The 1974-75 Houston Rockets season marked a significant step forward for the franchise. It was their fourth season in the NBA and their first in the newly constructed Summit arena, located in Houston, Texas. Under the guidance of head coach and general manager, Tex Winter, the Rockets compiled a 41-41 record. This marked an improvement over the previous season and was enough to secure a playoff berth as the fourth seed in the Central Division.
One of the key contributors to the Rockets’ success that season was forward Rudy Tomjanovich, who led the team in scoring with an average of 24.5 points per game. Meanwhile, center Dwight Jones anchored the defense, averaging 11.3 rebounds per game. The team also benefitted from the playmaking skills of point guard Calvin Murphy, who averaged 18.1 points and 7.3 assists per game. This balanced roster helped the Rockets become a competitive force within the league.
In the playoffs, the Rockets faced the New York Knicks in the first round. Despite their efforts, the Rockets were eliminated in a best-of-three series, losing 1-2 to the Knicks. Although their postseason run was brief, the 1974-75 season represented a period of growth and development for the Rockets, setting the stage for future success. The experience gained during this season would prove valuable as they continued to build a competitive team in the years to come.
- Regular Season Record: 41-41
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 2-1, Western Conference Semifinals: 1-4
Houston Rockets Roster and Stats for 1974-75 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Rudy Tomjanovich | 81 | 20.7 | 7.5 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 8 | 23.0 | 8.0 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Calvin Murphy | 78 | 18.7 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 24.4 | 2.4 | 5.6 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mike Newlin | 79 | 14.4 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8 | 16.3 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Ratleff | 80 | 11.8 | 5.7 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 8 | 11.1 | 6.6 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kevin Kunnert | 75 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 8 | 10.9 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| Zaid Abdul-Aziz | 65 | 9.7 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 6 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Cliff Meely | 48 | 7.9 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dave Wohl | 75 | 6.5 | 1.4 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ron Riley | 77 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Steve Hawes | 55 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 8 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Owen Wells | 33 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gus Bailey | 47 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 8 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Houston Rockets in the 1975 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. New York Knicks
In the 1975 NBA Playoffs, the Houston Rockets faced the New York Knicks in the first round, marking the franchise's first-ever playoff appearance. The Rockets, led by Rudy Tomjanovich and Calvin Murphy, managed to upset the Knicks in a best-of-three series, winning 2-1. This victory was a significant milestone for the team, showcasing their potential and setting the stage for future playoff endeavors.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 08, 1975 | vs. New York Knicks | W 99-84 | |
| Apr 10, 1975 | @ New York Knicks | L 106-96 | |
| Apr 12, 1975 | vs. New York Knicks | W 118-86 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Boston Celtics
In the 1975 NBA Playoffs, the Houston Rockets advanced to the second round after a hard-fought series against the New York Knicks, marking a significant achievement for the franchise. However, they faced a formidable opponent in the Boston Celtics, led by the legendary John Havlicek. The Rockets put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short, losing the series 4-1, showcasing their potential while highlighting the areas needing improvement to compete against the NBA's elite.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 1975 | @ Boston Celtics | L 123-106 | |
| Apr 16, 1975 | @ Boston Celtics | L 112-100 | |
| Apr 19, 1975 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 117-102 | |
| Apr 22, 1975 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 122-117 | |
| Apr 24, 1975 | @ Boston Celtics | L 128-115 |
Houston Rockets 1974-75 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1974-75 season for the Houston Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1974 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 106-101 | |
| Oct 19, 1974 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 118-112 | |
| Oct 22, 1974 | @ New York Knicks | L 110-100 | |
| Oct 23, 1974 | @ Washington Bullets | L 99-95 | |
| Oct 25, 1974 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 110-86 | |
| Oct 30, 1974 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 113-100 | |
| Oct 31, 1974 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 95-92 | |
| Nov 02, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 120-97 | |
| Nov 05, 1974 | vs. New York Knicks | L 106-93 | |
| Nov 07, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 103-93 | |
| Nov 09, 1974 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 101-96 | |
| Nov 12, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 103-99 | |
| Nov 14, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 105-96 | |
| Nov 16, 1974 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 118-98 | |
| Nov 19, 1974 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 94-85 | |
| Nov 22, 1974 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 89-83 | |
| Nov 24, 1974 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 124-109 | |
| Nov 26, 1974 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 144-124 | |
| Nov 27, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 111-97 | |
| Nov 29, 1974 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 96-91 | |
| Nov 30, 1974 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 112-100 | |
| Dec 03, 1974 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 97-91 | |
| Dec 04, 1974 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 86-69 | |
| Dec 06, 1974 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 120-114 | |
| Dec 10, 1974 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 111-97 | |
| Dec 11, 1974 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 103-96 | |
| Dec 12, 1974 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 124-113 | |
| Dec 14, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 123-84 | |
| Dec 17, 1974 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 109-83 | |
| Dec 20, 1974 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 116-91 | |
| Dec 21, 1974 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 101-96 | |
| Dec 26, 1974 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 114-86 | |
| Dec 28, 1974 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 125-117 | |
| Dec 30, 1974 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 120-107 | |
| Jan 03, 1975 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 95-83 | |
| Jan 04, 1975 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 93-89 | |
| Jan 05, 1975 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 115-106 | |
| Jan 07, 1975 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 106-97 | |
| Jan 09, 1975 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 102-94 | |
| Jan 10, 1975 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 111-108 | |
| Jan 16, 1975 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 127-125 | |
| Jan 17, 1975 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 127-106 | |
| Jan 18, 1975 | @ Boston Celtics | L 123-101 | |
| Jan 21, 1975 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 113-102 | |
| Jan 23, 1975 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 96-95 | |
| Jan 24, 1975 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 95-91 | |
| Jan 26, 1975 | @ Washington Bullets | L 118-90 | |
| Jan 28, 1975 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 104-89 | |
| Jan 30, 1975 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 103-88 | |
| Feb 01, 1975 | @ New York Knicks | W 95-93 | |
| Feb 02, 1975 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 90-77 | |
| Feb 04, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 107-105 | |
| Feb 05, 1975 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 124-97 | |
| Feb 07, 1975 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 105-97 | |
| Feb 09, 1975 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 102-92 | |
| Feb 11, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 112-108 | |
| Feb 12, 1975 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 104-103 | |
| Feb 14, 1975 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | L 124-112 | |
| Feb 16, 1975 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 100-95 | |
| Feb 18, 1975 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 107-83 | |
| Feb 21, 1975 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 103-85 | |
| Feb 23, 1975 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 108-99 | |
| Feb 25, 1975 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 114-87 | |
| Feb 28, 1975 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 102-87 | |
| Mar 01, 1975 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 121-109 | |
| Mar 02, 1975 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 110-104 | |
| Mar 07, 1975 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 93-86 | |
| Mar 08, 1975 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 112-107 | |
| Mar 09, 1975 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 116-95 | |
| Mar 11, 1975 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 122-117 | |
| Mar 12, 1975 | @ Washington Bullets | L 117-88 | |
| Mar 14, 1975 | vs. New York Knicks | L 103-94 | |
| Mar 16, 1975 | @ Boston Celtics | L 99-94 | |
| Mar 18, 1975 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 122-115 | |
| Mar 21, 1975 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 121-110 | |
| Mar 22, 1975 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 117-112 | |
| Mar 23, 1975 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 101-95 | |
| Mar 25, 1975 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 112-94 | |
| Mar 28, 1975 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 112-105 | |
| Mar 29, 1975 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 107-105 | |
| Apr 01, 1975 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 113-104 | |
| Apr 02, 1975 | @ Washington Bullets | L 112-85 |