2002–03 Boston Celtics season

2002–03 Boston Celtics season
Head coach	Jim O'Brien
Arena	Fleet Center
Results
Record	44–38 (.537)
Place	Division: 3rd (Atlantic) Conference: 6th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East Semifinals (eliminated 0-4)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	Fox Sports Net New England
Radio	WWZN

The 2002–03 Boston Celtics season was the 57th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics made the playoffs for the second time with team captain Paul Pierce, but this time as the number 6 seed in the East. After defeating the Indiana Pacers in the first round, they were unable to stop the New Jersey Nets as they were swept in four Conference Semifinal games.

This was Antoine Walker's final season with the Celtics as he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks the following off-season. He would return to Boston midway during the 2004-05 season.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
2	50	Darius Songaila (traded to Sacramento)	PF	Lithuania	Wake Forest

Roster

Boston Celtics roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From F 42 Baker, Vin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 232 lb (105 kg) Hartford C 4 Battie, Tony 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Texas Tech C 30 Blount, Mark 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Pittsburgh G 9 Bremer, J. R. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) St. Bonaventure F 5 Brown, Kedrick 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 222 lb (101 kg) Okaloosa-Walton CC F 11 Bryant, Mark 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Seton Hall G 12 Coles, Bimbo 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Virginia Tech F 43 Long, Grant 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Eastern Michigan C 0 McCarty, Walter 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Kentucky G/F 34 Pierce, Paul 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Kansas C 41 Šundov, Bruno 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 220 lb (100 kg) The Winchendon School (HS) F 8 Walker, Antoine 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 224 lb (102 kg) Kentucky F 55 Williams, Eric 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Providence	Head coach Jim O'Brien (Saint Joseph's) Assistant coach(es) John Carroll (Dickinson) Lester Conner (Oregon State) Joe Gallagher (Pembroke State) Dick Harter (Pennsylvania) Frank Vogel (Kentucky) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Note

Bold = All-Star selection

Regular season

Standings

Atlantic Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-New Jersey Nets	49	33	.598	–	33–8	16–25	16–8
x-Philadelphia 76ers	48	34	.585	1	25–16	23–18	17–7
x-Boston Celtics	44	38	.537	5	25–16	19–22	13–12
x-Orlando Magic	42	40	.512	7	26–15	16–25	14–11
Washington Wizards	37	45	.451	12	23–18	14–27	11–13
New York Knicks	37	45	.451	12	24–17	13–28	9–15
Miami Heat	25	57	.305	24	16–25	9–32	5–19

