Wizards 37 45 .451 13
11 e-Atlanta Hawks 35 47 .427 15
12 e-Chicago Bulls 30 52 .366 20
13 e-Miami Heat 25 57 .305 25
14 e-Toronto Raptors 24 58 .293 26
15 e-Cleveland Cavaliers 17 65 .207 33
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Playoffs

2003 playoff game log
First round: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 19 Boston L 100–103 Ron Artest (26) Jermaine O'Neal (9) Jamaal Tinsley (9) Conseco Fieldhouse
16,380 		0–1
2 April 21 Boston W 89–77 Jermaine O'Neal (23) Jermaine O'Neal (20) Jamaal Tinsley (7) Conseco Fieldhouse
15,881 		1–1
3 April 24 @ Boston L 83–101 Jermaine O'Neal (21) Jermaine O'Neal (16) Jamaal Tinsley (8) FleetCenter
18,624 		1–2
4 April 27 @ Boston L 92–102 Jermaine O'Neal (25) Jermaine O'Neal (19) Jamaal Tinsley (13) FleetCenter
18,624 		1–3
5 April 29 Boston W 93–88 (OT) Ron Artest (26) Jermaine O'Neal (22) Tim Hardaway (6) Conseco Fieldhouse
15,326 		2–3
6 May 1 @ Boston L 90–110 Jermaine O'Neal (25) Jermaine O'Neal (19) Erick Strickland (5) FleetCenter
18,624 		2–4
2003 schedule

Player statistics

Regular season

Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Al Harrington SF 82 37 2,467 511 125 71 33 1,002 30.1 6.2 1.5 .9 .4 12.2
Jermaine O'Neal PF 77 76 2,864 796 155 66 178 1,600 37.2 10.3 2.0 .9 2.3 20.8
Jeff Foster C 77 2 802 279 51 28 21 162 10.4 3.6 .7 .4 .3 2.1
Brad Miller C 73 72 2,270 603 193 65 43 955 31.1 8.3 2.6 .9 .6 13.1
Jamaal Tinsley PG 73 69 2,237 260 548 125 18 566 30.6 3.6 7.5 1.7 .2 7.8
Ron Mercer SG 72 3 1,671 154 112 49 14 556 23.2 2.1 1.6 .7 .2 7.7
Erick Strickland SG 71 10 1,275 145 209 38 7 458 18.0 2.0 2.9 .5 .1 6.5
Reggie Miller SG 70 70 2,117 172 170 62 4 882 30.2 2.5 2.4 .9 .1 12.6
Ron Artest SF 69 67 2,317 362 198 159 50 1,068 33.6 5.2 2.9 2.3 .7 15.5
Austin Croshere PF 49 0 633 155 56 6 13 252 12.9 3.2 1.1 .1 .3 5.1
Jonathan Bender SF 46 2 819 133 42 8 56 303 17.8 2.9 .9 .2 1.2 6.6
Primož Brezec C 22 1 111 23 4 2 4 42 5.0 1.0 .2 .1 .2 1.9
Fred Jones SG 19 1 115 9 5 6 1 23 6.1 .5 .3 .3 .1 1.2
Tim Hardaway PG 10 0 127 15 24 9 0 49 12.7 1.5 2.4 .9 .0 4.9
Jamison Brewer PG 10 0 80 9 18 2 1 22 8.0 .9 1.8 .2 .1 2.2

Playoffs

Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Jermaine O'Neal PF 6 6 272 105 4 3 18 137 45.3 17.5 .7 .5 3.0 22.8
Ron Artest SF 6 6 252 35 13 15 6 114 42.0 5.8 2.2 2.5 1.0 19.0
Jamaal Tinsley PG 6 6 185 18 39 4 0 51 30.8 3.0 6.5 .7 .0 8.5
Reggie Miller SG 6 6 176 14 14 1 1 55 29.3 2.3 2.3 .2 .2 9.2
Brad Miller C 6 6 135 33 15 5 0 52 22.5 5.5 2.5 .8 .0 8.7
Ron Mercer SG 6 0 135 13 7 6 1 39 22.5 2.2 1.2 1.0 .2 6.5
Al Harrington SF 6 0 103 22 5 6 3 18 17.2 3.7 .8 1.0 .5 3.0
Jeff Foster C 6 0 38 8 2 0 3 14 6.3 1.3 .3 .0 .5 2.3
Erick Strickland SG 5 0 42 7 8 1 0 21 8.4 1.4 1.6 .2 .0 4.2
Tim Hardaway PG 4 0 47 2 9 1 0 13 11.8 .5 2.3 .3 .0 3.3
Austin Croshere PF 4 0 46 17 3 0 1 16 11.5 4.3 .8 .0 .3 4.0
Jonathan Bender SF 3 0 34 7 0 0 2 17 11.3 2.3 .0 .0 .7 5.7

Awards and records

Transactions

References

  1. ^ 2002–03 Indiana Pacers
  2. ^ "Stackhouse Goes to Wizards". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. September 12, 2002. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  3. ^ "Pacers Ink G Erick Strickland". United Press International. September 11, 2002. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Smith, Sam (October 30, 2002). "Eastern Conference Capsules". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  6. ^ "76ers Rally to Beat Pacers, 96-93". Midland Daily News. March 11, 2003. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "Struggling Pacers Sign Tim Hardaway". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. March 28, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  8. ^ "In Sports from United Press International". United Press International. March 28, 2003. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  9. ^ "2002–03 Indiana Pacers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "2002–03 Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  11. ^ Sheridan, Chris (February 9, 2003). "Something Old, Something New on Court at All-Star Game". Ocala Star-Banner. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  12. ^ "2003 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  13. ^ "2003 NBA All-Star Game: West 155, East 145 (2OT)". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  14. ^ "Garnett Is the M.V.P. in Jordan's Final All-Star Game". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 9, 2003. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  15. ^ Wyche, Steve (February 10, 2003). "Passing the Torch". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  16. ^ "Basketball". The Madison Courier. February 8, 2003. p. A8. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  17. ^ "2003 NBA Rising Stars: Sophomores 132, Rookies 112". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  18. ^ "Wallace Chosen Best Defender". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 24, 2003. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d "2002–03 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  20. ^ Broussard, Chris (May 2, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Celtics Put On a Show to Defeat the Pacers". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  21. ^ Goodman, Jeff (May 2, 2003). "Celtics Finish Off Pacers with Rout". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  22. ^ "2003 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Celtics vs. Pacers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  23. ^ "2002–03 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  24. ^ Robbins, Liz (August 28, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; With Bird in Charge, Pacers Fire Thomas". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  25. ^ "Bird Fires Thomas as Coach of Pacers". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. August 28, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  26. ^ Beck, Howard (June 27, 2006). "Thomas Is Given an Ultimatum, and Brown a Parting Shot". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  27. ^ "BASKETBALL; 3-Team Deal Gives Kings Brad Miller". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 25, 2003. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  28. ^ "Sacramento Reacts, Gets Miller". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. July 25, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  29. ^ "Bucks Ink Three Free Agents". United Press International. July 18, 2003. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  30. ^ "Pacers Spanks Bulls, 140-89". Associated Press. March 28, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  31. ^ "Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers Box Score, March 28, 2003". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 27, 2022.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.