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2002–03 Boston Celtics season

The 2002–03 Boston Celtics season was the 57th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Celtics acquired Vin Baker and Shammond Williams from the Seattle SuperSonics, and signed free agent, and undrafted rookie point guard J.R. Bremer.

After losing their first two games of the regular season, the Celtics posted a six-game winning streak afterwards, and got off to a solid 16–7 start to the season, as the team later on held a 27–22 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Shammond Williams to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for former Celtics center Mark Blount. The Celtics posted a six-game losing streak in March, and finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 44–38 record, earning the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Paul Pierce averaged 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and also contributed 118 three-point field goals, but struggled only shooting .302 in three-point field-goal percentage, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team; Antoine Walker averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and led the Celtics with 188 three-point field goals, despite only shooting .323 in three-point field-goal percentage. In addition, Tony Delk contributed 9.8 points per game and 120 three-point field goals, while Eric Williams provided the team with 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, Bremer contributed 8.3 points and 2.6 assists per game, along with 101 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and Tony Battie provided with 7.3 points, 6.5 rebounds per and 1.2 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Walter McCarty contributed 6.1 points per game, Baker averaged 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, but only played 52 games due to injury, and Blount provided with 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 27 games after the trade.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Pierce and Walker were both selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was the third and final All-Star appearance for Walker. In addition, Walker also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout. Pierce also finished tied in eleventh place in Most Valuable Player voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Celtics faced off against the 3rd–seeded Indiana Pacers, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal, All-Star center Brad Miller, and Ron Artest. Despite the Pacers having home-court advantage in the series, the Celtics took a 3–1 series lead after winning Game 4 over the Pacers at home, 102–92 at the FleetCenter. After losing Game 5 on the road in overtime, 93–88 at the Conseco Fieldhouse, the Celtics won Game 6 over the Pacers at the FleetCenter, 110–90 to win the series in six games.

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, and for the second consecutive year, the team faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion New Jersey Nets, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and second-year star Richard Jefferson. The Celtics lost the first two games to the Nets on the road at the Continental Airlines Arena, and then lost the next two games at home, including a Game 4 loss to the Nets at the FleetCenter in double-overtime, 110–101, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep. The Nets would advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, but would lose to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the 2003 NBA Finals.

The Celtics finished 13th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 709,049 at the FleetCenter during the regular season. This was also Walker's final season with the Celtics, as he and Delk were both traded to the Dallas Mavericks the following off-season; Walker would return to the Celtics midway through the 2004–05 season. Also following the season, Bremer was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The franchise gained new owners that season when Paul Gaston sold the team to the Boston Basketball Partners, represented by Wyc Grousbeck, in the fall of 2002.

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Standings

Game log

|- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 1 || October 30 || Chicago Bulls ||L 96-99 || FleetCenter || 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 2 || October 31 || @ Washington Wizards ||L 69-114 || MCI Center || 0–2 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 3 || November 2 || @ New York Knicks ||W 117-107 || Madison Square Garden || 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 4 || November 6 || @ Chicago Bulls ||W 91-69 || United Center || 2-2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 5 || November 7 || Los Angeles Lakers ||W 98-95 (OT) || FleetCenter || 3–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 6 || November 9 || @ Minnesota Timberwolves ||W 105-99 || Target Center || 4–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 7 || November 11 || Utah Jazz ||W 112-95 || FleetCenter ||5-2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 8 || November 13 || Philadelphia 76ers ||W 91-81 || FleetCenter || 6–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 9 || November 15 || Dallas Mavericks ||L 86-97 || FleetCenter || 6–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 10 || November 16 || @ Milwaukee Bucks ||L 85-104 || Bradley Center || 6–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 11 || November 20 || New Jersey Nets ||W 96-79 || FleetCenter || 7–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 12 || November 22 || Atlanta Hawks ||W 105-98 (20T) || FleetCenter || 8–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 13 || November 23 || @ Atlanta Hawks ||W 109-99 || Philips Arena || 9–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 14 || November 27 || Chicago Bulls ||W 92-82 || FleetCenter || 10–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 15 || November 29 || Toronto Raptors ||L 95-98 || FleetCenter || 10–5 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 16 || December 1 || New Orleans Hornets ||W 95-86 || FleetCenter || 11–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 17 || December 2 || @ Orlando Magic ||W 102-97 || TD Waterhouse Centre || 12–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 18 || December 4 || @ Philadelphia 76ers ||L 93-99 || First Union Center || 12–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 19 || December 6 || New York Knicks ||W 91-80 || FleetCenter || 13–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 20 || December 9 || Orlando Magic ||W 114-109 (OT) || FleetCenter || 14–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 21 || December 11 || Phoenix Suns ||L 94-103 || FleetCenter || 14–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 22 || December 13 || Cleveland Cavaliers ||W 115-100 || FleetCenter || 15–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 23 || December 14 || @ New York Knicks ||W 113-90 || Madison Square Garden || 16–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 24 || December 16 || @ Chicago Bulls ||L 92-98 || United Center || 16–8 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 25 || December 18 || Miami Heat ||L 81-91 || FleetCenter || 16–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 26 || December 20 || Minnesota Timberwolves ||W 108-99 || FleetCenter || 17–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 27 || December 21 || @ Cleveland Cavaliers ||W 89-82 || Gund Arena || 18–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 28 || December 25 || @ New Jersey Nets ||L 81-117 || Continental Airlines Arena || 18–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 29 || December 27 || @ Miami Heat ||L 70-90 || American Airlines Arena || 18–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 30 || December 28 || @ Orlando Magic ||L 95-101 || TD Waterhouse Centre || 18–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 31 || December 31 || Memphis Grizzlies ||W 96-89 || FleetCenter || 19–12 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 32 || January 3 || Portland Trail Blazers ||L 103-108 || FleetCenter || 19–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 33 || January 6 || Washington Wizards ||L 95-100 || FleetCenter || 19–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 34 || January 8 || @ New Orleans Hornets ||W 93-83 || New Orleans Arena || 20–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 35 || January 10 || @ Dallas Mavericks ||L 78-103 || American Airlines Center || 20–15 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 36 || January 12 || @ San Antonio Spurs ||L 80-81 || SBC Center || 20–16 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 37 || January 13 || @ Houston Rockets ||L 92-101 || Compaq Center || 20–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 38 || January 15 || Atlanta Hawks ||W 86-66 || FleetCenter || 21–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 39 || January 17 || Indiana Pacers ||W 98-93 || FleetCenter || 22–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 40 || January 18 || @ Milwaukee Bucks ||W 97-95 || Bradley Center || 23–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 41 || January 20 || @ Philadelphia 76ers ||W 100-99 || First Union