2003–04 Miami Heat season


The 2003–04 NBA season was the 16th season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. This season saw the team draft future All-Star and 3-time NBA Champion Dwyane Wade with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, while acquiring forward Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Clippers. Before the season began, head coach Pat Riley resigned, but he would later return midway in the 2005–06 season and help guide the Heat to their first ever NBA championship. Under new head coach Stan Van Gundy, the Heat stumbled out of the gate losing their first seven games. However, the team would play.500 basketball for the remainder of the season winning 14 of their final 17 games. Despite posting a mediocre 42–40 record, the Heat entered the playoffs as the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Wade had a stellar rookie season averaging 16.2 points per game, and was selected to the All-Rookie First Team.
The first round series pitted the Heat against the New Orleans Hornets, then in its second season of existence. The Heat would go on to defeat New Orleans in seven games. They advanced to the Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2000. However, they went no further as they fell to the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in six games.
Following the season, Odom, second-year forward Caron Butler, and Brian Grant were all traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for big man Shaquille O'Neal after being bad blood with Kobe Bryant after blaming him for losing in the finals to the underdog Detroit Pistons.

Key dates

2003 NBA Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalitySchool/Club Team
15Dwyane WadeGuardUnited StatesMarquette
233Jerome BeasleyForwardUnited StatesNorth Dakota

Free agency

Signings:
Lamar Odom,
Rafer Alston

Roster

Pre-season

Game log

Regular season

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

October

Record: 0-3 ; Home: 0-1 ; Road: 0-2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading ScorerVenueRecord
1October 28Miami74–89PhiladelphiaNODwyane Wade Wachovia Center0–1
2October 29Miami75–98BostonNOEddie Jones Fleet Center0–2
3October 31Detroit93–81MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena0–3

November

Record: 5–9 ; Home: 4–2 ; Road: 1–7
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerVenueRecord
4November 3Miami93-103DallasNOUdonis Haslem American Airlines Center0–4
5November 4Miami73–80San AntonioNOEddie Jones SBC Center0–5
6November 8Minnesota88–79MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena0–6
7November 11Houston90–70MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena0–7
8November 12Cleveland83–88MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena1–7
9November 13Washington101–105MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena2–7
10November 16Miami77–99L.A. LakersNOLamar Odom Staples Center2–8
11November 18Miami105–98SeattleNOLamar Odom KeyArena3–8
12November 19Miami93–94PortlandNOEddie Jones Rose Garden3–9
13November 21Miami91–101Golden StateNOLamar Odom The Arena in Oakland3–10
14November 22Miami98–100Phoenix1Dwyane Wade America West Arena3–11
15November 25New Orleans87–91MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena4–11
16November 28Miami83–95AtlantaNOEddie Jones Philips Arena4–12
17November 29Toronto66–78MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena5–12

December

Record: 8–7 ; Home: 5–3 ; Road: 3–4
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerVenueRecord
18December 3Miami73-87DetroitNOLamar Odom The Palace of Auburn Hills5–13
19December 5Philadelphia93–90MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena5–14
20December 6San Antonio86–70MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena5–15
21December 9Phoenix72–92MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena6–15
22December 12Memphis88–91MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena7–15
23December 14Miami90–89TorontoNODwyane Wade Air Canada Centre8–15
24December 16Atlanta79–97MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena9–15
25December 17Miami76–87PhiladelphiaNODwyane Wade Wachovia Center9–16
26December 19Miami83–97MemphisNODwyane Wade The Pyramid9–17
27December 21Golden State93–104MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena10–17
28December 23Washington72–79MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena11–17
29December 26Miami92–84WashingtonNOEddie Jones MCI Center12–17
30December 27New York100–80MiamiNOEddie Jones Philips Arena12–18
31December 29Miami90–83ChicagoNOLamar Odom United Center13–18
32December 30Miami73–102New YorkNOLamar Odom Madison Square Garden13–19

