Houston Rockets (1971-Present)

Historical Moments:
1971/72: The NBA finally came to the Lone Star State as the Rockets landed in Houston from San Diego. Since Houston is the headquarters of NASA the name Rockets was a natural fit and remained with the team. Elvin Hayes who was the star of the Rockets had been a hero at the University of Houston as the Cougars routinely sold out the Astrodome to see the "Big E" play, including a 1968 upset win over UCLA. However, the Rockets had trouble drawing fans as they struggled from the start losing their first 6 games. The Rockets would average only 4, 9666 fans per game as they played all over Texas posting a record of 34-48.

1972/73: Prior to the start of their second season in Houston the Rockets trade Elvin Hayes to the Baltimore Bullets for Jack Marin and future considerations. Now playing in the Central Division in the Eastern Conference the Rockets continued to sputter posting a record of 33-49, despite strong seasons from Rudy Tomjanovich, Jack Marin, and Mike Newlin.

1973/74: After playing several games in San Antonio the previous season and rolling through Texas in their first the Rockets stay put in Houston all season as Rudy Tomjanovich and Calvin Murphy each average more then 20 points per game. However, the Rockets would continue to struggle finishing in 3rd place with a record of 32-50.

1974/75: The Rockets begin to show some progress as they get off to a 10-5 start fueled by the amazing play making ability of Calvin Murphy and shooting of Rudy Tomjanovich on the way to making the playoffs for the first time since moving to Houston with a record of 41-41. In the playoffs the Rockets would prove they are for real as they stun the New York Knicks in a3-game series. However in the second round the Rockets would be overwhelmed by the Boston Celtics in 5 games.
1975/76: After finally starting to get fans attention and selling out the Hofheinz Pavilion the Rockets move into a new arena called the Summit. After losing their first 3 games on the road the Rockets inaugurated the Summit in style by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 104-89 on November 2nd. However, the Rockets would fall short of a return to the playoff as they finished in 3rd place with a mediocre record of 40-42.

1976/77: At the insistence of new Coach Tom Nisslake the Rockets acquire former ABA star Moses Malone from the Buffalo Braves in an early season trade for draft picks on October 24th. The trade would make the Rockets a serious contender as Moses averaged 13.2 ppg and 13.1 rebounds per game including a league high 437 offensive rebounds as the Rockets lifted off to the top of the Central Division with a solid 49-33 record. After a first round bye the Rockets would fly past the Houston Rockets would blast past the Washington Bullets in 6 games, rallying to win 3 straight after falling behind 2 games to 1. In the Eastern Conference Finals the Rockets would fall behind right away as they lost the first 2 games on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers. After winning Game 3 the Rockets would fall behind 3 games to 1. Facing elimination the Rockets would pull out a dramatic 118-115 win to keep their hopes alive. However, in Game 6 at The Summit John Lucas is hit with a controversial charging call in the final seconds as the Rockets season ends with a 112-109 loss.

1977/78: Coming off their trip to the Eastern Conference Finals the Rockets would get off to a slow start as they lost 12 of their first 18 games. However by December 9th the Rockets appeared to have righted their course as they won 3 of 4 games heading into a match up with the Lakers in Los Angeles. The season for the Rockets would turn that night as a fight broke out between Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Rockets big man Kevin Kunnert. During the fight Rudy Tomjanovich would run to even the fight after Kermit Washington joined the scrum. However Washington saw Rudy T coming and threw a devastating punch to a defenseless Tomjanovich shattering his face and breaking his jaw. Had the punch been any harder Rudy Tomjanovich would have died. An unapologetic Kermit Washington would receive a NBA record suspension of 25 games. However Rudy T would not play again that season as the Rockets struggled without their leading scorer finishing in last place with a 28-54 record.

1978/79: Moses Malone comes of age averaging 24.8 ppg while capturing a league high 17.6 rebounds a game to capture the NBA MVP as the Rockets rebound off a last place season to finish in 2nd place with a solid 47-35 record that saw them finish just 1 game behind the Central Division Champion San Antonio Spurs. Also coming back was Rudy Tomjanovich who averaged 19.0 ppg in 74 games after his deviating facial injuries. However in the playoff the Rockets would falter as they lost 2 straight to the Atlanta Hawks.

