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.

This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series. From 1984–2002, the first-round series was best-of-5.

This is the first time that the NBA Playoffs carried more games on cable television than regular broadcast television. This also marks the debut for the NBA Playoffs to be aired on NBA TV, and the return broadcast on ESPN & ABC after the NBA departed from NBC and TBS.

The Detroit Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars-led team were swept by the Chicago Bulls in 1991, ending the Pistons' quest for a third consecutive title. The Pistons would go on to appear in six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals until 2008, the most consecutive appearances for any Eastern Conference team since the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics (1957–1969).

The Dallas Mavericks also ended a long conference finals drought by making it there for the first time since 1988.

Bracket

	First Round					Conference Semifinals					Conference Final					NBA Finals
	1	San Antonio	4
	8	Phoenix	2
						1	San Antonio	4
						5	L.A. Lakers	2
	4	Minnesota	2
	5	L.A. Lakers	4
											1	San Antonio	4
	Western Conference
											3	Dallas	2
	3	Dallas	4
	6	Portland	3
						3	Dallas	4
						2	Sacramento	3
	2	Sacramento	4
	7	Utah	1
																W1	San Antonio	4
																E2	New Jersey	2
	1	Detroit	4
	8	Orlando	3
						1	Detroit	4
						4	Philadelphia	2
	4	Philadelphia	4
	5	New Orleans	2
											1	Detroit	0
	Eastern Conference
											2	New Jersey	4
	3	Indiana	2
	6	Boston	4
						6	Boston	0
						2	New Jersey	4
	2	New Jersey	4
	7	Milwaukee	2

Playoff qualifying

Western Conference

Seed	Team	Record
1	San Antonio Spurs	60–22
2	Sacramento Kings	59–23
3	Dallas Mavericks	60–22
4	Minnesota Timberwolves	51–31
5	Los Angeles Lakers	50–32
6	Portland Trail Blazers	50–32
7	Utah Jazz	47–35
8	Phoenix Suns	44–38

Eastern Conference

Seed	Team	Record
1	Detroit Pistons	50-32
2	New Jersey Nets	49-33
3	Indiana Pacers	48–34
4	Philadelphia 76ers	48–34
5	New Orleans Hornets	47–35
6	Boston Celtics	44–38
7	Milwaukee Bucks	42–40
8	Orlando Magic	42–40

Western Conference

Champion: San Antonio Spurs

First Round

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Phoenix Suns

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (PHO-SAS)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1*	April 19	Phoenix	96	San Antonio	95	1-0	SBC Center, San Antonio	ESPN 5:30 EDT/4:30CT	Recap
2	April 21	Phoenix	76	San Antonio	84	1–1	SBC Center, San Antonio	TNT 7:30 EDT/6:30CT	Recap
3	April 25	San Antonio	99	Phoenix	86	1–2	America West Arena, Phoenix	NBA TV 10:00 EDT/8:00MT	Recap
4	April 27	San Antonio	84	Phoenix	86	2–2	America West Arena, Phoenix	TNT 10:30 EDT/8:30MT	Recap
5	April 29	Phoenix	82	San Antonio	94	2–3	SBC Center, San Antonio	NBA TV 8:30 EDT/7:30CT	Recap
6	May 1	San Antonio	87	Phoenix	85	2–4	America West Arena, Phoenix	TBS 10:30 EDT/8:30MT	Recap
San Antonio wins series 4–2

Stephon Marbury hits the game-winning 3 at the buzzer in Game 1.

Regular-season series

Phoenix won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 29, 2002 Recap San Antonio Spurs 87, Phoenix Suns 94 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona January 14, 2003 Recap Phoenix Suns 100, San Antonio Spurs 108 (OT) SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas March 4, 2003 Recap Phoenix Suns 104, San Antonio Spurs 97 SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas April 13, 2003 Recap San Antonio Spurs 85, Phoenix Suns 92 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning three of the first five meetings.

