1998–99 Atlanta Hawks season

The 1998–99 NBA season was the 50th season for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association, and their 31st season in Atlanta, Georgia.^[1] Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.^[2]

1998–99 Atlanta Hawks season
Head coach	Lenny Wilkens
Arena	Georgia Dome Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record	31–19 (.620)
Place	Division: 2nd (Central) Conference: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East Conference Semi-finals (lost to Knicks 0–4)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	WATL Fox Sports South (Bob Rathbun, Mike Glenn)
Radio	WCNN
< 1997–98 1999–00 >

The Hawks continued to split their home games between the Georgia Dome, and the Alexander Memorial Coliseum for the second consecutive season.^[3] During the off-season, the team signed free agents LaPhonso Ellis,^[4][5][6] second-year guard Anthony Johnson and re-signed former Hawks forward Grant Long;^[7][8][9] Ellis would reunite with his former teammate of the Denver Nuggets, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo. However, Ellis would be out for the remainder of the regular season with a hernia injury after just 20 games,^[10][11] being replaced by second-year forward Chris Crawford as the team's starting small forward.

The Hawks played around .500 basketball with a 9–9 start to the season, then later on posted a 7-game winning streak in April, and won nine of their final eleven games. The team finished in second place in the Central Division with a 31–19 record, earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.^[12]

Steve Smith led the team in scoring with 18.7 points per game, while Mookie Blaylock averaged 13.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and Mutombo provided the team with 10.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. In addition, Alan Henderson provided with 12.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while Ellis contributed 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds, and Long played a sixth man role, averaging 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game off the bench. Corbin contributed 7.5 points per game also off the bench, and Crawford provided with 6.9 points per game.^[13] Mutombo and Blaylock were both named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Mutombo also finished in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.^[14][15]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Hawks faced off against the Detroit Pistons; despite losing Henderson to an eye injury in Game 1, and losing Crawford to a shoulder injury in Game 2,^[16][17] the Hawks defeated the Pistons in five games,^[18][19][20] but would be swept by the 8th-seeded New York Knicks in four straight games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.^[21][22][23] The Knicks would become the first #8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, but would lose in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.^[24][25][26] This season would also be the last time the Hawks appear in the playoffs until 2008.

The Hawks finished 27th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 331,831 at the Georgia Dome, and the Alexander Memorial Coliseum, which was the third-lowest during the regular season.^[13][27] Following the season, Smith and second-year guard Ed Gray were both traded to the Portland Trail Blazers,^[28][29][30] while Blaylock was traded to the Golden State Warriors after seven seasons in Atlanta,^[31][32][33] Long signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Grizzlies,^[34][35] and Tyrone Corbin re-signed with the Sacramento Kings.^[36]

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1998 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	20	Roshown McLeod	SF	United States	Duke
2	49	Cory Carr	SG	United States	Texas Tech

Roster

1998–99 Atlanta Hawks roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From G 10 Mookie Blaylock 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1967–03–20 Oklahoma G/F 33 Tyrone Corbin 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1962–12–31 DePaul F 4 Chris Crawford 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1975–05–13 Marquette F 20 LaPhonso Ellis  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1970–05–05 Notre Dame G 22 Ed Gray 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1975–09–27 California F 44 Alan Henderson  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1972–12–02 Indiana G 24 Anthony Johnson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1974–10–02 College of Charleston F 43 Grant Long 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1966–03–12 Eastern Michigan F 7 Roshown McLeod 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 221 lb (100 kg) 1975–11–17 Duke C 55 Dikembe Mutombo 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1966–06–25 Georgetown G 15 Jeff Sheppard 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1974–09–29 Kentucky G 8 Steve Smith 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1969–03–31 Michigan State C 41 West, Mark 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1960–11–05 Old Dominion

Head coach Lenny Wilkens Assistant(s) Stan Albeck Phil Hubbard Gary Wortman Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div	GP
y-Indiana Pacers	33	17	.660	–	18‍–‍7	15‍–‍10	15–7	50
x-Atlanta Hawks	31	19	.620	2.0	16‍–‍9	15‍–‍10	15–8	50
x-Detroit Pistons	29	21	.580	4.0	17‍–‍8	12‍–‍13	13–8	50
x-Milwaukee Bucks	28	22	.560	5.0	17‍–‍8	11‍–‍14	13–11	50
Charlotte Hornets	26	24	.520	7.0	16‍–‍9	10‍–‍15	12–10	50
Toronto Raptors	23	27	.460	10.0	14‍–‍11	9‍–‍16	9–14	50
Cleveland Cavaliers	22	28	.440	11.0	15‍–‍10	7‍–‍18	9–13	50
Chicago Bulls	13	37	.260	20.0	8‍–‍17	5‍–‍20	4–19	50