1979/80: Moses Malone continued to dominate the middle averaging 25.8 ppg while averaging 14.5 rebounds. However the Rockets would play mediocre basketball all season posting a record of 41-41. Despite their less the stellar record the Rockets would make it into the playoffs where they beat their instate rival San Antonio Spurs in a 3-game series. However in the second round the Rockets would be overmatched by the Boston Celtics who swept them in 4 straight games.

1980/81: With a 3rd Texas team joining the NBA as an expansion team the Rockets are moved into the Western Conference's Midwestern Division. In the West Moses Malone continued to lead the way for the Rockets finishing second in the league in scoring with 27.8 ppg and first in rebounding with 14.8 rpg. However, the Rockets would play mediocre basketball all season as the barley sneaked into the playoffs as the 6th seed with a mediocre record of 40-42. In the playoffs the Rockets would draw the defending Champion Los Angeles Lakers after winning Game 1 on the road the Rockets appeared to have let the possibility of an upset slip through their fingers as they lost Game 2 at home 111-106. However, the Rockets would turn up the defensive pressure in Game 3 as they stunned the Lakers 89-86 to move on to the 2nd round. In the second round the Rockets continued to be road warriors as they beat the San Antonio Spurs in a hard fought 7-game series winning 3 of 4 games played in San Antonio to reach the Western Conference Finals. In the Western Finals the Rockets would split the first 2 games on the road against the Kansas City Kings before winning 2 straight at The Summit to grab a 3-1 series lead. In Game 5 the Rockets defense turned up the pressure again as the Rockets advanced to the NBA Finals with a 97-88 win. Facing the Boston Celtics who had swept them in the layoff a year earlier the Rockets actually had surprised most experts by splitting the first 4 games. However, the Celtics talent would take over to win the NBA Championship in 6 games.

1981/82: Coming off a trip to the NBA Finals Moses Malone has his finest season averaging 31.1 ppg and 14.7 rpg on the way to another MVP award as the Rockets finished in 3rd place with a record of 46-36, finishing just 2 games out of first place. However, their would be no playoff charge this time around as the Rockets were beaten by the Seattle Supersonics in a 3-game series. Following the season Moses Malone would sign an unprecedented $13.2 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Though the Rockets matched the offer they could not afford to pay that amount so Moses Malone was traded to the 76ers for Caldwell Jones and a first-round draft choice.

1982/83: While Moses Malone was winning his 2nd straight MVP and leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a NBA Championship the Rockets plummet to earth crashing into last place with a franchise worst record of 14-68 just 2 year after they had made it to the NBA Finals.

1983/84: With the top overall pick in the NBA Draft the Rockets would select 7'4" Center Ralph Sampson for University of Virginia. Sampson would have an immediate impact averaging 22.1 ppg and 10.4 rpg on the way to capturing the Rookie of the Year award as the Rockets doubled their win total finishing in last place with a 29-53 record.

1984/85: For the second straight season the Rockets would use the top overall pick on a 7-foot Center this time selecting Hakeem Olajuwon, who was part of the fraternity "Phi Slamma Jamma" that had led the University of Houston to 3 straight Final Four Appearances. Olajuwon then known as Akeem, had a solid rookie season as he and both Ralph Sampson were dubbed the Twin Towers, while each averaged more then 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, as Olajuwon finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year balloting to Michael Jordan, as the Rockets made it back into the playoffs with a 48-34 record. However, in the playoffs the young rockets would sputter losing a 5-game series to the Utah Jazz.

