the 2000–01 season, the Jazz posted a 53–29 record, but lost in the playoffs, surrendering a 2–0 series lead in the first round of the playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks to lose the series 3–2. This was their earliest exit from the playoffs since the 1994–95 season. In the 2001–02 season, Andrei Kirilenko made his rookie debut, averaging 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.91 blocks per game. The team started the season slowly, with a record of 16–15 over the first two months, and finished 12–13 to go 44–38 overall. They lost to the Sacramento Kings 3–1 in the first round of the playoffs. Prior to the 2002–03 season, Marshall and Russell moved on to other teams. Matt Harpring was brought over from the Philadelphia 76ers, and took over the starting forward spot next to Malone, averaging 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds, the best numbers of his career. The Jazz approached 50 wins going into the playoffs, but ended up falling short with a record of 47–35. They faced the Sacramento Kings in the playoffs again, and lost in a five-game first-round series, 4–1. After the season, the end of an era came as Stockton retired, and Malone left as a free agent to join the Los Angeles Lakers. 2003–2005: Post-Malone/Stockton era Without Malone and Stockton, the faces of the Jazz franchise, the team lacked foundation as it went into the 2003–04 season. They were expected to finish near the bottom of the NBA by several NBA preview magazines, including Sports Illustrated. The Jazz finished with a 42–40 record. The team featured several unheralded players who emerged as key contributors, including Kirilenko, Raja Bell, and Carlos Arroyo. In particular, Kirilenko demonstrated versatility on both offense and defense and earned a spot in the All-Star Game. The Jazz missed the playoffs by one game to the Denver Nuggets, ending a streak of 20 consecutive seasons in the playoffs. Jerry Sloan finished second in the voting for the NBA Coach of the Year Award, losing to Hubie Brown of the Memphis Grizzlies. During the off-season, the team made moves to change the roster; they acquired Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur as free agents and re-signed Carlos Arroyo and Gordan Giricek to extensions. The 2004–05 season was marked by injuries, first to Arroyo and Raúl López, and later to Boozer and Kirilenko, which were a large part of the team's fall to the