The 1976-77 Houston Rockets season marked the team’s first campaign following the NBA-ABA merger. The Rockets, led by head coach Tom Nissalke, were aiming to make an impact in the newly expanded league. They ended the regular season with a 49-33 record, finishing second in the Central Division, which earned them a spot in the playoffs.
Key players during this season included Rudy Tomjanovich, who was instrumental in the team’s success with his scoring prowess, averaging 21.6 points per game. Another standout performer was Calvin Murphy, whose quickness and scoring ability provided a significant boost to the team’s offensive efforts. Additionally, the presence of Moses Malone, acquired from the ABA, was crucial as he developed into a dominant force in the paint, averaging 13.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.
In the playoffs, the Rockets faced the Washington Bullets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The series went to a decisive Game 7, where the Rockets emerged victorious, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, their postseason run ended there, as they were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Despite the loss, the season was seen as a success, setting the foundation for the team’s future development. The 1976-77 campaign remains a significant chapter in the franchise’s history, highlighting their resilience and competitive spirit in a transformative period for the league.
- Regular Season Record: 49-33
- Playoff Result: Western Conference Semifinals: 4-2, Western Conference Finals: 2-4
Houston Rockets Roster and Stats for 1976-77 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Rudy Tomjanovich | 81 | 21.6 | 8.4 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 12 | 20.3 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Calvin Murphy | 82 | 17.9 | 2.1 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 12 | 19.3 | 1.6 | 6.3 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Moses Malone | 80 | 13.5 | 13.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 18.8 | 16.9 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| Mike Newlin | 82 | 12.7 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 14.3 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Lucas | 82 | 11.1 | 2.7 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 12 | 14.7 | 2.8 | 6.9 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Kevin Kunnert | 81 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 12 | 9.5 | 8.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| John Johnson | 79 | 9.3 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 12 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dwight Jones | 74 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 12 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Ed Ratleff | 37 | 4.5 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tom Owens | 46 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rudy White | 46 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Goo Kennedy | 32 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 6 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dave Wohl | 14 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Phil Hicks | 2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Houston Rockets in the 1977 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Washington Bullets
In the second round of the 1977 NBA Playoffs, the Houston Rockets faced the Philadelphia 76ers in a tough matchup. Despite their strong efforts, the Rockets were outmatched by the 76ers' dynamic lineup, including Julius Erving, ultimately losing the series 4-2. This playoff run marked a significant moment for the Rockets, showcasing their potential and setting the stage for future success.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1977 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 111-101 | |
| Apr 21, 1977 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 124-118 | |
| Apr 24, 1977 | @ Washington Bullets | L 93-90 | |
| Apr 26, 1977 | @ Washington Bullets | W 107-103 | |
| Apr 29, 1977 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 123-115 | |
| May 01, 1977 | @ Washington Bullets | W 108-103 |
1977 Conference Championship vs. Philadelphia 76ers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 05, 1977 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 128-117 | |
| May 08, 1977 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 106-97 | |
| May 11, 1977 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 118-94 | |
| May 13, 1977 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 107-95 | |
| May 15, 1977 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 118-115 | |
| May 17, 1977 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 112-109 |
Houston Rockets 1976-77 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1976-77 season for the Houston Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 1976 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 120-104 | |
| Oct 23, 1976 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 129-126 | |
| Oct 27, 1976 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 116-94 | |
| Oct 30, 1976 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 105-92 | |
| Nov 03, 1976 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 117-111 | |
| Nov 05, 1976 | @ New York Nets | L 95-91 | |
| Nov 06, 1976 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 117-102 | |
| Nov 09, 1976 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 111-92 | |
| Nov 10, 1976 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 99-97 | |
| Nov 12, 1976 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 111-99 | |
| Nov 13, 1976 | vs. New York Nets | L 114-110 | |
| Nov 17, 1976 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 120-114 | |
| Nov 20, 1976 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 127-126 | |
| Nov 24, 1976 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 113-107 | |
| Nov 25, 1976 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 105-99 | |
| Nov 27, 1976 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 125-116 | |
| Dec 01, 1976 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 110-104 | |
| Dec 02, 1976 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 137-110 | |
| Dec 04, 1976 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 120-108 | |
| Dec 08, 1976 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 116-95 | |
| Dec 10, 1976 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 109-99 | |
| Dec 11, 1976 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 124-112 | |
| Dec 12, 1976 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 96-92 | |
| Dec 14, 1976 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 104-84 | |
| Dec 16, 1976 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 118-107 | |
| Dec 18, 1976 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | L 110-106 | |
| Dec 22, 1976 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 111-90 | |
| Dec 26, 1976 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 93-79 | |
| Dec 28, 1976 | @ New York Knicks | L 111-99 | |
| Dec 29, 1976 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 93-91 | |
| Jan 01, 1977 | @ Washington Bullets | L 104-89 | |
| Jan 02, 1977 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 104-80 | |
| Jan 05, 1977 | vs. New York Knicks | W 108-107 | |
| Jan 07, 1977 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 117-107 | |
| Jan 08, 1977 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 106-94 | |
| Jan 11, 1977 | @ Boston Celtics | L 105-101 | |
| Jan 12, 1977 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 102-97 | |
| Jan 14, 1977 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 111-84 | |
| Jan 15, 1977 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 122-116 | |
| Jan 18, 1977 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 103-85 | |
| Jan 19, 1977 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 112-102 | |
| Jan 21, 1977 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 109-86 | |
| Jan 22, 1977 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 110-107 | |
| Jan 27, 1977 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 114-107 | |
| Jan 28, 1977 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 118-104 | |
| Jan 29, 1977 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 101-97 | |
| Feb 03, 1977 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-90 | |
| Feb 05, 1977 | vs. New York Knicks | W 105-103 | |
| Feb 06, 1977 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 99-90 | |
| Feb 08, 1977 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 97-81 | |
| Feb 09, 1977 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 108-103 | |
| Feb 11, 1977 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 107-104 | |
| Feb 16, 1977 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 124-95 | |
| Feb 17, 1977 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 113-99 | |
| Feb 19, 1977 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 115-109 | |
| Feb 22, 1977 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 118-106 | |
| Feb 24, 1977 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 109-106 | |
| Feb 25, 1977 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 123-106 | |
| Feb 27, 1977 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 106-101 | |
| Mar 02, 1977 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 120-113 | |
| Mar 05, 1977 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 119-106 | |
| Mar 06, 1977 | @ New York Nets | W 99-91 | |
| Mar 07, 1977 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 128-107 | |
| Mar 09, 1977 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 105-100 | |
| Mar 11, 1977 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 124-109 | |
| Mar 12, 1977 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 120-104 | |
| Mar 16, 1977 | vs. New York Nets | W 100-86 | |
| Mar 17, 1977 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 88-87 | |
| Mar 18, 1977 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 124-104 | |
| Mar 19, 1977 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 110-104 | |
| Mar 22, 1977 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 106-99 | |
| Mar 23, 1977 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 109-104 | |
| Mar 24, 1977 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 118-112 | |
| Mar 26, 1977 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 107-97 | |
| Mar 27, 1977 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 115-100 | |
| Mar 29, 1977 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 109-92 | |
| Mar 30, 1977 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-105 | |
| Apr 01, 1977 | @ Washington Bullets | W 91-85 | |
| Apr 02, 1977 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 106-93 | |
| Apr 06, 1977 | @ Boston Celtics | W 104-93 | |
| Apr 08, 1977 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 113-109 | |
| Apr 09, 1977 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 118-110 |