The 2020-21 Houston Rockets season was marked by significant transitions and challenges. The team finished with a 17-55 record, placing them last in the Western Conference. This performance was a stark contrast to their previous years of playoff contention and highlighted a period of rebuilding for the franchise.
A major storyline of the season was the trade involving franchise cornerstone James Harden. Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster deal in January 2021, ending his eight-year tenure with the Rockets. In return, Houston acquired a package that included Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, and multiple future draft picks. However, Oladipo was later traded to the Miami Heat before the trade deadline, further emphasizing the team’s focus on future assets.
In terms of on-court performance, the Rockets struggled with consistency and faced numerous injuries. Key players like John Wall and Christian Wood missed significant portions of the season, which contributed to the team’s struggles. Stephen Silas, in his first year as head coach, faced the daunting task of managing a roster in flux and developing young talent such as Jae’Sean Tate and Kevin Porter Jr.
Overall, the 2020-21 season was a rebuilding year for the Houston Rockets, characterized by major roster changes and a focus on developing young players while securing future draft capital. The team aimed to lay the groundwork for future success in the ensuing seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 17-55
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Houston Rockets Roster and Stats for 2020-21 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| James Harden | 8 | 24.8 | 5.1 | 10.4 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 34.7 | |||||||
| Victor Oladipo | 20 | 21.2 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 32.0 | |||||||
| Christian Wood | 41 | 21.0 | 9.6 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 37.4 | |||||||
| John Wall | 40 | 20.6 | 3.2 | 6.9 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 31.7 | |||||||
| Kelly Olynyk | 27 | 19.0 | 8.4 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 39.2 | |||||||
| Eric Gordon | 27 | 17.8 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 32.9 | |||||||
| Kevin Porter Jr. | 26 | 16.6 | 3.8 | 6.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 31.1 | |||||||
| Khyri Thomas | 5 | 16.4 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 33.3 | |||||||
| Jae'Sean Tate | 70 | 11.3 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 30.8 | |||||||
| Armoni Brooks | 20 | 11.1 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 38.2 | |||||||
| Cameron Oliver | 4 | 10.8 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 30.8 | |||||||
| D.J. Augustin | 20 | 10.6 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 38.6 | |||||||
| DeMarcus Cousins | 25 | 9.6 | 7.6 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 33.6 | |||||||
| KJ Martin | 45 | 9.3 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 36.5 | |||||||
| David Nwaba | 30 | 9.2 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 27.0 | |||||||
| Danuel House Jr. | 36 | 8.8 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 34.6 | |||||||
| Sterling Brown | 51 | 8.2 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 42.3 | |||||||
| Ben McLemore | 32 | 7.4 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 33.1 | |||||||
| Cameron Reynolds | 2 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25.0 | |||||||
| D.J. Wilson | 23 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 33.9 | |||||||
| Mason Jones | 26 | 5.8 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 35.9 | |||||||
| Anthony Lamb | 24 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 32.4 | |||||||
| Justin Patton | 13 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 26.5 | |||||||
| Avery Bradley | 17 | 5.2 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 27.0 | |||||||
| DaQuan Jeffries | 13 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 28.2 | |||||||
| P.J. Tucker | 32 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 31.4 | |||||||
| Bruno Caboclo | 6 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Brodric Thomas | 4 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 16.7 | |||||||
| Ray Spalding | 2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Rodions Kurucs | 11 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 13.3 | |||||||
Houston Rockets 2020-21 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2020-21 season for the Houston Rockets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2020 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 128-126 | |
| Dec 28, 2020 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 124-111 | |
| Dec 31, 2020 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 122-119 | |
| Jan 02, 2021 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 102-94 | |
| Jan 04, 2021 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 113-100 | |
| Jan 06, 2021 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 114-107 | |
| Jan 08, 2021 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 132-90 | |
| Jan 10, 2021 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-102 | |
| Jan 12, 2021 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 117-100 | |
| Jan 14, 2021 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 109-105 | |
| Jan 16, 2021 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 103-91 | |
| Jan 18, 2021 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 125-120 | |
| Jan 20, 2021 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 109-103 | |
| Jan 22, 2021 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 103-102 | |
| Jan 23, 2021 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 133-108 | |
| Jan 26, 2021 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 107-88 | |
| Jan 28, 2021 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 104-101 | |
| Jan 30, 2021 | @ New Orleans Pelicans | W 126-112 | |
| Feb 01, 2021 | @ Oklahoma City Thunder | W 136-106 | |
| Feb 03, 2021 | @ Oklahoma City Thunder | L 104-87 | |
| Feb 04, 2021 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 115-103 | |
| Feb 06, 2021 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 111-106 | |
| Feb 08, 2021 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 119-94 | |
| Feb 09, 2021 | @ New Orleans Pelicans | L 130-101 | |
| Feb 11, 2021 | vs. Miami Heat | L 101-94 | |
| Feb 13, 2021 | @ New York Knicks | L 121-99 | |
| Feb 15, 2021 | @ Washington Wizards | L 131-119 | |
| Feb 17, 2021 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 118-113 | |
| Feb 22, 2021 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 120-100 | |
| Feb 24, 2021 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 112-96 | |
| Feb 26, 2021 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 122-111 | |
| Feb 28, 2021 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | L 133-84 | |
| Mar 01, 2021 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 101-90 | |
| Mar 03, 2021 | vs. Brooklyn Nets | L 132-114 | |
| Mar 11, 2021 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 125-105 | |
| Mar 12, 2021 | @ Utah Jazz | L 114-99 | |
| Mar 14, 2021 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 134-107 | |
| Mar 16, 2021 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 119-107 | |
| Mar 17, 2021 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 108-94 | |
| Mar 19, 2021 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 113-100 | |
| Mar 21, 2021 | vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | L 114-112 | |
| Mar 22, 2021 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 117-99 | |
| Mar 24, 2021 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | L 122-97 | |
| Mar 26, 2021 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 107-101 | |
| Mar 27, 2021 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 129-107 | |
| Mar 29, 2021 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | L 120-110 | |
| Mar 31, 2021 | @ Brooklyn Nets | L 120-108 | |
| Apr 02, 2021 | @ Boston Celtics | L 118-102 | |
| Apr 04, 2021 | vs. New Orleans Pelicans | L 122-115 | |
| Apr 05, 2021 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 133-130 | |
| Apr 07, 2021 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 102-93 | |
| Apr 09, 2021 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 126-109 | |
| Apr 10, 2021 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 125-109 | |
| Apr 12, 2021 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 126-120 | |
| Apr 14, 2021 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 132-124 | |
| Apr 16, 2021 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 128-99 | |
| Apr 18, 2021 | @ Orlando Magic | W 114-110 | |
| Apr 19, 2021 | @ Miami Heat | L 113-91 | |
| Apr 21, 2021 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 112-89 | |
| Apr 23, 2021 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | L 109-104 | |
| Apr 24, 2021 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 129-116 | |
| Apr 27, 2021 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 114-107 | |
| Apr 29, 2021 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 143-136 | |
| May 01, 2021 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 113-87 | |
| May 02, 2021 | vs. New York Knicks | L 122-97 | |
| May 05, 2021 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 135-115 | |
| May 07, 2021 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 141-133 | |
| May 08, 2021 | @ Utah Jazz | L 124-116 | |
| May 10, 2021 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 140-129 | |
| May 12, 2021 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 124-122 | |
| May 14, 2021 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 122-115 | |
| May 16, 2021 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 124-95 |