2003 NBA playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2002–03 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets, 4 games to 2, in the NBA Finals. Tim Duncan was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time.
Overview
The 2003 Playoffs were notable for several reasons.- This postseason featured the most series decided by six games in NBA playoff history.
- For the first time since 1974, all series were conducted in a best-of-seven format. From 1984 to 2002, the first-round series were best of five. It is also notable as the only time the first round did not include any series sweeps.
- This is the first postseason that the NBA Playoffs carried more games on cable television than regular broadcast television, and marks the debut for the NBA Playoffs to be aired on NBA TV, and the return broadcast on ESPN and ABC after the NBA departed from NBC and TBS.
- This was the final postseason appearance for David Robinson, Steve Kerr, Shawn Kemp and John Stockton
The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz continued the longest active Western Conference playoff appearance streaks at the time, entering their 21st and 20th postseason appearances, respectively.
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered their seventh consecutive postseason. In addition, they were awarded home-court advantage for the first time in franchise history in their series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Orlando Magic became the seventh team to lose a playoff series despite leading 3–1, losing to the Detroit Pistons in the first round. In an infamous post-game moment following Game 4, Tracy McGrady prematurely declared, "It feels good to get into the second round", not knowing that the NBA changed its first round series to a best-of-seven. The Magic would not win another playoff game again until 2008.
Game 5 of the Kings–Jazz series was the final game featuring Karl Malone and John Stockton as members of the Utah Jazz. Stockton would retire after the season while Malone would sign with the Lakers in the offseason. After this, the Jazz would not return to the playoffs until 2007.
With their first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves earned the dubious distinction of making their first seven postseason appearances, only to lose in the first round. They would break that streak by winning their first playoff series the following postseason.
The Portland Trail Blazers snapped a ten-game playoff losing streak dating back to 2000 with a Game 4 win in their first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks. The Trail Blazers also became the third team in NBA History to force a Game 7 after trailing 0–3 before bowing out. They would not return to the playoffs until 2009.
With their conference semifinals loss to the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics were swept in a postseason series for the first time since 1983, and would not return to the Conference Semifinals until 2008.
With their conference semifinals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers' championship streak was snapped at 3. With the win, the Spurs returned to the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five seasons.
With their conference semifinals win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Detroit Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars-led team was swept by the Chicago Bulls in 1991. The Pistons would go on to appear in six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals through 2008, the most consecutive appearances for any Eastern Conference team since the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics.
With their conference semifinals victory over the Sacramento Kings, the Dallas Mavericks made the conference finals for the first time since 1988.
This was the first Western Conference Finals since 1995 to take place entirely in the state of Texas.
With their Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Detroit Pistons, the New Jersey Nets won ten straight postseason games, the most since the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.
In Game 6 of the Spurs–Mavericks series, Steve Kerr and Manu Ginóbili sparked a 42–15 run to help the Spurs advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The Mavericks would not return to the Conference Finals until 2006.
Playoff qualifying
Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Bracket
First round
Eastern Conference first round
(1) [Detroit Pistons] vs. (8) [Orlando Magic]
The Pistons became the 7th team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit.| Detroit won 2–1 in the regular-season series |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.
| Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
(2) [New Jersey Nets] vs. (7) [Milwaukee Bucks]
- In Game 3, Rodney Rogers hit the game-winner with 2 seconds left.
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first two meetings.
| Milwaukee leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
(3) [Indiana Pacers] vs. (6) [Boston Celtics]
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.
| Boston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series. |
(4) [Philadelphia 76ers] vs. (5) [New Orleans Hornets]
| New Orleans won 2–1 in the regular-season series. |
This was the first playoff meeting between the 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.
Western Conference first round
(1) [San Antonio Spurs] vs. (8) [Phoenix Suns]
In Game 1, after Amar'e Stoudemire banks in a game-tying 3 with 7.9 seconds left in regulation, Stephon Marbury hits the game-winning 3 at the buzzer in OT.| Phoenix won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning three of the first five meetings.
| Phoenix leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series. |
(2) [Sacramento Kings] vs. (7) [Utah Jazz]
Game 5 was John Stockton's final NBA game. It was also Karl Malone's last game in Utah as he joined the Los Angeles Lakers during the following offseason.| Sacramento won 3–1 in the regular-season series. |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
| Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series |
(3) [Dallas Mavericks] vs. (6) [Portland Trail Blazers]
The Trail Blazers became the third NBA team to force a Game 7 after being down 0–3, after the New York Knicks in the 1951 NBA Finals and the Denver Nuggets in the 1994 Western Conference semifinals. This would not happen again until 2023.| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first two meetings.
| Portland leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
(4) [Minnesota Timberwolves] vs. (5) [Los Angeles Lakers]
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Timberwolves.
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) [Detroit Pistons] vs. (4) [Philadelphia 76ers]
- In Game 5, Chucky Atkins hit the game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds left after Derrick Coleman was called for goaltending on the shot.
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first meeting, which occurred when the Nationals/76ers franchise were in Syracuse and the Pistons franchise were in Fort Wayne.
| Philadelphia/ Syracuse leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
(2) [New Jersey Nets] vs. (6) [Boston Celtics]
| New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nets winning the first meeting.
| New Jersey leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
Western Conference semifinals
(1) [San Antonio Spurs] vs. (5) [Los Angeles Lakers]
- In Game 5, the Lakers nearly overcame a 25-point deficit, but Robert Horry's potential game-winning 3 went in and out.
| San Antonio won 4–0 in the regular-season series |
This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first eight meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 6–2 in all-time playoff series |