1985/86: Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson continued to tower of the Western Conference as they led the Rockets to the Division title with a solid record of 51-31. Despite Guard John Lucas being suspended for the playoffs for failing a drug test the Rockets hit their stride in the playoffs sweeping the Sacramento Kings in 3 straight games. After splitting the first 4 games against the Denver Nuggets the Rockets blast their way on to the Western Conference Finals in 6 games for a match up with Los Angeles Lakers. With the Boston Celtics dominating in the East everyone anticipated a 3rd straight NBA Finals match up between the Lakers and Celtics. However, the Rockets would spoil the rematch by stunning the Lakers in 5 games, winning the 5th game on an awkward turnaround jumper by Ralph Sampson at the buzzer in Los Angeles. After being blown out by the Celtics in the first 2 games on the road the Rockets pulled out a nail bitter 106-104. to keep their Championship hopes alive. However, the Celtics would take a 3-1 series lead with a 3-point win in Game 4. After staving off elimination at home in Game 5, the Rockets are blown out 114-97 in Game 6 as the Boston Celtics completed a record breaking season in which they lost just 1 game at home on the way to their 16th Championship.

1986/87: After making it to the NBA Finals the Rockets self destructed as their 3 guards John Lucas, Lewis Lloyd, and Mitchell Wiggins were suspended for substance abuse problems. With Ralph Sampson being limited to just 43 games Hakeem Olajuwon becomes the leader of the team averaging 23.4 ppg as the Rockets finished in 3rd place with a mediocre 42-40 record. In the playoffs the Rockets would blast past the Portland Trailblazers in 4 games before being knocked off by the Seattle Supersonics in 6 games.

1987/88: Hakeem Olajuwon would become the lone force in the middle of the Rockets as Ralph Sampson is traded early in the season along with Steve Harris to the Golden State Warriors for Eric "Sleepy" Floyd and Joe Barry Carroll after troubles with Coach Bill Fitch boiled over. Fitch had stated the trade would make the Rockets a better team then the one that went to the Finals 2 years earlier. The Rockets would go on to finish with a 46-36 record before crashing in the first round of the playoffs in 4 games against the Dallas Mavericks, as Coach Bill Fitch is fired and replaced by Don Chaney following the season.

1988/89: The Rockets continued to retool as they traded Joe Barry Carroll and Lester Connerto the New Jersey Nets for Tim McCormick and Frank Johnson. In addition they would deal Rodney McCray and Jim Petersen to the Sacramento Kings for Otis Thorpe. The Thorpe trade would pay dividends right away as he averaged 16.7ppg as the Rockets finished in 2nd place with a 45-37 record. However, the Rockets would fail in the playoffs again as they are beaten by the Seattle Supersonics in 4 games.

1989/90: The Rockets would sputter at the start of the season posting 12-18 records as they entered the New Year. However, the New Year would be a new start for the Rockets who battled their way back to .500 to make it into the playoffs as the 8th seed with a 41-41 record. However, in the playoffs it would be another quick exit as the Rockets are beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers in 4 games.

1990/91: Despite losing Hakeem Olajuwon for 25 games due to injury the Rockets show marked improvement finishing in 3rd place with a solid 52-30 record, as Kenny Smith provided a spark averaging 17.7 ppg. However despite a fully healthy team the Rockets would fail in the playoffs again as they are swept in 3 straight games by the Los Angeles Lakers.

1991/92: The Rockets would get off to a fast start winning 8 of their first 10 games. However, the Rockets would start to struggle and by February 21st were hovering at .500 with a 27-27 record when Coach Don Chaney is fired and replaced by Rudy Tomjanovich. Under Rudy T the Rockets seemed revitalized as they won 11 of their first 15 games. However, down the stretch the Rockets struggled losing 10 of their last 15 including 3 straight to close the season with a disappointing 42-40 record that saw them miss the playoff by one game, as dispute between Hakeem Olajuwon and Rockets management seemed to distract the entire team.

1992/93: The Rockets start the season with 2 straight losses facing the Seattle Supersonics in Japan. On the flight home the Rockets would finally resolve their problems with Hakeem Olajuwon. Now refocused and without distraction the Rockets were able to lift themselves to a division title with a solid 55-27 record, as Olajuwon had a career season with 26.1 ppg, as he won Defensive player of the Year honors with an incredible 4.17 blocks per game. In the playoffs the Rockets were pushed to the limit in the first round as they needed an 84-80 win at The Summit in Game 5 to knock off the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite winning the Midwest Division the Rockets would not have home court advantage in the 2nd round as they faced the Seattle Supersonics, because under the NBA playoff format home court is awarded to the team with the better record in the 2nd round something the Sonics achieved by a head-to-head tiebreaker. It would end up being key as the home team won all 7 games with Rockets hopes ending with a 123-110 overtime loss in Game 7 at Seattle.

