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NBA professional basketball team season
The 1980β81 Houston Rockets season saw the Rockets lose the NBA Finals. The 1981 Rockets were the first team since the
1959 Minneapolis Lakers to make the NBA Finals with a losing record.
In the playoffs, the Rockets defeated the defending NBA champion
Los Angeles Lakers in three games in the First Round, then defeated the
San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Semifinals, and the
Kansas City Kings in five games in the conference finals, reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, only to fall to the
Boston Celtics in six games in the
NBA Finals .
Draft picks
[1]
[2]
Roster
1980β81 Houston Rockets roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
G
10
Dunleavy, Mike
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
ββ
South Carolina
SF
00
Garrett, Calvin
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
ββ
Oral Roberts
G
6
Henderson, Tom
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
ββ
HawaiΚ»i
F
11
Jones, Major
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
ββ
Albany State
G
30
Leavell, Allen
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
ββ
Oklahoma City
C
24
Malone, Moses
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
ββ
Petersburg HS (VA)
PG
23
Murphy, Calvin
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
ββ
Niagara
F/C
5
Paultz, Billy
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
ββ
St. John's
SF
50
Reid, Robert
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
ββ
St. Mary's (TX)
F
42
Stroud, John
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
ββ
Mississippi
F
45
Tomjanovich, Rudy
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
218 lb (99 kg)
ββ
Michigan
SF
32
Willoughby, Bill
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
ββ
Dwight Morrow HS (NJ)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Regular season
In the
1980β81 season , after the newly established
Dallas Mavericks became the third NBA team in Texas,
[3] the NBA restructured the conferences and sent the Rockets, who had previously played in the Eastern Conference, to the
Midwest Division of the
Western Conference . It was head coach Del Harris's second season, and he led Houston to a 40β42 record. The Rockets tied with the
Kansas City Kings for second place in the Midwest Division behind San Antonio. Houston had one game remaining to be played on its regular-season schedule when the team qualified for the
playoffs .
[4] During the season, point guard Calvin Murphy set two NBA records, both of which had previously been held by Rick Barry. Murphy sank 78 consecutive free throws, to break Barry's mark of 60 set in 1976, and Murphy's season free-throw percentage was .958, breaking Barry's record of .947 set in 1979 (when Barry had been a member of the Rockets).
[5]
Season standings
Notes
z , y β division champions
x β clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1980-81 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BOS
CHI
CLE
DAL
DEN
DET
GSW
HOU
IND
KCK
LAL
MIL
NJN