Eastern Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	GP
1	c-Miami Heat *	33	17	.660	–	50
2	y-Indiana Pacers *	33	17	.660	–	50
3	x-Orlando Magic	33	17	.660	–	50
4	x-Atlanta Hawks	31	19	.620	2.0	50
5	x-Detroit Pistons	29	21	.580	4.0	50
6	x-Philadelphia 76ers	28	22	.560	5.0	50
7	x-Milwaukee Bucks	28	22	.560	5.0	50
8	x-New York Knicks	27	23	.540	6.0	50
9	Charlotte Hornets	26	24	.520	7.0	50
10	Toronto Raptors	23	27	.460	10.0	50
11	Cleveland Cavaliers	22	28	.440	11.0	50
12	Boston Celtics	19	31	.380	14.0	50
13	Washington Wizards	18	32	.360	15.0	50
14	New Jersey Nets	16	34	.320	17.0	50
15	Chicago Bulls	13	37	.260	20.0	50

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1998-99 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	TOR	UTA	VAN	WAS
Atlanta	–	3–0	3–0	3–1	2–1	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–0	1–0	3–1	1–0	0–0	0–3	1–2	0–0	1–2	2–1	2–2	2–1	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	2–1
Boston	0–3	–	1–2	2–1	2–2	0–0	1–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–0	0–0	3–0	0–3	0–1	1–2	1–2	1–2	1–2	0–0	0–1	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	1–0	3–1
Charlotte	0–3	2–1	–	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	3–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–1	1–2	2–2	0–0	3–0	1–3	1–2	1–2	1–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	2–1
Chicago	1–3	1–2	1–2	–	0–3	0–1	0–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–0	0–0	1–2	1–3	0–0	2–1	1–2	0–3	1–2	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–1	1–2	0–1	1–0	1–2
Cleveland	1–2	2–2	1–2	3–0	–	0–0	0–0	1–2	1–0	0–1	0–3	0–0	1–0	0–3	1–2	0–0	3–0	1–2	1–2	1–2	1–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	2–2	0–1	0–0	1–2
Dallas	1–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	–	2–1	0–1	2–2	2–2	0–0	3–0	0–3	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–1	0–0	1–0	0–0	1–3	0–3	2–2	1–3	0–3	0–0	0–3	2–1	0–0
Denver	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–2	–	0–0	1–3	0–4	0–1	3–0	1–2	0–1	1–0	0–3	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–3	0–3	0–3	0–4	2–2	0–0	1–2	3–1	0–1
Detroit	2–1	3–0	0–3	3–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	–	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	0–0	2–1	2–1	0–1	2–1	2–1	0–4	1–3	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	1–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	2–1
Golden State	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	0–1	2–2	3–1	0–0	–	0–3	1–0	2–1	1–2	0–0	0–1	2–2	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	2–2	1–2	0–3	1–2	0–0	0–4	4–0	0–0
Houston	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	2–2	4–0	0–0	3–0	–	0–0	3–1	1–2	0–1	0–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	0–1	0–0	2–2	2–1	3–0	0–3	2–1	1–0	0–3	4–0	0–0
Indiana	1–2	3–0	2–1	3–0	3–0	0–0	1–0	1–2	0–1	0–0	–	0–0	1–0	2–2	3–0	0–0	3–1	2–1	1–2	1–2	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	3–0
L.A. Clippers	0–1	0–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–3	0–3	0–0	1–2	1–3	0–0	–	0–4	0–0	0–0	2–2	1–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–2	1–2	0–3	0–3	0–1	1–3	1–3	0–0
L.A. Lakers	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	0–1	3–0	2–1	0–0	2–1	2–1	0–1	4–0	–	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–0	0–1	3–1	2–2	1–2	2–1	2–2	0–0	1–3	2–1	0–0
Miami	3–0	0–3	2–1	2–1	3–0	1–0	1–0	1–2	0–0	1–0	2–2	0–0	0–0	–	2–1	0–1	3–1	2–2	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	3–0	0–1	0–0	3–0
Milwaukee	2–1	3–0	2–2	3–1	2–1	0–0	0–1	1–2	1–0	0–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	1–2	–	1–0	2–1	2–1	1–2	1–2	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	3–1	0–0	0–0	2–1
Minnesota	0–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	3–0	1–0	2–2	1–2	0–0	2–2	1–2	1–0	0–1	–	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–3	3–1	2–2	2–1	0–1	0–3	3–1	0–0
New Jersey	2–1	2–1	0–3	1–2	0–3	1–0	0–1	1–2	0–0	0–1	1–3	0–1	0–0	1–3	1–2	0–0	–	0–3	0–3	1–2	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–0	2–1	0–0	0–0	2–1
New York	1–2	2–1	3–1	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	1–2	1–0	0–1	2–2	1–2	1–0	3–0	–	0–3	3–1	1–0	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	2–1
Orlando	2–2	2–1	2–1	3–0	2–1	0–1	0–0	4–0	1–0	1–0	2–1	0–0	0–1	1–2	2–1	0–0	3–0	3–0	–	1–2	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	2–1
Philadelphia	1–2	2–1	2–1	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	3–1	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–2	2–1	0–0	2–1	1–3	2–1	–	0–0	0–1	1–0	0–1	0–1	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–2
Phoenix	0–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–1	3–1	3–0	0–1	2–1	2–2	0–0	3–0	1–3	0–0	1–0	2–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	–	0–3	0–3	2–2	3–0	0–0	2–2	3–0	0–0
Portland	0–0	1–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	3–0	3–0	0–0	2–2	1–2	1–0	2–1	2–2	0–0	0–0	3–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	3–0	–	4–0	1–3	2–2	0–0	1–2	4–0	0–0
Sacramento	0–0	1–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	2–2	3–0	0–0	2–1	0–3	0–0	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	1–3	0–0	1–0	0–1	0–1	3–0	0–4	–	1–2	2–2	0–0	1–2	4–0	1–0
San Antonio	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–1	3–1	4–0	1–0	3–0	3–0	0–0	3–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	2–2	0–0	0–0	1–0	1–0	2–2	3–1	2–1	–	2–1	0–1	2–1	3–0	0–0
Seattle	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	3–0	2–2	0–1	2–1	1–2	0–0	3–0	2–2	0–0	0–1	1–2	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–3	2–2	2–2	1–2	–	0–0	2–2	2–1	0–1
Toronto	1–2	2–1	1–2	2–1	2–2	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–1	1–2	1–0	0–0	0–3	1–3	1–0	1–2	2–1	2–1	1–2	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	–	0–0	1–0	2–2
Utah	0–0	0–0	0–1	1–0	1–0	3–0	2–1	0–1	4–0	3–0	0–0	3–1	3–1	1–0	0–0	3–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–2	2–1	2–1	1–2	2–2	0–0	–	3–0	1–0
Vancouver	0–1	0–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	1–3	0–0	0–3	0–4	0–1	3–1	1–2	0–0	0–0	1–3	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–3	0–3	0–4	0–3	1–2	0–1	0–3	–	0–0
Washington	1–2	1–3	1–2	2–1	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–2	0–1	0–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–2	0–0	1–2	1–2	1–2	2–1	0–0	0–1	0–1	0–0	1–0	2–2	0–1	0–0	—