1993/94: The Rockets lifted off into the stratosphere right away winning their first 15 games to set a NBA record for wins to start the season. After climbing to 22-1 the Rockets would naturally come back to earth a little bit as they finished in first place with a terrific 58-24 record, as Hakeem Olajuwon won the Defensive Player of the Year with 11.9 rebounds per game, while also claiming the MVP with 27.3 ppg. In the playoffs the Rockets would quickly fly past the Portland Trailblazers in 4 games. However, in the second round it appeared as if the Rockets were heading for disappointment again as they lost the first 2 games at home to the Phoenix Suns, blowing a 20-point lead in the 4th quarter of Game 2 after seeing an 18-point lead melt away in Game 1. After Rockets and Oilers playoff disappointments some one cracked that Houston was "Choke City." In Game 3 the Rockets appeared to be heading for a 4-game exit as they trailed at halftime by 9 points. However, Vernon Maxwell led the way with 31-second half points as the Rockets came roaring back to win 118-102. The Rockets would go on to grab Game 4 to even the series and Game 5 at home to take control. After losing Game 6 in Phoenix, Houston churned the choke moniker into clutch moniker by beating the Suns 104-94 to advance to the Western Finals. In the Western Finals the Rockets made the most of their new-found life by dominating the Utah Jazz in 5 games. In the NBA Finals the Rockets were matched up against the New York Knicks as Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing met in a battle of premier centers. After splitting 2 physical battles in Houston the Rockets took a Game 3 as Sam Cassell hit a clutch 3-pointer in the final minutes. After losing the next 2, the Rockets faced elimination with Game 6 at The Summit. Trailing most of Game 6 the Rockets rallied to win Game 6 and force a decisive 7th game as a potential Game winning 3-point shot by John Starks was blocked by Olajuwon at the buzzer to win 86-84. In Game 7 the Rockets controlled from the start holding off every Knicks rally as Hakeem Olajuwon scored 25 points en route to winning NBA Finals MVP honors as the Rockets captured the NBA Championship with a 90-84 win turning Houston form "Choke City" to 'Clutch City."

1994/95: After winning the NBA Title the Rockets again blasted off at the start of the season winning their first 9 games. However with increased competition in the West, management felt a change was needed to win the title again so they traded Otis Thorpe, who had been such a valuable inside force to the Portland Trailblazers for former "Phil Slamma Jamma" star Clyde Drexler. However, the trade appeared to have backfired on the Rockets as they play mediocre basketball in the second half posting a 17-18 record after the trade on the way to finishing in 3rd place with a 47-35 record. Making matters worse injuries to Carl Herrera, forced him to miss most of the season's second half, including the playoffs, and a frustrated Vernon Maxwell leaving the team due to lack of playing time left the Rockets without 2 key players heading into the postseason. In the playoffs the Rockets faced elimination right away, as they needed to win Game 4 at home just to set up a decisive 5th game on the road against the Utah Jazz. In Game 5 it appeared as if the Rockets Championship reign had run it course as they trailed by 12 points in the 3rd Quarter. However, behind 33 points from Hakeem Olajuwon the Rockets would advance with a 95-91 win. Facing he Phoenix Suns in the 2nd Round the Rockets appeared doomed again as they fell behind 3 games to 1. However the Rockets were not ready to give up as they won Game 5 in overtime on the clutch shooting of Robert Horry. After a solid 116-103 win in Game 6 at The Summit the Rockets overcame a 10-point deficit to bet the Suns 113-110 in Phoenix on a Game winning 3-point shot by Mario Ellie with 7.1 seconds left. After again rallying past the Phoenix Suns the Rockets, Championship dreams were alive and well as they faced the San Antonio Spurs in an all Texas Western Conference Finals. The Rockets continued their momentum by taking the first 2 games on the road. However, upon arriving back in Houston the Rockets would struggle as the Spurs won both games at The Summit to even the series at 2 games apiece. However, back in San Antonio for Game 5 the Rockets took control back by winning 111-90 as Hakeem Olajuwon scored 42 points. Olajuwon would again rise to the occasion by scoring 39 points and pulling down 17 rebounds as the Rockets made it back to the NBA Finals with a 100-95 win. In the NBA Finals the Rockets were again underdogs as they faced the Orlando Magic. In Game 1 in Orlando the Rockets rallied to force overtime on Kenny Smiths clutch 3-point shot, after Magic star Nick Anderson missed 2 free throws that would have iced the game. With the score tied at 118 late on overtime Hakeem Olajuwon tipped in a Clyde Drexler miss to deliver the Rockets a victory in Game 1. The Rockets would grab a 2-0 series lead as Olajuwon and Sam Cassell each topped 30 points in Game 2. As the series shifted to Houston the Magic crumbled as the Rockets completed the sweep with 2 impressive wins to capture their 2nd straight NBA Championship as Hakeem Olajuwon won his second straight Finals MVP award.