Previous playoff series

Phoenix leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series
1992 Phoenix Suns 3, San Antonio Spurs 0 1992 Western Conference First Round 1993 Phoenix Suns 4, San Antonio Spurs 2 1993 Western Conference Semifinals 1996 Phoenix Suns 1, San Antonio Spurs 3 1996 Western Conference First Round 1998 Phoenix Suns 1, San Antonio Spurs 3 1998 Western Conference First Round 2000 Phoenix Suns 3, San Antonio Spurs 1 2000 Western Conference First Round

(2) Sacramento Kings vs. (7) Utah Jazz

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (UTA-SAC)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	April 19	Utah	90	Sacramento	96	0–1	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	TNT 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
2	April 21	Utah	95	Sacramento	108	0–2	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	TNT 10:00 EDT/7:00PT	Recap
3	April 26	Sacramento	104	Utah	108	1–2	Delta Center, Salt Lake City	ESPN 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
4	April 28	Sacramento	99	Utah	82	1–3	Delta Center, Salt Lake City	TNT 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
5	April 30	Utah	91	Sacramento	111	1–4	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	TNT 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
Sacramento wins series 4–1

Game 5 is John Stockton's final NBA game.

Regular-season series

Sacramento won 3–1 in the regular-season series
December 14, 2002 Recap Sacramento Kings 98, Utah Jazz 96 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah January 28, 2003 Recap Utah Jazz 102, Sacramento Kings 92 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California March 7, 2003 Recap Sacramento Kings 108, Utah Jazz 105 (OT) Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah April 16, 2003 Recap Utah Jazz 84, Sacramento Kings 95 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.

Previous playoff series

Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
1999 Sacramento Kings 2, Utah Jazz 3 1999 Western Conference First Round 2002 Sacramento Kings 3, Utah Jazz 1 2002 Western Conference First Round

(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (POR-DAL)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	April 19	Portland	86	Dallas	96	0–1	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 8:00 EDT/7:00CT	Recap
2	April 23	Portland	99	Dallas	103	0–2	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
3	April 25	Dallas	115	Portland	103	0–3	Rose Garden, Portland	ESPN 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
4	April 27	Dallas	79	Portland	98	1–3	Rose Garden, Portland	TNT 8:00 EDT/7:00PT	Recap
5	April 30	Portland	103	Dallas	99	2–3	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 8:00 EDT/7:00CT	Recap
6	May 2	Dallas	103	Portland	125	3–3	Rose Garden, Portland	ESPN 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
7	May 4	Portland	95	Dallas	107	3–4	American Airlines Center, Dallas	ABC 3:30 EDT/2:30CT	Recap
Dallas wins series 4–3

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

November 11, 2002 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 73, Dallas Mavericks 82 American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas December 4, 2002 Recap Dallas Mavericks 103, Portland Trail Blazers 88 Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon January 26, 2003 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 100, Dallas Mavericks 93 American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas March 28, 2003 Recap Dallas Mavericks 95, Portland Trail Blazers 112 Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first two meetings.

Previous playoff series

Portland leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
1985 Dallas Mavericks 1, Portland Trail Blazers 3 1985 Western Conference First Round 1990 Dallas Mavericks 0, Portland Trail Blazers 3 1990 Western Conference First Round

(4) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (5) Los Angeles Lakers

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (LAL-MIN)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	April 20	L.A. Lakers	117	Minnesota	98	1-0	Target Center, Minneapolis	ABC 3:30 EDT/2:30CT	Recap
2	April 22	L.A. Lakers	91	Minnesota	119	1–1	Target Center, Minneapolis	TNT 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
3	April 24	Minnesota	114	L.A. Lakers	110	1–2	Staples Center, Los Angeles	TNT 11:00 EDT/8:00PT	Recap
4	April 27	Minnesota	97	L.A. Lakers	102	2–2	Staples Center, Los Angeles	ABC 3:00 EDT/12:00PT	Recap
5	April 29	L.A. Lakers	120	Minnesota	90	3-2	Target Center, Minneapolis	TNT 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
6	May 1	Minnesota	85	L.A. Lakers	101	4-2	Staples Center, Los Angeles	TNT 11:00 EDT/8:00PT	Recap
L.A. Lakers wins series 4–2

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

December 1, 2002 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 110, Los Angeles Lakers 107 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California December 17, 2002 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 80, Minnesota Timberwolves 96 Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota March 7, 2003 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 96, Los Angeles Lakers 106 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California March 14, 2003 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 106, Minnesota Timberwolves 99 Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Timberwolves.