January

Record: 8–8 ; Home: 6–2 ; Road: 2–6
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerVenueRecord
33January 2Orlando101-112MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena14–19
34January 5Indiana87–65MiamiNOBrian Grant American Airlines Arena14–20
35January 7Chicago95–102MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena15–20
36January 9Miami94–103MilwaukeeNOLamar Odom Bradley Center15–21
37January 10Miami77–83MinnesotaNOBrian Grant Target Center15–22
38January 13Miami86–90SacramentoNOLamar Odom ARCO Arena15–23
39January 15Miami85–97UtahNOEddie Jones Delta Center15–24
40January 16Miami87–85L.A. ClippersNOEddie Jones Staples Center16–24
41January 18Miami80–88DenverNOLamar Odom Pepsi Center16–25
42January 20Boston86–84MiamiNOUdonis Haslem American Airlines Arena16–26
43January 23New Jersey64–85MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena17–26
44January 24Miami85–77New YorkNOEddie Jones Madison Square Garden18–26
45January 26Houston81–95MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena19–26
46January 28Miami93–94ClevelandNOEddie Jones Gund Arena19–27
47January 30L.A. Clippers88–97MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena20–27
48January 30New Orleans hornets70-94MiamiNOAmerican Airlines Arena21–27

February

Record: 4–8 ; Home: 3–4 ; Road: 1–4
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerVenueRecord
49February 2Detroit102-100Miami1Eddie Jones American Airlines Arena21–28
50February 4Miami88–99New JerseyNOLamar Odom Continental Airlines Arena21–29
51February 7New York64–76MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena21–30
52February 8Miami91–97IndianaNOLamar Odom Conseco Fieldhouse21–31
53February 10L.A. Lakers98–83MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena21–32
54February 11Miami111–98OrlandoNODwyane Wade TD Waterhouse Centre22–32
55February 17Utah85–97MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena23–32
56February 20Atlanta92–125MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena24–32
57February 21Denver81–97MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena25–32
58February 23Portland89–81MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena25–33
59February 28Miami86–92New JerseyNODwyane Wade Continental Airlines Arena25–34
60February 29Miami104–108MilwaukeeNOEddie Jones Bradley Center25–35

March

Record: 12–3 ; Home: 9–1 ; Road: 3–2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerVenueRecord
61March 2Toronto89-86MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena25–36
62March 4Milwaukee98–104MiamiNORafer Alston American Airlines Arena26–36
63March 6Sacramento96–102MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena27–36
64March 9Orlando89–100MiamiNORasual Butler American Airlines Arena28–36
65March 10Miami84–95New OrleansNOUdonis Haslem New Orleans Arena28–37
66March 12Seattle74–82MiamiNORafer Alston American Airlines Arena29–37
67March 14New Jersey95–104MiamiNOCaron Butler American Airlines Arena30–37
68March 16New Orleans83–96MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena31–37
69March 20Philadelphia69–101MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena32–37
70March 21Miami101–81WashingtonNODwyane Wade MCI Center33–37
71March 24Miami105–90OrlandoNOEddie Jones TD Waterhouse Centre34–37
72March 26Dallas118–119MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena35–37
73March 28Miami100–80IndianaNOCaron Butler Conseco Fieldhouse35–38
74March 29Chicago83–97MiamiNOEddie Jones American Airlines Arena36–38
75March 30Miami100–97AtlantaNOEddie Jones Philips Arena37–38

April

Record: 5–2 ; Home: 3–0 ; Road: 2–2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerVenueRecord
76April 2Miami102-100DetroitNOLamar Odom The Palace of Auburn Hills37–39
77April 3Miami97–83ChicagoNOEddie Jones United Center38–39
78April 7Boston101–104MiamiNOLamar Odom American Airlines Arena39–39
79April 9Cleveland91–106MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena40–39
80April 10Miami80–91ClevelandNODwyane Wade Gund Arena40–40
81April 11Miami84–77BostonNORafer Alston Fleet Center41–40
82April 17New Jersey84–96MiamiNODwyane Wade American Airlines Arena42-40

Playoffs

East First Round

Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Hornets: Heat win series 4–3
Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first playoff meeting between the Heat and Pelicans/Hornets.

East Conference Semifinals

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat: Pacers win series 4–2
Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Pacers and Heat.

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards, records and milestones

Awards

Week/Month

All-Star

Season

Records

Milestones

Injuries and surgeries

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Subtractions