NBA 1998/99

	National Basketball Association
	◄ previous	1998/99 season	next ►
Duration		February 1999 - June 1999
Season games per team		50
Number of teams		29
Regular season
Best record		San Antonio Spurs
Season MVP		Karl Malone
Top scorer		Allen Iverson
Playoffs
Eastern - Champion		New York Knicks
Runner-up team		Indiana Pacers
Western - Champion		San Antonio Spurs
Runner-up team		Portland Trail Blazers
Finals
NBA champions		San Antonio Spurs
Runner-up		New York Knicks
Finals MVP		Tim Duncan

The 1998–99 NBA season marked the National Basketball Association's 53rd season . Due to a lockout , the regular season began on February 5, 1999 , because only then could an agreement between the NBA and the NBPA players' association be reached. A total of 29 teams took part in the regular season. Each team played 50 games. The eight best in each conference qualified for the NBA playoffs . On June 25 , the season ended with the NBA Finals.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 4-1 in the NBA Finals and became NBA champions for the first time in club history.

Season Notes

• After a lockout , the NBA and the players' association only reached an agreement on a new collective agreement on January 18 , so that the regular season didn't start until February 1999 and was shortened to 50 games for each team.
• An all-star game could not be held this season.
• Due to the lockout , not only was the regular season shortened to 50 games. The preseason was also shorter than usual. There were only two instead of eight preparation games for the NBA teams.
• This season was the rookie year of the German Dirk Nowitzki . In 47 games, of which he was 24 in the starting lineup of the Dallas Mavericks , he scored an average of 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds .
• Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz was named Most Valuable Player , the best player in the league.
• The "Twin Towers" of the San Antonio Spurs , center David Robinson and power forward Tim Duncan , led the team from Texas to a 37:13 record, the best in the Western Conference ; and finally to the NBA Finals. There they met the New York Knicks , who in the east after a 27:23 season had only just made it into the play-offs as eighth place in the Conference .

Final results

S = wins, N = defeats, PCT = percentage of wins, P = deficit on division leaders

The placements in the seed lists of the respective conference playoffs are listed in brackets.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Miami Heat (1) 33 17th .660 - 2 Orlando Magic (3) 33 17th .660 - 3 Philadelphia 76ers (6) 28 22nd .560 5 4th New York Knicks (8) 27 23 .540 6th 5 Boston Celtics 19th 31 .380 14th 6th Washington Wizards 18th 32 .360 15th 7th New Jersey Nets 16 34 .320 17th Central Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Indiana Pacers (2) 33 17th .660 - 2 Atlanta Hawks (4) 31 19th .620 2 3 Detroit Pistons (5) 29 21st .580 4th 4th Milwaukee Bucks (7) 28 22nd .560 5 5 Charlotte Hornets 26th 24 .520 7th 6th Toronto Raptors 23 27 .460 10 7th Cleveland Cavaliers 22nd 28 .440 11 8th Chicago Bulls 13 37 .260 20th

Western Conference Midwest Division # team S. N PCT P 1 San Antonio Spurs (1) 37 13 .740 - 2 Utah Jazz (3) 37 13 .740 - 3 Houston Rockets (5) 31 19th .620 6th 4th Minnesota Timberwolves (8) 25th 25th .500 12 5 Dallas Mavericks 19th 31 .380 18th 6th Denver nuggets 14th 36 .280 23 7th Vancouver grizzlies 8th 42 .160 29 Pacific Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Portland Trail Blazers (2) 35 15th .700 - 2 Los Angeles Lakers (4) 31 19th .620 4th 3 Sacramento Kings (6) 27 23 .540 8th 4th Phoenix Suns (7) 27 23 .540 8th 5 Seattle SuperSonics 25th 25th .500 10 6th Golden State Warriors 21st 29 .420 14th 7th Los Angeles Clippers 9 41 .180 26th

Leading the player stats

category	player	team	value
Points per game	Allen Iverson	Philadelphia 76ers	26.8
Rebounds per game	Chris Webber	Sacramento Kings	13.0
Assists per game	Jason Kidd	Phoenix Suns	10.8
Steals per game	Kendall Gill	New Jersey Nets	2.7
Blocks per game	Alonzo Mourning	Miami Heat	3.9
Field throw quota	Shaquille O'Neal	Los Angeles Lakers	57.6%
Free throw rate	Reggie Miller	Indiana Pacers	91.5%
Three-point throw quota	Dell Curry	Milwaukee Bucks	47.6%

Play-offs 1999

The first play-off round was played in the best-of-five format. All other rounds were best-of-seven series.

First round

Conference semifinals

Conference Finals

NBA finals

1

San Antonio

3

8th

Minnesota

1

1

San Antonio

4th

4th

LA Lakers

0

4th

LA Lakers

3

5

Houston

1

1

San Antonio

4th

Western Conference

2

Portland

0

3

Utah

3

6th

Sacramento

2

3

Utah

2

2

Portland

4th

2

Portland

3

7th

Phoenix

1

W1

San Antonio

4th

E8

new York

1

1

Miami

2

8th

new York

3

8th

new York

4th

4th

Atlanta

0

4th

Atlanta

3

5

Detroit

2

8th

new York

4th

Eastern Conference

2

Indiana

2

3

Orlando

1

6th

Philadelphia

3

6th

Philadelphia

0

2

Indiana

4th

2

Indiana

3

7th

Milwaukee

0

NBA Finals 1999

game	date	Home team	Away team	Result	was standing
1	June 16	San Antonio	new York	89:77	1-0
2	18th of June	San Antonio	new York	80:67	2-0
3	June 21st	new York	San Antonio	89:81	1: 2
4th	23rd June	new York	San Antonio	89:96	1: 3
5	25th June	new York	San Antonio	77:78	1: 4

• Spurs' Tim Duncan has been named the Finals MVP .
• Steve Kerr was the first player (with the exception of Celtics members) to win four consecutive championships. The Spurs sniper won the title with the Chicago Bulls in the previous three years .
• The Spurs were the first former ABA team to make it to an NBA final and even win it.
• The Spurs set a new final game attendance record. Game 2 was visited by a total of 39,554 fans, in game 1 there were already 39,514 spectators.

See also

• 1998 NBA Draft

Web links

• Official site of the NBA