1997–98 Houston Rockets season

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Rockets' 31st season in the National Basketball Association, and 27th season in Houston.[1] The Rockets went on a nine-game winning streak early into the season winning 12 of their first 17 games. However, they began to show their age and the wear and tear of long playoff runs as they played mediocre basketball all season. Hakeem Olajuwon missed most of the first half of the season with a knee injury only playing just 47 games.[2] The Rockets finished fourth in the Midwest Division with a 41–41 record, and qualified the playoffs as the #8 seed. In the first round of the playoffs, in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, the Rockets took a 2–1 series lead over the top-seeded Utah Jazz. However, they would lose the series in five games. Charles Barkley sat out Game 5 with a torn triceps muscle as the Jazz defeated the Rockets 84–70.[3]

1997–98 Houston Rockets season
Head coachRudy Tomjanovich
ArenaCompaq Center
Results
Record41–41 (.500)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Midwest)
Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finishWest First Round
(Lost to Jazz 2–3)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKHTV
Fox Sports Southwest
RadioKTRH

This marked the final season for Clyde Drexler, as he retired to take over the head coaching job at the University of Houston, ending his fifteen-year career.[4] Also following the season, Kevin Willis was traded to the Toronto Raptors, and Mario Elie signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs.

Offseason

Draft picks
Main article: 1997 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
124Rodrick RhodesSG United StatesUSC
229Serge ZwikkerC NetherlandsNorth Carolina

Roster
Roster listing
Houston Rockets roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
PF 4 Barkley, Charles  6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 252 lb (114 kg) Auburn
SF 50 Bullard, Matt 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Iowa
PG 15 Davis, Emanual 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Delaware State
SG 22 Drexler, Clyde 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Houston
SG 17 Elie, Mario 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) American International
PF 32 Harrington, Othella 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Georgetown
SF 8 Johnson, Eddie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Illinois
PF 27 Jones, Charles 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Albany State
PG 12 Maloney, Matt 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 192 lb (87 kg) Pennsylvania
C 34 Olajuwon, Hakeem (C) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Houston
PG 20 Price, Brent 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Oklahoma
SG 1 Rhodes, Rodrick 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Southern California
SF 41 Stephens, Joe 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Little Rock
PF 42 Willis, Kevin 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Michigan State
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Regular season

