History of the Houston Rockets

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Toyota Center at the start of the 2003–2004 season.[1]

The

American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before moving to Houston, Texas.[1]

In the Rockets' debut season, they won 15 games. After drafting

conference finals in his first year with the Rockets. He also took the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, but they were defeated in six games by the Boston Celtics.[2]

Two years after advancing to the finals, the Rockets traded Malone and had two losing seasons, with the first having a franchise-low 14 victories. This gave Houston two straight first overall picks, used to bring future

2009 NBA Playoffs and pushed the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers
to seven games in the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals.

During the next decade, the Rockets rehauled their roster and were again contenders for the NBA title. In the 2014–15 NBA season, led by head coach Kevin McHale and guard James Harden, the Rockets won their first division title in 21 years, and reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1997.

1967–1971: San Diego Rockets

During the Rockets' years in San Diego, they played in the San Diego Sports Arena.

Once

St. Louis Hawks by 99–98.[4] The Rockets lost 67 games in their inaugural season,[9] which was then an NBA record for losses in a season.[10] Attendance ranked as eighth among the league's twelve teams, leading to financial losses. The sole bright spot of the inaugural season was forward Don Kojis, whose good numbers earned him a spot at the 1968 NBA All-Star Game.[4]

In 1968, after the Rockets won a coin toss against the

playoff appearance in 1969,[13] but the Rockets lost in the semi-finals of the Western Division to the Atlanta Hawks, four games to two.[13] In 1970 NBA draft, the Rockets drafted Calvin Murphy and Rudy Tomjanovich, who would both spend their whole careers with the Rockets.[14][15]

Despite being coached by Hall of Fame coach

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.[19] Houston previously was awarded an NBA expansion franchise along with Buffalo, Cleveland and Portland on February 6, 1970,[20] but the new entry folded six weeks later on March 20 when its investment group led by Alan Rothenberg failed to make the $750,000 down payment on the $3.7 million entrance fee required before the league's college player draft.[21] The NBA would return to San Diego in 1978, when the Buffalo Braves moved to the city to become the Clippers
; they, too would leave the city for Los Angeles in 1984.

1971–1976: Improving in Houston with Murphy & Rudy-T

Upon their arrival, many were in disbelief that the Rockets could thrive in Houston. They were coming to a city that, at the time, had not shown much interest in professional basketball.

Before the start of the

Baltimore Bullets for Jack Marin at the end of the 1971–72 season.[28] Winter left soon after, being fired in January 1973 following a ten-game losing streak and with the Rockets as the second worst team of the league, and was replaced by Johnny Egan.[29]

With a 41–41 record, the Rockets would earn their first NBA Playoff berth in the

The Summit, the following season. The arena was located near Greenway Plaza, whose developer Kenneth Schnitzer became the Rockets' primary owner.[31]

1976–1982: The Moses Malone era

Due to Egan's failure to qualify for the playoffs, as soon as the season ended he was replaced by coach

Washington Bullets led by former Rocket Elvin Hayes as well as Wes Unseld in seven games in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, and advanced to the conference finals for the first time in their history, but they lost to the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers led by former ABA superstar Julius Erving 4–2.[33]

Early into 1977–78 season, at a game on December 9, 1977, Kevin Kunnert got into a fight with Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers. As Tomjanovich approached the altercation, Washington turned and punched Tomjanovich squarely in the face, causing numerous fractures in his face.[34] Tomjanovich spent the next five months in rehabilitation and returned to appear in the 1978 All-Star Game, but his averages significantly declined after the injury,[35] and Houston finished with just 28 wins in the season.[36]

Calvin Murphy played all 13 of his seasons with the Rockets, and went on to become the team's color commentator.

