The 2012–13 NBA season was the 67th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 30, 2012, when the 2011–12 NBA champions Miami Heat started the season by hosting the Boston Celtics. The 2013 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 17, 2013, at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The regular season ended on April 17, 2013, and the playoffs began on April 20, 2013, and ended on June 20, 2013, with the Miami Heat defeating the San Antonio Spurs in seven games to win the 2013 NBA Finals.
Transactions
Free agency Free agency negotiation started on July 1, 2012, with players being able to sign starting July 11, after the July moratorium ended.
Coaching changes + Coaching changesOff-seasonTeam2011–12 coach2012–13 coachCharlotte BobcatsPaul SilasMike DunlapOrlando MagicStan Van GundyJacque VaughnPortland Trail BlazersKaleb Canales (interim)Terry StottsIn-seasonTeamOutgoing coachIncoming coachLos Angeles LakersMike BrownBernie Bickerstaff (interim)Bernie Bickerstaff (interim)Mike D'AntoniBrooklyn NetsAvery JohnsonP. J. Carlesimo (interim)Milwaukee BucksScott SkilesJim Boylan (interim)Phoenix SunsAlvin GentryLindsey Hunter (interim)
Off-season On April 30, 2012, the Charlotte Bobcats released Paul Silas from his coaching contract. On June 20, the Charlotte Bobcats hired Mike Dunlap as head coach. On May 21, 2012, the Orlando Magic fired head coach Stan Van Gundy. On July 28, the Orlando Magic hired Jacque Vaughn as head coach. On August 8, 2012, the Portland Trail Blazers hired Terry Stotts as head coach, and demoted Kaleb Canales back to assistant head coach.
In-season On November 9, 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers fired Mike Brown after starting the season 1–4 and named Bernie Bickerstaff as interim head coach. This was one of the earliest regular season head coach firings in NBA history. On November 12, 2012, the Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni as official head coach and demoted Bickerstaff back to an assistant head coach. On December 27, 2012, the Brooklyn Nets fired Avery Johnson after losing 10 out of 13 games in December, which came right after winning the Eastern Conference's Coach of the Month award in November. The team promoted assistant P. J. Carlesimo as interim head coach. On January 8, 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks and Scott Skiles mutually agreed to part ways after starting the season with a 16–16 record. The team promoted assistant Jim Boylan as interim head coach. On January 18, 2013, the Phoenix Suns and Alvin Gentry mutually agreed to part ways. The Suns' 13–28 record at the time of Gentry's departure was the worst in the Western Conference. The team promoted assistant and development coach Lindsey Hunter as interim head coach.
Preseason The preseason started on October 5, 2012, and ended on October 26, 2012.
NBA Europe Live 2012 was played October 5 – 7 and 9, 2012 featuring the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, and teams from Europe (Fenerbahçe Ülker, Alba Berlin, Olimpia Milano and Regal FC Barcelona). The Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Clippers at the sixth annual NBA China Games on October 11 in Beijing. A second game took place on October 14 in Shanghai. On October 7, the NBA Mexico Games 2012 were played between the New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic. Finally, the NBA Canada Series was played on October 19 between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks in Montreal, and on October 24 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons in Winnipeg.
Regular season The regular season started on October 30, 2012, when the 2011–12 NBA champions Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 120–107. The regular season ended on April 17, 2013. The entire schedule was released on July 26, 2012.
For the first time since 2008, the NBA did not schedule any Thanksgiving games. The NBA's annual Christmas games featured, in chronological order, the Boston Celtics at the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Knicks at the Los Angeles Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets at the Chicago Bulls, and the Denver Nuggets at the Los Angeles Clippers (thus the Staples Center was in the rare situation of hosting two NBA games on the same day).
A regular season game took place at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks on January 17, 2013. The Knicks won the game 102–87.
The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers played 81 games instead of the scheduled 82. A Pacers-Celtics game in Boston was initially postponed in the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Because this happened very late in the regular season (leaving little time in which either team could play on a new date in Boston) and the results would not have affected that season's standings, the NBA decided to vacate the game for good.
Standings
By division Eastern Conference
Western Conference
By conference
Notes z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs y – Clinched division title x – Clinched playoff spot – In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, the NBA canceled the April 16 game scheduled in Boston between the Celtics and the Pacers; the game was not rescheduled because it would have had no impact on either team's playoff seedings.
Tiebreakers
Western Conference The Los Angeles Clippers clinched #4 seed over Memphis as the Clippers won the Pacific Division and the Grizzlies finished second in the Southwest Division. Also, the Clippers secured home court advantage over the Grizzlies based on head-to-head record (3–1). The Los Angeles Lakers clinched #7 seed over Houston based on winning percentage against Western Conference teams (the Lakers' .538 to the Rockets' .462).
