2002–03 Cleveland Cavaliers season


The 2002–03 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio. During the offseason, the Cavaliers acquired Darius Miles from the Los Angeles Clippers. After a 2–2 start to the season, the Cavaliers suffered a dreadful 15-game losing streak. They would continue to struggle as head coach John Lucas was replaced with Keith Smart after an 8–34 start. At midseason, Tyrone Hill was released and re-signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 17–65 record, last place in the Eastern Conference and tied for the worst record in the NBA along with the Denver Nuggets. It was also the team's worst record since the 1981–82 season. Ricky Davis was the team's leading scorer averaging a career high of 20.6 points per game, center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, and second round draft pick Carlos Boozer made the All-Rookie Second Team.

Offseason

Free agents

Trades

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege / Club Team
16Dajuan WagnerGuardMemphis
234Carlos BoozerForwardDuke

Roster

Note

Bold = All-Star selection

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

October

Record: 1–1; Home: 0–0; Road: 1–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerAttendanceRecord
129 October 2002CavaliersKingsNARicky Davis 0–1
230 October 2002CavaliersClippersNARicky Davis 1–1

November

Record: 1–15; Home: 1–6; Road: 0–9
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerAttendanceRecord
31 November 2002CavaliersSunsNARicky Davis 1–2
45 November 2002LakersCavaliersNARicky Davis 2–2
56 November 2002CavaliersWizardsNARicky Davis 2–3
68 November 2002CavaliersSixersNARicky Davis 2–4
79 November 2002WizardsCavaliersNATwo-way tie 2–5
812 November 2002CavaliersPacersNADarius Miles 2–6
913 November 2002MavericksCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 2–7
1016 November 2002SpursCavaliersNARicky Davis 2–8
1118 November 2002CavaliersSpursNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 2–9
1219 November 2002CavaliersRocketsNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 2–10
1322 November 2002CavaliersNetsNASmush Parker 2–11
1423 November 2002HornetsCavaliersNARicky Davis 2–12
1526 November 2002KingsCavaliersNARicky Davis 2–13
1627 November 2002CavaliersBucksNARicky Davis 2–14
1729 November 2002SixersCavaliersNADajuan Wagner 2–15
1830 November 2002CavaliersHeatNADajuan Wagner 2–16

December

Record: 4–11; Home: 4–6; Road: 0–5
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerAttendanceRecord
192 December 2002CavaliersKnicksNADajuan Wagner 2–17
204 December 2002BullsCavaliersNADajuan Wagner 3–17
217 December 2002CavaliersBullsNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 3–18
229 December 2002BucksCavaliers2Ricky Davis 3–19
2311 December 2002RaptorsCavaliersNADajuan Wagner 4–19
2413 December 2002CavaliersCelticsNARicky Davis 4–20
2514 December 2002NuggetsCavaliersNATwo-way tie 5–20
2616 December 2002SuperSonicsCavaliersNARicky Davis 5–21
2718 December 2002PistonsCavaliers1Zydrunas Ilgauskas 5–22
2820 December 2002CavaliersPistons1Ricky Davis 5–23
2921 December 2002CelticsCavaliersNADajuan Wagner 5–24
3023 December 2002HeatCavaliersNARicky Davis 6–24
3127 December 2002PacersCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 6–25
3229 December 2002SunsCavaliersNARicky Davis 6–26
3330 December 2002CavaliersNetsNARicky Davis 6–27

January

Record: 3–11; Home: 1–3; Road: 2–8
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerAttendanceRecord
343 January 2003CavaliersRaptorsNARicky Davis 7–27
354 January 2003CavaliersBullsNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 7–28
366 January 2003BucksCavaliersNARicky Davis 7–29
3710 January 2003CavaliersLakersNARicky Davis 7–30
3812 January 2003CavaliersSuperSonicsNARicky Davis 8–30
3913 January 2003CavaliersTrail BlazersNARicky Davis 8–31
4015 January 2003CavaliersWarriorsNARicky Davis 8–32
4117 January 2003CavaliersNuggetsNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 8–33
4218 January 2003CavaliersJazzNARicky Davis 8–34
4321 January 2003MagicCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 8–35
4425 January 2003HawksCavaliers1Zydrunas Ilgauskas 8–36
4527 January 2003ClippersCavaliersNARicky Davis 9–36
4629 January 2003CavaliersMagicNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 9–37
4731 January 2003CavaliersHawksNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 9–38

February

Record: 2–9; Home: 2–5; Road: 0–4
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerAttendanceRecord
482 February 2003Trail BlazersCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 9–39
494 February 2003CavaliersWizardsNADajuan Wagner 9–40
505 February 2003RocketsCavaliersNARicky Davis 10–40
5111 February 2003CavaliersPacersNAJumaine Jones 10–41
5212 February 2003TimberwolvesCavaliersNARicky Davis 10–42
5316 February 2003PistonsCavaliersNARicky Davis 10–43
5418 February 2003BullsCavaliersNACarlos Boozer 10–44
5521 February 2003SixersCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 10–45
5623 February 2003CavaliersSixersNADajuan Wagner 10–46
5725 February 2003NetsCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 11–46
5828 February 2003CavaliersTimberwolvesNATwo-way tie 11–47

March

Record: 3–12; Home: 3–5; Road: 0–7
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerAttendanceRecord
592 March 2003MagicCavaliersNATwo-way tie 11–48
604 March 2003CavaliersKnicksNARicky Davis 11–49
615 March 2003HawksCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 11–50
627 March 2003CavaliersHornetsNACarlos Boozer 11–51
638 March 2003GrizzliesCavaliersNARicky Davis 11–52
6411 March 2003HeatCavaliersNARicky Davis 11–53
6516 March 2003JazzCavaliersNARicky Davis 12–53
6618 March 2003CavaliersMavericksNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 12–54
6719 March 2003CavaliersGrizzliesNACarlos Boozer 12–55
6821 March 2003CavaliersMagicNAMilt Palacio 12–56
6923 March 2003NetsCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 13–56
7025 March 2003WarriorsCavaliersNARicky Davis 14–56
7126 March 2003CavaliersRaptorsNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 14–57
7228 March 2003CavaliersCelticsNARicky Davis 14–58
7329 March 2003CelticsCavaliersNARicky Davis 14–59

April

Record: 3–6; Home: 3–2; Road: 0–4
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerAttendanceRecord
742 April 2003PacersCavaliersNARicky Davis 14–60
754 April 2003CavaliersBucksNARicky Davis 14–61
765 April 2003HornetsCavaliersNARicky Davis 15–61
778 April 2003WizardsCavaliersNAZydrunas Ilgauskas 15–62
789 April 2003CavaliersHornetsNAJumaine Jones 15–63
7911 April 2003CavaliersHawksNATierre Brown 15–64
8012 April 2003KnicksCavaliers1Ricky Davis 16–64
8114 April 2003CavaliersPistonsNARicky Davis 16–65
8216 April 2003RaptorsCavaliersNASmush Parker 17–65

Regular season

Awards and records

Awards

Records

Milestones

All-Star

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Development League