my-server
← Wiki Redirected from 1998-99 San Antonio Spurs season

1998–99 San Antonio Spurs season

The 1998–99 San Antonio Spurs season was the 23rd season for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association, and their 32nd season as a franchise. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50. During the off-season, the Spurs acquired second-year guard Antonio Daniels from the Vancouver Grizzlies, acquired three-point specialist Steve Kerr from the Chicago Bulls, and signed free agents Mario Elie, and Jerome Kersey.

With the addition of Elie, Kerr and Kersey, and after a promising rookie season from second-year star Tim Duncan, the Spurs got off to a slow start to the regular season by posting a 6–8 record in February. However, the team posted a nine-game winning streak in March afterwards, posted a six-game winning streak between March and April, posted a seven-game winning streak in April, and won their final five games of the season. The Spurs finished in first place in the Midwest Division with a league-best 37–13 record, which was roughly equivalent to 61–21 in a full season, and earned the first seed in the Western Conference.

Duncan averaged 21.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while David Robinson averaged 15.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.4 blocks per game, and Sean Elliott provided the team with 11.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. In addition, Avery Johnson provided with 9.7 points and 7.4 assists per game, while Elie also contributed 9.7 points per game. Off the bench, three-point specialist Jaren Jackson contributed 6.4 points per game, while Malik Rose averaged 6.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, Daniels provided with 4.7 points and 2.3 assists per game, Kerr contributed 4.4 points per game, and Kersey averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, but only shot .340 in field-goal percentage.

Duncan also finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, and Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat, while Robinson finished in twelfth place; Robinson also finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Duncan finished tied in fifth place, and head coach Gregg Popovich finished tied in sixth place in Coach of the Year voting.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Spurs faced off against the 8th–seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that featured All-Star forward Kevin Garnett, Terrell Brandon and Joe Smith. The Spurs won Game 1 over the Timberwolves at home, 99–86 at the Alamodome, but then lost Game 2 at home, 80–71 as the Timberwolves evened the series. The Spurs won the next two games on the road, which included a Game 4 win over the Timberwolves at the Target Center, 92–85 to win the series in four games.

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 4th–seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by the All-Star trio of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Glen Rice. The Spurs won the first two games over the Lakers at the Alamodome, and then won the next two games on the road, including a Game 4 win over the Lakers at the Great Western Forum, 118–107 to win the series in a four-game sweep.

In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs then faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers, who were led by Isaiah Rider, Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire. After winning Game 1 at the Alamodome, 80–76, the Spurs trailed by 17 points against the Trail Blazers in Game 2; however, the Spurs made a fourth-quarter run that culminated with a game-winning three-pointer from Elliott, which was dubbed as the "Memorial Day Miracle" as the team defeated the Trail Blazers at home, 86–85. The Spurs won the next two games on the road, which included a Game 4 win over the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden Arena, 94–80 to win the series in another four-game sweep, becoming the first former ABA team to advance to the NBA Finals.

In the 1999 NBA Finals, the Spurs faced off against the 8th–seeded New York Knicks, a team that featured All-Star center Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, and sixth man Latrell Sprewell. However, Ewing was out due to a ruptured Achilles tendon injury, in which he sustained during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs won the first two games over the Knicks at home at the Alamodome, and took a 2–0 series lead, before losing Game 3 on the road, 89–81 at Madison Square Garden. The Spurs won their next two road games, including a Game 5 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 78–77, in which Johnson hit the title-winning shot. The Spurs won the series over the Knicks in five games, winning their first ever NBA championship in franchise history, as Duncan was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Kerr, who previously won three consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls, won his fourth consecutive NBA title.

The Spurs finished second in the NBA in home-game attendance behind the Chicago Bulls, with an attendance of 527,357 at the Alamodome during the regular season. Following the season, Will Perdue re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Bulls. In 2024, HoopsHype would list this Spurs squad as the team with the 24th easiest route to an NBA Finals championship, due to the opponents they faced in the first round, and the Finals in particular.