In the

MVP Award.[32] The Rockets also sent John Lucas II to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Rick Barry, who went on to set the NBA record at the time for free throw percentage in a season by shooting 94.7%.[37] The Rockets went 47–35 in Nissalke's last season as coach, and finished second in the Central Division, but they lost to Atlanta in a best-of-three first round series.[38]

In 1979

first round playoff series, they were swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.[41]

In the

playoffs with just one game left.[43] During the season, Murphy set two NBA records, by sinking 78 consecutive free throws to break Rick Barry's mark of 60 set in 1976, and achieving a free-throw percentage of .958, breaking Barry's record set with the Rockets in 1979.[44] In the playoffs, Houston began a run that began when they upset Los Angeles two games to one, and then defeated George Gervin's Spurs four games to three in the Western Conference semifinals.[45] This resulted in a conference finals matchup with the Kansas City Kings, who were led by Otis Birdsong, Scott Wedman, and Phil Ford. When the Kings fell to the Rockets in five games,[45] the Rockets became the only team in NBA history to advanced to the Finals after having a losing record in the regular season.[46] However, after splitting the first four games of the series with Boston, Houston eventually lost in six games.[47]
The

1984–2001: The Hakeem Olajuwon era

Hakeem Olajuwon and Jim Petersen surround Kevin McHale (who would 25 years later become Houston's coach) during the 1986 NBA Finals.

1984–1987: The Twin Towers era

Houston was again given the first pick of the 1984 NBA draft, and they used it to select Hakeem Olajuwon from the University of Houston.[53] In his first season, Olajuwon finished second to Michael Jordan in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting,[54] and the Rockets record improved by 19 games, although they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.[55]

In the

Showtime Lakers.[58] Sampson's buzzer beater that won Game 5 was described by him as "the greatest moment of my basketball career".[59] The Rockets competed in the finals for only the second time in team history,[60] once again facing the Celtics. Boston sportswriters were not happy about not getting a shot at revenge against the Lakers who had beaten the Celtics in the Finals the year before, yet the matchup was interesting with the young front court challenging the playoff-hardened Celtics front court of Bird, McHale and Parish. The Celtics won the first two games at the Boston Garden, only for the Rockets to win two games once the series went back to Houston – a close game 3 under Sampson's leadership, and a 15 point-leading game 5 without him as he got ejected – while also losing game 4 due to late Larry Bird 3 pointers and untimely turnovers by Rockets guard Mitchell Wiggins. Game 6 went back to Boston with Sampson finding himself again in foul trouble and of little effect against the older and wiser Celtics. After the series, Boston coach KC Jones called the Rockets, "the new monsters on the block" with the future looking very bright for the Rockets. During the six-game championship series loss against the Celtics, Sampson averaged 14.8 points on .438 shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.[61][62]

In the

1993), before being eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 6, a double-overtime classic in which Olajuwon scored 49 points in the losing cause.[65]

While Sampson signed a new deal prior to the 1987–88 NBA season,[66] he was traded early in the season to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Joe Barry Carroll and Sleepy Floyd.[67] Sampson only learned of the trade once he arrived in Houston after a road game.[68] The Twin Towers were split just 18 months after their finals appearance.[66]

1987–1992: Lean Years

During the next three seasons, the Rockets were eliminated three straight times in the first round of the playoffs,[69][70][71] with the first of those in 1988, the Dallas Mavericks defeating the Rockets in four games, leading to Fitch's dismissal. Don Chaney was hired to replace him and lead the Rockets to the playoffs in his first season in Houston, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in four games thanks to a buzzer-beater that ended the Rockets season.[72][73]

Chaney was named the Coach of the Year for the 1990–91 season, after leading the Rockets to a 52–30 record despite Olajuwon's absence due to injury for 25 games.[72][74] The Rockets were once again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, 3–0 to the Lakers.[75] Midway through the next season, with the Rockets' record only 26–26, Chaney was fired and replaced by one of his assistants, former Houston player Tomjanovich.[76][77] Although the Rockets did not make the playoffs,[77] in the next year, the Rockets won-loss record improved by 13 games, as they won 55 games.[78] Olajuwon won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, and the Rockets clinched the Midwest title. The playoffs started with Houston's first series victory in 5 years by defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, before an elimination by the SuperSonics during a game 7 overtime loss in one of the classic postseason series in NBA History.[79]