1995/96: After 2 straight NBA Championship the Rockets got new colors, uniforms, and a new logo which was actually unveiled aboard the Space Shuttle. Injuries would be an issue all year for the Rockets who finished in 3rd place again with a 48-34 record. In the playoffs the Rockets appeared ready for another run as they blasted past the Los Angels Lakers in 4 games. However, in the 2nd round the Rockets would run out of fuel as they were swept by the Seattle Supersonics in 4 straight games.

1996/97: After failing to win a 3rd straight Championship the Rockets took a big step towards returning to the top by acquiring Charles Barkley from the Phoenix Suns for Sam Cassell, Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant and Robert Horry. Together with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler the Rockets now had 3 of the 50 Greatest players on their team as they got off to a solid 6-0 start, on the way to finishing in 2nd place with a solid record of 57-25. In the playoffs the Rockets blasted off right away as they swept the Minnesota Timberwolves in 3 straight games. In the second round the Rockets jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over the Seattle Supersonics, but had to hold on to win in 7 games 96-91. In the Western Finals the Rockets found their backs to the wall right away as they dropped the first 2 games on the road to the Utah Jazz. However, upon arriving back at The Summit the Rockets rallied winning Game 3 by 8 points and tying the series in Game 4 on a dramatic a Game winning shot by Eddie Johnson at the buzzer. After losing Game 5 in Utah 96-91, the Rockets needed another clutch performance at home to force a 7th game. However, with the game tied at 100 in the waning second Jazz guard John Stockton would nail a 3-point shot at the buzzer to end the Rockets Championship hopes.

1997/98: The Rockets began to show their age and the wear and tear of long playoff runs as they played mediocre basketball all season on the way to finishing in 4th place with a 41-41 record. Despite being the 8th seed in the playoffs the Rockets still had to be considered a legitimate playoff threat as they jumped out a 2-1 series lead over the Utah Jazz. However, the Jazz would recover to blow the Rockets out in the final 2 games to take the series in 5 games. Following the season Clyde Drexler would retire to take over the head-coaching job at the University of Houston.

1998/99: To replace the retiring Clyde Drexler the Rockets would acquire Scottie Pippen from the Chicago Bulls, as the season was delayed by a 4-month lockout. Pippen would play solid basketball scoring 14.5 ppg as the Rockets finished in 3rd place with a 31-19 record. However in the playoffs the Rockets would make a quick exit as they are beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers in 4 games. Despite the solid season the Rockets would trade Pippen to the Portland Trailblazers for Walt Williams, Stacey Augmon, Kelvin Cato, Ed Gray, Carlos Rogers and Brian Shaw.

1999/00: Already announcing it would be his final season Charles Barkley suffered a knee injury in December. In addition the Rockets would lose Hakeem Olajuwon to a variety of injuries for half the season as they missed the playoffs for the first time in 8 years with a record of 34-48. However, not all was lost as Rookie Steve Francis who was acquired from the Vancouver Grizzlies in a3-team deal after refusing to play for the team that draft him split Rookie of the Year honors with Elton Brand of the Chicago Bulls with 18.0 ppg. In the final game of the season Charles Barkley would return not wanting to have his career ended by being carried off the court.

