1997–98 Houston Rockets season

1997–98 Houston Rockets season
Clyde Drexler's final season
Head coach	Rudy Tomjanovich
Arena	Compaq Center
Results
Record	41–41 (.500)
Place	Division: 4th (Midwest) Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finish	West First Round (eliminated 2-3)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	Fox Sports Southwest, KTXH

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Rockets' 31st season in the NBA, and 27th season in Houston.^[1] The Rockets began to show their age and the wear and tear of long playoff runs as they played mediorce basketball all season. Hakeem Olajuwon missed most of the first half of the season due to injuries only playing in just 47 games. 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, the Rockets took a 2–1 lead over the top-seeded Utah Jazz. However, they would lose the series in five games. Following the season, Clyde Drexler retired to take over the head coaching job at the University of Houston, 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
1	24	Rodrick Rhodes	SG	United States	USC
2	29	Serge Zwikker	C	Netherlands	North Carolina

Roster

Houston Rockets roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB (YYYY–MM–DD)
4.5 !PF	4	USA !	Barkley, Charles	7000198120000000000♠6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	252 lb (114 kg)	Auburn
3.0 !SF	50	USA !	Bullard, Matt	7000208279999999999♠6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Iowa
1.0 !PG	15	USA !	Davis, Emanual	7000193040000000000♠6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Delaware State
2.0 !SG	22	USA !	Drexler, Clyde	7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Houston
3.0 !SF	17	USA !	Elie, Mario	7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	American International
4.5 !PF	32	USA !	Harrington, Othella	7000205740000000000♠6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Georgetown
3.0 !SF	8	USA !	Johnson, Eddie	7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Illinois
4.5 !PF	27	USA !	Jones, Charles	7000205740000000000♠6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Albany State
1.0 !PG	12	USA !	Maloney, Matt	7000190500000000000♠6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	Pennsylvania
6.0 !C	34	NGA !	Olajuwon, Hakeem	7000213360000000000♠7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	Houston
1.0 !PG	20	USA !	Price, Brent	7000185420000000000♠6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Oklahoma
2.0 !SG	1	USA !	Rhodes, Rodrick	7000198120000000000♠6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Southern California
3.0 !SF	41	USA !	Stephens, Joe	7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Arkansas–Little Rock
4.5 !PF	42	USA !	Willis, Kevin	7000213360000000000♠7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Michigan State

Head coach

Rudy Tomjanovich

Legend

(C) Team captain
(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Roster • Transactions

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
z-Utah Jazz	62	20	.756	–	36–5	26–15	22–2
x-San Antonio Spurs	56	26	.683	6	31–10	25–16	18–6
x-Minnesota Timberwolves	45	37	.549	17	26–15	19–22	14–10
x-Houston Rockets	41	41	.500	21	24–17	17–24	14–10
Dallas Mavericks	20	62	.244	42	13–28	7–34	9–15
Vancouver Grizzlies	19	63	.232	43	14–27	5–36	4–20
Denver Nuggets	11	71	.134	51	9–32	2–39	3–21

#	Western Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Utah Jazz	62	20	.756	–
2	y-Seattle SuperSonics	61	21	.744	1
3	x-Los Angeles Lakers	61	21	.744	1
4	x-Phoenix Suns	56	26	.683	6
5	x-San Antonio Spurs	56	26	.683	6
6	x-Portland Trail Blazers	46	36	.561	16
7	x-Minnesota Timberwolves	45	37	.549	17
8	x-Houston Rockets	41	41	.500	21

9	Sacramento Kings	27	55	.329	35
10	Dallas Mavericks	20	62	.244	42
11	Vancouver Grizzlies	19	63	.232	43
11	Golden State Warriors	19	63	.232	43
13	Los Angeles Clippers	17	65	.207	45
14	Denver Nuggets	11	71	.134	51