1993–1995: Back to Back Championships

On July 30, 1993,

Finals MVP, after averaging 27 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots a game.[82]

The Rockets initially struggled in the first half of the

David Robinson, with Olajuwon, averaging 35.3 points and 12.5 rebounds.[90] The return to the Finals was against the Orlando Magic, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. When Houston swept the series in four straight games, they became the first team in NBA history to win the championship as a sixth seed – still the champion with the lowest seed, and the only without home court in any round – and the first to beat four 50-win teams in a single postseason en route to the championship.[91][92][93] Olajuwon was named the Finals MVP, becoming only the second player after Michael Jordan to win the award two years in a row.[91]

During the offseason, the Rockets went for a change of visual identity, making navy blue and silver the new primary colors while adopting a new cartoon-inspired logo and pinstriped jerseys.

playoffs, but were swept by the eventual Western Conference Champions Seattle SuperSonics in the second round.[95]

1996–1999: The Big Three era

Before the start of the succeeding season, the Rockets made a dramatic trade that sent four players to Phoenix in exchange for

first round. However, after a 7-game battle with Seattle (which was their first, and to date, the only Playoff Series Victory over the Supersonics in another classic series), the Rockets fell in the Western Conference finals to the Utah Jazz, a team they had beaten on their way to championships in 1994 and 1995.[98]

The

The End of The Big Three era

After the

sign and trade agreement, sending him to the Toronto Raptors.[109] The proceeding season was unremarkable, as Houston's first season without Olajuwon in almost 20 years finished with a disappointing 28–54 record.[110]

2002–2011: The Yao Ming era

With the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, the Rockets selected Yao Ming, a 7-foot 6-inch Chinese center.[111] The Rockets' record improved by 15 games,[112] but they missed the playoffs by one game.[113]

The Rockets playing the Utah Jazz in the 2008 playoffs

In the

first playoff berth since 1999,[2] but the Lakers again handed the Rockets a loss in the first round.[118]

2004–2010: Yao and McGrady duo

In the offseason, Houston saw major changes in the roster as the Rockets acquired

first round of the playoffs as they lost to their in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks, in seven games,[120] despite leading the series 2–0.[121]

The

second longest winning streak in NBA history. This streak included going 13–0 in the month of February, making them the first team since the 1996 Chicago Bulls to finish an entire month undefeated.[3] Houston finished their season 55–27,[128] but were eliminated for the second year in row by the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, 4 games to 2.[129]

In the next off-season, the Rockets acquired

Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings. The new "Big Three" of McGrady, Yao, and Artest barely played any games together due to nagging injuries. McGrady's knee bothered him for much of the year, hampering his performance, and he eventually opted for mid-season microfracture surgery which would keep him out for the season.[130] Despite this, the team then went on to win 53 games that season and earned themselves a first-round match-up with the Portland Trail Blazers. Houston struck fast, blowing the Trailblazers out on the road in game one en route to a 4–2 series win and their first time advancing from the first round since 1997.[131] The games against the Blazers were also the last ever of veteran center Dikembe Mutombo’s career, as he injured his knee and was forced to retire after 18 seasons in the NBA.[132] However, despite winning the first game of the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets ended up losing a tough-fought series in seven games,[133] and saw Yao leave with an injury, that eventually sidelined him for the upcoming season. During the off-season, sixth man Von Wafer left for Greece,[134] and Artest left the team after signing with the Lakers,[135] but the Rockets acquired Laker defensive star Trevor Ariza using the Disabled Player Exception granted by the league due to Yao's injury.[136]