2000/01: Steve Francis continues to emerge as the new star of the Rockets averaging 19.9 ppg as Hakeem Olajuwon continues to fade posting just 11.9 ppg while playing in 58 games as the Rockets miss the playoffs for the second straight season despite a respectable record of 45-37. After the season the Rockets would make a hard decision by dealing Hakeem Olajuwon to the Toronto Raptors in a sign and trade deal.

2001/02: With injuries limiting Steve Francis to 57 games the Rockets plummet finishing in 4th place with a 28-54 record. Finishing with such a poor record enabled the Rockets to have just enough lottery chances to get the number 1 overall pick which they used on Chinese sensation Yao Ming.

2002/03: Yao Ming the 7'5" Center for China became an instant sensation as he made started in the Al-Star Game as the Rockets challenged for the playoffs all season. However, with Coach Rudy Tomjanovich missing most of the final 6 weeks after cancer surgery the Rockets and Yao Ming would hit a wall. Yao would still manage to put up 13.5 ppg, but he would finish second to Amare Stoudemire in Rookie of the Year voting as the Rockets finished 1 game behind Stoudimire's Phoenix Suns for he final playoff spot with a 43-39 record. Despite falling short of a return to the playoffs the future could not be any brighter for the Rockets with Steve Francis and Yao Ming forming the foundation of a team that enters a new state of the art arena next season. Following the season Rudy T, would step down as coach, after his battle with cancer left him exhausted.

2003/04: The Rockets started the season with new launching pad and new uniforms as they returned to their traditional red color scheme complete with a space aged logo. The Rockets led by new Coach Jeff Van Gundy would start the season by wining their first game at the Toyota Center against the Denver Nuggets 102-85. The new home seemed to reenergize the Rockets who won 5 of their first 6 games. With Yao Ming leading the way with 17.5 ppg and 9 rebounds per game the Rockets would blast their way into the playoffs for the first time in 5 years finishing in 5th place with a 45-37 record. However in the playoffs the inexperienced Rockets would struggle against the playoff tested Los Angeles Lakers losing in 5 games as the match up between Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal ended up being a mismatch as Yao struggled in his first playoff series. Following the season the Rockets would complete one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history trading Steve Francis along with Cutttino Mobley and Kevin Cato to the Orlando Magic for 2-time NBA leading scorer Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines.

2004/05: Hoping their new acquisitions would help Yao Ming the Rockets sputtered at the start posting a 6-10 record in November, as Yao struggled early. The Rockets would get back to .500 by the end of December and by the time the New Year started they were becoming the force many predicted as Tracy McGrady averaged 25.7 ppg. Down the stretch the Rockets would get stronger as the climbed up to 3rd Place in the tough Southwest Division finishing with a solid 51-31 record, and earning a first round playoff showdown with the Dallas Mavericks. In the playoffs the Rockets started off fast taking the first 2 games in Dallas. However, in Game 3 at home the Rockets blew a 4th Quarter lead allowing the Mavericks a 20-0 run as they lost 106-102. The Rockets would also lose Game 4 at home and Game 5 on the road and would face elimination in Game 6, where Tracy McGrady put up 37 points as the Rockets won 101-83. However, in Game 7 the Rockets barely put up any effort losing by 40 points as they fell in the 1st round for the second year in a row.

2005/06: With a revamped roster that included Stromile Swift acquired via free agency and Rafer Alston acquired in a trade with the Toronto Raptors the Rockets hoped they could blast past the first round in the playoffs. However, injuries would interfere with the team all season, as a nagging back limited Tracy McGrady to 47 games while a foot infection forced Yao Ming to miss 25 games. The McGrady injuries clearly hurt the Rockets more as they posted a horrible 7-28 record in the games he missed, many of which came in November when the Rockets failed to launch in the first month of the season with a terrible 3-11 record through their first 14 games. When McGrady and Ming were both playing in December the Rockets 5 in a row, but when Yao Ming left to take care of an infected toe the Rockets fizzled again as they ended the month on a 5-game losing streak, that continued into January when they won just 5 of 16 games. With both their top stars in the line up in February the Rockets again flourished as they posted a 14-4 record over a 18-game stretch, but T-Mac's back acted up again and the Rockets would be unable to lift themselves out of last place as they ended the season with a disappointing record of 34-48.

