The 1978-79 Houston Rockets season marked their 12th year in the NBA. Under the leadership of head coach Tom Nissalke, the Rockets aimed to build on their previous campaign’s momentum. Prominent figures like Calvin Murphy and Rudy Tomjanovich were pivotal, providing veteran experience and skill on the court. The team also benefited from the contributions of Moses Malone, who was an emerging force in the league.
Throughout the season, the Rockets faced challenges in maintaining consistency. They finished with a record of 47-35, which secured them a spot in the playoffs. Defense was a strong suit, with the team ranking near the top of the league in rebounds, largely thanks to Malone’s efforts. However, offensive gaps often led to struggles against more balanced teams.
In the playoffs, the Rockets were determined to make a significant impact. They faced the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. Despite their efforts, the Rockets were defeated in a closely contested series, losing 2-0. This early exit was a disappointment, considering the team’s potential and regular-season performance.
Overall, the 1978-79 season was a mixed bag for the Houston Rockets. While they showcased promise and talent, inconsistency and early playoff elimination highlighted areas needing improvement. This season laid the groundwork for future successes, as the team continued to develop its core roster and strategy in subsequent years.
- Regular Season Record: 47-35
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 0-2
Houston Rockets Roster and Stats for 1978-79 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Moses Malone | 82 | 24.8 | 17.6 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 2 | 24.5 | 20.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Calvin Murphy | 82 | 20.2 | 2.1 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2 | 13.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Rudy Tomjanovich | 74 | 19.0 | 7.7 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2 | 10.0 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Rick Barry | 80 | 13.5 | 3.5 | 6.3 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 2 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Robert Reid | 82 | 10.9 | 5.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 10.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Mike Newlin | 76 | 10.2 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2 | 12.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Mike Dunleavy | 74 | 8.0 | 1.7 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dwight Jones | 81 | 5.7 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 2 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Slick Watts | 61 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2 | 7.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Alonzo Bradley | 34 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jacky Dorsey | 20 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| E.C. Coleman | 6 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tom Barker | 5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Houston Rockets in the 1979 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Atlanta Hawks
In the first round of the 1979 NBA Playoffs, the Houston Rockets faced the Atlanta Hawks in a best-of-three series. The Rockets, led by Moses Malone's dominant presence in the paint, secured the series with a 2-0 sweep. This performance highlighted Malone's pivotal role in driving the Rockets' postseason success during that era.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1979 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 109-106 | |
| Apr 13, 1979 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 100-91 |
Houston Rockets 1978-79 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1978-79 season for the Houston Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1978 | @ New York Knicks | W 111-107 | |
| Oct 14, 1978 | @ Boston Celtics | W 114-108 | |
| Oct 18, 1978 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 139-87 | |
| Oct 19, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 108-103 | |
| Oct 21, 1978 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 118-101 | |
| Oct 25, 1978 | vs. New York Knicks | W 106-101 | |
| Oct 28, 1978 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 101-99 | |
| Oct 29, 1978 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 134-121 | |
| Nov 01, 1978 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 112-105 | |
| Nov 04, 1978 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 110-103 | |
| Nov 10, 1978 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 131-126 | |
| Nov 11, 1978 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 136-123 | |
| Nov 15, 1978 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 117-103 | |
| Nov 18, 1978 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 126-120 | |
| Nov 22, 1978 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 121-114 | |
| Nov 24, 1978 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 120-113 | |
| Nov 25, 1978 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 127-105 | |
| Nov 26, 1978 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 108-103 | |
| Nov 29, 1978 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 109-94 | |
| Nov 30, 1978 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 113-104 | |
| Dec 02, 1978 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 105-91 | |
| Dec 06, 1978 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 101-96 | |
| Dec 08, 1978 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 110-106 | |
| Dec 09, 1978 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 116-110 | |
| Dec 12, 1978 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 112-105 | |
| Dec 14, 1978 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 126-123 | |
| Dec 15, 1978 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 91-84 | |
| Dec 20, 1978 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 108-105 | |
| Dec 21, 1978 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 101-90 | |
| Dec 23, 1978 | vs. New York Knicks | W 129-107 | |
| Dec 26, 1978 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 109-102 | |
| Dec 27, 1978 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 131-119 | |
| Dec 29, 1978 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 106-103 | |
| Dec 30, 1978 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 112-101 | |
| Jan 03, 1979 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 127-122 | |
| Jan 05, 1979 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 109-106 | |
| Jan 06, 1979 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 115-112 | |
| Jan 08, 1979 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 116-104 | |
| Jan 09, 1979 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 126-110 | |
| Jan 12, 1979 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 107-96 | |
| Jan 13, 1979 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 117-106 | |
| Jan 14, 1979 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 115-105 | |
| Jan 17, 1979 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 104-103 | |
| Jan 19, 1979 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 122-121 | |
| Jan 20, 1979 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 116-97 | |
| Jan 24, 1979 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 117-116 | |
| Jan 27, 1979 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 99-94 | |
| Jan 30, 1979 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 112-106 | |
| Jan 31, 1979 | @ Boston Celtics | L 119-102 | |
| Feb 02, 1979 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 120-106 | |
| Feb 06, 1979 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 113-108 | |
| Feb 08, 1979 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 134-129 | |
| Feb 09, 1979 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 106-99 | |
| Feb 10, 1979 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 113-101 | |
| Feb 13, 1979 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 124-120 | |
| Feb 15, 1979 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 119-116 | |
| Feb 16, 1979 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 110-96 | |
| Feb 18, 1979 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 126-124 | |
| Feb 22, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | W 120-110 | |
| Feb 25, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 127-107 | |
| Feb 27, 1979 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 125-111 | |
| Feb 28, 1979 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 122-97 | |
| Mar 02, 1979 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 118-98 | |
| Mar 04, 1979 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 119-109 | |
| Mar 06, 1979 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 119-118 | |
| Mar 07, 1979 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 138-115 | |
| Mar 10, 1979 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 124-109 | |
| Mar 14, 1979 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 129-107 | |
| Mar 16, 1979 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 124-118 | |
| Mar 17, 1979 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 134-122 | |
| Mar 21, 1979 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 114-108 | |
| Mar 23, 1979 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 141-134 | |
| Mar 24, 1979 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 120-116 | |
| Mar 27, 1979 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 122-116 | |
| Mar 28, 1979 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 125-124 | |
| Mar 30, 1979 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 117-116 | |
| Apr 01, 1979 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 114-105 | |
| Apr 03, 1979 | @ New York Knicks | W 116-115 | |
| Apr 04, 1979 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 121-120 | |
| Apr 06, 1979 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 112-110 | |
| Apr 07, 1979 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 123-106 | |
| Apr 08, 1979 | @ Washington Bullets | W 112-102 |