Season standings
Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
z-Utah Jazz 6220.756–36–526–1522–2
x-San Antonio Spurs 5626.683631–1025–1618–6
x-Minnesota Timberwolves 4537.5491726–1519–2214–10
x-Houston Rockets 4141.5002124–1717–2414–10
Dallas Mavericks 2062.2444213–287–349–15
Vancouver Grizzlies 1963.2324314–275–364–20
Denver Nuggets 1171.134519–322–393–21
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Utah Jazz6220.756–
2 y-Seattle SuperSonics6121.7441
3 x-Los Angeles Lakers6121.7441
4 x-Phoenix Suns5626.6836
5 x-San Antonio Spurs5626.6836
6 x-Portland Trail Blazers4636.56116
7 x-Minnesota Timberwolves4537.54917
8 x-Houston Rockets4141.50021
9 Sacramento Kings2755.32935
10 Dallas Mavericks2062.24442
11 Vancouver Grizzlies1963.23243
11 Golden State Warriors1963.23243
13 Los Angeles Clippers1765.20745
14 Denver Nuggets1171.13451
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents
1997-98 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta —2–14–01–34–02–02–02–22–01–11–32–00–21–33–10–21–22–22–23–10–21–12–01–11–14–00–22–04–0
Boston 1–2—1–21–31–31–11–12–21–11–10–42–01–10–42–21–12–22–22–23–10–21–11–10–21–13–00–22–03–2
Charlotte 0–42–1—1–32–22–02–03–11–12–03–12–01–13–13–11–12–21–33–12–11–12–01–11–11–14–01–12–02–2
Chicago 3–13–13–1—2–21–12–03–12–02–02–22–01–12–14–01–14–04–03–12–11–11–12–02–01–14–00–22–03–1
Cleveland 0–43–12–22–2—1–12–03–12–01–12–22–01–11–32–22–03–11–22–23–12–01–12–00–20–23–11–12–01–2
Dallas 0–21–10–21–11–1—3–10–21–30–41–11–30–40–20–22–20–21–10–20–20–40–40–40–42–21–10–44–01–1
Denver 0–21–10–20–20–21–3—0–21–30–40–22–20–40–20–21–30–20–20–20–20–42–21–30–40–40–20–41–31–1
Detroit 2–22–21–31–31–32–02–0—2–01–11–32–00–21–22–20–22–22–21–23–11–10–21–11–10–24–00–20–22–2
Golden State 0–21–11–10–20–23–13–10–2—1–30–21–31–30–20–20–40–21–11–10–20–41–32–21–31–30–20–41–30–2
Houston 1–11–10–20–21–14–04–01–13–1—1–14–01–30–21–11–31–11–10–21–11–31–34–02–21–32–00–43–11–1
Indiana 3–14–01–32–22–21–12–03–12–01–1—2–00–23–14–02–02–12–13–14–01–11–12–00–20–24–01–12–04–0
L.A. Clippers 0–20–20–20–20–23–12–20–23–10–40–2—0–40–20–20–41–10–20–21–10–40–43–11–30–41–11–31–30–2
L.A. Lakers 2–01–11–11–11–14–04–02–03–13–12–04–0—1–12–04–01–11–11–10–22–22–24–04–01–32–03–14–01–1
Miami 3–14–01–31–23–12–02–02–12–02–01–32–01–1—3–11–13–12–23–14–00–22–02–00–20–24–01–12–02–2
Milwaukee 1–32–21–30–42–22–02–02–22–01–10–42–00–21–3—1–10–43–12–12–20–22–02–00–21–13–10–21–11–2
Minnesota 2–01–11–11–10–22–23–12–04–03–10–24–00–41–11–1—2–01–10–22–03–11–33–11–31–31–11–34–00–2
New Jersey 2–12–22–20–41–32–02–02–22–01–11–21–11–11–34–00–2—2–23–13–11–11–12–01–10–23–10–22–01–3
New York 2–22–23–10–42–11–12–02–21–11–11–22–01–12–21–31–12–2—4–02–22–01–11–10–21–13–10–22–01–3
Orlando 2–22–21–31–32–22–02–02–11–12–01–32–01–11–31–22–01–30–4—4–00–22–00–20–21–13–10–22–03–1
Philadelphia 1–31–31–21–21–32–02–01–32–01–10–41–12–00–42–20–21–32–20–4—1–11–11–10–20–22–20–22–03–1
Phoenix 2–02–01–11–10–24–04–01–14–03–11–14–02–22–02–01–31–10–22–01–1—2–23–13–12–22–01–34–01–1
Portland 1–11–10–21–11–14–02–22–03–13–11–14–02–20–20–23–11–11–10–21–12–2—3–12–20–42–03–12–21–1
Sacramento 0–21–11–10–20–24–03–11–12–20–40–21–30–40–20–21–30–21–12–01–11–31–3—0–41–31–12–22–21–1
San Antonio 1–12–01–10–22–04–04–01–13–12–22–03–10–42–02–03–11–12–02–02–01–32–24–0—2–22–01–34–01–1
Seattle 1–11–11–11–12–02–24–02–03–13–12–04–03–12–01–13–12–01–11–12–02–24–03–12–2—2–02–24–01–1
Toronto 0–40–30–40–41–31–12–00–42–00–20–41–10–20–41–31–11–31–31–32–20–20–21–10–20–2—0–21–10–3
Utah 2–02–01–12–01–14–04–02–04–04–01–13–11–31–12–03–12–02–02–02–03–11–32–23–12–22–0—4–00–2
Vancouver 0–20–20–20–20–20–43–12–03–11–30–23–10–40–21–10–40–20–20–20–20–42–22–20–40–41–10–4—1–1
Washington 0–42–32–21–32–11–11–12–22–01–10–42–01–12–22–12–03–13–11–31–31–11–11–11–11–13–02–01–1—

Playoffs

West First Round

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Houston Rockets Last Playoff Meeting: 1997 Western Conference Finals (Utah won 4-2)

Game Date Home Score Visitor Score Record

(UTA-HOU)

 Venue Box score Television
1 April 23 Utah 90 Houston 103 0-1 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 1 TBS 9:30et
2 April 25 Utah 105 Houston 90 1-1 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 2 TNT 10:30et
3 April 29 Houston 89 Utah 85 1-2 Compaq Center, Houston, Texas 3 TBS 9:30et
4 May 1 Houston 71 Utah 93 2-2 Compaq Center, Houston, Texas 4 TNT 9:30et
5 May 3 Utah 84 Houston 70 3-2 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 5 NBC 3:00et
Utah wins series 3–2

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

Playoffs
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

References
  1. 1997-98 Houston Rockets
  2. "Olajuwon Has Knee Surgery". Los Angeles Times. November 25, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  3. "N.B.A.: PLAYOFFS -- HOUSTON; Injury Ends Barkley's Season". New York Times. May 3, 1998. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  4. "THE N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Youthful Sprint Wears Out Houston". New York Times. May 4, 1998. Retrieved March 2, 2017.

See also
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