Conference Semifinals

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Los Angeles Lakers

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (LAL-SAS)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	May 5	L.A. Lakers	82	San Antonio	87	0–1	SBC Center, San Antonio	TNT 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
2	May 7	L.A. Lakers	95	San Antonio	114	0–2	SBC Center, San Antonio	TNT 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
3	May 9	San Antonio	95	L.A. Lakers	110	1–2	Staples Center, Los Angeles	TNT 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
4	May 11	San Antonio	95	L.A. Lakers	99	2–2	Staples Center, Los Angeles	ABC 3:30 EDT/12:30PT	Recap
5	May 13	L.A. Lakers	94	San Antonio	96	2–3	SBC Center, San Antonio	TNT 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
6	May 15	San Antonio	110	L.A. Lakers	82	2–4	Staples Center, Los Angeles	ABC 8:00 EDT/6:00PT	Recap
San Antonio wins series 4–2

• In Game 5, the Lakers nearly overcame a 25-point deficit, but Robert Horry's potential game-winning 3 went in and out.

Regular-season series

San Antonio won 4–0 in the regular-season series

October 29, 2002 Recap San Antonio Spurs 87, Los Angeles Lakers 82 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California November 20, 2002 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 88, San Antonio Spurs 95 SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas February 14, 2003 Recap San Antonio Spurs 103, Los Angeles Lakers 95 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California March 23, 2003 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 89, San Antonio Spurs 98 SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas

This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first eight meetings.

Previous playoff series

Los Angeles leads 6–2 in all-time playoff series

1982 Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 0 1982 Western Conference Finals 1983 Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 2 1983 Western Conference Finals 1986 Los Angeles Lakers 3, San Antonio Spurs 0 1986 Western Conference First Round 1988 Los Angeles Lakers 3, San Antonio Spurs 0 1988 Western Conference First Round 1995 Los Angeles Lakers 2, San Antonio Spurs 4 1995 Western Conference Semifinals 1999 Los Angeles Lakers 0, San Antonio Spurs 4 1999 Western Conference Semifinals 2001 Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 0 2001 Western Conference Finals 2002 Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 1 2002 Western Conference Semifinals

(2) Sacramento Kings vs. (3) Dallas Mavericks

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (SAC-DAL)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	May 6	Sacramento	124	Dallas	113	1-0	American Airlines Center, Dallas	ESPN 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
2	May 8	Sacramento	110	Dallas	132	1–1	American Airlines Center, Dallas	ESPN 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
3**	May 10	Dallas	141	Sacramento	137	1–2	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	ESPN 9:30 EDT/6:30PT	Recap
4	May 11	Dallas	83	Sacramento	99	2–2	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	TNT 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
5	May 13	Sacramento	93	Dallas	112	2–3	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 9:30 EDT/8:30CT	Recap
6	May 15	Dallas	109	Sacramento	115	3–3	ARCO Arena, Sacramento	TNT 10:30 EDT/7:30PT	Recap
7	May 17	Sacramento	99	Dallas	112	3–4	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 8:30 EDT/7:30CT	Recap
Dallas wins series 4–3

**Required double-overtime.

Regular-season series

Sacramento won 3–1 in the regular-season series

January 15, 2003 Recap Dallas Mavericks 94, Sacramento Kings 123 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California February 4, 2003 Recap Sacramento Kings 110, Dallas Mavericks 109 American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas February 27, 2003 Recap Sacramento Kings 126, Dallas Mavericks 124 (OT) American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas March 16, 2003 Recap Dallas Mavericks 129, Sacramento Kings 123 (OT) ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Kings winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series

Sacramento leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2002 Dallas Mavericks 1, Sacramento Kings 4 2002 Western Conference Semifinals

Conference Finals

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Dallas Mavericks

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (DAL-SAS)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	May 19	Dallas	113	San Antonio	110	1-0	SBC Center, San Antonio	TNT 9:00 EDT/8:00CT	Recap
2	May 21	Dallas	106	San Antonio	119	1–1	SBC Center, San Antonio	TNT 8:30 EDT/7:30CT	Recap
3	May 23	San Antonio	96	Dallas	83	1–2	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 9:00 EDT/8:00CT	Recap
4	May 25	San Antonio	102	Dallas	95	1–3	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 9:00 EDT/8:00CT	Recap
5	May 27	Dallas	103	San Antonio	91	2–3	SBC Center, San Antonio	TNT 9:00 EDT/8:00CT	Recap
6	May 29	San Antonio	90	Dallas	78	2–4	American Airlines Center, Dallas	TNT 9:00 EDT/8:00CT	Recap
San Antonio wins Western Conference Championship series 4–2