On September 23, 2009, the Rockets unveiled new alternate uniforms, which were inspired by the 1994–95 championship uniforms and featured similar colors.[137] On February 18, 2010, hours before the trade deadline, the Rockets acquired Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, Hilton Armstrong, and Jared Jeffries in a three-team trade that sent Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks, and Joey Dorsey and Carl Landry to the Sacramento Kings.[138] Despite the stellar play of Martin and Aaron Brooks, with the latter being named the NBA Most Improved Player, the Rockets could not make it to the playoffs, finishing 42–40, 3rd in the Southwest Division. At that time, the Rockets set an NBA record for best record by a team with no All-Stars.[139][140]

The Rockets drafted

New Jersey Nets in return.[141]

The 2010–11 NBA season started badly for the Rockets, who lost the first five games.[142] In the seventh, Yao Ming injured his left ankle in what was just his fifth game that season.[143] After being examined, what was thought to be a mild sprain turned out to be a stress fracture which kept Yao off of the court for another season.[144] In July 2011, Yao, only 30, retired after a series of unfortunate injuries cut his career short.[145]

By the All-Star break in February 2011, the Rockets were 26–31.[142] On February 24, 2011, the Rockets traded Shane Battier to the Memphis Grizzlies for Hasheem Thabeet and a first-round pick. They also traded Aaron Brooks to the Phoenix Suns for Goran Dragić and a first-round pick. Afterwards the team won 15 games out of 20, reaching a winning record and contending for a playoff spot.[142] The team entered April with chances of qualifying for the postseason, but for the second straight season the Rockets failed to make the playoffs after losing to the New Orleans Hornets in Louisiana with three games remaining.[146] The team still finished the year with a 43-39 winning record.[147] Head coach Rick Adelman left the Rockets right after the season.[148]

2011–2012: Rebuilding

On June 1, 2011, the Rockets named

Marcus Morris from the University of Kansas. With the 38th pick in that same draft, they selected Chandler Parsons from the University of Florida. During an offseason extended by the 2011 NBA lockout, the Rockets' front office started to plan a roster overhaul,[150] and after the lockout ended, the team tried to use their cap space to attract many high-profile free agents, including Chris Paul, Nenê and Pau Gasol.[151]

Nearing the trade deadline on March 15, 2012, the Rockets traded Hasheem Thabeet and Jonny Flynn to the Portland Trail Blazers for Marcus Camby. The Rockets also sent Jordan Hill to the Lakers in return for Derek Fisher (who was waived shortly after and signed with the Thunder) and a first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft. During the strike-shortened 2011–12 season, the Rockets were eliminated from playoff contention during the season's penultimate game against eventual champions Miami Heat.[152]

Before the 2012 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks traded the 12th overall pick, Shaun Livingston, Jon Brockman, and Jon Leuer to the Rockets for the 14th overall pick and Samuel Dalembert.[153] The Minnesota Timberwolves also traded the 18th pick in the draft to Houston for Chase Budinger.[154] In the 2012 NBA Draft, Houston drafted Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut, Royce White of Iowa State, and Terrence Jones of Kentucky with the 12th, 16th, and 18th picks, respectively.

2012–2021: The James Harden era

2012–2013: Return to the playoffs

During the 2012 NBA offseason, the Rockets made significant changes to their roster. Early in July, they traded Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors,[155] let Goran Dragić return to the Phoenix Suns via free agency,[156] and saw the arrival of 2011 pick Donatas Motiejūnas from Lithuania, who was signed to a multiyear deal.[157] On July 13, the Rockets released veteran forward Luis Scola using their one-time amnesty clause.[158] On July 18, The Rockets signed Jeremy Lin, a restricted free agent, to a three-year, $25.1 million contract after the New York Knicks decided not to match the Rockets' offer sheet.[159] Lin achieved worldwide fame with a 25-game stretch of high performance basketball play known as "Linsanity", where he stepped up in place of the Knicks' injured players. On July 20, Ömer Aşık, a restricted free agent from the Chicago Bulls, signed a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet with the Rockets. The Bulls decided to not match the offer, and on July 24, Asik officially joined the Rockets.[160] On October 27, 2012, the Rockets traded Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and two future first-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for reigning sixth man of the year James Harden, along with Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward.[161] Harden stepped out of his previous sixth man role and into the starting lineup for the Rockets. He had 37 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and a block in his debut as a Rocket, while Jeremy Lin had 12 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals.[162] Harden also signed a 5-year contract extension with the Rockets worth approximately $80 million a few days after the trade was completed.[163] Harden scored a then career-high 45 points in his second game with the Rockets against the Atlanta Hawks. Jeremy Lin tied a career-high of 38 points in an overtime loss to the Spurs while Harden sat out with an ankle sprain.[164] Harden was selected to the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, which was held in Houston.[165] On February 5, 2013, the Houston Rockets made 23 3-point field goals in a game against the Golden State Warriors, equaling the NBA team record. In this game, the Rockets also achieved a home game record for most points scored at the Toyota Center with a 140–109 victory.[166]

James Harden guarding Kevin Durant in the 2013 playoffs.

On February 20, 2013, the Rockets acquired

post-season, the Rockets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, losing the series 4–2.[171] In the 2012–13 NBA season
, James Harden evolved into a franchise player for the Rockets, averaging 25.9 points a game.

Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons during a 2014 game.

2013–2016: Harden and Howard duo

Eager to add another franchise player to their team, the Rockets heavily pursued free agent

post-season, the Rockets were defeated in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers, losing the series 4–2.[175]

Following a season of ups-and-downs with injury and form, Jeremy Lin was traded to the Lakers on July 13, 2014.

sign and trade from the Washington Wizards and traded Ömer Aşık to the New Orleans Pelicans.[179]

With double-digit wins against the Lakers, Utah, Boston and Philadelphia to start the 2014–15 NBA season, the Rockets recorded a 4–0 start for the first time since they won their first six games of the 1996–97 season.[180] By recording double-digit wins against Miami and San Antonio in their next two games, the Rockets won each of their first six games by 10 points or more, and became the first team to accomplish the feat since the 1985–86 Denver Nuggets.[181] In December, the Rockets acquired Corey Brewer[182] and Josh Smith,[183] two veterans who added depth to the roster. While the Rockets had many key players miss time throughout the entire season, James Harden took it upon himself to keep the Rockets near the top of the conference, which turned him into an MVP front-runner. On March 20, 2015, Harden scored a career-high 50 points in a 118–108 victory over the Nuggets.[184] Harden became the first Rocket to score 50 points since Hakeem Olajuwon scored 51 against the Celtics in 1996.[185] On April 1, Harden scored 51 points in a 115–111 win over the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first player in franchise history to record multiple 50 point games in a season.[186] On April 15, 2015, the Rockets won their 56th game of the season and finished with the third-best regular season record in franchise history. On that same night, the Rockets claimed their first ever Southwest Division title and first Division crown since 1994.[187] In the playoffs, the Rockets beat the Mavericks 4–1 in the first round. In the Conference Semifinals, the Los Angeles Clippers built a 3–1 lead over the Rockets, before the Rockets won the last three games in the series to return to the Conference Finals for the first time in 18 years, this time against the Golden State Warriors.[188] With their win over the Clippers, the Rockets became just the ninth team in NBA history to win a playoff series in which they faced a 3–1 deficit.[189] In the Conference Finals, the Warriors won the first three games before Harden scored 45 points to win Game 4 at the Toyota Center. The Warriors then finished the series in Game 5, winning 4–1.[190]

Prior to the

2016 playoffs by beating the Kings in the last game of the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rockets played the Warriors, who were coming off a record-breaking regular season. The Rockets once again lost to the Warriors in 5 games.[198]

After a disappointing season, the Rockets had to make some significant changes to their roster. Howard wasn't happy with his role and the team overall still lacked an identity. On June 1, 2016, the Rockets named Mike D'Antoni as their new head coach.[199] Howard opted out of the final year of his contract later in June,[200] and signed with the Atlanta Hawks in July.[201] With Howard gone, Harden was now the undisputed franchise player. Harden reaffirmed his commitment to the franchise when he signed a four-year, $118.1 million contract extension in July.[202] The Rockets also signed Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon,[203] two perimeter players who complemented Harden and fit D'Antoni's style of play.

