The 2001-02 Dallas Mavericks season was marked by significant progress and solidifying their status as a playoff contender. Under head coach Don Nelson, the team finished with an impressive 57-25 record, showcasing their offensive prowess. Dirk Nowitzki emerged as a star, leading the team with 23.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, while Steve Nash orchestrated the offense with 7.7 assists per game.
The Mavericks secured the fourth seed in the Western Conference, underscoring their improvement and competitiveness in the league. In the playoffs, they faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, securing a decisive 3-0 series sweep. However, their postseason run was halted in the second round by the Sacramento Kings, losing the series 4-1. Despite the playoff exit, the season marked a critical step in the Mavericks’ journey toward becoming a perennial powerhouse in the NBA.
- Regular Season Record: 57-25
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 3-0, Western Conference Semifinals: 1-4
Dallas Mavericks Roster and Stats for 2001-02 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 76 | 23.4 | 9.9 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 39.7 | 8 | 28.4 | 13.1 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 57.1 |
| Michael Finley | 69 | 20.6 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 33.9 | 8 | 24.6 | 6.3 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 37.8 |
| Steve Nash | 82 | 17.9 | 3.1 | 7.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 45.5 | 8 | 19.5 | 4.0 | 8.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 44.4 |
| Nick Van Exel | 27 | 13.2 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 34.7 | 8 | 11.1 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 20.6 |
| Juwan Howard | 53 | 12.9 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Raef LaFrentz | 27 | 10.8 | 7.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 30.5 | 8 | 11.3 | 7.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 33.3 |
| Tim Hardaway | 54 | 9.6 | 1.8 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 34.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Adrian Griffin | 58 | 7.2 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 29.6 | 4 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Eduardo Nájera | 62 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 8 | 4.6 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Greg Buckner | 44 | 5.8 | 3.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 31.2 | 7 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Wang Zhizhi | 55 | 5.6 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 41.4 | 8 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 50.0 |
| Johnny Newman | 47 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 38.6 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16.7 |
| Shawn Bradley | 53 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 7 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Danny Manning | 41 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 14.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Avery Johnson | 17 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Donnell Harvey | 18 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Evan Eschmeyer | 31 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Darrick Martin | 3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tariq Abdul-Wahad | 4 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Charlie Bell | 2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Dallas Mavericks in the 2002 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
In the first round of the 2002 NBA Playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks faced the Minnesota Timberwolves and emerged victorious in a decisive 3-0 series sweep. Led by Dirk Nowitzki's scoring prowess and Steve Nash's playmaking, the Mavericks showcased their offensive firepower. This series win highlighted their growth as a formidable postseason contender in the Western Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2002 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 101-94 | |
| Apr 24, 2002 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 122-110 | |
| Apr 28, 2002 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 115-102 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Sacramento Kings
In the 2002 NBA Playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks advanced to the second round where they faced the Sacramento Kings. Despite the offensive prowess of Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks struggled against the Kings' well-rounded team and high-paced play. The Kings ultimately proved too strong, defeating the Mavericks in five games to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 04, 2002 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 108-91 | |
| May 06, 2002 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 110-102 | |
| May 09, 2002 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 125-119 | |
| May 11, 2002 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 115-113 | |
| May 13, 2002 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 114-101 |
Dallas Mavericks 2001-02 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2001-02 season for the Dallas Mavericks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2001 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 94-87 | |
| Nov 01, 2001 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 99-92 | |
| Nov 02, 2001 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 109-92 | |
| Nov 04, 2001 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 94-85 | |
| Nov 06, 2001 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | W 110-92 | |