Steve Kerr puts on a shooting performance for the ages connecting on 4 3-pointers closing out Dallas in game 6.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

December 11, 2002 Recap Dallas Mavericks 104, San Antonio Spurs 111 SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas February 20, 2003 Recap San Antonio Spurs 87, Dallas Mavericks 95 American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas March 20, 2003 Recap San Antonio Spurs 112, Dallas Mavericks 110 (OT) American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas April 16, 2003 Recap Dallas Mavericks 93, San Antonio Spurs 72 SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series

San Antonio leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2001 Dallas Mavericks 1, San Antonio Spurs 4 2001 Western Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

Champion: New Jersey Nets

First Round

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Orlando Magic

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (ORL-DET)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	April 20	Orlando	99	Detroit	94	1-0	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills	ESPN 12:30et	Recap
2	April 23	Orlando	77	Detroit	89	1-1	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills	NBA TV 8:00et	Recap
3	April 25	Detroit	80	Orlando	89	2-1	TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando	ESPN 8:00et	Recap
4	April 27	Detroit	92	Orlando	100	3-1	TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando	ESPN 5:30et	Recap
5	April 30	Orlando	67	Detroit	98	3-2	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills	NBA TV 7:30et	Recap
6	May 2	Detroit	103	Orlando	88	3–3	TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando	NBA TV 7:30et	Recap
7	May 4	Orlando	93	Detroit	108	3–4	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills	ESPN 12:30et	Recap
Detroit wins series 4–3

Regular-season series

Detroit won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 25, 2002 Recap Detroit Pistons 99, Orlando Magic 104 TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida January 13, 2003 Recap Detroit Pistons 101, Orlando Magic 86 TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida February 13, 2003 Recap Orlando Magic 88, Detroit Pistons 98 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series

Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
1996 Detroit Pistons 0, Orlando Magic 3 1996 Eastern Conference First Round

(2) New Jersey Nets vs. (7) Milwaukee Bucks

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (MIL-NJN)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	April 19	Milwaukee	96	New Jersey	109	0–1	Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey	ESPN 12:30et	Recap
2	April 22	Milwaukee	88	New Jersey	85	1–1	Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey	TNT 7:00et	Recap
3	April 24	New Jersey	103	Milwaukee	101	1–2	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	TNT 8:30et/7:30ct	Recap
4*	April 26	New Jersey	114	Milwaukee	119	2–2	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	TNT 5:00et/4:00ct	Recap
5	April 29	Milwaukee	82	New Jersey	89	2–3	Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey	TNT 7:00et	Recap
6	May 1	New Jersey	113	Milwaukee	101	2–4	Bradley Center, Milwaukee	TNT 6:00et/5:00ct	Recap
New Jersey wins series 4–2

*Required overtime.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

November 6, 2002 Recap New Jersey Nets 93, Milwaukee Bucks 99 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin December 27, 2002 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 90, New Jersey Nets 110 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey December 28, 2002 Recap New Jersey Nets 104, Milwaukee Bucks 96 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 19, 2003 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 104, New Jersey Nets 85 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first two meetings.

Previous playoff series

Milwaukee leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
1984 Milwaukee Bucks 4, New Jersey Nets 2 1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1986 Milwaukee Bucks 3, New Jersey Nets 0 1986 Eastern Conference First Round

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Boston Celtics

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (BOS-IND)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	April 19	Boston	103	Indiana	100	1-0	Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	ESPN 3:00et/2:00ct	Recap
2	April 21	Boston	77	Indiana	89	1–1	Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	NBATV 8:30et/7:30ct	Recap
3	April 24	Indiana	83	Boston	101	2-1	FleetCenter, Boston	TNT 6:00et	Recap
4	April 27	Indiana	92	Boston	102	3-1	FleetCenter, Boston	ESPN2 12:00et	Recap
5*	April 29	Boston	88	Indiana	93	3-2	Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	NBATV 8:00et/7:00ct	Recap
6	May 1	Indiana	90	Boston	110	4-2	FleetCenter, Boston	TBS 8:00et	Recap
Boston wins series 4–2

*Required overtime.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
January 17, 2003 Recap Indiana Pacers 93, Boston Celtics 98 FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts February 1, 2003 Recap Boston Celtics 100, Indiana Pacers 109 Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana February 26, 2003 Recap Indiana Pacers 69, Boston Celtics 71 FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts March 19, 2003 Recap Boston Celtics 72, Indiana Pacers 102 Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.