Center || 24–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 42 || January 22 || Milwaukee Bucks ||L 97-106 || FleetCenter || 24–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 43 || January 24 || Denver Nuggets ||W 77-58 || FleetCenter || 25–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 44 || January 26 || Orlando Magic ||W 91-83 || FleetCenter || 26–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 45 || January 28 || @ Detroit Pistons ||L 83-86 || The Palace of Auburn Hills || 26–19 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 46 || January 31 || Detroit Pistons ||L 66-118 || FleetCenter || 26–20 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 47 || February 1 || @ Indiana Pacers ||l 100-109 || Conseco Fieldhouse || 26–21 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 48 || February 3 || @ New Orleans Hornets ||L 96-103 || New Orleans Arena || 26–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 49 || February 5 || Seattle SuperSonics ||W 114-74 || FleetCenter || 27–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 50 || February 11 || @ Seattle SuperSonics ||W 82-76 || KeyArena at Seattle Center || 28–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 51 || February 13 || @ Portland Trail Blazers ||W 100-92 || Rose Garden || 29–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 52 || February 15 || @ Los Angeles Clippers ||W 92-84 || Staples Center || 30–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 53 || February 16 || @ Phoenix Suns ||L 92-102 || America West Arena || 30–23 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 54 || February 18 || @ Golden State Warriors ||W 125-117 || The Arena in Oakland || 31–23 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 55 || February 20 || @ Sacramento Kings ||L 83-105 || ARCO Arena || 31–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 56 || February 24 || Houston Rockets ||L 95-101 (OT) || FleetCenter || 31–25 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 57 || February 26 || Indiana Pacers ||W 71-69 || FleetCenter || 32–25 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 58 || February 28 || Toronto Raptors ||W 90-85 || FleetCenter || 33–25 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 59 || March 2 || @ Toronto Raptors ||L 92-104 || Air Canada Centre || 33–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 60 || March 3 || @ Memphis Grizzlies ||W 111-110 || The Pyramid || 34–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 61 || March 5 || New York Knicks ||W 97-95 || FleetCenter || 35–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 62 || March 7 || Los Angeles Clippers ||W 83-72 || FleetCenter || 36–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 63 || March 9 || San Antonio Spurs ||L 78-94 || FleetCenter || 36–27 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 64 || March 12 || New Orleans Hornets ||W 93-65 || FleetCenter || 37–27 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 65 || March 13 || @ New Jersey Nets ||L 75-90 || Continental Airlines Arena || 37–28 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 66 || March 15 || @ Detroit Pistons ||W 81-71 || The Palace of Auburn Hills || 38–28 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 67 || March 18 || New Jersey Nets ||L 74-87 || FleetCenter || 38–29 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 68 || March 19 || @ Indiana Pacers ||L 72-102 || Conseco Fieldhouse || 38–30 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 69 || March 21 || @ Los Angeles Lakers ||L 96-104 || Staples Center || 38–31 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 70 || March 22 || @ Denver Nuggets ||L 80-90 || Pepsi Center || 38–32 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 71 || March 24 || @ Utah Jazz ||L 91-96 || Delta Center || 38–33 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 72 || March 26 || Golden State Warriors ||L 95-107 || FleetCenter || 38–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 73 || March 28 || Cleveland Cavaliers ||W 104-95 || FleetCenter || 39–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 74 || March 29 || @ Cleveland Cavaliers ||W 110-106 || FleetCenter || 40–34 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 75 || April 2 || Miami Heat ||W 90-62 || FleetCenter || 41–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 76 || April 4 || Sacramento Kings ||L 92-93 || FleetCenter || 41–35 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 77 || April 6 || Washington Wizards ||L 98-99 (OT) || FleetCenter || 41–36 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 78 || April 9 || @ Washington Wizards ||W 87-83 || MCI Center || 42–36 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 79 || April 10 || Philadelphia 76ers ||L 78-99 || FleetCenter || 42–37 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 80 || April 12 || @ Orlando Magic ||L 86-89 || TD Waterhouse Centre || 42–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 81 || April 13 || @ Miami Heat ||W 94-86 || American Airlines Arena || 43–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 82 || April 16 || Detroit Pistons ||W 99-92 || FleetCenter || 44–38 |-

