Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Sacramento 59-23, Utah 47-35
Game 1 on Saturday, 19 Apr: Utah loses at Sacramento, 96-pts-90
Game 2 on Monday, 21 Apr: Utah loses at Sacramento, 108-pts-95
Game 3 on Saturday, 26 Apr: Sacramento loses at Utah, 107-pts-104
Game 4 on Monday, 28 Apr: Sacramento wins at Utah, 99-pts-82
Game 5 on Wednesday, 30 Apr: Utah loses at Sacramento, 111-pts-91

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 893 back in Sacramento for Game 5, the Sacramento Kings became the first NBA team to win a best-of-7 NBA Preliminary round playoff series, defeating the Utah Jazz 111-pts-91 in Game 5 to win series 893 by a 4-games-1 tally. The win order for this series was WWLWW: Series 893 is the 72nd best-of-7 playoff series (and the 32nd in the NBA) to show this particular win order. The Sacramento Kings now have a 2-2 best-of-7 series record; the Utah Jazz now have a 7-12 series record.

After Game 4: The Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz in Utah, 99-pts-82, to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 893. When leading a best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-1, the Sacramento Kings have a series record of 1-0; when trailing 3-games-1, the Utah Jazz have a series record of 0-8. NBA teams opening a best-of-7 playoff series with a win order of WWLW have a series record of 49-1; the sole loss was by the 1995 Phoenix Suns, in best-of-7 series 691 (the 1995 Quarterfinals) to the Houston Rockets. Those 1995 Houston Rockets thus set a favorable precedent for the 2003 Utah Jazz.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 893 moving to Salt Lake City, the Utah Jazz defeated the Sacramento Kings 107-pts-104, thus cutting the Kings' series lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1, the Sacramento Kings have a series record of 1-1; when trailing 2-games-1, the Utah Jazz have a series record of 0-9.

After Game 2: For the first time in Sacramento and for the first time since MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 85 (the 1951 NBA Finals, won by the Rochester Royals), the Sacramento Kings franchise takes a 2-games-nil lead in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series with a 108-pts-95 victory over the Utah Jazz. When trailing a best-of-7 series 2-games-nil, the Utah Jazz have an 0-7 series record. The last NBA team to open a best-of-7 playoff series LL @ VV but win the series was the Houston Rockets in series 691 (in the 1995 NBA Quarterfinals vs. the Phoenix Suns).

After Game 1: Opening series 893 in northern California, the Sacramento Kings won on their home court, defeating the Utah Jazz 96-pts-90 and taking a 1-game-nil lead in the series. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Sacramento Kings have a 1-0 series record; when trailing 1-game-nil, the Utah Jazz are 0-8.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, the Sacramento Kings finished 12 games ahead of the Utah Jazz. From 1947 through 2002, when an NBA team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by 12 regular-season games, it has gone on to post an 11-3 best-of-7 series record against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 893 is the fourth best-of-7 playoff series for the Sacramento Kings and the 19th for the Utah Jazz. In best-of-7 playoff series, Sacramento has a 1-2 series record and a 1-2 Game 1 record, while Utah has a 7-11 series record and a 10-8 Game 1 record. Series 893 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Sacramento and Utah. The Sacramento Kings last played in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series in 2002; the Utah Jazz last did so in 2000.