1990–91 Houston Rockets season

The 1990–91 NBA season was the Rockets' 24th season in the National Basketball Association, and 20th season in the city of Houston. In the off-season, the Rockets acquired Kenny Smith from the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets continued to play .500 basketball during the first half of the season, as Hakeem Olajuwon missed 25 games due to a bone fracture in his right eye. However, the Rockets showed improvement by holding a 27–21 record at the All-Star break, posting a 14–1 record in March, which included a 13-game winning streak. They finished third in the Midwest Division with a 52–30 record.

Olajuwon averaged 21.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game in 56 games, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team and NBA All-Defensive Second Team, but was not selected for the All-Star Game. Smith provided a spark averaging 17.7 points and 7.1 assists per game, while Otis Thorpe averaged 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and Vernon Maxwell contributed 17.0 points per game and led the league with 172 three-point field goals. Buck Johnson provided the team with 13.6 points per game, and Sleepy Floyd played a sixth man role, averaging 12.3 points and 3.9 assists per game off the bench. Head coach Don Chaney was named Coach of the Year, and Smith finished in third place in Most Improved Player voting.

However, in the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Rockets were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in three straight games, marking the second consecutive season the Rockets had their season ended by the Lakers. The Lakers would lose in five games to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.