1971–72 Houston Rockets season

The 1971-72 NBA season was the Rockets' 5th season in the NBA and 1st season in the city of Houston[1] following their relocation from San Diego, where the franchise played its first four seasons prior to moving to becoming the first NBA franchise in Texas.

1971–72 Houston Rockets season
Head coachTex Winter
General managerPete Newell
Owners
Arena
Results
Record34–48 (.415)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Pacific)
Conference: 7th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKHTV
RadioKPRC
< 1970–71 1972–73 >

Offseason

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Draft picks

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Roster

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1971–72 Houston Rockets roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
C 34 Cunningham, Dick 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1946-07-11 Murray State
PG 21 Egan, Johnny 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1939-01-31 Providence
SF 40 Gibbs, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1948-12-20 UTEP
C 44 Hayes, Elvin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1945-11-17 Houston
SG 22 Lantz, Stu 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1946-07-13 Nebraska
SF 18 McLemore, McCoy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1942-04-03 Drake
PF 25 Meely, Cliff 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1947-07-10 Colorado
PG 23 Murphy, Calvin 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1948-05-09 Niagara
SG 14 Newlin, Mike 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1949-01-02 Utah
SF 4 Smith, Greg 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1947-01-28 Western Kentucky
PF 45 Tomjanovich, Rudy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1948-11-24 Michigan
SG 33 Vallely, John 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1948-10-03 UCLA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

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

Roster
Last transaction: December 16, 1971

Regular season

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Season standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 69 13 .841 36–5 31–7 2–1 21–3
x-Golden State Warriors 51 31 .622 18 27–8 21–20 3–3 14–10
Seattle SuperSonics 47 35 .573 22 28–12 18–22 1–1 12–12
Houston Rockets 34 48 .415 35 15–20 14–23 5–5 9–15
Portland Trail Blazers 18 64 .220 51 14–26 4–35 0–3 4–20
#
Team W L PCT
1 z-Los Angeles Lakers 69 13 .841
2 y-Milwaukee Bucks 63 19 .768
3 x-Chicago Bulls 57 25 .695
4 x-Golden State Warriors 51 31 .622
5 Phoenix Suns 49 33 .598
6 Seattle SuperSonics 47 35 .573
7 Houston Rockets 34 48 .415
8 Detroit Pistons 26 56 .317
9 Portland Trail Blazers 18 64 .220

Record vs. opponents

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1971–72 NBA Records
Team ATL BAL BOS BUF CHI CIN CLE DET GSW HOU LAL MIL NYK PHI PHO POR SEA
Atlanta 2–4 0–4 4–2 0–5 3–3 4–2 3–2 3–2 1–4 0–5 2–3 3–1 3–3 3–2 4–0 1–4
Baltimore 4–2 2–2 3–3 1–4 4–2 1–5 3–2 1–4 3–2 1–4 0–5 2–4 4–0 4–1 3–1 2–3
Boston 4–0 2–2 6–0 3–2 4–2 5–1 5–0 2–3 5–0 1–4 2–3 3–3 6–0 2–3 4–0 2–3
Buffalo 2–4 3–3 0–6 1–3 3–3 4–2 2–4 1–3 0–4 0–4 0–4 1–5 3–3 0–4 2–4 0–4
Chicago 5–0 4–1 2–3 3–1 3–1 4–0 5–1 3–3 5–1 1–3 2–4 3–2 4–1 5–1 6–0 2–3
Cincinnati 3–3 2–4 2–4 3–3 1–3 6–2 2–3 2–3 0–4 1–4 0–5 2–2 2–2 2–3 2–2 0–5
Cleveland 2–4 5–1 1–5 2–4 0–4 2–6 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–3 0–4 1–5 2–4 0–4 4–2 0–4
Detroit 2–3 2–3 0–5 4–2 1–5 3–2 3–1 0–5 3–3 1–4 1–5 1–4 1–4 2–4 2–2 0–4
Golden State 2–3 4–1 3–2 3–1 3–3 3–2 4–0 5–0 5–1 1–5 2–2 2–3 4–1 2–3 4–2 4–2
Houston 4–1 2–3 0–5 4–0 1–5 4–0 2–2 3–3 1–5 1–5 0–5 0–5 4–1 1–3 4–2 3–3
Los Angeles 5–0 4–1 4–1 4–0 3–1 4–1 3–1 4–1 5–1 5–1 4–1 4–1 5–0 4–2 6–0 5–1
Milwaukee 3–2 5–0 3–2 4–0 4–2 5–0 4–0 5–1 2–2 5–0 1–4 2–3 4–1 4–2 6–0 6–0
New York 1–3 4–2 3–3 5–1 2–3 2–2 5–1 4–1 3–2 5–0 1–4 3–2 3–3 1–4 3–1 3–2
Philadelphia 3–3 0–4 0–6 3–3 1–4 2–2 4–2 4–1 1–4 1–4 0–5 1–4 3–3 1–4 2–2 4–1
Phoenix 2–3 1–4 3–2 4–0 1–5 3–2 4–0 4–2 3–2 3–1 2–4 2–4 4–1 4–1 6–0 3–2
Portland 0–4 1–3 0–4 4–2 0–6 2–2 2–4 2–2 2–4 2–4 0–6 0–6 1–3 2–2 0–6 0–6
Seattle 4–1 3–2 3–2 4–0 3–2 5–0 4–0 4–0 2–4 3–3 1–5 0–6 2–3 1–4 2–3 6–0