| Nov 08, 2001 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 105-91 | |
| Nov 10, 2001 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 98-91 | |
| Nov 14, 2001 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 107-94 | |
| Nov 15, 2001 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 115-89 | |
| Nov 17, 2001 | @ Houston Rockets | L 124-87 | |
| Nov 20, 2001 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 105-97 | |
| Nov 21, 2001 | @ Charlotte Hornets | W 89-78 | |
| Nov 23, 2001 | @ Miami Heat | W 104-94 | |
| Nov 24, 2001 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 119-104 | |
| Nov 27, 2001 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 116-106 | |
| Nov 29, 2001 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 110-98 | |
| Dec 01, 2001 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 111-82 | |
| Dec 02, 2001 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 120-114 | |
| Dec 05, 2001 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 98-94 | |
| Dec 08, 2001 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 102-95 | |
| Dec 10, 2001 | @ Utah Jazz | L 107-98 | |
| Dec 11, 2001 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 105-103 | |
| Dec 13, 2001 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 102-82 | |
| Dec 15, 2001 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 125-117 | |
| Dec 18, 2001 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 107-103 | |
| Dec 20, 2001 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 113-101 | |
| Dec 22, 2001 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 102-80 | |
| Dec 26, 2001 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 126-123 | |
| Dec 27, 2001 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 89-74 | |
| Dec 29, 2001 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 113-97 | |
| Jan 02, 2002 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 107-97 | |
| Jan 03, 2002 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-101 | |
| Jan 05, 2002 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 105-103 | |
| Jan 08, 2002 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 95-94 | |
| Jan 10, 2002 | vs. New York Knicks | W 111-89 | |
| Jan 12, 2002 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 111-102 | |
| Jan 14, 2002 | @ Orlando Magic | L 113-87 | |
| Jan 15, 2002 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 116-107 | |
| Jan 17, 2002 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 108-97 | |
| Jan 19, 2002 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 106-103 | |
| Jan 21, 2002 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 113-105 | |
| Jan 22, 2002 | @ Houston Rockets | W 113-107 | |
| Jan 24, 2002 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 104-97 | |
| Jan 26, 2002 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 133-112 | |
| Jan 29, 2002 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | L 117-100 | |
| Jan 31, 2002 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 95-91 | |
| Feb 03, 2002 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 101-94 | |
| Feb 05, 2002 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 141-140 | |
| Feb 06, 2002 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 112-100 | |
| Feb 12, 2002 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 112-106 | |
| Feb 13, 2002 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 114-103 | |
| Feb 16, 2002 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 119-110 | |
| Feb 17, 2002 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 105-92 | |
| Feb 19, 2002 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 117-100 | |
| Feb 21, 2002 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 98-92 | |
| Feb 23, 2002 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 111-97 | |
| Feb 26, 2002 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 104-91 | |
| Mar 02, 2002 | vs. Miami Heat | L 109-95 | |
| Mar 03, 2002 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 116-110 | |
| Mar 05, 2002 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 81-77 | |
| Mar 07, 2002 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 122-103 | |
| Mar 09, 2002 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 107-105 | |
| Mar 11, 2002 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 119-108 | |
| Mar 14, 2002 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 132-106 | |
| Mar 16, 2002 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 117-100 | |
| Mar 17, 2002 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 105-103 | |
| Mar 19, 2002 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 114-98 | |
| Mar 21, 2002 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 105-102 | |
| Mar 23, 2002 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 111-100 | |
| Mar 26, 2002 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 112-106 | |
| Mar 28, 2002 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 113-111 | |
| Mar 29, 2002 | @ Boston Celtics | W 108-82 | |
| Mar 31, 2002 | @ Washington Wizards | W 110-103 | |
| Apr 04, 2002 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 115-90 | |
| Apr 06, 2002 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 89-87 | |
| Apr 08, 2002 | @ Utah Jazz | W 105-96 | |
| Apr 09, 2002 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 108-96 | |
| Apr 11, 2002 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 98-95 | |
| Apr 13, 2002 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 116-99 | |
| Apr 14, 2002 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 113-100 | |
| Apr 16, 2002 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 96-87 | |
| Apr 17, 2002 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 89-76 |