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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] After a slow 3–5 start to the season, the Rockets went on a nine-game winning streak winning 12 of their first 17 games. The team traveled to Mexico City, Mexico, where they defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 108–106 on December 6, 1997, which was the first NBA regular season game played in Mexico.[2][3][4][5] However, as the season progressed, Hakeem Olajuwon went down with a knee injury and only played just 47 games,[6][7][8][9] as the Rockets began to slip under .500, showing their age and the wear and tear of long playoff runs as they played mediocre basketball all season, holding a 22–24 record at the All-Star break.[10] Olajuwon would eventually return as the Rockets finished fourth in the Midwest Division with a 41–41 record, and qualified the playoffs as the #8 seed in the Western Conference.[11]

1997–98 Houston Rockets season
Head coachRudy Tomjanovich
General managerCarroll Dawson
Owner(s)Leslie Alexander
ArenaCompaq Center
Results
Record41–41 (.500)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Midwest)
Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finishFirst round
(lost to Jazz 2–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKHTV
Fox Sports Southwest
RadioKTRH
< 1996–97 1998–99 >

Clyde Drexler led the team with 18.4 points, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game, while Kevin Willis stepped up in Olajuwon's absence, averaging 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, Olajuwon provided the team with 16.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.0 blocks per game, and Charles Barkley provided with 15.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, and played half of the season off the bench as the team's sixth man.[12][13][14] In addition, second-year guard and three-point specialist Matt Maloney contributed 8.6 points per game, while Mario Elie and Eddie Johnson both contributed 8.4 points per game each, and three-point specialist Matt Bullard provided with 7.0 points per game.[15]

In the Western Conference 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.[16][17][18] However, in Game 4, Barkley went down with a torn triceps muscle injury in a 93–71 home loss to the Jazz.[19][20][21][22] Without Barkley, the Rockets would lose Game 5 to the Jazz on the road, 84–70, thus losing the series in five games.[23][24][25][26] It was the first time the Rockets lost in the opening round of the playoffs since 1991. The Jazz would go on to lose in six games to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals for the second straight year.[27][28][29][30][31]

This marked the final season for Drexler, who received a standing ovation after the Rockets' Game 5 loss to the Jazz at the Delta Center; he then retired to take over the head coaching job at the University of Houston, where he had played college basketball along with Olajuwon, ending his fifteen-year career in the NBA.[32][23][33][34] Drexler also won the 2Ball competition along with Cynthia Cooper of the WNBA's Houston Comets during the All-Star Weekend in New York City, New York.[35][36][37][38] Also following the season, Willis was traded to the Toronto Raptors,[39][40][41][42] while Elie signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs,[43][44][45] and reserve center Charles Jones, the oldest player in the league during the season, retired at age 41.[39]

Offseason

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
124Rodrick RhodesSG  United StatesUSC
229Serge ZwikkerC  NetherlandsNorth Carolina

Roster

1997–98 Houston Rockets roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
F4Barkley, Charles6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)252 lb (114 kg)1963–02–20Auburn
F50Bullard, Matt6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)215 lb (98 kg)1967–06–05Iowa
G15Davis, Emanual6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg)1968–08–27Delaware State
G22Drexler, Clyde6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg)1962–06–22Houston
G/F17Elie, Mario6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg)1963–11–26American International
F/C32Harrington, Othella6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)235 lb (107 kg)1974–01–31Georgetown
F8Johnson, Eddie6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)215 lb (98 kg)1959–05–01Illinois
F/C27Jones, Charles6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg)1957–04–03Albany State
G12Maloney, Matt6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)192 lb (87 kg)1971–12–06Penn
C34Olajuwon, Hakeem7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)255 lb (116 kg)1963–01–21Houston
G20Price, Brent6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)165 lb (75 kg)1968–12–09Oklahoma
G/F1Rhodes, Rodrick6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)225 lb (102 kg)1973–09–24USC
F41Stephens, Joe6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg)1973–01–28Little Rock
F/C42Willis, Kevin7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)220 lb (100 kg)1962–09–06Michigan State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Roster Notes

  • Rookie center Serge Zwikker was placed on the inactive list, and never played for the Rockets.

