The 2003-04 season marked a significant turning point for the Memphis Grizzlies, as they achieved their first winning record and playoff appearance in franchise history. Under the guidance of head coach Hubie Brown, the team finished with a record of 50-32, earning the sixth seed in the Western Conference. This remarkable improvement was fueled by a balanced roster and strong team chemistry.
The Grizzlies’ success was built on a solid defensive foundation, ranking 11th in the league for points allowed per game. Key players included Pau Gasol, who led the team in scoring with an average of 17.7 points per game, and Jason Williams, who provided leadership at the point guard position. The bench was one of the deepest in the league, featuring contributions from players like Mike Miller and James Posey, who both played crucial roles in the team’s rotation.
Despite their regular-season success, the Grizzlies faced a tough challenge in the playoffs against the more experienced San Antonio Spurs. The team was swept 4-0 in the first round, highlighting their need for further development and experience in postseason play. Nonetheless, the 2003-04 season laid the groundwork for future success and helped establish the Grizzlies as a competitive force in the NBA. The turnaround under Hubie Brown earned him the NBA Coach of the Year award, underscoring the transformative impact of the season.
- Regular Season Record: 50-32
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 0-4
Memphis Grizzlies Roster and Stats for 2003-04 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Pau Gasol | 78 | 17.7 | 7.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 26.7 | 4 | 18.5 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| James Posey | 82 | 13.7 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 38.6 | 4 | 12.5 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 16.7 |
| Bonzi Wells | 59 | 12.3 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 34.4 | 4 | 11.8 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Mike Miller | 65 | 11.1 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 37.2 | 4 | 7.5 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 38.5 |
| Jason Williams | 72 | 10.9 | 2.0 | 6.8 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 33.0 | 4 | 10.8 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 28.6 |
| Stromile Swift | 77 | 9.4 | 4.9 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 25.0 | 4 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Lorenzen Wright | 65 | 9.4 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 4 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Shane Battier | 79 | 8.5 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 34.9 | 4 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 42.9 |
| Earl Watson | 81 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 24.5 | 4 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Wesley Person | 16 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 25.6 | |||||||
| Bo Outlaw | 82 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Jake Tsakalidis | 40 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Theron Smith | 20 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 50.0 | |||||||
| Troy Bell | 6 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dahntay Jones | 20 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 25.0 | |||||||
| Ryan Humphrey | 2 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Memphis Grizzlies in the 2004 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. San Antonio Spurs
In the 2004 NBA Playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies made their postseason debut but faced a tough challenge in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs. The Grizzlies were swept 4-0 by the Spurs, who were led by Tim Duncan and showcased their championship pedigree. Despite the early exit, the playoff appearance marked a significant milestone for the Grizzlies franchise, signaling their emergence as a competitive team in the Western Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2004 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 98-74 | |
| Apr 19, 2004 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 87-70 | |
| Apr 22, 2004 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 95-93 | |
| Apr 25, 2004 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 110-97 |
Memphis Grizzlies 2003-04 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2003-04 season for the Memphis Grizzlies.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2003 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 93-91 | |
| Nov 01, 2003 | @ Houston Rockets | W 79-71 | |
| Nov 03, 2003 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 88-80 | |
| Nov 05, 2003 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 93-87 | |
| Nov 07, 2003 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 96-88 | |
| Nov 08, 2003 | @ Utah Jazz | L 96-89 | |
| Nov 10, 2003 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 105-95 | |
| Nov 12, 2003 | @ Orlando Magic | W 107-97 | |
| Nov 15, 2003 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 108-101 | |
| Nov 19, 2003 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 99-92 | |
| Nov 21, 2003 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 98-97 | |
| Nov 23, 2003 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 121-89 | |
| Nov 25, 2003 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 109-89 | |
| Nov 28, 2003 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 102-98 | |
| Nov 29, 2003 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 122-115 | |
| Dec 01, 2003 | @ Boston Celtics | W 96-89 | |
| Dec 03, 2003 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 96-93 | |
| Dec 05, 2003 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 92-77 | |
| Dec 07, 2003 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 93-79 | |
| Dec 10, 2003 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 103-90 | |
| Dec 12, 2003 | @ Miami Heat | L 91-88 | |
| Dec 13, 2003 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 110-63 | |
| Dec 15, 2003 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 78-67 | |
| Dec 16, 2003 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 105-100 | |
| Dec 19, 2003 | vs. Miami Heat | W 97-83 | |
| Dec 20, 2003 | @ New Orleans Hornets | L 94-89 | |
| Dec 22, 2003 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 106-99 | |
| Dec 23, 2003 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 114-97 | |
| Dec 26, 2003 | vs. New York Knicks | L 98-94 | |
| Dec 27, 2003 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 104-98 | |
| Dec 29, 2003 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 94-86 | |
| Dec 30, 2003 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 105-99 | |
| Jan 02, 2004 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 100-88 | |
| Jan 03, 2004 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 112-103 | |
| Jan 09, 2004 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 122-116 | |
| Jan 11, 2004 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 108-107 | |
| Jan 12, 2004 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 115-113 | |
| Jan 15, 2004 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 108-93 | |
| Jan 17, 2004 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 91-87 | |
| Jan 19, 2004 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 88-83 | |
| Jan 21, 2004 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 88-82 | |
| Jan 23, 2004 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 109-95 | |
| Jan 25, 2004 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 106-88 | |
| Jan 28, 2004 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 88-76 | |
| Jan 30, 2004 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 85-79 | |
| Jan 31, 2004 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 80-78 | |
| Feb 02, 2004 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 106-101 | |
| Feb 04, 2004 | @ Washington Wizards | W 103-101 | |
| Feb 06, 2004 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 105-85 | |
| Feb 08, 2004 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 99-98 | |
| Feb 09, 2004 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 86-83 | |
| Feb 11, 2004 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 110-102 | |
| Feb 17, 2004 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 109-92 | |
| Feb 20, 2004 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 97-92 | |
| Feb 21, 2004 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 105-98 | |
| Feb 23, 2004 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 109-106 | |
| Feb 25, 2004 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 99-92 | |
| Feb 27, 2004 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 106-104 | |
| Feb 28, 2004 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | W 97-92 | |
| Mar 01, 2004 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 81-80 | |
| Mar 03, 2004 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 97-88 | |
| Mar 06, 2004 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 98-92 | |
| Mar 07, 2004 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 95-85 | |
| Mar 09, 2004 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 94-88 | |
| Mar 12, 2004 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 98-89 | |
| Mar 13, 2004 | @ Houston Rockets | L 88-80 | |
| Mar 16, 2004 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 82-79 | |
| Mar 18, 2004 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 97-94 | |
| Mar 20, 2004 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 99-95 | |
| Mar 23, 2004 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 95-86 | |
| Mar 24, 2004 | @ New York Knicks | W 111-97 | |
| Mar 26, 2004 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 109-86 | |
| Mar 28, 2004 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 94-88 | |
| Mar 29, 2004 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 136-133 | |
| Apr 02, 2004 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 109-99 | |
| Apr 04, 2004 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 90-82 | |
| Apr 05, 2004 | @ Utah Jazz | L 92-81 | |
| Apr 07, 2004 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 92-74 | |
| Apr 09, 2004 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 103-95 | |
| Apr 11, 2004 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 89-83 | |
| Apr 13, 2004 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 110-103 | |
| Apr 14, 2004 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 107-90 |