1998–99 Miami Heat Season

The 1998–99 NBA season was the 11th season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. 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 Heat signed free agents Terry Porter, Clarence Weatherspoon, and later on signed Blue Edwards in February. The team went on a 7-game winning streak after a 1–3 start to the regular season, winning 18 of their first 23 games, despite Jamal Mashburn only playing just 24 games due to a knee injury, and Voshon Lenard missing 38 games with a stress fracture in his left leg. The Heat finished in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 33–17 record, and earned the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Alonzo Mourning averaged 20.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game, and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and finished in second place in Most Valuable Player voting behind Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Tim Hardaway averaged 17.2 points and 7.3 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Mashburn provided the team with 14.8 points per game, P.J. Brown provided with 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Dan Majerle, who became the team's starting shooting guard, contributed 7.0 points per game. Off the bench, Porter contributed 10.5 points per game, and Weatherspoon averaged 8.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

In the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Heat faced off against the New York Knicks for the third consecutive time. The 8th-seeded Knicks defeated the Heat in the Eastern Conference First round, with Knicks guard Allan Houston hitting a buzzer-beater in Game 5 at the Miami Arena, where the Knicks defeated the Heat, 78–77, thus winning the series in five games. With this loss, the Heat became the second number one seed in league history to lose a playoffs series against a number eight seed. The Knicks would become the first #8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, but would lose in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.

This was also the Heat's final full season playing at the Miami Arena. Following the season, Porter signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs, while Terry Mills re-signed with his former team, the Detroit Pistons, and Edwards, and long-time Heat forward Keith Askins were both released to free agency.

Offseason

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

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

Record vs. opponents

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 1
, May 8
, New York

L 75–95
, Alonzo Mourning (27)
, Dan Majerle (10)
, Tim Hardaway (3)
, Miami Arena
15,036
, 0–1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 2
, May 10
, New York

W 83–73
, Alonzo Mourning (26)
, Majerle, Mourning (8)
, Tim Hardaway (11)
, Miami Arena
15,200
, 1–1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 3
, May 12
, @ New York

L 73–97
, Alonzo Mourning (18)
, P. J. Brown (8)
, Tim Hardaway (5)
, Madison Square Garden
19,763
, 1–2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 4
, May 14
, @ New York

W 87–72
, Mourning, Porter (16)
, Alonzo Mourning (13)
, Terry Porter (7)
, Madison Square Garden
19,763
, 2–2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 5
, May 16
, New York

L 77–78
, Alonzo Mourning (21)
, P. J. Brown (12)
, Tim Hardaway (8)
, Miami Arena
14,985
, 2–3
, -

Player statistics

Ragular season

Playoffs

Awards and records

* Alonzo Mourning, NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
* Alonzo Mourning, All-NBA First Team
* Alonzo Mourning, NBA All-Defensive First Team
* Tim Hardaway, All-NBA Second Team
* P.J. Brown, NBA All-Defensive Second Team

Transactions

References

1998-99 Miami Heat

{{DEFAULTSORT:1998-99 Miami Heat season
Miami Heat seasons
Miami Heat
Miami Heat
Miami Heat