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 nine-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, and earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference;[9] the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.[1]

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 retiring All-Star guard Michael Jordan of the Washington Wizards, but O'Neal ruined the moment, fouling Western Conference All-Star guard Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who attempted a three-point shot; 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] Meanwhile, Brad Miller was traded to the Sacramento Kings, 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

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
114Fred JonesSG United StatesOregon

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 Injured

Roster
Updated: 2012–10–10

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Detroit Pistons 5032.610–30–1120–2119–9
x-Indiana Pacers 4834.585232–916–2519–9
x-New Orleans Hornets 4735.573329–1218–2317–11
x-Milwaukee Bucks 4240.512825–1617–2416–12
e-Atlanta Hawks 3547.4271526–159–3214–14
e-Chicago Bulls 3052.3662027–143–3812–16
e-Toronto Raptors 2458.2932615–269–3210–18
e-Cleveland Cavaliers 1765.2073314–273–385–23
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Detroit Pistons5032.610–
2 y-New Jersey Nets4933.5981
3 x-Indiana Pacers4834.5852
4 x-Philadelphia 76ers4834.5852
5 x-New Orleans Hornets4735.5733
6 x-Boston Celtics4438.5376
7 x-Milwaukee Bucks4240.5128
8 x-Orlando Magic4240.5128
9 e-New York Knicks3745.45113
10 e-Washington Wizards3745.45113
11 e-Atlanta Hawks3547.42715
12 e-Chicago Bulls3052.36620
13 e-Miami Heat2557.30525
14 e-Toronto Raptors2458.29326
15 e-Cleveland Cavaliers1765.20733
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)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
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 HarringtonSF 82372,46751112571331,00230.16.21.5.9.412.2
Jermaine O'NealPF 77762,864796155661781,60037.210.32.0.92.320.8
Jeff FosterC 77280227951282116210.43.6.7.4.32.1
Brad MillerC 73722,270603193654395531.18.32.6.9.613.1
Jamaal TinsleyPG 73692,2372605481251856630.63.67.51.7.27.8
Ron MercerSG 7231,671154112491455623.22.11.6.7.27.7
Erick StricklandSG 71101,27514520938745818.02.02.9.5.16.5
Reggie MillerSG 70702,11717217062488230.22.52.4.9.112.6
Ron ArtestSF 69672,317362198159501,06833.65.22.92.3.715.5
Austin CrosherePF 4906331555661325212.93.21.1.1.35.1
Jonathan BenderSF 4628191334285630317.82.9.9.21.26.6
Primož BrezecC 22111123424425.01.0.2.1.21.9
Fred JonesSG 1911159561236.1.5.3.3.11.2
Tim HardawayPG 1001271524904912.71.52.4.9.04.9
Jamison BrewerPG 1008091821228.0.91.8.2.12.2

Playoffs

Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Jermaine O'NealPF 66272105431813745.317.5.7.53.022.8
Ron ArtestSF 66252351315611442.05.82.22.51.019.0
Jamaal TinsleyPG 661851839405130.83.06.5.7.08.5
Reggie MillerSG 661761414115529.32.32.3.2.29.2
Brad MillerC 661353315505222.55.52.5.8.08.7
Ron MercerSG 60135137613922.52.21.21.0.26.5
Al HarringtonSF 60103225631817.23.7.81.0.53.0
Jeff FosterC 60388203146.31.3.3.0.52.3
Erick StricklandSG 50427810218.41.41.6.2.04.2
Tim HardawayPG 404729101311.8.52.3.3.03.3
Austin CrosherePF 4046173011611.54.3.8.0.34.0
Jonathan BenderSF 303470021711.32.3.0.0.75.7

Awards and records

Transactions

References

  1. 1 2 "Indiana Pacers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 4 "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

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