1998–99 Houston Rockets season

The 1998–99 Houston Rockets season was the 32nd season for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association and their 28th season in Houston, Texas. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.

Season summary

Off-season The Rockets had three first-round draft picks in the 1998 NBA draft, selecting shooting guard Michael Dickerson from the University of Arizona with the 14th overall pick, point guard Bryce Drew out of Valparaiso University with the 16th overall pick, and power forward, and Turkish basketball star Mirsad Türkcan with the 18th overall pick; the team also drafted shooting guard Cuttino Mobley from the University of Rhode Island with the 41st overall pick in the second round. However, Türkcan never played for the Rockets, and was later on traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

After the retirement of All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, the Rockets acquired All-Star forward, and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen from the Chicago Bulls, and signed free agent Antoine Carr, who previous had two NBA Finals appearances with the Utah Jazz. Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley had previously played together on the U.S. Men's basketball team during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Regular season With the addition of Pippen, the Rockets won six of their first eight games of the regular season, but then lost five of their next seven games. At mid-season, the team traded second-year guard Rodrick Rhodes to the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for three-point specialist, and former Rockets guard Sam Mack. The Rockets posted a nine-game winning streak in March, and finished in third place in the Midwest Division with a 31–19 record, earning the fifth seed in the Western Conference; the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. The Rockets also had the fifth best team offensive rating in the NBA.

Olajuwon averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Barkley averaged 16.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and Pippen provided the team with 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and also led them with 72 three-point field goals. In addition, Dickerson provided with 10.9 points per game and 71 three-point field goals, while Mobley contributed 9.9 points per game, as both players were named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Off the bench, Othella Harrington averaged 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while Mack contributed 9.2 points per game in 25 games after the trade, and Brent Price provided with 7.3 points and 2.8 assists per game. Three-point specialist Matt Maloney only played just 15 games this season due to an elbow injury.

Olajuwon finished tied in 13th place in Most Valuable Player voting, while he and Pippen both finished tied in seventh place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and Harrington finished tied in tenth place in Most Improved Player voting. The Rockets finished 18th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 407,125 at the Compaq Center during the regular season.

NBA playoffs In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Rockets faced off against the 4th–seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by the All-Star trio of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Glen Rice. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, the Lakers had home-court advantage in the series. The Rockets lost the first two games to the Lakers on the road at the Great Western Forum, but managed to win Game 3 at home, 102–88 at the Compaq Center; in Game 3, Pippen posted a double-double of 37 points and 13 rebounds, while Barkley had a double-double of 30 points and 23 rebounds. However, the Rockets lost Game 4 to the Lakers at home, 98–88, thus losing the series in four games.

The Rockets would not return to the NBA playoffs again until the 2003–04 season.

Aftermath Pippen spent only one season with the Rockets, as he and Barkley had trouble getting along as teammates. Following the season, Pippen was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, while Dickerson, Harrington, Carr and Price were all traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies, Mack and Maloney were both released to free agency, as Maloney signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls midway through the next season, and Eddie Johnson retired.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 14 Michael Dickerson SG Arizona 1 16 Bryce Drew PG Valparaiso 1 18 Mirsad Türkcan PF Efes Pilsen 2 41 Cuttino Mobley SG Rhode Island

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot

Game log Date Opponent Score Result Record February 5 @ LA Lakers 91–99 Loss 0–1 February 6 @ Golden State 86–84 Win 1–1 February 8 Denver 99–80 Win 2–1 February 10 Sacramento 92–82 Win 3–1 February 11 @ Dallas 105–95 Win 4–1 February 16 Phoenix 109–92 Win 5–1 February 17 @ Minnesota 102–116 Loss 5–2 February 18 @ New Jersey 93-92 (OT) Win 6–2 February 20 @ Miami 71–81 Loss 6–3 February 21 @ Orlando 83–109 Loss 6–4 February 23 Seattle 98–86 Win 7–4 February 25 Atlanta 87–93 Loss 7–5 February 27 @ Vancouver 86–74 Win 8–5 February 28 @ LA Lakers 90–106 Loss 8–6 March 2 San Antonio 82–99 Loss 8–7 March 4 LA Clippers 96–77 Win 9–7 March 6 @ Vancouver 107–92 Win 10–7 March 7 @ Portland 71–111 Loss 10–8 March 9 Denver 84–75 Win 11–8 March 11 Vancouver 102–91 Win 12–8 March 13 Cleveland 100–89 Win 13–8 March 14 @ Phoenix 90–104 Loss 13–9 March 16 Portland 101–93 Win 14–9 March 17 @ Denver 114–109 Win 15–9 March 20 Phoenix 103-93 (OT) Win 16–9 March 22 Sacramento 110–100 Win 17–9 March 24 @ Dallas 88–78 Win 18–9 March 25 Toronto 113–104 Win 19–9 March 27 @ Golden State 87–86 Win 20–9 March 28 @ Sacramento 107–93 Win 21–9 March 30 @ LA Clippers 104–95 Win 22–9 April 1 @ Utah 87–88 Loss 22–10 April 4 @ Seattle 84–101 Loss 22–11 April 6 Golden State 111–74 Win 23–11 April 8 San Antonio 83–92 Loss 23–12 April 11 @ Utah 76–85 Loss 23–13 April 12 @ Minnesota 95–90 Win 24–13 April 14 Vancouver 102–85 Win 25–13 April 15 Portland 86–76 Win 26–13 April 18 @ San Antonio 83–86 Loss 26–14 April 19 Seattle 120–113 Win 27–14 April 21 Dallas 95–109 Loss 27–15 April 23 @ LA Clippers 101-106 (OT) Loss 27–16 April 25 @ Phoenix 71–95 Loss 27–17 April 26 LA Lakers 102–80 Win 28–17 April 29 Dallas 81–91 Loss 28–18 April 30 Utah 78–91 Loss 28–19 May 2 LA Clippers 110–84 Win 29–19 May 4 Minnesota 100–83 Win 30–19 May 5 @ Denver 95–88 Win 31–19

Playoffs

Player statistics

Season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPGPPG 42 40 36.3 .478 .160 .719 12.3 4.6 1.0 .3 16.1 41 0 10.1 .377 .387 .700 1.0 .4 .3 .1 2.9 18 0 8.4 .404 .000 .714 1.7 .5 .1 .6 2.6 50 50 31.2 .465 .433 .639 1.7 1.9 .5 .2 10.9 34 0 13.0 .364 .327 1.000 .9 1.5 .4 .1 3.5 41 10 22.0 .513 .721 6.0 .4 .1 .6 9.8 3 0 6.0 .462 .000 .7 .3 .0 .0 4.0† 25 0 20.2 .471 .405 .821 1.7 1.3 .6 .1 9.2 15 7 12.4 .179 .067 .909 .7 1.4 .3 .0 1.4 29 0 8.6 .467 .000 .636 2.3 .2 .2 .2 2.4 49 37 29.7 .425 .358 .818 2.3 2.5 .9 .5 9.9 50 50 35.7 .514 .308 .717 9.6 1.8 1.6 2.5 18.9 50 50 40.2 .432 .340 .721 6.5 5.9 2.0 .7 14.5 40 6 20.2 .483 .411 .754 2.0 2.8 .8 .0 7.3† 3 0 11.0 .250 .833 1.3 .3 .3 .0 3.0 6 0 5.5 .385 .500 1.8 .0 .0 .2 2.3

Playoffs Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPGPPG 4 4 39.3 .529 .286 .667 13.8 3.8 1.5 .5 23.5 2 0 4.0 1.000 1.000 1.000 .0 .5 .0 .0 3.5 4 0 9.3 .364 1.8 1.0 .0 .3 2.0 4 4 20.5 .273 .375 .500 1.0 .8 .5 .8 4.3 1 0 4.0 1.000 .000 3.0 2.0 .0 .0 2.0 4 0 10.5 .643 .667 3.5 .3 .0 .3 5.5 4 0 30.8 .342 .385 .824 2.3 1.8 1.0 .0 12.5 4 4 23.5 .467 .571 .909 1.0 2.8 .5 .0 7.0 4 4 30.8 .426 .875 7.3 .5 1.3 .8 13.3 4 4 43.0 .329 .273 .808 11.8 5.5 1.8 .8 18.3 4 0 24.5 .458 .357 1.000 2.0 3.5 1.0 .3 8.3 3 0 6.7 .000 .500 1.0 .0 .0 1.3 .3

Player statistics citation:

Awards and records

Awards Hakeem Olajuwon, All-NBA Third Team Michael Dickerson, NBA All-Rookie Team Second Team Cuttino Mobley, NBA All-Rookie Team Second Team

Records

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Player Signed Former team

Subtractions Player Left New team

1998–99 Houston Rockets season

Bron en licentie