2003–04 Sacramento Kings season
The 2003–04 NBA season was the Kings' 55th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 19th season in Sacramento. The season was best remembered for the team making a move in the offseason, acquiring Brad Miller from the Indiana Pacers and signing free agent Anthony Peeler. Superstar forward Chris Webber, who spent most of the season recovering from microfracture knee surgery, then serving a suspension due to the Ed Martin scandal, returned for the final 23 games of the season in which they played mediocre basketball the rest of the way.
| 2003–04 Sacramento Kings season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Rick Adelman |
| General manager | Geoff Petrie |
| President | Geoff Petrie |
| Owners | Maloof family |
| Arena | ARCO Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 55–27 (.671) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Pacific) Conference: 4th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Conference semifinals (lost to Timberwolves 3–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Still, the Kings finished the season second in the Pacific Division with a 55–27 record. Miller and Peja Stojaković were both selected for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. In the first round of the playoffs, the Kings got the last laugh as they defeated their archrivals the Dallas Mavericks in five games, before falling to Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round as Webber missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in Game 7. This ended the Kings' attempt at a championship as their core would be dismantled the following season, which included Vlade Divac re-signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers, Peeler signing with the Washington Wizards, and Gerald Wallace leaving in the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft.