1988–89 Houston Rockets season
The 1988–89 NBA season was the Rockets' 22nd season in the NBA and 18th season in the city of Houston. Houston hosted the All-Star Game this season. During the off-season, the Rockets acquired Otis Thorpe from the Sacramento Kings, signed free agent Mike Woodson, and hired Don Chaney as their new head coach. The Rockets posted a six-game winning streak in December, and held a 28–18 record at the All-Star break. Despite a 7-game losing streak between February and March, the team finished second in the Midwest Division with a 45–37 record.
| 1988–89 Houston Rockets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Don Chaney |
| General manager | Ray Patterson |
| Owner(s) | Charlie Thomas |
| Arena | The Summit |
| Results | |
| Record | 45–37 (.549) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Midwest) Conference: 5th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to SuperSonics 1–3) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KTXH Home Sports Entertainment (Bill Worrell, McCoy McLemore) |
| Radio | KTRH (Gene Peterson, Bill Foley) |
Akeem Olajuwon averaged 24.8 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game. In addition, Thorpe averaged 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Sleepy Floyd contributed 14.2 points, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, Woodson provided the team with 12.9 points per game, and Buck Johnson contributed 9.6 points per game. Olajuwon also finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
In the playoffs, the Rockets lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in four games in the Western Conference First Round. Following the season, Purvis Short signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets.