1986–87 Houston Rockets season

1986–87 Houston Rockets season
1986–87 Houston Rockets season
Head coach	Bill Fitch
General manager	Ray Patterson
Owner	Charlie Thomas
Arena	The Summit
Results
Record	42–40 (.512)
Place	Division: 3rd (Midwest); Conference: 6th (Western)
Playoff finish	Conference semifinals; (lost to SuperSonics 2–4)
	Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	KTXH; Home Sports Entertainment
Radio	KTRH

The 1986–87 Houston Rockets season was the Rockets' 20th season in the NBA and 16th season in the city of Houston.^[1] The Rockets entered the season as runner-ups in the 1986 NBA Finals, having lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.

In the playoffs, the Rockets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in four games in the First Round before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in six games in the Semifinals.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	College/Club team
1	20	Buck Johnson	United States	Alabama
2	43	Dave Feitl	United States	UTEP
3	66	Anthony Bowie	United States	Oklahoma
4	89	Conner Henry	United States	UC Santa Barbara
5	112	Andre Banks	United States	Iowa
6	135	Robert Worthy	United States	Myers
7	158	Rick Olson	United States	Wisconsin

Roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Player	Height	Weight	From
PF	40	Richard Anderson	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	240 lb (109 kg)	UC Santa Barbara
C	5	Dave Feitl	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	UTEP
SG	20	Steve Harris	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Tulsa
SF	1	Buck Johnson	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Alabama
PG	30	Allen Leavell	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Oklahoma City
SF	18	Cedric Maxwell	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Charlotte
SF	22	Rodney McCray	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Louisville
PG	10	Dirk Minniefield	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Kentucky
C	34	Akeem Olajuwon	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	Houston
PF	43	Jim Petersen	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Minnesota
SG	33	Robert Reid	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Saint Mary's
PF	50	Ralph Sampson	7 ft 4 in (2.24 m)	228 lb (103 kg)	Virginia

Head coach

Bill Fitch

Assistant(s)

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Dallas Mavericks	55	27	.671	–	35–6	20–21	19–11
x-Utah Jazz	44	38	.537	11	31–10	13–28	19–11
x-Houston Rockets	42	40	.512	13	25–16	17–24	19–11
x-Denver Nuggets	37	45	.451	18	27–14	10–31	14–16
Sacramento Kings	29	53	.354	26	20–21	9–32	10–20
San Antonio Spurs	28	54	.341	27	21–20	7–34	9–21

#	Western Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Los Angeles Lakers	65	17	.793	–
2	y-Dallas Mavericks	55	27	.671	10
3	x-Portland Trail Blazers	49	33	.598	16
4	x-Utah Jazz	44	38	.537	21
5	x-Golden State Warriors	42	40	.512	23
6	x-Houston Rockets	42	40	.512	23
7	x-Seattle SuperSonics	39	43	.476	26
8	x-Denver Nuggets	37	45	.451	28

9	Phoenix Suns	36	46	.439	29
10	Sacramento Kings	29	53	.354	36
11	San Antonio Spurs	28	54	.341	37
12	Los Angeles Clippers	12	70	.146	53

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Regular season

1986–87 game log
Total: 42–40 (home: 25–16; road: 17–24)

November: 7–7 (home: 5–3; road: 2–4)

Game	Date	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
1	November 1, 1986	L.A. Lakers	W 112–102	The Summit	1–0
6	November 12, 1986	@ Dallas
8	November 18, 1986	Portland
9	November 20, 1986	Utah
10	November 21, 1986	@ Washington
11	November 23, 1986	@ Philadelphia
13	November 26, 1986	@ Indiana

December: 4–9 (home: 2–5; road: 2–4)

Game	Date	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
15	December 2, 1986	@ Golden State	L 99–104	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena	7–8
16	December 4, 1986	Atlanta	L 93–109	The Summit	7–9
17	December 6, 1986	Seattle	L 80–136	The Summit	7–10
19	December 11, 1986	Golden State	L 104–111	The Summit	8–11
22	December 18, 1986	@ Seattle	L 100–114	Seattle Center Coliseum	9–13
23	December 19, 1986	@ Portland
24	December 21, 1986	L.A. Lakers	L 96–103	The Summit	9–15
26	December 26, 1986	@ L.A. Lakers	L 111–134	The Forum	10–16
27	December 27, 1986	@ Utah

January: 11–4 (home: 6–2; road: 5–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
29	January 2, 1987	@ Denver
30	January 3, 1987	Seattle	W 138–114	The Summit	13–17
31	January 6, 1987	@ Golden State	L 100–118	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena	13–18
32	January 8, 1987	Indiana
33	January 10, 1987	Dallas
35	January 15, 1987	@ Chicago
36	January 16, 1987	@ Detroit	W 112–106	Pontiac Silverdome	18–18
37	January 18, 1987	@ Boston	L 99–122	Boston Garden	18–19
41	January 24, 1987	Washington
42	January 27, 1987	Utah
43	January 29, 1987	Milwaukee	L 93–99	The Summit	22–21