|- | 2002-03 Schedule

Playoffs

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | April 19 | @ Indiana | W 103–100 | Paul Pierce (40) | Paul Pierce (11) | Paul Pierce (6) | Conseco Fieldhouse<br>16,380 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | April 21 | @ Indiana | L 77–89 | Antoine Walker (19) | Tony Battie (11) | Paul Pierce (6) | Conseco Fieldhouse<br>15,881 | 1–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | April 24 | Indiana | W 101–83 | Paul Pierce (21) | Paul Pierce (12) | Walter McCarty (6) | FleetCenter<br>18,624 | 2–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | April 27 | Indiana | W 102–92 | Paul Pierce (37) | Antoine Walker (11) | Paul Pierce (7) | FleetCenter<br>18,624 | 3–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | April 29 | @ Indiana | L 88–93 (OT) | Antoine Walker (21) | Eric Williams (8) | Paul Pierce (8) | Conseco Fieldhouse<br>15,326 | 3–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 6 | May 1 | Indiana | W 110–90 | Paul Pierce (27) | Pierce, Williams (8) | Antoine Walker (5) | FleetCenter<br>18,624 | 4–2 |-

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | May 5 | @ New Jersey | L 93–97 | Paul Pierce (34) | Antoine Walker (8) | Paul Pierce (8) | Continental Airlines Arena<br>17,343 | 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | May 7 | @ New Jersey | L 95–104 | Paul Pierce (32) | Paul Pierce (10) | Paul Pierce (11) | Continental Airlines Arena<br>19,934 | 0–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | May 9 | New Jersey | L 76–94 | Paul Pierce (23) | Antoine Walker (15) | Tony Delk (6) | FleetCenter<br>18,624 | 0–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | May 12 | New Jersey | L 101–110 (2OT) | Paul Pierce (27) | Paul Pierce (10) | Pierce, Walker (7) | FleetCenter<br>18,624 | 0–4 |-

Player statistics

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | 52 || 9 || 18.1 || .478 || .000 || .673 || 3.8 || .6 || .4 || .6 || 5.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 67 || 62 || 25.1 || .539 || .200 || .746 || 6.5 || .7 || .5 || 1.2 || 7.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>†</sup> | 27 || 7 || 19.2 || .563 || || .750 || 4.6 || .8 || .7 || .6 || 4.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 64 || 41 || 23.5 || .369 || .353 || .766 || 2.3 || 2.6 || .6 || .0 || 8.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 51 || 5 || 13.1 || .357 || .077 || .625 || 2.7 || .4 || .7 || .3 || 2.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>†</sup> | 2 || 0 || 4.5 || .000 || || || 1.0 || .5 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>†</sup> | 14 || 0 || 12.5 || .449 || .000 || 1.000 || .8 || 1.1 || .4 || .0 || 3.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 67 || 39 || 28.0 || .416 || .395 || .782 || 3.5 || 2.2 || 1.1 || .1 || 9.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 41 || 1 || 11.9 || .386 || .000 || .783 || 2.0 || .6 || .2 || .0 || 1.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 82 || 8 || 23.8 || .414 || .367 || .622 || 3.5 || 1.3 || 1.0 || .3 || 6.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>†</sup> | 3 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || || || .3 || .0 || .0 || .7 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 79 || 79 || 39.2 || .416 || .302 || .802 || 7.3 || 4.4 || 1.8 || .8 || 25.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 26 || 0 || 5.3 || .250 || .250 || .000 || 1.1 || .3 || .2 || .1 || 1.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 78 || 78 || 41.5 || .388 || .323 || .615 || 7.2 || 4.8 || 1.5 || .4 || 20.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 82 || 79 || 28.7 || .442 || .336 || .750 || 4.7 || 1.7 || 1.0 || .2 || 9.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>†</sup> | 51 || 2 || 22.9 || .396 || .352 || .842 || 2.2 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .1 || 7.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 7 || 0 || 3.4 || .500 || .000 || .250 || .1 || .1 || .0 || .0 || .7

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 10 || 21.3 || .564 || .000 || .500 || 4.9 || .5 || .4 || 1.4 || 6.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 0 || 14.4 || .545 || || .700 || 3.6 || .2 || 1.1 || .8 || 3.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 0 || 14.7 || .286 || .250 || .875 || 1.5 || 1.2 || .3 || .0 || 4.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 3 || 0 || 3.7 || .250 || || .500 || .7 || .0 || .3 || .0 || 1.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 1 || 0 || 2.0 || || || || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 3 || 0 || 3.0 || .000 || .000 || || .3 || .7 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 10 || 36.8 || .474 || .449 || .875 || 4.7 || 3.6 || 1.2 || .4 || 15.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 8 || 0 || 4.3 || .250 || || || .6 || .1 || .0 || .0 || .3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 8 || 35.2 || .480 || .404 || .857 || 4.3 || 2.2 || .8 || .5 || 9.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 10 || 44.5 || .399 || .356 || .863 || 9.0 || 6.7 || 2.1 || .8 || 27.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 10 || 44.0 || .415 || .356 || .500 || 8.7 || 4.3 || 1.7 || .4 || 17.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 2 || 31.0 || .375 || .200 || .794 || 3.2 || 1.7 || .9 || .0 || 9.6

Player statistics citation:

See also

References