The 1972-73 Houston Rockets season marked the franchise’s sixth year in the NBA and their second season in Houston. Under head coach Tex Winter, the Rockets aimed to improve upon their previous season’s performance. However, they faced a challenging campaign, finishing with a record of 33-49, which placed them fourth in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
During this season, the Rockets were led by their star player, Elvin Hayes, who was instrumental in both scoring and rebounding. Hayes averaged 25.2 points per game and 16.9 rebounds per game, showcasing his dominance on the court. Despite his efforts, the team struggled with consistency and depth, which affected their overall performance.
The Rockets played their home games at Hofheinz Pavilion, where they tried to leverage their home-court advantage. However, the team faced stiff competition within their division, competing against stronger teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls. The lack of a reliable supporting cast around Hayes was a significant factor in their inability to reach the postseason.
Overall, the 1972-73 season was a period of rebuilding and adjustment for the Houston Rockets. While they did not achieve a playoff berth, the season laid the groundwork for future improvements. The experiences and challenges faced during this season highlighted areas that needed addressing for the team to become more competitive in subsequent years.
- Regular Season Record: 33-49
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Houston Rockets Roster and Stats for 1972-73 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Rudy Tomjanovich | 81 | 19.3 | 11.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jack Marin | 81 | 18.5 | 6.0 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jimmy Walker | 81 | 18.0 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Mike Newlin | 82 | 17.0 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Calvin Murphy | 77 | 13.0 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Otto Moore | 82 | 11.7 | 10.3 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Zaid Abdul-Aziz | 48 | 8.7 | 6.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Cliff Meely | 82 | 7.7 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Paul McCracken | 24 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Stan McKenzie | 26 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Greg Smith | 4 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| George Johnson | 19 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Eric McWilliams | 44 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dick Gibbs | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Houston Rockets 1972-73 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1972-73 season for the Houston Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1972 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-108 | |
| Oct 14, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 121-113 | |
| Oct 17, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 103-95 | |
| Oct 20, 1972 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 120-108 | |
| Oct 21, 1972 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 130-97 | |
| Oct 25, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 112-107 | |
| Oct 27, 1972 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 130-118 | |
| Oct 31, 1972 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 106-105 | |
| Nov 01, 1972 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 108-104 | |
| Nov 03, 1972 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 114-108 | |
| Nov 04, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 118-108 | |
| Nov 07, 1972 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 122-109 | |
| Nov 10, 1972 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 115-109 | |
| Nov 11, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 114-112 | |
| Nov 14, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 104-103 | |
| Nov 16, 1972 | @ New York Knicks | L 119-100 | |
| Nov 18, 1972 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 127-117 | |
| Nov 21, 1972 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 113-105 | |
| Nov 22, 1972 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 132-104 | |
| Nov 25, 1972 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 114-109 | |
| Nov 28, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 108-90 | |
| Nov 29, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 102-94 | |
| Dec 01, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 103-96 | |
| Dec 02, 1972 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 114-109 | |
| Dec 05, 1972 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 108-101 | |
| Dec 08, 1972 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 114-108 | |
| Dec 12, 1972 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 95-94 | |
| Dec 15, 1972 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 94-91 | |
| Dec 16, 1972 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 123-112 | |
| Dec 17, 1972 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 110-109 | |
| Dec 20, 1972 | vs. New York Knicks | L 124-102 | |
| Dec 22, 1972 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 116-103 | |
| Dec 26, 1972 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 113-110 | |
| Dec 27, 1972 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 136-104 | |
| Dec 29, 1972 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 114-101 | |
| Jan 02, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 130-110 | |
| Jan 03, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 123-112 | |
| Jan 04, 1973 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 111-97 | |
| Jan 06, 1973 | @ New York Knicks | L 116-106 | |
| Jan 07, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 102-97 | |
| Jan 09, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 120-114 | |
| Jan 10, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 128-107 | |
| Jan 12, 1973 | vs. New York Knicks | L 104-103 | |
| Jan 13, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 123-115 | |
| Jan 17, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 123-117 | |
| Jan 19, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 108-104 | |
| Jan 20, 1973 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 130-115 | |
| Jan 21, 1973 | vs. New York Knicks | W 107-103 | |
| Jan 25, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 129-125 | |
| Jan 26, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 139-126 | |
| Jan 28, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 116-108 | |
| Jan 30, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 123-120 | |
| Jan 31, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 118-109 | |
| Feb 02, 1973 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 126-109 | |
| Feb 03, 1973 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 132-123 | |
| Feb 04, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 130-118 | |
| Feb 06, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 123-117 | |
| Feb 09, 1973 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 121-116 | |
| Feb 10, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 103-91 | |
| Feb 13, 1973 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 132-118 | |
| Feb 16, 1973 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 105-103 | |
| Feb 17, 1973 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 127-111 | |
| Feb 18, 1973 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 110-99 | |
| Feb 21, 1973 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 139-107 | |
| Feb 23, 1973 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 138-116 | |
| Feb 25, 1973 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 129-112 | |
| Feb 27, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 112-105 | |
| Mar 03, 1973 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 136-125 | |
| Mar 04, 1973 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 116-101 | |
| Mar 07, 1973 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 118-100 | |
| Mar 09, 1973 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 109-104 | |
| Mar 10, 1973 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 131-116 | |
| Mar 11, 1973 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 129-118 | |
| Mar 15, 1973 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 141-125 | |
| Mar 16, 1973 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 141-128 | |
| Mar 18, 1973 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 121-112 | |
| Mar 20, 1973 | @ Boston Celtics | L 94-89 | |
| Mar 21, 1973 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 118-110 | |
| Mar 23, 1973 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 132-112 | |
| Mar 25, 1973 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 125-121 | |
| Mar 27, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 121-111 | |
| Mar 28, 1973 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 138-122 |