Previous playoff series

Boston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
1991 Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 2 1991 Eastern Conference First Round 1992 Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 0 1992 Eastern Conference First Round

(4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) New Orleans Hornets

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (NOH-PHI)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	April 20	New Orleans	90	Philadelphia	98	0–1	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TNT 8:00et	Recap
2	April 23	New Orleans	85	Philadelphia	90	0–2	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TNT 7:00et	Recap
3	April 26	Philadelphia	85	New Orleans	99	1–2	New Orleans Arena, New Orleans	TNT 7:30et/6:30ct	Recap
4	April 28	Philadelphia	96	New Orleans	87	1–3	New Orleans Arena, New Orleans	TNT 7:30et/6:30ct	Recap
5	April 30	New Orleans	93	Philadelphia	91	2–3	First Union Center, Philadelphia	TNT 6:00et	Recap
6	May 2	Philadelphia	107	New Orleans	103	2–4	New Orleans Arena, New Orleans	ESPN 8:30et/7:30ct	Recap
Philadelphia wins series 4–2

Regular-season series

New Orleans won 2–1 in the regular-season series
November 19, 2002 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 98, New Orleans Hornets 99 New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana November 25, 2002 Recap New Orleans Hornets 87, Philadelphia 76ers 108 First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania April 13, 2003 Recap New Orleans Hornets 94, Philadelphia 76ers 89 First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was the first playoff meeting between the 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.

Conference Semifinals

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Philadelphia 76ers

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (PHI-DET)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	May 6	Philadelphia	87	Detroit	98	0–1	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills	ESPN 7:30et	Recap
2*	May 8	Philadelphia	97	Detroit	104	0–2	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills	ESPN 7:00et	Recap
3	May 10	Detroit	83	Philadelphia	93	1–2	First Union Center, Philadelphia	ESPN 8:00et	Recap
4	May 11	Detroit	82	Philadelphia	95	2–2	First Union Center, Philadelphia	ESPN 7:30et	Recap
5	May 14	Philadelphia	77	Detroit	78	2–3	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills	ESPN 8:00et	Recap
6*	May 16	Detroit	93	Philadelphia	89	2–4	First Union Center, Philadelphia	ESPN 8:00et	Recap
Detroit wins series 4–2

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

January 8, 2003 Recap Detroit Pistons 103, Philadelphia 76ers 94 (OT) First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania January 22, 2003 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 92, Detroit Pistons 83 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan March 20, 2003 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 85, Detroit Pistons 113 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan April 8, 2003 Recap Detroit Pistons 74, Philadelphia 76ers 91 First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning the first meeting. All previous series took place while the Nationals/76ers franchise were in Syracuse and the Pistons franchise in Fort Wayne.

Previous playoff series

Philadelphia leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
1955 Fort Wayne Pistons 3, Syracuse Nationals 4 1955 NBA Finals

*Required overtime.

(2) New Jersey Nets vs. (6) Boston Celtics

Game	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Record (BOS-NJN)	Venue	TV Time	Recap
1	May 5	Boston	93	New Jersey	97	0–1	Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey	TNT 7:00et	Recap
2	May 7	Boston	95	New Jersey	104	0–2	Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey	TNT 7:00et	Recap
3	May 9	New Jersey	94	Boston	76	0–3	FleetCenter, Boston	TNT 8:00et	Recap
4**	May 12	New Jersey	110	Boston	101	0–4	FleetCenter, Boston	TNT 8:00et	Recap
New Jersey wins series 4–0

Regular-season series

New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series

November 20, 2002 Recap New Jersey Nets 79, Boston Celtics 96 FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts December 25, 2002 Recap Boston Celtics 81, New Jersey Nets 117 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey March 13, 2003 Recap Boston Celtics 75, New Jersey Nets 90 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey March 18, 2003 Recap New Jersey Nets 87, Boston Celtics 74 FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nets winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series