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
z-Utah Jazz6220.756–36–526–1522–2
x-San Antonio Spurs5626.683631–1025–1618–6
x-Minnesota Timberwolves4537.5491726–1519–2214–10
x-Houston Rockets4141.5002124–1717–2414–10
Dallas Mavericks2062.2444213–287–349–15
Vancouver Grizzlies1963.2324314–275–364–20
Denver Nuggets1171.134519–322–393–21
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1z-Utah Jazz6220.756–
2y-Seattle SuperSonics6121.7441
3x-Los Angeles Lakers6121.7441
4x-Phoenix Suns5626.6836
5x-San Antonio Spurs5626.6836
6x-Portland Trail Blazers4636.56116
7x-Minnesota Timberwolves4537.54917
8x-Houston Rockets4141.50021
9Sacramento Kings2755.32935
10Dallas Mavericks2062.24442
11Vancouver Grizzlies1963.23243
11Golden State Warriors1963.23243
13Los Angeles Clippers1765.20745
14Denver Nuggets1171.13451
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1997-98 NBA Records
TeamATLBOSCHACHICLEDALDENDETGSWHOUINDLACLALMIAMILMINNJNNYKORLPHIPHOPORSACSASSEATORUTAVANWAS
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
Boston1–2—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
Charlotte0–42–1—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
Chicago3–13–13–1—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
Cleveland0–43–12–22–2—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
Dallas0–21–10–21–11–1—3–10–21–30–41–11–30–40–20–22–20–21–10–20–20–40–40–40–42–21–10–44–01–1
Denver0–21–10–20–20–21–3—0–21–30–40–22–20–40–20–21–30–20–20–20–20–42–21–30–40–40–20–41–31–1
Detroit2–22–21–31–31–32–02–0—2–01–11–32–00–21–22–20–22–22–21–23–11–10–21–11–10–24–00–20–22–2
Golden State0–21–11–10–20–23–13–10–2—1–30–21–31–30–20–20–40–21–11–10–20–41–32–21–31–30–20–41–30–2
Houston1–11–10–20–21–14–04–01–13–1—1–14–01–30–21–11–31–11–10–21–11–31–34–02–21–32–00–43–11–1
Indiana3–14–01–32–22–21–12–03–12–01–1—2–00–23–14–02–02–12–13–14–01–11–12–00–20–24–01–12–04–0
L.A. Clippers0–20–20–20–20–23–12–20–23–10–40–2—0–40–20–20–41–10–20–21–10–40–43–11–30–41–11–31–30–2
L.A. Lakers2–01–11–11–11–14–04–02–03–13–12–04–0—1–12–04–01–11–11–10–22–22–24–04–01–32–03–14–01–1
Miami3–14–01–31–23–12–02–02–12–02–01–32–01–1—3–11–13–12–23–14–00–22–02–00–20–24–01–12–02–2
Milwaukee1–32–21–30–42–22–02–02–22–01–10–42–00–21–3—1–10–43–12–12–20–22–02–00–21–13–10–21–11–2
Minnesota2–01–11–11–10–22–23–12–04–03–10–24–00–41–11–1—2–01–10–22–03–11–33–11–31–31–11–34–00–2
New Jersey2–12–22–20–41–32–02–02–22–01–11–21–11–11–34–00–2—2–23–13–11–11–12–01–10–23–10–22–01–3
New York2–22–23–10–42–11–12–02–21–11–11–22–01–12–21–31–12–2—4–02–22–01–11–10–21–13–10–22–01–3
Orlando2–22–21–31–32–22–02–02–11–12–01–32–01–11–31–22–01–30–4—4–00–22–00–20–21–13–10–22–03–1
Philadelphia1–31–31–21–21–32–02–01–32–01–10–41–12–00–42–20–21–32–20–4—1–11–11–10–20–22–20–22–03–1
Phoenix2–02–01–11–10–24–04–01–14–03–11–14–02–22–02–01–31–10–22–01–1—2–23–13–12–22–01–34–01–1
Portland1–11–10–21–11–14–02–22–03–13–11–14–02–20–20–23–11–11–10–21–12–2—3–12–20–42–03–12–21–1
Sacramento0–21–11–10–20–24–03–11–12–20–40–21–30–40–20–21–30–21–12–01–11–31–3—0–41–31–12–22–21–1
San Antonio1–12–01–10–22–04–04–01–13–12–22–03–10–42–02–03–11–12–02–02–01–32–24–0—2–22–01–34–01–1
Seattle1–11–11–11–12–02–24–02–03–13–12–04–03–12–01–13–12–01–11–12–02–24–03–12–2—2–02–24–01–1
Toronto0–40–30–40–41–31–12–00–42–00–20–41–10–20–41–31–11–31–31–32–20–20–21–10–20–2—0–21–10–3
Utah2–02–01–12–01–14–04–02–04–04–01–13–11–31–12–03–12–02–02–02–03–11–32–23–12–22–0—4–00–2
Vancouver0–20–20–20–20–20–43–12–03–11–30–23–10–40–21–10–40–20–20–20–20–42–22–20–40–41–10–4—1–1
Washington0–42–32–21–32–11–11–12–22–01–10–42–01–12–22–12–03–13–11–31–31–11–11–11–11–13–02–01–1—

Game log

Playoffs

1998 playoff game log
First Round: 2–3 (home: 1–1; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1April 23@ UtahW 103–90Clyde Drexler (22)Kevin Willis (14)Clyde Drexler (6)Delta Center
19,911		1–0
2April 25@ UtahL 90–105Hakeem Olajuwon (16)Kevin Willis (12)Matt Maloney (6)Delta Center
19,911		1–1
3April 29UtahW 89–85Hakeem Olajuwon (28)Hakeem Olajuwon (12)Drexler, Maloney (5)Compaq Center
16,285		2–1
4May 1UtahL 71–93Hakeem Olajuwon (27)Hakeem Olajuwon (15)Clyde Drexler (5)Compaq Center
16,285		2–2
5May 3@ UtahL 70–84Kevin Willis (16)Kevin Willis (11)three players tied (3)Delta Center
19,911		2–3
1998 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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

NOTE: Please write the players statistics in alphabetical order by last name.

Season

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3FG%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
Charles Barkley
Matt Bullard
Emanual Davis
Clyde Drexler
Mario Elie
Othella Harrington
Eddie Johnson
Charles Jones
Matt Maloney
Hakeem Olajuwon
Brent Price
Rodrick Rhodes
Joe Stephens
Kevin Willis

Playoffs

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3FG%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
Charles Barkley
Matt Bullard
Clyde Drexler
Mario Elie
Othella Harrington
Eddie Johnson
Charles Jones
Matt Maloney
Hakeem Olajuwon
Brent Price
Rodrick Rhodes
Kevin Willis

Awards and records

Transactions

References

See also

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