Game log

2002-03 Game Log Total: 44-38 (Home: 25-16; Road: 19-22)
October (Home: 0-1; Road: 0-1) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 1 October 30 Chicago Bulls L 96-99 FleetCenter 0-1 2 October 31 @ Washington Wizards L 69-114 MCI Center 0-2
November (Home: 6-2; Road: 4-1) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 3 November 2 @ New York Knicks W 117-107 Madison Square Garden 1-2 4 November 6 @ Chicago Bulls W 91-69 United Center 2-2 5 November 7 Los Angeles Lakers W 98-95 (OT) FleetCenter 3-2 6 November 9 @ Minnesota Timberwolves W 105-99 Target Center 4-2 7 November 11 Utah Jazz W 112-95 FleetCenter 5-2 8 November 13 Philadelphia 76ers W 91-81 FleetCenter 6-2 9 November 15 Dallas Mavericks L 86-97 FleetCenter 6-3 10 November 16 @ Milwaukee Bucks L 85-104 Bradley Center 6-4 11 November 20 New Jersey Nets W 96-79 FleetCenter 7-4 12 November 22 Atlanta Hawks W 105-98 (20T) FleetCenter 8-4 13 November 23 @ Atlanta Hawks W 109-99 Philips Arena 9-4 14 November 27 Chicago Bulls W 92-82 FleetCenter 10-4 15 November 29 Toronto Raptors L 95-98 FleetCenter 10-5
December (Home: 6-2; Road: 3-5) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 16 December 1 New Orleans Hornets W 95-86 FleetCenter 11-5 17 December 2 @ Orlando Magic W 102-97 TD Waterhouse Centre 12-5 18 December 4 @ Philadelphia 76ers L 93-99 First Union Center 12-6 19 December 6 New York Knicks W 91-80 FleetCenter 13-6 20 December 9 Orlando Magic W 114-109 (OT) FleetCenter 14-6 21 December 11 Phoenix Suns L 94-103 FleetCenter 14-7 22 December 13 Cleveland Cavaliers W 115-100 FleetCenter 15-7 23 December 14 @ New York Knicks W 113-90 Madison Square Garden 16-7 24 December 16 @ Chicago Bulls L 92-98 United Center 16-8 25 December 18 Miami Heat L 81-91 FleetCenter 16-9 26 December 20 Minnesota Timberwolves W 108-99 FleetCenter 17-9 27 December 21 @ Cleveland Cavaliers W 89-82 Gund Arena 18-9 28 December 25 @ New Jersey Nets L 81-117 Continental Airlines Arena 18-10 29 December 27 @ Miami Heat L 70-90 American Airlines Arena 18-11 30 December 28 @ Orlando Magic L 95-101 TD Waterhouse Centre 18-12 31 December 31 Memphis Grizzlies W 96-89 FleetCenter 19-12
January (Home: 4-4; Road: 3-4) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 32 January 3 Portland Trail Blazers L 103-108 FleetCenter 19-13 33 January 6 Washington Wizards L 95-100 FleetCenter 19-14 34 January 8 @ New Orleans Hornets W 93-83 New Orleans Arena 20-14 35 January 10 @ Dallas Mavericks L 78-103 American Airlines Center 20-15 36 January 12 @ San Antonio Spurs L 80-81 SBC Center 20-16 37 January 13 @ Houston Rockets L 92-101 Compaq Center 20-17 38 January 15 Atlanta Hawks W 86-66 FleetCenter 21-17 39 January 17 Indiana Pacers W 98-93 FleetCenter 22-17 40 January 18 @ Milwaukee Bucks W 97-95 Bradley Center 23-17 41 January 20 @ Philadelphia 76ers W 100-99 First Union Center 24-17 42 January 22 Milwaukee Bucks L 97-106 FleetCenter 24-18 43 January 24 Denver Nuggets W 77-58 FleetCenter 25-18 44 January 26 Orlando Magic W 91-83 FleetCenter 26-18 45 January 28 @ Detroit Pistons L 83-86 The Palace of Auburn Hills 26-19 46 January 31 Detroit Pistons L 66-118 FleetCenter 26-20
February (Home: 3-1; Road: 4-4) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 47 February 1 @ Indiana Pacers l 100-109 Conseco Fieldhouse 26-21 48 February 3 @ New Orleans Hornets L 96-103 New Orleans Arena 26-22 49 February 5 Seattle SuperSonics W 114-74 FleetCenter 27-22 50 February 11 @ Seattle SuperSonics W 82-76 KeyArena at Seattle Center 28-22 51 February 13 @ Portland Trail Blazers W 100-92 Rose Garden 29-22 52 February 15 @ Los Angeles Clippers W 92-84 Staples Center 30-22 53 February 16 @ Phoenix Suns L 92-102 America West Arena 30-23 54 February 18 @ Golden State Warriors W 125-117 The Arena in Oakland 31-23 55 February 20 @ Sacramento Kings L 83-105 ARCO Arena 31-24 56 February 24 Houston Rockets L 95-101 (OT) FleetCenter 31-25 57 February 26 Indiana Pacers W 71-69 FleetCenter 32-25 58 February 28 Toronto Raptors W 90-85 FleetCenter 33-25
March (Home: 4-3; Road: 3-6) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 59 March 2 @ Toronto Raptors L 92-104 Air Canada Centre 33-26 60 March 3 @ Memphis Grizzlies W 111-110 The Pyramid 34-26 61 March 5 New York Knicks W 97-95 FleetCenter 35-26 62 March 7 Los Angeles Clippers W 83-72 FleetCenter 36-26 63 March 9 San Antonio Spurs L 78-94 FleetCenter 36-27 64 March 12 New Orleans Hornets W 93-65 FleetCenter 37-27 65 March 13 @ New Jersey Nets L 75-90 Continental Airlines Arena 37-28 66 March 15 @ Detroit Pistons W 81-71 The Palace of Auburn Hills 38-28 67 March 18 New Jersey Nets L 74-87 FleetCenter 38-29 68 March 19 @ Indiana Pacers L 72-102 Conseco Fieldhouse 38-30 69 March 21 @ Los Angeles Lakers L 96-104 Staples Center 38-31 70 March 22 @ Denver Nuggets L 80-90 Pepsi Center 38-32 71 March 24 @ Utah Jazz L 91-96 Delta Center 38-33 72 March 26 Golden State Warriors L 95-107 FleetCenter 38-34 73 March 28 Cleveland Cavaliers W 104-95 FleetCenter 39-34 74 March 29 @ Cleveland Cavaliers W 110-106 FleetCenter 40-34
April (Home: 2-3; Road: 2-1) Game Date Opponent Score Location Record 75 April 2 Miami Heat W 90-62 FleetCenter 41-34 76 April 4 Sacramento Kings L 92-93 FleetCenter 41-35 77 April 6 Washington Wizards L 98-99 (OT) FleetCenter 41-36 78 April 9 @ Washington Wizards W 87-83 MCI Center 42-36 79 April 10 Philadelphia 76ers L 78-99 FleetCenter 42-37 80 April 12 @ Orlando Magic L 86-89 TD Waterhouse Centre 42-38 81 April 13 @ Miami Heat W 94-86 American Airlines Arena 43-38 82 April 16 Detroit Pistons W 99-92 FleetCenter 44-38
2002-03 Schedule

