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2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

Fox Sports Net North (Jim Paschke, Jon McGlocklin) (lost to Nets 2–4)

The 2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 35th season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association. For the first time since the 1993–94 season, Glenn Robinson was not on the opening day roster. During the off-season, the Bucks acquired Toni Kukoč from the Atlanta Hawks.

The Bucks played mediocre basketball with a 14–20 start to the regular season, but then won 13 of their next 16 games, and held a 25–23 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, just before the trading deadline, the Bucks traded All-Star guard Ray Allen to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for All-Star guard Gary Payton, and Desmond Mason. With the addition of Payton and Mason, the Bucks won eight of their final nine games of the season, finishing in fourth place in the Central Division with a 42–40 record, and earning the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.

Sam Cassell averaged 19.7 points and 5.8 assists per game, while Payton averaged 19.6 points, 7.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 28 games after the trade, and Michael Redd provided the team with 15.1 points per game, and also led them with 182 three-point field goals. In addition, Desmond Mason contributed 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 28 games, while Tim Thomas provided with 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and Kukoč contributed 11.6 points, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Meanwhile, Anthony Mason averaged 7.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, Jason Caffey provided with 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, Dutch rookie center Dan Gadzuric contributed 3.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, Ervin Johnson averaged 2.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and Joel Pryzbilla provided with 1.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, but only played just 32 games due to injury.

Despite a stellar season before the mid-season trade, Allen was not selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, Georgia; Allen averaged 21.3 points per game, and contributed 123 three-point field goals in 47 games with the Bucks. Payton finished in eleventh place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Redd finished in second place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind Bobby Jackson of the Sacramento Kings, and with Kukoč finishing in tenth place; Redd also finished in twelfth place in Most Improved Player voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Bucks faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion New Jersey Nets, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and second-year star Richard Jefferson. The Nets took a 2–1 series lead, but the Bucks managed to win Game 4 at home in overtime, 119–114 at the Bradley Center. However, after losing Game 5 on the road, 89–82 at the Continental Airlines Arena, the Bucks lost Game 6 to the Nets at the Bradley Center, 113–101, thus losing the series in six games. The Nets would advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, but would lose to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the 2003 NBA Finals.

Following the season, Payton signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Cassell and Johnson were both traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, head coach George Karl was fired, and Caffey and Anthony Mason both retired.

Draft picks

Main article: 2002 NBA draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
113Marcus HaislipPFUnited StatesTennessee
234Dan GadzuricCNetherlandsUCLA
241Ronald MurraySGUnited StatesShaw
247Chris OwensPFUnited StatesTexas

Roster

  • George Karl
  • Ron Adams
  • Mike McNeive
  • Sam Mitchell
  • Don Newman

Regular season

Season standings

Game log

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 1 || October 30, 2002 || @ Philadelphia | L 93–95 | | | | First Union Center 19,569 | 0–1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 2 || November 2, 2002 || Orlando | L 90–100 |Michael Redd (17) |Toni Kukoc (12) |Kevin Ollie (5) | Bradley Center 16,713 | 0–2 |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 3 || November 4, 2002 || @ New York | W 97–88 | |Dan Gadzuric (10) | | Madison Square Garden 18,100 | 1–2 |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 4 || November 6, 2002 || New Jersey | W 99–93 | | | | Bradley Center 14,539 | 2–2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 5 || November 7, 2002 || @ Minnesota | L 110–114 | | | | Target Center 14,776 | 2–3 |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 6 || November 9, 2002 || Philadelphia | W 110–105 | | | | Bradley Center 16,782 | 3–3 |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 7 || November 13, 2002 || Chicago | W 108–101 | | | | Bradley Center 14,036 | 4–3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 8 || November 15, 2002 || @ Indiana | L 100–103 | | | | Conseco Fieldhouse 16,010 | 4–4 |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 9 || November 16, 2002 || Boston | W 104–85 | | | | Bradley Center 18,717 | 5–4 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 10 || November 19, 2002 || Miami | L 93–97 | | | | Bradley Center 13,632 | 5–5 |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 11 || November 22, 2002 || @ Golden State | W 95–91 | | | | The Arena in Oakland 12,170 | 6–5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 12 || November 24, 2002 || @ L. A. Lakers | L 99–111 | | | | STAPLES Center 18,997 | 6–6 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 13 || November 25, 2002 || @ Phoenix | L 81–86 | | | | America West Arena 12,986 | 6–7

Playoffs

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | April 19 | @ New Jersey | L 96–109 | Tim Thomas (25) | Desmond Mason (8) | Gary Payton (10) | Continental Airlines Arena 16,102 | 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | April 22 | @ New Jersey | W 88–85 | Gary Payton (22) | Anthony Mason (8) | Gary Payton (7) | Continental Airlines Arena 17,633 | 1–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | April 24 | New Jersey | L 101–103 | Sam Cassell (24) | Tim Thomas (11) | Gary Payton (8) | Bradley Center 17,539 | 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | April 26 | New Jersey | W 119–114 (OT) | Toni Kukoč (23) | Desmond Mason (8) | Gary Payton (14) | Bradley Center 18,391 | 2–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | April 29 | @ New Jersey | L 82–89 | Toni Kukoč (18) | Desmond Mason (12) | Gary Payton (5) | Continental Airlines Arena 16,601 | 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | May 1 | New Jersey | L 101–113 | Gary Payton (24) | Tim Thomas (6) | Gary Payton (8) | Bradley Center 18,717