Game log

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1971–72 Game log
# Date Opponent Score High points Record
1 October 14 Philadelphia 105–94 Rudy Tomjanovich (28) 0–1
2 October 16 @ Phoenix 108–128 Elvin Hayes (26) 0–2
3 October 17 N Detroit 99–112 Calvin Murphy (26) 0–3
4 October 20 N Chicago 110–125 Stu Lantz (33) 0–4
5 October 22 @ Seattle 91–110 Rudy Tomjanovich (18) 0–5
6 October 24 Los Angeles 113–103 Elvin Hayes (35) 0–6
7 October 26 @ Detroit 104–103 Elvin Hayes (30) 1–6
8 October 27 @ Boston 97–108 Rudy Tomjanovich (25) 1–7
9 October 28 @ New York 94–112 Calvin Murphy (21) 1–8
10 October 31 Buffalo 87–102 Cliff Meely (19) 2–8
11 November 3 New York 117–98 Rudy Tomjanovich (26) 2–9
12 November 4 Portland 112–110 Elvin Hayes (28) 2–10
13 November 7 Baltimore 109–106 Elvin Hayes (38) 2–11
14 November 9 @ Golden State 99–115 Stu Lantz (30) 2–12
15 November 10 Boston 142–103 Elvin Hayes (30) 2–13
16 November 12 @ Milwaukee 102–111 Stu Lantz (26) 2–14
17 November 13 @ Chicago 102–111 Elvin Hayes (33) 2–15
18 November 16 @ Baltimore 107–110 Elvin Hayes (31) 2–16
19 November 17 @ Philadelphia 118–112 Elvin Hayes (33) 3–16
20 November 19 @ Los Angeles 99–106 Elvin Hayes (26) 3–17
21 November 21 N Golden State 115–96 Mike Newlin (31) 4–17
22 November 24 Philadelphia 108–109 Hayes, Tomjanovich (27) 5–17
23 November 28 Phoenix 116–110 Elvin Hayes (30) 5–18
24 November 30 @ Buffalo 115–101 Lantz, Murphy (18) 6–18
25 December 1 @ Cleveland 106–116 Lantz, Murphy (24) 6–19
26 December 3 @ Detroit 112–113 Elvin Hayes (35) 6–20
27 December 4 @ Boston 107–117 Elvin Hayes (28) 6–21
28 December 8 Los Angeles 125–120 Elvin Hayes (31) 6–22
29 December 10 Atlanta 88–95 Stu Lantz (28) 7–22
30 December 11 @ Phoenix 111–110 Hayes, Murphy (24) 8–22
31 December 12 Seattle 98–100 Elvin Hayes (34) 9–22
32 December 14 @ Milwaukee 98–106 Cliff Meely (20) 9–23
33 December 15 @ Atlanta 117–115 (OT) Stu Lantz (30) 10–23
34 December 17 @ Chicago 109–98 Stu Lantz (31) 11–23
35 December 18 @ Cincinnati 126–116 Elvin Hayes (29) 12–23
36 December 21 @ Portland 132–119 Elvin Hayes (44) 13–23
37 December 26 @ Los Angeles 115–137 Elvin Hayes (33) 13–24
38 December 29 Phoenix 124–106 Stu Lantz (19) 13–25
39 December 30 Atlanta 115–129 Elvin Hayes (42) 14–25
40 January 2 Detroit 109–107 Elvin Hayes (26) 14–26
41 January 4 Seattle 110–119 Calvin Murphy (28) 15–26