Playoffs
The playoffs began on April 20, 2013, and concluded with the 2013 NBA Finals, which began on June 6 between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs
Bracket
Statistics leaders
Individual statistic leaders Category Player Team Statistics Points per game Carmelo Anthony New York Knicks 28.7 Rebounds per game Dwight Howard Los Angeles Lakers 12.4 Assists per game Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics 11.1 Steals per game Chris Paul Los Angeles Clippers 2.41 Blocks per game Serge Ibaka Oklahoma City Thunder 3.03 Fouls per game Dwight Howard Los Angeles Lakers 3.8 Turnovers per game Jrue Holiday Philadelphia 76ers 3.8 Minutes per game Luol Deng Chicago Bulls 38.7 Efficiency per game LeBron James Miami Heat 31.6 FG% DeAndre Jordan Los Angeles Clippers 64.3% FT% Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 90.5% 3FG% José Calderón Detroit Pistons/Toronto Raptors 46.1% Double-Doubles David Lee Golden State Warriors 56 Triple-Doubles Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics 5
Individual game highs Category Player Team Statistics Points Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 54Rebounds Nikola Vučević Orlando Magic 29Assists Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics 20Steals Kemba Walker Charlotte Bobcats 8 Ricky Rubio Minnesota TimberwolvesBlocks Roy Hibbert Indiana Pacers 11 Joakim Noah Chicago BullsThree Pointers Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 11 Deron Williams Brooklyn Nets
Team statistic leaders + Category Team Statistics Points per game Denver Nuggets 106.1 Rebounds per game Indiana Pacers 45.9 Assists per game San Antonio Spurs 25.1 Steals per game Los Angeles Clippers 9.6 Blocks per game Oklahoma City Thunder 7.6 Turnovers per game Houston Rockets 16.4 Fouls per game Toronto Raptors 22.4 FG% Miami Heat 49.6% FT% Oklahoma City Thunder 82.8% 3FG% Golden State Warriors 40.3% ± Oklahoma City Thunder 9.2
Awards
Yearly awards
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Miami Heat Defensive Player of the Year: Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies Rookie of the Year: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Sixth Man of the Year: J. R. Smith, New York Knicks Most Improved Player: Paul George, Indiana Pacers Coach of the Year: George Karl, Denver Nuggets Executive of the Year: Masai Ujiri, Denver Nuggets Sportsmanship Award: Jason Kidd, New York Knicks J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award: Chauncey Billups, Los Angeles Clippers
All-NBA First Team: F LeBron James, Miami Heat F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder C Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs G Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers G Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
All-NBA Second Team: F Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks F Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers C Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies G Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder G Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
All-NBA Third Team: F Paul George, Indiana Pacers F David Lee, Golden State Warriors C Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers G James Harden, Houston Rockets G Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
NBA All-Defensive First Team: F LeBron James, Miami Heat F Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder C Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls C Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks G Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies G Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
NBA All-Defensive Second Team: F Paul George, Indiana Pacers F Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs C Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies G Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics G Mike Conley Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
NBA All-Rookie First Team: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors
NBA All-Rookie Second Team: Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons Jonas Valančiūnas, Toronto Raptors Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons Tyler Zeller, Cleveland Cavaliers
Players of the week The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week. WeekEastern ConferenceWestern ConferenceRef.Oct. 30 – Nov. 4 (Milwaukee Bucks) (1/2) (Houston Rockets) (1/3)Nov. 5 – Nov. 11 (Miami Heat) (1/6) (Denver Nuggets) (1/1)Nov. 12 – Nov. 18 (Miami Heat) (2/6) (Oklahoma City Thunder) (1/4)Nov. 19 – Nov. 25 (Atlanta Hawks) (1/1) (San Antonio Spurs) (1/1)Nov. 26 – Dec. 2 (New York Knicks) (1/4) (Oklahoma City Thunder) (2/4)Dec. 3 – Dec. 9 (Atlanta Hawks) (1/1) (Los Angeles Clippers) (1/1)Dec. 10 – Dec. 16 (Indiana Pacers) (1/1) (Golden State Warriors) (1/2)Dec. 17 – Dec. 23 (Miami Heat) (3/6) (Los Angeles Clippers) (1/1)Dec. 24 – Dec. 30 (Milwaukee Bucks) (1/2) (New Orleans Hornets) (1/1)Dec. 31 – Jan. 6 (New York Knicks) (2/4) (Houston Rockets) (2/3)Jan. 7 – Jan. 13 (Milwaukee Bucks) (2/2) (Oklahoma City Thunder) (3/4)Jan. 14 – Jan. 20 (Chicago Bulls) (1/1) (Oklahoma City Thunder) (4/4)Jan. 21 – Jan. 27 (Cleveland Cavaliers) (1/1) (San Antonio Spurs) (1/1)Jan. 28 – Feb. 3 (Chicago Bulls) (1/1) (Golden State Warriors) (2/2)Feb. 4 – Feb. 10 (Miami Heat) (4/6) (Oklahoma City Thunder) (1/1)Feb. 19 – Feb. 24 (Miami Heat) (5/6) (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/3)Feb. 25 – Mar. 3 (Milwaukee Bucks) (2/2) (Denver Nuggets) (1/1)Mar. 4 – Mar. 10 (Miami Heat) (1/1) (Los Angeles Lakers) (2/3)Mar. 11 – Mar. 17 (Washington Wizards) (1/1) (Portland Trail Blazers) (1/1)Mar. 18 – Mar. 24 (Miami Heat) (6/6) (Houston Rockets) (3/3)Mar. 25 – Mar. 31 (New York Knicks) (1/1) (Utah Jazz) (1/1)Apr. 1 – Apr. 7 (New York Knicks) (3/4) (Minnesota Timberwolves) (1/1)Apr. 8 – Apr. 14 (New York Knicks) (4/4) (Los Angeles Lakers) (3/3)
Players of the month The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month. MonthEastern ConferenceWestern ConferenceRef.October – November (Miami Heat) (1/5) (Oklahoma City Thunder) (1/2)December (Miami Heat) (2/5) (Los Angeles Clippers) (1/1)January (Miami Heat) (3/5) (San Antonio Spurs) (1/1)February (Miami Heat) (4/5) (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/1)March (Miami Heat) (5/5) (Oklahoma City Thunder) (2/2)April (New York Knicks) (1/1) (Golden State Warriors) (1/1)
Rookies of the month The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month.