2–4

Player statistics

Season

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3FG%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
474635.843.739.591.34.63.51.20.221.3
Sam Cassell787734.647.036.286.14.45.81.10.219.7
Gary Payton282838.846.629.474.63.17.41.40.319.6
Michael Redd821428.246.943.880.54.51.41.20.215.1
Desmond Mason282534.047.429.476.56.72.40.70.414.8
Tim Thomas807029.544.336.678.04.91.30.90.613.3
63027.043.236.170.64.23.71.30.511.6
655832.648.60.071.86.43.20.50.27.2
Jason Caffey511617.545.60.065.13.50.70.40.35.8
Kevin Ollie53421.345.920.074.71.93.40.70.15.7
Marcus Haislip39811.343.125.068.41.40.20.20.54.1
Dan Gadzuric493015.548.30.051.84.00.20.41.13.4
Ervin Johnson691717.045.20.068.24.30.30.50.92.2
Ronald Murray1203.534.60.062.50.10.30.30.01.9
Joel Przybilla321717.139.10.050.04.50.40.31.41.5
Jamal Sampson501.60.00.00.00.40.20.20.00.0

Playoffs

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3FG%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
Gary Payton6641.842.96.770.03.08.71.30.218.5
Tim Thomas6531.846.257.171.94.81.30.51.017.8
Sam Cassell6636.247.052.493.33.22.70.50.217.2
6030.749.237.970.04.23.72.20.214.8
Desmond Mason6634.050.90.071.07.00.81.00.713.0
Michael Redd6021.340.425.092.93.51.80.30.29.7
Marcus Haislip2112.066.70.050.02.01.01.00.55.0
Anthony Mason6026.241.20.069.23.30.20.50.23.8
Ervin Johnson6312.737.50.00.04.00.50.50.81.0
Joel Przybilla438.3100.00.00.02.50.30.00.50.5

Player statistics citation:

Awards and records

  • George Karl, Coach of the Month in January

Transactions

Overview

**Players Added****Players Lost**

Trades

February 20, [2003](2002-03-nba-season)To **Milwaukee Bucks**----To **Seattle SuperSonics**----

Free agents

Cedric HendersonSeptember 25, 2002Golden State Warriors

Player Transactions Citation:

References

References

  1. [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIL/2003.html 2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks]
  2. Broussard, Chris. (August 3, 2002). "PRO BASKETBALL: NOTEBOOK; Hawks Gain a Scorer in Trade for Robinson". The New York Times.
  3. Smith, Sam. (October 30, 2002). "Eastern Conference Capsules". Chicago Tribune.
  4. "NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003". Basketball-Reference.
  5. Popper, Steve. (February 21, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Sonics Deal Payton to Bucks for Allen". The New York Times.
  6. Heisler, Mark. (February 21, 2003). "Losses Will Fit Seattle Like a Glove". Los Angeles Times.
  7. Nichols, Rachel. (February 21, 2003). "Sonics Trade Payton to Bucks". The Washington Post.
  8. "2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
  9. "2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
  10. "2003 NBA All-Star Game: West 155, East 145 (2OT)". Basketball-Reference.
  11. "2002–03 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
  12. Robbins, Liz. (May 2, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Nets Finish Off Bucks and Move On to Celtics". The New York Times.
  13. Kerber, Fred. (May 2, 2003). "Nets Get It Done – Boot Bucks Behind Kidd, K-Mart". New York Post.
  14. "2003 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Bucks vs. Nets". Basketball-Reference.
  15. (June 15, 2003). "Spurs Defeat Nets to Win N.B.A. Title". The New York Times.
  16. Heisler, Mark. (June 16, 2003). "Spurs Reduce the 'Risk". Los Angeles Times.
  17. "2003 NBA Finals: Nets vs. Spurs". Basketball-Reference.
  18. Popper, Steve. (July 11, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Malone Agrees to Play for Lakers, Taking a $17.7 Million Cut in Pay". The New York Times.
  19. Brown, Tim. (July 9, 2003). "It's Glove in Hand". Los Angeles Times.
  20. Neiman, David. (July 9, 2003). "Payton, Lakers Agree on Contract". The Washington Post.
  21. Broussard, Chris. (June 28, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; In Fallout from Draft, Bucks Trade Cassell". The New York Times.
  22. (June 27, 2003). "Bucks Send Cassell to Minnesota". United Press International.
  23. (July 21, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Karl Is Gone as Bucks Coach". The New York Times.
  24. (July 21, 2003). "Karl Is Out as Coach of Bucks". Los Angeles Times.
  25. "2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks Transactions". Basketball-Reference.
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