February: 8–4 (home: 5–2; road: 3–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
44	February 1, 1987	@ Atlanta	W 106–104	The Omni	23–21
45	February 3, 1987	Denver
46	February 5, 1987	Golden State	W 120–110	The Summit	24–22
All-Star Break
49	February 14, 1987	@ Milwaukee	L 101–116	MECCA Arena	26–23
50	February 16, 1987	Dallas
51	February 19, 1987	Boston	L 92–99	The Summit	27–24
52	February 21, 1987	Utah
53	February 23, 1987	Denver
54	February 24, 1987	@ Denver
55	February 26, 1987	@ Utah

March: 7–10 (home: 4–3; road: 3–7)

Game	Date	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
56	March 1, 1987	Philadelphia
59	March 5, 1987	@ Golden State	L 96–105	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena	32–27
60	March 7, 1987	@ Seattle	L 115–118	Seattle Center Coliseum	32–28
61	March 8, 1987	@ Portland
62	March 10, 1987	Seattle	L 127–136 (2OT)	The Summit	32–30
64	March 14, 1987	@ Dallas
65	March 16, 1987	Chicago
68	March 21, 1987	@ Utah
69	March 23, 1987	Detroit	L 110–114	The Summit	36–33
71	March 26, 1987	Portland
72	March 28, 1987	L.A. Lakers	L 109–123	The Summit	37–35
73	March 31, 1987	@ L.A. Lakers	L 96–111	The Forum	37–36

April: 5–4 (home: 3–0; road: 2–4)

Game	Date	Team
76	April 6, 1987	@ Portland
79	April 11, 1987	Denver
80	April 15, 1987	@ Dallas
81	April 17, 1987	Dallas
82	April 18, 1987	@ Denver

1986–87 schedule

Playoffs

1987 playoff game log

First Round: 3–1 (home: 1–1; road: 2–0)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 24, 1987	@ Portland	W 125–115	Olajuwon (30)	Olajuwon (10)	Leavell (10)	Memorial Coliseum 12,666	1–0
2	April 26, 1987	@ Portland	L 98–111	Leavell, Sampson (28)	McCray (12)	Leavell (8)	Memorial Coliseum 12,666	1–1
3	April 28, 1987	Portland	W 117–108	Olajuwon (35)	Olajuwon (11)	Leavell (13)	The Summit 16,279	2–1
4	April 30, 1987	Portland	W 113–101	Olajuwon (27)	McCray, Sampson (10)	Leavell (8)	The Summit 16,279	3–1

Conference semifinals: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	May 2, 1987	Seattle	L 106–111 (OT)	Olajuwon (28)	Olajuwon (16)	McCray (8)	The Summit 16,279	0–1
2	May 5, 1987	Seattle	L 97–99	Olajuwon (27)	Olajuwon, Sampson (13)	Leavell, McCray (8)	The Summit 16,279	0–2
3	May 7, 1987	@ Seattle	W 102–84	Olajuwon (33)	Olajuwon (11)	Reid (9)	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,587	1–2
4	May 9, 1987	@ Seattle	L 102–117	McCray, Olajuwon (20)	McCray (12)	Leavell (5)	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,559	1–3
5	May 12, 1987	Seattle	W 112–107	Olajuwon (26)	McCray (10)	McCray (11)	The Summit 16,279	2–3
6	May 14, 1987	@ Seattle	L 125–128 (2OT)	Olajuwon (49)	Olajuwon (25)	Reid (12)	Seattle Center Coliseum 14,751	2–4

1987 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG

Awards and records

References

^ 1986-87 Houston Rockets

[1] 1986-87 Houston Rockets

[1]

Houston Rockets
Founded in 1967 Played in San Diego (1967–1971) Based in Houston, Texas
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history 1967 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Pechanga Arena Hofheinz Pavilion Astrodome HemisFair Arena The Summit/Compaq Center Toyota Center
Personnel	Owner(s) Tilman Fertitta President Gretchen Sheirr General manager Rafael Stone Head coach Ime Udoka
G League affiliate	Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Retired numbers	11 22 23 24 34 44 45
NBA championships	1994 1995
Rivalries	Dallas Mavericks San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz
Culture and lore	Red Rowdies ClutchFans Clutch City Clutch the Rockets Bear Dancing Barry The Kiss of Death The Dream Shake June 17th, 1994 13 points in 35 seconds 22 wins in a row The Year of the Yao 27 consecutive 3-pointers missed
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