Offseason

On June 24, 1998, the Spurs traded Carl Herrera and first-round draft pick Felipe Lopez to the Vancouver Grizzlies for guard Antonio Daniels. The team also signed free agents Mario Elie, Steve Kerr and Jerome Kersey during the offseason.

NBA draft

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot

Game log

Regular season

|- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | February 5 | Sacramento | | Tim Duncan (19) | Tim Duncan (17) | Avery Johnson (6) | Alamodome<br />19,002 | 1–0 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | February 6 | Minnesota | | Duncan, Elliott (22) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (9) | Alamodome<br />21,319 | 2–0 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | February 8 | L. A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (19) | Tim Duncan (15) | Mario Elie (6) | Alamodome<br />33,788 | 2–1 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | February 9 | @ Minnesota | | David Robinson (16) | Robinson, Duncan (11) | Avery Johnson (10) | Target Center<br />16,422 | 2–2 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | February 11 | @ Cleveland | | Tim Duncan (31) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (7) | Gund Arena<br />14,228 | 2–3 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 6 | February 12 | @ Philadelphia | | Malik Rose (22) | Malik Rose (9) | Avery Johnson (5) | First Union Center<br />16,892 | 3–3 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 7 | February 14 | @ Chicago | | David Robinson (22) | Tim Duncan (14) | Tim Duncan (4) | United Center<br />22,386 | 4–3 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 8 | February 17 | Phoenix | | Tim Duncan (20) | Tim Duncan (12) | Avery Johnson (7) | Alamodome<br />16,419 | 4–4 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 9 | February 19 | @ L. A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (26) | Tim Duncan (11) | Mario Elie (4) | Great Western Forum<br />17,505 | 4–5 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 10 | February 21 | Detroit | | Tim Duncan (17) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (5) | Alamodome<br />19,495 | 5–5 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 11 | February 22 | @ Minnesota | | Avery Johnson (20) | David Robinson (17) | Avery Johnson (5) | Target Center<br />15,374 | 5–6 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 12 | February 24 | Seattle | | David Robinson (29) | David Robinson (17) | Avery Johnson (7) | Alamodome<br />15,209 | 6–6 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | February 26 | @ Seattle | | Tim Duncan (22) | David Robinson (14) | Avery Johnson (8) | KeyArena<br />17,072 | 6–7 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 14 | February 28 | Utah | | Tim Duncan (21) | Tim Duncan (13) | Mario Elie (6) | Alamodome<br />18,165 | 6–8

|- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 15 | March 2 | @ Houston | | Tim Duncan (23) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (13) | Compaq Center<br />16,285 | 7–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 16 | March 4 | @ Dallas | | Tim Duncan (26) | Tim Duncan (12) | Avery Johnson (10) | Reunion Arena<br />14,719 | 8–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 17 | March 6 | L. A. Clippers | | Tim Duncan (27) | David Robinson (10) | Avery Johnson (10) | Alamodome<br />18,394 | 9–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 18 | March 7 | @ Denver | | Tim Duncan (34) | Tim Duncan (13) | Avery Johnson (14) | McNichols Sports Arena<br />12,037 | 10–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 19 | March 10 | Orlando | | David Robinson (19) | Tim Duncan (11) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />17,954 | 11–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 20 | March 12 | @ Phoenix | | Tim Duncan (26) | David Robinson (15) | Avery Johnson (8) | America West Arena<br />19,023 | 12–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 21 | March 13 | Denver | | Tim Duncan (27) | Duncan, Perdue (8) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />32,982 | 13–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 22 | March 16 | @ Sacramento | | Tim Duncan (29) | Tim Duncan (12) | Avery Johnson (15) | ARCO Arena<br />14,570 | 14–8 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 23 | March 17 | @ Golden State | | Duncan, Rose (17) | Tim Duncan (17) | Avery Johnson (6) | The Arena in Oakland<br />10,257 | 15–8 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 24 | March 19 | @ Portland | | Tim Duncan (29) | Tim Duncan (15) | Avery Johnson (8) | Rose Garden Arena<br />20,041 | 15–9 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 25 | March 20 | @ Vancouver | | Tim Duncan (24) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (9) | General Motors Place<br />19,193 | 16–9 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 26 | March 23 | Denver | | Tim Duncan (19) | David Robinson (9) | Avery Johnson (7) | Alamodome<br />16,501 | 17–9 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 27 | March 25 | @ Denver | | Tim Duncan (28) | David Robinson (13) | David Robinson (5) | McNichols Sports Arena<br />10,695 | 18–9 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 28 | March 26 | Toronto | | David Robinson (24) | David Robinson (16) | Avery Johnson (11) | Alamodome<br />16,290 | 18–10 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 29 | March 27 | Dallas | | Tim Duncan (21) | Tim Duncan (15) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />25,921 | 19–10 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 30 | March 30 | Seattle | | Tim Duncan (26) | David Robinson (10) | Avery Johnson (9) | Alamodome<br />16,565 | 20–10

|- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 31 | April 1 | Vancouver | | Tim Duncan (39) | Tim Duncan (13) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />16,384 | 21–10 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 32 | April 3 | L. A. Clippers | | Robinson, Elie (19) | David Robinson (13) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />17,915 | 22–10 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 33 | April 5 | Golden State | | Robinson, Duncan (25) | David Robinson (16) | Avery Johnson (4) | Alamodome<br />14,773 | 23–10 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 34 | April 8 | @ Houston | | Sean Elliott (19) | Tim Duncan (13) | Avery Johnson (10) | Compaq Center<br />16,285 | 24–10 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 35 | April 10 | @ Phoenix | | Tim Duncan (21) | Tim Duncan (10) | Avery Johnson (6) | America West Arena<br />19,023 | 24–11 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 36 | April 12 | Phoenix | | Tim Duncan (26) | David Robinson (13) | Duncan, Elliott (4) | Alamodome<br />14,352 | 25–11 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 37 | April 13 | @ Dallas | | David Robinson (22) | Tim Duncan (11) | Avery Johnson (5) | Reunion Arena<br />13,142 | 25–12 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 38 | April 14 | Minnesota | | David Robinson (21) | David Robinson (15) | Avery Johnson (6) | Alamodome<br />15,864 | 26–12 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 39 | April 16 | Portland | | Robinson, Duncan (20) | Tim Duncan (12) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />21,368 | 27–12 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 40 | April 18 | Houston | | Mario Elie (21) | David Robinson (14) | Johnson, Duncan (8) | Alamodome<br />24,077 | 28–12 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 41 | April 20 | @ Utah | | Tim Duncan (36) | Robinson, Rose (11) | Johnson, Duncan (8) | Delta Center<br />19,911 | 29–12 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 42 | April 22 | Dallas | | David Robinson (18) | Tim Duncan (10) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />18,720 | 30–12 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 43 | April 24 | L. A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (21) | Tim Duncan (13) | Avery Johnson (12) | Alamodome<br />31,972 | 31–12 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 44 | April 26 | @ L. A. Clippers | | Tim Duncan (22) | Robinson, Kersey (7) | Johnson, Duncan (7) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena<br />8,260 | 32–12 |- bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 45 | April 27 | @ Sacramento | | Tim Duncan (32) | Tim Duncan (19) | Avery Johnson (12) | ARCO Arena<br />16,776 | 32–13 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 46 | April 29 | @ Vancouver | | Tim Duncan (19) | Tim Duncan (10) | Avery Johnson (8) | General Motors Place<br />18,448 | 33–13

|- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 47 | May 1 | Portland | | David Robinson (26) | Robinson, Duncan (12) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />28,806 | 34–13 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 48 | May 2 | Utah | | Tim Duncan (26) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (3) | Alamodome<br />35,122 | 35–13 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 49 | May 4 | @ Portland | | David Robinson (29) | David Robinson (12) | Duncan, Johnson (6) | Rose Garden Arena<br />20,715 | 36–13 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 50 | May 5 | @ Golden State | | Tim Duncan (28) | David Robinson (20) | Sean Elliott (6) | The Arena in Oakland<br />17,235 | 37–13

Playoffs

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | May 9 | Minnesota | | Tim Duncan (26) | Tim Duncan (12) | Avery Johnson (10) | Alamodome<br />22,356 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | May 11 | Minnesota | | Tim Duncan (18) | Tim Duncan (16) | Mario Elie (4) | Alamodome<br />22,494 | 1–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | May 13 | @ Minnesota | | Avery Johnson (24) | David Robinson (18) | Duncan, Robinson (7) | Target Center<br />17,444 | 2–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | May 15 | @ Minnesota | | David Robinson (19) | David Robinson (11) | Avery Johnson (6) | Target Center<br />15,898 | 3–1 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | May 17 | L.A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (25) | Will Perdue (9) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />25,297 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | May 19 | L.A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (21) | Tim Duncan (8) | Avery Johnson (10) | Alamodome<br />33,293 | 2–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | May 22 | @ L.A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (37) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (7) | Great Western Forum<br />17,505 | 3–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | May 23 | @ L.A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (33) | Tim Duncan (14) | Avery Johnson (10) | Great Western Forum<br />17,505 | 4–0 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | May 29 | Portland | | Duncan, Robinson (21) | Tim Duncan (13) | Avery Johnson (9) | Alamodome<br />35,165 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | May 31 | Portland | | Tim Duncan (23) | Tim Duncan (10) | Avery Johnson (7) | Alamodome<br />35,260 | 2–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | June 4 | @ Portland | | Jaren Jackson (19) | David Robinson (9) | Avery Johnson (8) | Rose Garden<br />20,732 | 3–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | June 6 | @ Portland | | David Robinson (20) | David Robinson (10) | Avery Johnson (6) | Rose Garden<br />20,735 | 4–0 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | June 16 | New York | | Tim Duncan (33) | Tim Duncan (16) | Avery Johnson (8) | Alamodome<br />39,514 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | June 18 | New York | | Tim Duncan (25) | Tim Duncan (15) | Avery Johnson (5) | Alamodome<br />39,554 | 2–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | June 21 | @ New York | | David Robinson (25) | Tim Duncan (12) | Avery Johnson (4) | Madison Square Garden<br />19,763 | 2–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | June 23 | @ New York | | Tim Duncan (28) | Tim Duncan (18) | Avery Johnson (10) | Madison Square Garden<br />19,763 | 3–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | June 25 | @ New York | | Tim Duncan (31) | David Robinson (12) | Avery Johnson (9) | Madison Square Garden<br />19,763 | 4–1 |-

Player statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

NBA Finals

The 1999 NBA Finals saw some firsts for both the Spurs and the opposing New York Knicks.

The Spurs:

  • Became the first former ABA team to play and win in an NBA Finals. (This feat would be duplicated by the Denver Nuggets in .)
  • Attracted record crowds for the two games at the Alamodome. Attendance was 39,514 for Game 1 and 39,554 for Game 2 (the largest crowd to see an NBA Finals game).
  • Steve Kerr became the first non-Celtic to win four straight championships, as he won titles with the Bulls from 1996 to 1998.

The Knicks became the first 8th seed to ever play in an NBA Finals. (This feat would be duplicated by the Miami Heat in .)

Summary

The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers.

With time running out in Game 5, and the 1999 championship on the line, the Spurs looked to Avery Johnson as he hit a long clutch 2 from the corner with 47 seconds to go, giving the Spurs a 1-point lead. It was considered one of the franchise's best moments since the first 26 years in San Antonio.

Schedule

The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. So far, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format.

Award winners

References