96 houston rockets roster series#
Up until Game 6, each team protected their homecourt, as the Jazz took a 3-2 series lead following a 96-91 victory inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.Īfter a seesaw battle through the first three quarters, the Rockets erupted in the final period. Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty ImagesĬoming into the series against the top-seeded Jazz (64-18), homecourt advantage may have been the determining factor. During the semifinals, Houston avenged their loss to the SuperSonics with a 4-3 victory to advance to the Conference Finals. The Rockets won 21 of their first 23 games to open the season, but finished the year with a 57-25 record due to an injured Barkley - who averaged 19.2 points and 13.5 rebounds across 56 games.įor the final time in his career, Hakeem Olajuwon finished top-10 for league MVP honors averaging a team-high 23.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.5 steals - while shooting 51.8% from the field, and a career-best 78.7% from the free-throw line.īehind a Big Three (Barkley, Drexler and Olajuwon) averaging a combined 60.5 points per game, the third-seeded Rockets entered the post-season with a favorable first-round match against the Minnesota Timberwolves and eliminated the young core in a three-game sweep.
In a lasting attempt to keep Houston competitive in the twilight of the Olajuwon era, the Rockets acquired future Hall of Famer Charles Barkley from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant, and Chucky Brown.ĭespite giving up a portion of their championship core, the trade catapulted Houston into title contention with the fifth-best best odds (+800) to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy at the conclusion of the ‘97 season in June. With the hopes of keeping their season alive by the end of regulation, the reality of the Rockets winning a champion appeared less realistic as Bryon Russell in-bounded the ball to a wide-open Stockton.Įleven months prior, Rockets’ management felt a change was in need after a first-round elimination by the Seattle SuperSonics.
Entering Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals, the Rockets were seven minutes away from forcing a decisive Game 7 back in Utah, but a heroic performance from John Stockton down the stretch left the game tied at 100 with 2.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The Houston Rockets took to the floor of the Summit following a timeout by Utah Jazz’s head coach Jerry Sloan.
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