2006/07: With the hopes of getting back into the playoffs the Rockets acquired Shane Battier in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, while signing Bonzi Wells. While the trade helped make the Rockets deeper and more balanced, their two key players Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady continued to deal with injuries as a sore back hampered Tracy McGrady early in the season, while Yao Ming who was off to the best start of his career before suffering a fractured fibula. The injury to Ming came just as the Superstar from China was heating up with six straight 30-point games. Fortunately for the Rockets when Yao Ming went down on December 22nd, McGrady was getting over his injury, and they were able to stay in strong playoff position while their center missed 32 games. When Yao Ming returned on March 6th the Rockets were comfortably in playoff position, as they went on to finish with a record of 52-30 earning home court in the first round of the playoffs. Facing the Utah Jazz the Rockets would get off to a fast start in the playoffs winning their first two games at home easily. However, as the series shifted to Utah the Jazz clawed their way back into the series holding the Rockets to 67 points in Game 3 as they won 81-67. After the Jazz evened the series with a 98-85 win in Game 4 the Rockets hoped a return to Houston would give them the lift they needed. With Tracy McGrady scoring 26 points with a playoff career high 16 assists, the Rockets were able to rally to retake the series lead with a 96-92 victory. However, once again they were stymied in Utah as the Jazz sent the series to a decisive seventh game with a 94-82 victory in Game 6. With Game 7 in the Toyota Center, the Rockets fully expected to launch their way into the second round, as the series' first six games were all won by the home team. However, a big game from Carlos Boozer would shot down the Rockets hopes as the Jazz stunned the Rockets 103-99, handing the Rockets their first ever Game 7 loss at home. Following the game the disappointed Rockets would fire Coach Jeff Van Gundy.

2007/08: With new Coach Rick Adelman, and the reacquisition of Steve Francis, there were high hopes in Houston when the season began. Another player the Rockets added to their arsenal was Luis Scola, a star player from the Argentine National Team. In the early going the Rockets looked good as they won six of their first seven games. However, a strained elbow from Tracy McGrady triggered a losing streak as the Rockets lost six in a row, and ended 2007 with a losing record of 15-16. In the Western Conference that was bad news, as several teams had jumped out to good starts, and making the playoffs would take a strong effort after the New Year. They began to play better in January, climbing back over .500. When the month ended the Rockets were starting to get on a real roll, winning fiver of their last six. The win to close the month on January 29th, would be the start of something big, as the Rockets flew through the month of February without losing a game. However, there was bad news on February 26th when All-Star Center Yao Ming suffered a season ending foot injury. Despite the loss of Yao, the Rockets continued their winning ways into March, winning an additional ten games in a row to give themselves a 22-game winning streak that was the second longest in NBA history. After dropping three of four games after the streak the Rockets closed the season strong posting a solid 55-27 record , which was the third best in the Western Conference. However, due to eight teams winning 50 or more games, the Rockets were once again the fourth seed, and matched up against the Utah Jazz. The Rockets sputtered in Game 1, losing at home 93-82. They would also lost Game 2 at the Toyota Center, and faced going to Utah, where their postseason fell apart in 2007, desperately needing a win in Game 3. Trailing entering the fourth quarter the Rocket relied on their role players to keep their hopes alive long enough for Tracy McGrady to take the game over, as the Rockets star ended his fourth quarter slump, by scoring seven points in the final 3:29 to lead the Rockets to a 94-92 win. The reprieve would only be short lived as the Jazz handed the Rockets an 86-82 loss in Game 4, putting them on the brink of elimination. The Rockets would hold their home court with a 95-69 win in Game 5. However, it was not enough as they were eliminated in six games losing the finale 113-91, despite a 40-game from Tracy McGrady, who still had to deal with the talk of him not reaching the second round in his illustrious career.