The 2001-02 Houston Rockets season was a challenging one, marked by struggles and a rebuilding phase. The team, led by head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, finished with a 28-54 record, placing them fifth in the Midwest Division and out of playoff contention. This season was particularly notable as it was the last for the Rockets at the Compaq Center, their home since 1975, before moving to the Toyota Center.
The team was anchored by Steve Francis, who played in his third NBA season and was named an All-Star for the first time. Francis averaged 21.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, showcasing his versatility and leadership. However, injuries limited his participation to 57 games, hampering the team’s overall performance. Cuttino Mobley also played a significant role, averaging 21.7 points per game, but the lack of depth and consistency in the roster was evident.
Key player Hakeem Olajuwon had departed before the season, and the Rockets struggled defensively without their legendary center. The team’s defense ranked among the worst in the league, conceding an average of 97.3 points per game. Offensively, the Rockets were also inconsistent, failing to find a reliable third scoring option behind Francis and Mobley.
The season was ultimately a transitional period, setting the stage for the Rockets’ future decisions in the draft. The poor record secured them a high draft pick, which they used to select Yao Ming in the 2002 NBA Draft, a decision that would shape the franchise’s direction for years to come.
- Regular Season Record: 28-54
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Houston Rockets Roster and Stats for 2001-02 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Cuttino Mobley | 74 | 21.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 39.5 | |||||||
| Steve Francis | 57 | 21.6 | 7.0 | 6.4 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 32.4 | |||||||
| Kenny Thomas | 72 | 14.1 | 7.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Walt Williams | 48 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 42.6 | |||||||
| Eddie Griffin | 73 | 8.8 | 5.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 33.0 | |||||||
| Glen Rice | 20 | 8.6 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 28.1 | |||||||
| Moochie Norris | 82 | 8.1 | 3.0 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 26.9 | |||||||
| Kelvin Cato | 75 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Kevin Willis | 52 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Óscar Torres | 65 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 29.4 | |||||||
| Jason Collier | 25 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Terence Morris | 68 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 19.2 | |||||||
| Dan Langhi | 34 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 25.0 | |||||||
| Tierre Brown | 40 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 33.3 | |||||||
Houston Rockets 2001-02 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2001-02 season for the Houston Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2001 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 89-84 | |
| Nov 01, 2001 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 98-92 | |
| Nov 03, 2001 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 90-88 | |
| Nov 04, 2001 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 103-100 | |
| Nov 06, 2001 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 99-93 | |
| Nov 08, 2001 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 77-72 | |
| Nov 09, 2001 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 108-81 | |
| Nov 13, 2001 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 90-86 | |
| Nov 15, 2001 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 98-97 | |
| Nov 17, 2001 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 124-87 | |
| Nov 19, 2001 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 113-77 | |
| Nov 20, 2001 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 94-87 | |
| Nov 23, 2001 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 99-81 | |
| Nov 25, 2001 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 90-83 | |
| Nov 27, 2001 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 89-84 | |
| Nov 30, 2001 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | L 102-85 | |
| Dec 01, 2001 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 85-75 | |
| Dec 03, 2001 | @ New York Knicks | L 89-86 | |
| Dec 04, 2001 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 103-75 | |
| Dec 06, 2001 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 85-82 | |
| Dec 08, 2001 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 107-97 | |
| Dec 09, 2001 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 105-77 | |
| Dec 11, 2001 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 107-102 | |
| Dec 13, 2001 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 108-106 | |
| Dec 15, 2001 | vs. Miami Heat | L 76-73 | |
| Dec 18, 2001 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 101-92 | |
| Dec 20, 2001 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 107-101 | |
| Dec 22, 2001 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 115-110 | |
| Dec 26, 2001 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 97-91 | |
| Dec 28, 2001 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 100-93 | |
| Dec 30, 2001 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 114-90 | |
| Jan 03, 2002 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 99-97 | |
| Jan 05, 2002 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 81-79 | |
| Jan 08, 2002 | vs. New York Knicks | W 88-86 | |
| Jan 10, 2002 | @ Utah Jazz | L 83-79 | |
| Jan 12, 2002 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 98-86 | |
| Jan 15, 2002 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 112-106 | |
| Jan 16, 2002 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 109-103 | |
| Jan 18, 2002 | @ Boston Celtics | W 104-101 | |
| Jan 19, 2002 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 99-90 | |
| Jan 21, 2002 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 95-91 | |
| Jan 22, 2002 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 113-107 | |
| Jan 24, 2002 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 103-98 | |
| Jan 26, 2002 | @ Charlotte Hornets | W 111-104 | |
| Jan 29, 2002 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 100-96 | |
| Jan 31, 2002 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 95-91 | |
| Feb 01, 2002 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | L 73-72 | |
| Feb 04, 2002 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 104-97 | |
| Feb 06, 2002 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 111-109 | |
| Feb 12, 2002 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 85-78 | |
| Feb 16, 2002 | vs. Orlando Magic | L 109-100 | |
| Feb 18, 2002 | @ Washington Wizards | W 102-89 | |
| Feb 20, 2002 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 115-76 | |
| Feb 21, 2002 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 89-83 | |
| Feb 23, 2002 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 99-89 | |
| Feb 26, 2002 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | L 94-84 | |
| Mar 02, 2002 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 104-97 | |
| Mar 03, 2002 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 95-79 | |
| Mar 05, 2002 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 112-109 | |
| Mar 07, 2002 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 99-97 | |
| Mar 08, 2002 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 108-95 | |
| Mar 10, 2002 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 95-92 | |
| Mar 12, 2002 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 101-98 | |
| Mar 13, 2002 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 96-95 | |
| Mar 16, 2002 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 114-112 | |
| Mar 18, 2002 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 93-86 | |
| Mar 19, 2002 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 110-87 | |
| Mar 22, 2002 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 112-82 | |
| Mar 24, 2002 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 116-104 | |
| Mar 26, 2002 | @ Utah Jazz | L 109-105 | |
| Mar 28, 2002 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 101-74 | |
| Mar 30, 2002 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 90-88 | |
| Apr 02, 2002 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 100-98 | |
| Apr 04, 2002 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 102-78 | |
| Apr 05, 2002 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | L 99-81 | |
| Apr 08, 2002 | @ Orlando Magic | L 83-74 | |
| Apr 09, 2002 | @ Miami Heat | L 120-117 | |
| Apr 11, 2002 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 98-95 | |
| Apr 12, 2002 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 80-79 | |
| Apr 14, 2002 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | L 98-95 | |
| Apr 16, 2002 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 101-70 | |
| Apr 17, 2002 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 92-79 |