New Jersey leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2002 Boston Celtics 2, New Jersey Nets 4 2002 Eastern Conference Finals

Conference Finals

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (2) New Jersey Nets

ABC

May 18 1:00 pm

Recap

New Jersey Nets 76, Detroit Pistons 74

The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan

ESPN

May 20 8:00 pm

Recap

New Jersey Nets 88, Detroit Pistons 86

The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan

ABC

May 22 8:00 pm

Recap

Detroit Pistons 85, New Jersey Nets 97

Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey

ESPN

May 24 8:00 pm

Recap

Detroit Pistons 82, New Jersey Nets 102

New Jersey won series, 4–0

Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Jason Kidd hit the game-winning jumper with 1.4 seconds left in Game 1.

Regular-season series

Detroit won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 15, 2002 Recap New Jersey Nets 91, Detroit Pistons 101 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan December 21, 2002 Recap Detroit Pistons 92, New Jersey Nets 100 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey February 1, 2003 Recap New Jersey Nets 84, Detroit Pistons 106 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first meeting.

Previous playoff series

Detroit leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
1985 Detroit Pistons 3, New Jersey Nets 0 1985 Eastern Conference First Round

NBA Finals

(W1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (E2) New Jersey Nets

Main article: 2003 NBA Finals

ABC

June 4 7:30 pm

Recap

New Jersey Nets 89, San Antonio Spurs 101
Scoring by quarter: 21–18, 21–24, 17–32, 30–27
Pts: Kenyon Martin 21 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 12 Asts: Jason Kidd 10		Pts: Tim Duncan 32 Rebs: Tim Duncan 20 Asts: Tim Duncan 6

SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa

ABC

June 6 7:30 pm

Recap

New Jersey Nets 87, San Antonio Spurs 85
Scoring by quarter: 19–18, 22–17, 25–21, 21–29
Pts: Jason Kidd 30 Rebs: Jason Kidd 7 Asts: Kenyon Martin 4		Pts: Tony Parker 21 Rebs: Tim Duncan 12 Asts: Tony Parker 5

SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore

ABC

June 8 8:30 pm

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 84, New Jersey Nets 79
Scoring by quarter: 15–21, 18–9, 21–27, 30–22
Pts: Tony Parker 26 Rebs: Tim Duncan 16 Asts: Tim Duncan 7		Pts: Kenyon Martin 23 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 11 Asts: Jason Kidd 11

Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,280 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Jack Nies

ABC

June 11 8:30 pm

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 76, New Jersey Nets 77
Scoring by quarter: 18–16, 16–29, 23–11, 19–21
Pts: Tim Duncan 23 Rebs: Tim Duncan 16 Asts: Parker, Jackson 3 each		Pts: Kenyon Martin 20 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 13 Asts: Jason Kidd 9

Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,280 Referees: Mike Callahan, Bernie Fryer, Eddie Rush

ABC

June 13 8:30 pm

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 93, New Jersey Nets 83
Scoring by quarter: 19–18, 23–16, 24–23, 27–26
Pts: Tim Duncan 29 Rebs: Tim Duncan 17 Asts: Duncan, Parker 4 each		Pts: Jason Kidd 29 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 9 Asts: Jason Kidd 7

Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,280 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Bennett Salvatore

ABC

June 15 7:30 pm

Recap

New Jersey Nets 77, San Antonio Spurs 88
Scoring by quarter: 25–17, 16–21, 22–19, 14–31
Pts: Jason Kidd 21 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 7		Pts: Tim Duncan 21 Rebs: Tim Duncan 20 Asts: Tim Duncan 10
San Antonio won NBA Finals series, 4–2

SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Ron Garretson

• Game 6 is David Robinson's final NBA game.

Regular-season series

Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series
November 13, 2002 Recap San Antonio Spurs 82, New Jersey Nets 91 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey March 6, 2003 Recap New Jersey Nets 78, San Antonio Spurs 92 SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas

This was the first NBA playoff meeting between the Nets and the Spurs. As members of the ABA, both teams met in the 1976 ABA Semifinals, where the Nets won 4–3.

External links

• NBA.com's section for the 2003 NBA Playoffs