The 1998-99 Boston Celtics season was notably impacted by the NBA lockout, which shortened the regular season to 50 games. The Celtics, under head coach Rick Pitino, struggled throughout the season, finishing with a record of 19-31. This performance placed them 7th in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference, far from playoff contention.
The team was led by rookie Paul Pierce, who was drafted 10th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft. Pierce quickly established himself as a key player and a bright spot for the struggling team, averaging 16.5 points per game. Alongside him, Antoine Walker, the team’s leading scorer, averaged 18.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, providing a solid offensive output despite the team’s overall difficulties.
During the season, the Celtics experienced a host of challenges, including inconsistency and injuries, which contributed to their poor performance. The team struggled on both ends of the court, ranking 22nd in offensive rating and 23rd in defensive rating out of 29 teams. These struggles highlighted the need for a significant rebuild and restructuring within the organization.
The season marked a period of transition for the Celtics, who were in the early stages of rebuilding around young talents like Pierce and Walker. Despite the disappointing season, the emergence of Pierce provided a glimmer of hope for the franchise’s future endeavors.
- Regular Season Record: 19-31
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 1998-99 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Antoine Walker | 42 | 18.7 | 8.5 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 36.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Ron Mercer | 41 | 17.0 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 16.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Paul Pierce | 48 | 16.5 | 6.4 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 41.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Kenny Anderson | 34 | 12.1 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Vitaly Potapenko | 33 | 10.8 | 7.2 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Dana Barros | 50 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 40.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Tony Battie | 50 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Damon Jones | 13 | 5.8 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 45.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Walter McCarty | 32 | 5.7 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 26.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Andrew DeClercq | 14 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Greg Minor | 44 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 28.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Popeye Jones | 18 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Bruce Bowen | 30 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 26.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Eric Riley | 35 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Marlon Garnett | 24 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 26.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Dwayne Schintzius | 16 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Boston Celtics 1998-99 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1998-99 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 05, 1999 | vs. Toronto Raptors | L 103-92 | |
| Feb 06, 1999 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 77-73 | |
| Feb 08, 1999 | @ Orlando Magic | L 107-90 | |
| Feb 09, 1999 | @ Miami Heat | W 108-101 | |
| Feb 16, 1999 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 101-98 | |
| Feb 17, 1999 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 131-129 | |
| Feb 19, 1999 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 106-86 | |
| Feb 21, 1999 | @ Washington Wizards | L 86-75 | |
| Feb 24, 1999 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 111-79 | |
| Feb 26, 1999 | vs. New York Knicks | W 94-80 | |
| Feb 27, 1999 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 101-92 | |
| Mar 01, 1999 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 99-97 | |
| Mar 02, 1999 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 116-99 | |
| Mar 05, 1999 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 102-94 | |
| Mar 07, 1999 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 105-92 | |
| Mar 09, 1999 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 105-87 | |
| Mar 11, 1999 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 99-85 | |
| Mar 12, 1999 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 93-83 | |
| Mar 14, 1999 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 99-96 | |
| Mar 17, 1999 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 118-84 | |
| Mar 18, 1999 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 99-83 | |
| Mar 20, 1999 | @ New York Knicks | L 96-78 | |
| Mar 21, 1999 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 95-92 | |
| Mar 23, 1999 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 113-86 | |
| Mar 24, 1999 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 87-68 | |
| Mar 26, 1999 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 90-84 | |
| Mar 28, 1999 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 101-93 | |
| Mar 30, 1999 | @ Charlotte Hornets | W 109-99 | |
| Mar 31, 1999 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 87-72 | |
| Apr 02, 1999 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 84-83 | |
| Apr 04, 1999 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 91-79 | |
| Apr 05, 1999 | @ Orlando Magic | L 106-99 | |
| Apr 07, 1999 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 108-87 | |
| Apr 08, 1999 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 101-89 | |
| Apr 09, 1999 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 83-67 | |
| Apr 11, 1999 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 87-81 | |
| Apr 12, 1999 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 103-89 | |
| Apr 14, 1999 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 77-70 | |
| Apr 16, 1999 | vs. Miami Heat | W 82-81 | |
| Apr 18, 1999 | @ Washington Wizards | W 101-98 | |
| Apr 19, 1999 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 120-104 | |
| Apr 21, 1999 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 80-78 | |
| Apr 22, 1999 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 106-94 | |
| Apr 23, 1999 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 100-71 | |
| Apr 25, 1999 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 113-84 | |
| Apr 27, 1999 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 92-85 | |
| Apr 29, 1999 | @ Miami Heat | W 107-96 | |
| May 01, 1999 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 88-79 | |
| May 03, 1999 | @ New York Knicks | L 95-88 | |
| May 05, 1999 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | L 133-129 |