42 January 5 Boston 113–105 Elvin Hayes (25) 15–27
43 January 9 Golden State 113–112 Calvin Murphy (25) 15–28
44 January 11 @ Seattle 126–141 Elvin Hayes (42) 15–29
45 January 15 Cleveland 109–112 Elvin Hayes (30) 16–29
46 January 16 New York 109–108 Elvin Hayes (24) 16–30
47 January 20 @ Cincinnati 104–87 Elvin Hayes (27) 17–30
48 January 21 @ Boston 105–110 Rudy Tomjanovich (25) 17–31
49 January 22 @ Chicago 108–115 Elvin Hayes (23) 17–32
50 January 23 @ Detroit 109–107 Stu Lantz (32) 18–32
51 January 25 Portland 104–118 Elvin Hayes (27) 19–32
52 January 26 N Chicago 108–117 Elvin Hayes (36) 19–33
53 January 28 @ Los Angeles 105–118 Elvin Hayes (33) 19–34
54 February 2 N Seattle 88–111 Greg Smith (23) 20–34
55 February 4 @ Portland 113–114 Elvin Hayes (28) 20–35
56 February 5 Milwaukee 119–112 Stu Lantz (30) 20–36
57 February 6 Atlanta 113–120 Calvin Murphy (27) 21–36
58 February 8 N Seattle 127–119 Elvin Hayes (31) 21–37
59 February 11 Baltimore 95–116 Calvin Murphy (28) 22–37
60 February 13 Cincinnati 111–112 Calvin Murphy (31) 23–37
61 February 14 @ Philadelphia 130–116 Elvin Hayes (28) 24–37
62 February 15 @ Baltimore 98–113 Elvin Hayes (31) 24–38
63 February 16 @ New York 100–110 Elvin Hayes (26) 24–39
64 February 18 @ Buffalo 108–96 Elvin Hayes (27) 25–39
65 February 23 N Los Angeles 110–115 Elvin Hayes (33) 26–39
66 February 26 Detroit 106–122 Elvin Hayes (36) 27–39
67 February 27 Golden State 117–104 Elvin Hayes (33) 27–40
68 March 1 N Cincinnati 108–96 Hayes, Lantz (26) 28–40
69 March 3 N Golden State 107–108 Rudy Tomjanovich (26) 28–41
70 March 4 Cleveland 130–123 Stu Lantz (31) 28–42
71 March 5 Chicago 128–97 Calvin Murphy (28) 28–43
72 March 9 N Portland 111–114 Rudy Tomjanovich (29) 29–43
73 March 10 Golden State 119–116 Calvin Murphy (35) 29–44
74 March 11 Buffalo 100–121 Stu Lantz (29) 30–44
75 March 12 Philadelphia 112–121 Rudy Tomjanovich (33) 31–44
76 March 16 New York 103–102 Elvin Hayes (37) 31–45
77 March 18 Milwaukee 120–116 (OT) Elvin Hayes (39) 31–46
78 March 21 @ Milwaukee 94–111 Calvin Murphy (21) 31–47
79 March 22 @ Atlanta 106–107 Stu Lantz (29) 31–48
80 March 24 @ Cleveland 127–119 Rudy Tomjanovich (35) 32–48
81 March 25 @ Baltimore 106–85 Calvin Murphy (27) 33–48
82 March 26 Portland 109–131 Elvin Hayes (30) 34–48

References

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