Game log

1998–99 game log
February Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
March Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
April Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
May Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
1998–99 schedule

Playoffs

1999 playoff game log
First round: 3–2 (home: 3–0; road: 0–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 May 8 Detroit W 90–70 Steve Smith (19) Dikembe Mutombo (19) Mookie Blaylock (7) Georgia Dome 20,884 1–0 2 May 10 Detroit W 89–69 Dikembe Mutombo (28) Dikembe Mutombo (13) Mookie Blaylock (6) Georgia Dome 16,377 2–0 3 May 12 @ Detroit L 63–79 Tyrone Corbin (16) Dikembe Mutombo (10) Mookie Blaylock (5) The Palace of Auburn Hills 14,812 2–1 4 May 14 @ Detroit L 82–103 Steve Smith (21) Dikembe Mutombo (8) Corbin, Johnson (4) The Palace of Auburn Hills 16,216 2–2 5 May 16 Detroit W 87–75 Grant Long (26) Dikembe Mutombo (18) Blaylock, Smith (6) Alexander Memorial Coliseum 8,460 3–2
Conference Semi-finals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 May 18 New York L 92–100 Chris Crawford (26) Dikembe Mutombo (13) Mookie Blaylock (4) Georgia Dome 18,513 0–1 2 May 20 New York L 70–77 Mookie Blaylock (17) Dikembe Mutombo (17) Steve Smith (2) Georgia Dome 22,558 0–2 3 May 23 @ New York L 78–90 Long, Smith (17) Dikembe Mutombo (16) Mookie Blaylock (3) Madison Square Garden 19,763 0–3 4 May 24 @ New York L 66–79 Steve Smith (14) Long, Mutombo (11) three players tied (3) Madison Square Garden 19,763 0–4
1999 schedule

