2002–03 Minnesota Timberwolves season

The 2002–03 NBA season was the 14th season the Timberwolves has competed in the National Basketball Association.[1] During the off-season, the Timberwolves signed free agents Troy Hudson and Kendall Gill. Kevin Garnett performed well throughout the season, winning the All-Star MVP award in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game,[2] and finishing second in MVP voting behind MVP Tim Duncan with 43 first-place votes, plus also finishing in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.[3] Despite losing Terrell Brandon for the entire season to a knee injury, the Timberwolves posted a 12–1 record in February and finished the season with a 51–31 record, good enough to earn the fourth seed in the Western Conference and home court advantage.[4]

2002–03 Minnesota Timberwolves season
Head coachFlip Saunders
Owner(s)Glen Taylor
ArenaTarget Center
Results
Record51–31 (.622)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Midwest)
Conference: 4th (Western)
Playoff finishFirst round
(Lost to Lakers 2–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television
RadioWFAN

Garnett averaged 23.0 points, 13.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Wally Szczerbiak averaged 17.6 points per game, while Hudson provided the team with 14.2 points and 5.7 assists per game, Rasho Nesterovic provided with 11.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and Joe Smith contributed 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.[5]

However, for the seventh straight year in the Garnett era, the Timberwolves did not make it out of the first round of the playoffs. They lost to the 5th-seeded and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the Western Conference First Round.[6] Following the season, Smith was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, while Anthony Peeler signed as a free agent with the Sacramento Kings, and Gill signed with the Chicago Bulls.

Draft picks
Main article: 2002 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
129Forfeited pick
252Marcus TaylorPG United StatesMichigan State

Roster
2002–03 Minnesota Timberwolves roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
G 7 Brandon, Terrell  (IN) 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1970–05–20 Oregon
F 21 Garnett, Kevin (C) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1976–05–19 Farragut Academy (HS)
G 9 Gill, Kendall 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1968–05–25 Illinois
G 16 Hudson, Troy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1976–03–13 Southern Illinois
C 25 Jackson, Marc 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 270 lb (122 kg) 1975–01–16 Temple
G 13 López, Felipe  (IN) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1974–12–19 St. John's
C 8 Nesterović, Rasho 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1976–05–30 Slovenia
G 44 Peeler, Anthony 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 208 lb (94 kg) 1969–11–25 Missouri
G 36 Rakocevic, Igor  6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1978–03–29 Serbia
F 32 Smith, Joe 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1975–07–26 Maryland
G 1 Strickland, Rod 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1966–07–11 DePaul
F 10 Szczerbiak, Wally 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 244 lb (111 kg) 1977–03–05 Miami (OH)
F 20 Trent, Gary 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1974–09–22 Ohio
G 29 Wilks, Mike 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1979–05–07 Rice
C 3 Woods, Loren 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1978–06–21 Arizona
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (IN) Inactive
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: February 12, 2003

Roster Notes
  • Point guard Terrell Brandon missed the entire season due to a knee injury.
  • Shooting guard Felipe Lopez missed the entire season due to a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.

Regular season

Season standings
Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-San Antonio Spurs 6022.732–33–827–1417–7
x-Dallas Mavericks 6022.732–33–827–1418–6
x-Minnesota Timberwolves 5131.622933–818–2315–9
x-Utah Jazz 4735.5731329–1218–2315–9
Houston Rockets 4339.5241728–1315–2611–13
Memphis Grizzlies 2854.3413220–218–335–17
Denver Nuggets 1765.2074313–284–373–21
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-San Antonio Spurs6022.732–
2 y-Sacramento Kings5923.7201
3 x-Dallas Mavericks6022.732–
4 x-Minnesota Timberwolves5131.6229
5 x-Los Angeles Lakers5032.61010
6 x-Portland Trail Blazers5032.61010
7 x-Utah Jazz4735.57313
8 x-Phoenix Suns4438.53716
9 Houston Rockets4339.52417
10 Seattle SuperSonics4042.48820
11 Golden State Warriors3844.46322
12 Memphis Grizzlies2854.34132
13 Los Angeles Clippers2755.32933
14 Denver Nuggets1765.20743
z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents
2002-03 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MEM MIA MIL MIN NJN NOH NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA WAS
Atlanta –0–32–24–00–22–01–30–21–12–22–01–11–11–32–20–21–32–21–32–13–10–20–21–11–11–11–31–12–2
Boston 3–0–2–24–00–21–12–21–10–22–22–01–12–02–21–22–01–33–14–03–22–20–21–10–20–22–01–21–11–3
Chicago 2–22–2–3–10–21–10–41–11–12–20–21–11–11–22–20–22–21–32–11–31–31–11–10–20–20–22–21–11–3
Cleveland 0–40–41–3–0–21–10–41–11–10–42–01–10–21–20–40–22–21–31–20–40–40–20–20–20–21–13–11–10–4
Dallas 2–02–02–02–0–4–02–04–04–01–14–01–34–02–00–22–22–02–02–01–12–02–22–21–32–22–22–02–22–0
Denver 0–21–11–11–10–4–0–20–40–41–11–30–42–22–01–10–40–20–20–20–20–21–32–20–41–31–31–10–41–1
Detroit 3–12–24–04–00–22–0–1–12–02–21–11–12–03–11–31–12–12–22–22–12–21–10–21–10–21–13–12–03–1
Golden State 2–01–11–11–10–44–01–1–1–31–12–22–22–21–10–21–31–11–12–01–12–02–20–40–41–32–22–02–22–0
Houston 1–12–01–11–10–44–00–23–1–1–12–22–23–11–11–12–21–11–10–22–02–03–11–32–21–32–22–01–31–1
Indiana 2–22–22–24–01–11–12–21–11–1–2–00–21–14–03–12–01–23–13–12–12–21–10–20–20–22–03–11–12–2
L.A. Clippers 0–20–22–00–20–43–11–12–22–20–2–0–42–22–01–11–31–11–11–11–10–21–31–31–31–31–31–11–30–2
L.A. Lakers 1–11–11–11–13–14–01–12–22–22–04–0–4–01–12–02–20–21–11–11–11–13–12–22–20–42–22–03–11–1
Memphis 1–10–21–12–00–42–20–22–21–31–12–20–4–2–02–00–41–11–11–12–00–21–31–30–41–31–31–11–31–1
Miami 3–12–22–12–10–20–21–31–11–10–40–21–10–2–1–31–10–40–42–20–40–42–00–21–10–20–24–00–21–3
Milwaukee 2–22–12–24–02–01–13–12–01–11–31–10–20–23–1–0–22–22–23–12–22–20–22–00–20–21–12–20–22–1
Minnesota 2–00–22–02–02–24–01–13–12–20–23–12–24–01–12–0–0–21–12–01–11–13–13–12–22–22–21–11–32–0
New Jersey 3–13–12–22–20–22–01–21–11–12–11–12–01–14–02–22–0–2–23–12–21–31–12–00–21–11–14–00–23–1
New Orleans 2–21–33–13–10–22–02–21–11–11–31–11–11–14–02–21–12–2–3–11–32–12–00–21–10–22–04–02–02–1
New York 3–10–41–22–10–22–02–20–22–01–31–11–11–12–21–30–21–31–3–2–22–22–00–21–12–01–13–11–12–2
Orlando 1–22–33–14–01–12–01–21–10–21–21–11–10–24–02–21–12–23–12–2–2–20–20–21–10–22–02–21–12–2
Philadelphia 1–32–23–14–00–22–02–20–20–22–22–01–12–04–02–21–13–11–22–22–2–0–22–00–21–11–13–01–14–0
Phoenix 2–02–01–12–02–23–11–12–21–31–13–11–33–10–22–01–31–10–20–22–02–0–3–12–23–11–31–11–31–1
Portland 2–01–11–12–02–22–22–04–03–12–03–12–23–12–00–21–30–22–02–02–00–21–3–1–32–24–02–01–31–1
Sacramento 1–12–02–02–03–14–01–14–02–22–03–12–24–01–12–02–22–01–11–11–12–02–23–1–1–33–11–13–12–0
San Antonio 1–12–02–02–02–23–12–03–13–12–03–14–03–12–02–02–21–12–00–22–01–11–32–23–1–3–12–04–01–1
Seattle 1–10–22–01–12–23–11–12–22–20–23–12–23–12–01–12–21–10–21–10–21–13–10–41–31–3–2–02–21–1
Toronto 3–12–12–21–30–21–11–30–20–21–31–10–21–10–42–21–10–40–41–32–20–31–10–21–10–20–2–0–23–1
Utah 1–11–11–11–12–24–00–22–23–11–13–11–33–12–02–03–12–00–21–11–11–13–13–11–30–42–22–0–1–1
Washington 2–23–13–14–00–21–11–30–21–12–22–01–11–13–11–20–21–31–22–22–20–41–11–10–21–11–11–31–1—

Playoffs
2003 playoff game log
First round: 2–4 (Home: 1–2; Road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 April 20 L.A. Lakers L 98–117 Kevin Garnett (23) Kevin Garnett (14) Kevin Garnett (7) Target Center
17,097		 0–1
2 April 22 L.A. Lakers W 119–91 Troy Hudson (37) Kevin Garnett (20) Troy Hudson (10) Target Center
17,132		 1–1
3 April 24 @ L.A. Lakers W 114–110 (OT) Kevin Garnett (33) Kevin Garnett (14) Rod Strickland (7) Staples Center
18,997		 2–1
4 April 27 @ L.A. Lakers L 97–102 Garnett, Hudson (28) Kevin Garnett (18) Kevin Garnett (5) Staples Center
18,997		 2–2
5 April 29 L.A. Lakers L 90–120 Kevin Garnett (25) Kevin Garnett (16) Troy Hudson (7) Target Center
20,098		 2–3
6 May 1 @ L.A. Lakers L 85–101 Garnett, Hudson (18) Kevin Garnett (12) Garnett, Szczerbiak (5) Staples Center
18,997		 2–4
2003 schedule

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kevin Garnett 82
Kendall Gill
Troy Hudson
Marc Jackson
Anthony Peeler
Igor Rakocevic
Reggie Slater
Joe Smith
Rod Strickland
Wally Szczerbiak
Gary Trent
Mike Wilks
Loren Woods

Playoffs
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kevin Garnett
Kendall Gill
Troy Hudson
Marc Jackson
Rasho Nesterovic
Anthony Peeler
Joe Smith
Rod Strickland
Wally Szczerbiak
Gary Trent
Mike Wilks
Loren Woods

Awards and records

References
  1. 2002-03 Minnesota Timberwolves
  2. "2003 NBA All-Star Game: West 155, East 145 (2OT)". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  3. "2002–03 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  4. "2002–03 Minnesota Timberwolves Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  5. "2002–03 Minnesota Timberwolves Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  6. "PRO BASKETBALL; Looking Like Champs, Lakers Advance". New York Times. May 2, 2003. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

See also
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