2017–2019: Mike D'Antoni and Chris Paul

When the 2016–17 season started, Harden was off to a great start and was widely considered a top MVP runner along with

Manu Ginobili blocked James Harden's game tying three point attempt as time ran out, and went on to win game 6 by 39 points, as with Nene's injury, the Rockets could not guard LaMarcus Aldridge
, who scored 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

On June 28, 2017, 8 time All-NBA player and 9 time All-Star Chris Paul was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers, in exchange for Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, DeAndre Liggins, Darrun Hilliard, Kyle Wiltjer, Montrezl Harrell, cash considerations, and a top three protected 2018 first round draft pick.[205][206] It was reported on 5 September 2017, that Houston restaurant billionaire Tilman Fertitta had reached an agreement with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander to purchase the team, pending league approval.[207] The $2.2 billion sale price breaks the record for the price to purchase an American professional sports team, breaking the $2 billion record jointly held by the sale prices of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 and the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014.[208] The sale was closed on October 5.[209]

The Rockets went on a

17-game winning streak, which was the second-longest winning streak in the team's history and pushed them to the top of the Western Conference.[210] The streak started with a 113–102 victory over the Phoenix Suns on January 30, 2018, and ended on March 9 to the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors with a 108–105 loss.[211] The team finished the season with 65 wins, a record both league-leading and the best in franchise history.[212] During the playoffs, Houston easily beat the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz before another confrontation with the Golden State Warriors.[213] In game 5 of the Conference Finals, the Rockets took a 3–2 lead in the series, but saw Paul leave with an injured hamstring. His absence was felt in the two remaining games, where Houston led by halftime only to suffer a comeback by the Warriors.[214]

2019–2020: Harden and Westbrook duo

During the 2019 off-season, the Rockets sought out to once again retool the roster. As part of a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets traded Chris Paul, two future first-round picks, and two future first-round pick swaps in exchange for James Harden's former Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook.[215] Nearing the trade deadline of the 2019–20 season, the Rockets were involved in a blockbuster, three-team trade which was centered around bringing Robert Covington back to the Rockets and sending centers Clint Capela and Nenê to the Atlanta Hawks.[216] The trade was in an effort to fully invest on a small ball, 5-out offense.[217] In their first 12 games since going 6'7" or shorter in their lineups, the Rockets went 10–2, being in the top percentile in win percentage, offensive rating, and point differential.[218] In February, the month they made the trade, the MVP backcourt of Westbrook and Harden became the first teammates in NBA history to average 30+ points and 5+ assists per game.[219]

2021-present: Post-Harden and start of rebuild

During the off-season, Mike D'Antoni and Daryl Morey left the team. In December, Russell Westbrook was traded to the Washington Wizards for John Wall. Under new head coach Stephen Silas, James Harden reportedly arrived to training camp late. On January 14, 2021, it was the end of the James Harden era in Houston as he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal involving the Indiana Pacers. On March 2, 2021, the Rockets announced that they will retire Harden's No. 13 when he retires.

With Harden gone, the Rockets quickly fell apart. The best player they got back in the deal, Victor Oladipo, only played 20 games with the Rockets before getting traded to Miami. John Wall, coming back from injury, was one of the least efficient players in the league. Longtime Rocket P.J. Tucker asked for a trade and was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Around that time, they lost 20 straight games from early February to mid March, one of the longest losing streaks in NBA history and the longest in Rockets history. After February 4, they won one road game for the rest of the season, against a equally-porous Minnesota Timberwolves team. They had to play a league-record 30 players. Things got so bad, after all star break, veteran role player Kelly Olynyk was often the #1 option for most of the remaining games as they struggled to suit up 8 or 9 player most nights. At the end of it all, they finished with a 17-55 record, the worst in the league, one year after making the playoffs. 2 players from the 2019-2020 team was on the Rockets end-of-season roster.

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