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Mookie Blaylock	48	48	36.7	.379	.307	.758	4.7	5.8	2.1	.2	13.3
Tyrone Corbin	47	6	22.7	.391	.319	.650	3.1	0.9	0.7	.1	7.5
Chris Crawford	42	30	18.7	.431	.333	.814	2.1	.6	.2	.3	6.9
LaPhonso Ellis	20	20	27.0	.421	.200	.705	5.5	.9	.4	.4	10.2
Ed Gray	30	3	11.2	.291	.286	.757	.9	.4	.4	.	4.9
Alan Henderson	38	37	30.1	.442	.000	.671	6.6	.7	.9	.5	12.5
Anthony Johnson	49	2	18.1	.404	.263	.695	1.5	2.2	.7	.1	5.0
Grant Long	50	13	27.6	.421	.167	.783	5.9	1.1	1.1	.3	9.8
Roshown McLeod	34	0	10.2	.380	.100	.822	1.5	.4	.1	.	4.8
Dikembe Mutombo	50	50	36.6	.512	.	.684	12.2	1.1	.3	2.9	10.8
Jeff Sheppard	18	5	10.3	.385	.286	.615	1.2	.9	.2	.	2.2
Steve Smith	36	36	36.5	.402	.338	.849	4.2	3.3	1.0	.3	18.7
Mark West	49	0	10.2	.373	.	.356	2.6	.3	.1	.4	1.2
Shammond Williams	2	0	2.0	.000	.	.750	.	.5	.	.	1.5

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Mookie Blaylock	9	9	39.8	.326	.353	.467	4.0	4.0	2.0	0.2	12.6
Tyrone Corbin	9	4	29.8	.417	.261	.750	3.7	1.8	0.7	0.0	7.7
Chris Crawford	6	5	20.8	.333	.286	.885	3.2	0.8	0.2	0.2	9.8
Ed Gray	8	0	8.9	.366	.364	.909	1.1	0.5	0.8	0.1	5.5
Alan Henderson	1	0	4.0				0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Anthony Johnson	9	0	12.3	.276	.500	.700	1.0	1.1	0.1	0.1	2.7
Grant Long	9	9	39.8	.409	.250	.727	8.2	0.9	2.0	0.4	11.7
Roshown McLeod	6	0	8.2	.524		1.000	0.5	0.2	0.2	0.2	4.3
Dikembe Mutombo	9	9	42.2	.563		.702	13.9	1.2	0.6	2.6	12.6
Jeff Sheppard	4	0	3.0	.000			0.5	0.5	0.3	0.0	0.0
Steve Smith	9	9	39.6	.353	.273	.907	3.4	3.3	1.6	0.2	17.3
Mark West	9	0	7.6	.300		.500	1.0	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.9

Player Statistics Citation:^[13]

Awards and records

• Mookie Blaylock, NBA All-Defensive Second Team
• Dikembe Mutombo, NBA All-Defensive Second Team

Transactions

Trades

June 24, 1998

• Traded Cory Carr, a 1999 second round draft pick and a 2000 second round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls for Shammond Williams.

January 22, 1999

• Traded Christian Laettner to the Detroit Pistons for Scot Pollard and a 1999 first round draft pick.

Free agents

January 21, 1999

• Signed Jeff Sheppard as a free agent.
• Signed Anthony Johnson as a free agent.
• Signed Mark West as a free agent.

January 30, 1999

• Signed LaPhonso Ellis as a free agent.

February 1, 1999

• Signed Grant Long as a free agent.

February 16, 1999

• Waived Jeff Sheppard.

February 19, 1999

• Waived Scot Pollard.
• Waived Shammond Williams.

February 22, 1999

• Signed Jeff Sheppard as a free agent.

March 4, 1999

• Waived Jeff Sheppard.

March 19, 1999

• Signed Jeff Sheppard to the first of two 10-day contracts.

April 8, 1999

• Signed Jeff Sheppard to a contract for the rest of the season.

Player Transactions Citation:^[37]

See also

• 1998-99 NBA season