1988–89 Houston Rockets season

The 1988–89 Houston Rockets season was the 22nd season for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association, and their 18th season in Houston, Texas. The city of Houston hosted the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome this season. The Rockets had the 16th overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected small forward Derrick Chievous from the University of Missouri. During the off-season, the team acquired Otis Thorpe from the Sacramento Kings, signed free agent Mike Woodson, acquired Tim McCormick and Frank Johnson from the New Jersey Nets, and hired Don Chaney as their new head coach.

Under Chaney, and with the addition of Thorpe and Woodson, the Rockets won seven of their first ten games of the regular season, posted a six-game winning streak in December, and later on held a 28–18 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team signed free agent Walter Berry, who was previously released by the New Jersey Nets. Despite a seven-game losing streak between February and March, the Rockets finished in second place in the Midwest Division with a 45–37 record, and earned the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

Akeem Olajuwon averaged 24.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Thorpe averaged 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, and Sleepy Floyd provided the team with 14.2 points, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and led the Rockets with 109 three-point field goals. In addition, Woodson contributed 12.9 points per game, while Buck Johnson provided with 9.6 points per game. Off the bench, Chievous averaged 9.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while Berry provided with 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 40 games, Purvis Short contributed 7.4 points per game, McCormick averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, and Johnson contributed 4.4 points and 2.7 assists per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Olajuwon was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team; he finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and also finished in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1989 NBA playoffs, the Rockets faced off against the 4th–seeded Seattle SuperSonics, a team that featured All-Star guard Dale Ellis, All-Star forward Xavier McDaniel, and second-year forward Derrick McKey. The Rockets lost the first two games to the SuperSonics on the road at the Seattle Center Coliseum, but managed to win Game 3 at home, 126–107 at The Summit. However, the Rockets lost Game 4 to the SuperSonics at home, 98–96, thus losing the series in four games.

The Rockets finished ninth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 680,728 at The Summit during the regular season. Following the season, Short signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets, while Berry left to play overseas in Italy after only three seasons in the NBA, and Johnson was released to free agency.