The 1998–99 NBA season was the Hawks' 50th season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season in Atlanta. During a season cut to 50 games by a lockout, the Hawks continued to split their home games between the Georgia Dome, and the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. In the off-season, the team signed free agents LaPhonso Ellis, second-year guard Anthony Johnson and re-signed former Hawks forward Grant Long. Ellis would reunite with his former teammate of the Denver Nuggets, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo. However, Ellis would be out for the remainder of the season with a hernia injury after just 20 games, being replaced by second-year forward Chris Crawford as the team's starting small forward. The Hawks played around .500 with a 9–9 start, then later on posted a