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	—	2–1	4–0	1–3	4–0	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–3	3–1	0–2	1–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	4–0
Boston	1–2	—	1–2	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–2	1–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–0	0–2	2–0	3–2
Charlotte	0–4	2–1	—	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2
Chicago	3–1	3–1	3–1	—	2–2	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–1	4–0	1–1	4–0	4–0	3–1	2–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	3–1
Cleveland	0–4	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–2	2–0	3–1	1–2	2–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	2–0	1–2
Dallas	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	—	3–1	0–2	1–3	0–4	1–1	1–3	0–4	0–2	0–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–1	0–4	4–0	1–1
Denver	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–3	—	0–2	1–3	0–4	0–2	2–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–4	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–1
Detroit	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–0	2–0	—	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–2	2–2	0–2	2–2	2–2	1–2	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–0	0–2	0–2	2–2
Golden State	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	3–1	3–1	0–2	—	1–3	0–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	0–4	1–3	0–2
Houston	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	4–0	4–0	1–1	3–1	—	1–1	4–0	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–0	0–4	3–1	1–1
Indiana	3–1	4–0	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	—	2–0	0–2	3–1	4–0	2–0	2–1	2–1	3–1	4–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	4–0	1–1	2–0	4–0
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–1	2–2	0–2	3–1	0–4	0–2	—	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–4	3–1	1–3	0–4	1–1	1–3	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	4–0	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	4–0	—	1–1	2–0	4–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	4–0	1–3	2–0	3–1	4–0	1–1
Miami	3–1	4–0	1–3	1–2	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–1	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	—	3–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	0–2	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2
Milwaukee	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–0	0–2	1–3	—	1–1	0–4	3–1	2–1	2–2	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–2
Minnesota	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–2	3–1	2–0	4–0	3–1	0–2	4–0	0–4	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–3	4–0	0–2
New Jersey	2–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	4–0	0–2	—	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–3
New York	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–4	2–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	1–2	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–1	2–2	—	4–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–3
Orlando	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–0	2–1	1–1	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–2	2–0	1–3	0–4	—	4–0	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	2–0	3–1
Philadelphia	1–3	1–3	1–2	1–2	1–3	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	0–4	1–1	2–0	0–4	2–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	—	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	0–2	2–0	3–1
Phoenix	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–0	4–0	1–1	4–0	3–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	2–0	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	—	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	1–3	4–0	1–1
Portland	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	3–1	3–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	—	3–1	2–2	0–4	2–0	3–1	2–2	1–1
Sacramento	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	4–0	3–1	1–1	2–2	0–4	0–2	1–3	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–3	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–3	—	0–4	1–3	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1
San Antonio	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	4–0	4–0	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	3–1	0–4	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–2	4–0	—	2–2	2–0	1–3	4–0	1–1
Seattle	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	4–0	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	4–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	4–0	3–1	2–2	—	2–0	2–2	4–0	1–1
Toronto	0–4	0–3	0–4	0–4	1–3	1–1	2–0	0–4	2–0	0–2	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	—	0–2	1–1	0–3
Utah	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	4–0	4–0	2–0	4–0	4–0	1–1	3–1	1–3	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–0	—	4–0	0–2
Vancouver	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	3–1	2–0	3–1	1–3	0–2	3–1	0–4	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	1–1	0–4	—	1–1
Washington	0–4	2–3	2–2	1–3	2–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–1	2–0	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–0	2–0	1–1	—

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

↑ 1997-98 Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets

Founded in 1967 Played in San Diego (1967–1971) Based in Houston, Texas

Franchise	Franchise History Expansion Draft All-time roster Seasons Records Draft history Head coaches Current season

Arenas	San Diego Sports Arena Hofheinz Pavilion HemisFair Arena The Summit/Compaq Center Toyota Center

Culture and lore	Red Rowdies Clutch City Clutch the Rockets Bear The Clock Incident 13 points in 35 seconds The Kiss of Death The Dream Shake 22 in a row Kermit Washington/Rudy Tomjanovich

NBA Championships (2)	1994 1995

Western Conference Championships (4)	1981 1986 1994 1995

Administration	Owner Leslie Alexander General Manager Daryl Morey Head Coach Mike D'Antoni

Retired numbers	11 22 23 24 34 45 CD

Most Valuable Players	Moses Malone Hakeem Olajuwon

Hall of Famers	Charles Barkley Rick Barry Clyde Drexler Elvin Hayes Moses Malone Calvin Murphy Dikembe Mutombo Hakeem Olajuwon Scottie Pippen Ralph Sampson Yao Ming

D-League affiliate	Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Rivals	San Antonio Spurs Los Angeles Lakers Utah Jazz

Media	TV Root Sports Southwest Radio Sportstalk 790 Announcers Bill Worrell Clyde Drexler Matt Bullard Craig Ackerman

San Diego / Houston Rockets seasons

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

1993–94

1994–95

2000s

2010s

Bold indicates NBA Finals victory

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1997–98 Houston Rockets season

Offseason

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Playoffs

West First Round

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

References

See also