Playoffs

2003 playoff game log
First Round: 4–2 (Home: 3–0; Road: 1–2) Game Date Time Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 19 @ Indiana Pacers W 103-100 P. Pierce (40) P. Pierce (11) P. Pierce (6) Conseco Fieldhouse 1-0 2 April 21 @ Indiana Pacers L 77-89 A. Walker (19) T. Battie (11) P. Pierce (6) Conseco Fieldhouse 1-1 3 April 24 Indiana Pacers W 101-83 P. Pierce (21) P. Pierce (12) W. McCarty (6) FleetCenter 2-1 4 April 26 Indiana Pacers W 102-92 P. Pierce (37) A. Walker (11) P. Pierce (7) FleetCenter 3-1 5 May 3 @ Indiana Pacers L 88-93 A. Walker (21) E. Williams (8) P. Pierce (8) Conseco Fieldhouse 3-2 6 May 1 Indiana Pacers W 110-90 P. Pierce (27) P. Pierce, E. Williams (8) A. Walker (5) FleetCenter 4-2
East Semifinals: 0–4 (Home: 0–2; Road: 0–2) Game Date Time Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 May 5 @ New Jersey Nets L 93-97 P. Pierce (34) A. Walker (8) P. Pierce (8) Continental Airlines Arena 0-1 2 May 7 @ New Jersey Nets L 95-104 P. Pierce (32) P. Pierce (10) P. Pierce (11) Continental Airlines Arena 0-2 3 May 9 New Jersey Nets L 76-94 P. Pierce (23) A. Walker (15) T. Delk (6) FleetCenter 0-3 4 May 12 New Jersey Nets L 101-110 P. Pierce (27) P. Pierce (10) P. Pierce, A. Walker (7) FleetCenter 0-4
2003 playoff schedule

References