The 1982-83 Houston Rockets season was a challenging period for the franchise. Under the guidance of head coach Del Harris, the team struggled to find form and consistency. The Rockets finished the season with a record of 14 wins and 68 losses, placing them last in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. This record was the worst in the NBA for that season, signaling a need for significant changes in the roster and strategy.
A notable aspect of the season was the performance of Moses Malone, one of the league’s premier centers. Despite the team’s struggles, Malone continued to impress with his individual performances, averaging 24.5 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. However, his efforts were not enough to lift the Rockets out of the league’s cellar, and it became increasingly clear that the team needed more robust support around their star player.
The season also marked the end of Malone’s tenure with the Rockets, as he would be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason. This move was part of a broader strategy to rebuild the team, which eventually led to the acquisition of future stars like Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon. The 1982-83 season, while difficult, set the stage for the Rockets’ subsequent transformation and eventual success in the mid-1980s.
- Regular Season Record: 14-68
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Houston Rockets Roster and Stats for 1982-83 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Allen Leavell | 79 | 14.8 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 24.1 | |||||||
| James Bailey | 69 | 14.1 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Elvin Hayes | 81 | 12.9 | 7.7 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 50.0 | |||||||
| Calvin Murphy | 64 | 12.8 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 28.6 | |||||||
| Terry Teagle | 73 | 10.4 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 34.5 | |||||||
| Joe Bryant | 81 | 10.0 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 22.9 | |||||||
| Wally Walker | 82 | 9.7 | 4.5 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 25.0 | |||||||
| Caldwell Jones | 82 | 9.5 | 8.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Major Jones | 60 | 5.7 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tom Henderson | 51 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Chuck Nevitt | 6 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jeff Taylor | 44 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Billy Paultz | 57 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Calvin Garrett | 4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Houston Rockets 1982-83 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1982-83 season for the Houston Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 1982 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 128-95 | |
| Oct 30, 1982 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 117-110 | |
| Nov 02, 1982 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 113-103 | |
| Nov 03, 1982 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 102-101 | |
| Nov 09, 1982 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 119-91 | |
| Nov 11, 1982 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 111-90 | |
| Nov 12, 1982 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 127-96 | |
| Nov 14, 1982 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 102-99 | |
| Nov 16, 1982 | @ New York Knicks | L 120-93 | |
| Nov 17, 1982 | @ Boston Celtics | L 112-94 | |
| Nov 19, 1982 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 109-98 | |
| Nov 23, 1982 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 128-106 | |
| Nov 25, 1982 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 88-79 | |
| Nov 27, 1982 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 108-99 | |
| Dec 01, 1982 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 106-95 | |
| Dec 03, 1982 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 88-78 | |
| Dec 04, 1982 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 94-93 | |
| Dec 07, 1982 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 107-88 | |
| Dec 08, 1982 | @ Utah Jazz | L 101-93 | |
| Dec 10, 1982 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 97-83 | |
| Dec 11, 1982 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 101-94 | |
| Dec 14, 1982 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 102-93 | |
| Dec 17, 1982 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 114-107 | |
| Dec 18, 1982 | @ Utah Jazz | L 116-97 | |
| Dec 21, 1982 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 92-85 | |
| Dec 23, 1982 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 88-82 | |
| Dec 26, 1982 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 96-94 | |
| Dec 28, 1982 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 104-93 | |
| Dec 30, 1982 | vs. San Diego Clippers | L 108-93 | |
| Jan 02, 1983 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 103-82 | |
| Jan 04, 1983 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 88-87 | |
| Jan 06, 1983 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 109-107 | |
| Jan 07, 1983 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 125-97 | |
| Jan 08, 1983 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 87-82 | |
| Jan 11, 1983 | vs. San Diego Clippers | L 105-97 | |
| Jan 14, 1983 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 96-92 | |
| Jan 15, 1983 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 131-111 | |
| Jan 18, 1983 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 100-98 | |
| Jan 19, 1983 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 130-93 | |
| Jan 21, 1983 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 115-108 | |
| Jan 22, 1983 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 113-96 | |
| Jan 25, 1983 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 114-111 | |
| Jan 27, 1983 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 98-84 | |
| Jan 29, 1983 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 119-113 | |
| Feb 01, 1983 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 129-76 | |
| Feb 02, 1983 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 135-128 | |
| Feb 04, 1983 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 115-99 | |
| Feb 05, 1983 | vs. New York Knicks | L 102-101 | |
| Feb 08, 1983 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 116-115 | |
| Feb 10, 1983 | @ Washington Bullets | L 104-100 | |
| Feb 15, 1983 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 101-91 | |
| Feb 17, 1983 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 113-110 | |
| Feb 18, 1983 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 127-98 | |
| Feb 20, 1983 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 128-106 | |
| Feb 22, 1983 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 113-107 | |
| Feb 24, 1983 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 114-103 | |
| Feb 26, 1983 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 120-108 | |
| Mar 01, 1983 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 123-115 | |
| Mar 02, 1983 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 124-85 | |
| Mar 04, 1983 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 115-87 | |
| Mar 05, 1983 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 126-103 | |
| Mar 08, 1983 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 102-99 | |
| Mar 10, 1983 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 119-109 | |
| Mar 12, 1983 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 105-94 | |
| Mar 15, 1983 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 123-110 | |
| Mar 17, 1983 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 125-99 | |
| Mar 18, 1983 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 122-120 | |
| Mar 22, 1983 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 128-98 | |
| Mar 24, 1983 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 104-97 | |
| Mar 25, 1983 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 106-104 | |
| Mar 27, 1983 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 114-93 | |
| Mar 29, 1983 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 111-95 | |
| Mar 30, 1983 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 102-95 | |
| Apr 01, 1983 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 124-99 | |
| Apr 02, 1983 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 112-101 | |
| Apr 05, 1983 | @ Utah Jazz | L 126-97 | |
| Apr 06, 1983 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 101-99 | |
| Apr 09, 1983 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 123-105 | |
| Apr 12, 1983 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 114-113 | |
| Apr 13, 1983 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 131-112 | |
| Apr 15, 1983 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 117-102 | |
| Apr 16, 1983 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 126-117 |