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SAS
SDC
SEA
UTA
WAS
Atlanta
β
2β4
2β4
1β5
2β0
1β1
4β2
2β0
1β1
1β5
1β1
0β2
1β5
3β2
2β4
1β5
0β2
1β1
1β1
1β1
1β1
2β0
1β4
Boston
4β2
β
5β1
4β1
2β0
2β0
4β1
1β1
2β0
3β3
1β1
2β0
3β3
6β0
5β1
3β3
2β0
2β0
2β0
2β0
1β1
1β1
5β1
Chicago
4β2
1β5
β
5β1
1β1
1β1
5β1
1β1
1β1
3β2
2β0
1β1
3β3
3β2
3β3
2β4
0β2
0β2
0β2
1β1
1β1
2β0
5β1
Cleveland
5β1
1β4
1β5
β
2β0
1β1
3β3
1β1
0β2
2β4
0β2
0β2
0β6
3β3
0β5
0β6
1β1
1β1
1β1
1β1
0β2
1β1
4β2
Dallas
0β2
0β2
1β1
0β2
β
3β3
0β2
2β3
0β6
0β2
0β6
0β5
0β2
1β1
1β1
0β2
1β4
1β4
1β5
2β3
1β4
1β5
0β2
Denver
1β1
0β2
1β1
1β1
3β3
β
2β0
3β2
2β4
1β1
4β2
3β2
1β1
1β1
0β2
1β1
1β4
2β3
2β4
3β2
3β2
2β4
0β2
Detroit
2β4
1β4
1β5
3β3
2β0
0β2
β
0β2
1β1
2β4
1β1
0β2
1β5
3β3
1β5
1β4
0β2
0β2
0β2
1β1
0β2
0β2
1β5
Golden State
0β2
1β1
1β1
1β1
3β2
2β3
2β0
β
3β2
1β1
5β0
1β5
1β1
1β1
2β0
0β2
2β4
2β4
1β4
2β4
3β3
4β1
1β1
Houston
1β1
0β2
1β1
2β0
6β0
4β2
1β1
2β3
β
1β1
2β4
2β3
0β2
2β0
0β2
0β2
1β4
3β2
3β3
1β4
4β1
4β2
0β2
Indiana
5β1
3β3
2β3
4β2
2β0
1β1
4β2
1β1
1β1
β
2β0
0β2
2β4
5β1
3β2
0β6
1β1
0β2
2β0
1β1
0β2
1β1
4β2
Kansas City
1β1
1β1
0β2
2β0
6β0
2β4
1β1
0β5
4β2
0β2
β
0β5
1β1
2β0
1β1
0β2
3β2
3β2
2β4
3β2
2β3
5β1
1β1
Los Angeles
2β0
0β2
1β1
2β0
5β0
2β3
2β0
5β1
3β2
2β0
5β0
β
0β2
2β0
2β0
1β1
2β4
3β3
2β3
3β3
6β0
3β2
1β1
Milwaukee
5β1
3β3
3β3
6β0
2β0
1β1
5β1
1β1
2β0
4β2
1β1
2β0
β
5β1
3β3
3β2
1β1
2β0
1β1
2β0
2β0
2β0
4β1
New Jersey
2β3
0β6
2β3
3β3
1β1
1β1
3β3
1β1
0β2
1β5
0β2
0β2
1β5
β
0β6
1β5
1β1
2β0
0β2
0β2
1β1
1β1
3β3
New York
4β2
1β5
3β3
5β0
1β1
2β0
5β1
0β2
2β0
2β3
1β1
0β2
3β3
6β0
β
3β3
1β1
1β1
0β2
2β0
2β0
2β0
4β2
Philadelphia
5β1
3β3
4β2
6β0
2β0
1β1
4β1
2β0
2β0
6β0
2β0
1β1
2β3
5β1
3β3
β
1β1
1β1
2β0
2β0
2β0
2β0
4β2
Phoenix
2β0
0β2
2β0
1β1
4β1
4β1
2β0
4β2
4β1
1β1
2β3
4β2
1β1
1β1
1β1
1β1
β
3β3
3β2
6β0
5β1
5β0
1β1
Portland
1β1
0β2
2β0
1β1
4β1
3β2
2β0
4β2
2β3
2β0
2β3
3β3
0β2
0β2
1β1
1β1
3β3
β
2β3
4β2
4β2
2β3
2β0
San Antonio
1β1
0β2
2β0
1β1
5β1
4β2
2β0
4β1
3β3
0β2
4β2
3β2
1β1
2β0
2β0
0β2
2β3
3β2
β
4β1
3β2
5β1
1β1
San Diego
1β1
0β2
1β1
1β1
3β2
2β3
1β1
4β2
4β1
1β1
2β3
3β3
0β2
2β0
0β2
0β2
0β6
2β4
1β4
β
5β1
3β2
0β2
Seattle
1β1
1β1
1β1
2β0
4β1
2β3
2β0
3β3
1β4
2β0
3β2
0β6
0β2
1β1
0β2
0β2
1β5
2β4
2β3
1β5
β
4β1
1β1
Utah
0β2
1β1
0β2
1β1
5β1
4β2
2β0
1β4
2β4
1β1
1β5
2β3
0β2
1β1
0β2
0β2
0β5
3β2
1β5
2β3
1β4
β
0β2
Washington
4β1
1β5
1β5
2β4
2β0
2β0
5β1
1β1
2β0
2β4
1β1
1β1
1β4
3β3
2β4
2β4
1β1
0β2
1β1
2β0
1β1
2β0
β
Game log
Regular season
1980β81 game log Total: 40β42 (home: 25β16; road: 15β26)
October: 4β5 (home: 2β2; road: 2β3)
November: 7β8 (home: 3β3; road: 4β5)
December: 5β9 (home: 3β3; road: 2β6)
January: 8β7 (home: 6β3; road: 2β4)
February: 9β5 (home: 6β3; road: 3β2)
March: 7β8 (home: 5β2; road: 2β6)
1980β81 schedule
Playoffs
1981 playoff game log
First Round: 2β1 (home: 0β1; road: 2β0)
Conference semifinals: 4β3 (home: 1β2; road: 3β1)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Series
1
April 7
@
San Antonio
W 107β98
Moses Malone (27)
Moses Malone (10)
Reid ,
Murphy (6)
HemisFair Arena 13,319
1β0
2
April 8
@
San Antonio
L 113β125
Calvin Murphy (34)
Moses Malone (12)
Robert Reid (10)
HemisFair Arena 12,128
1β1
3
April 10
San Antonio
W 112β99
Moses Malone (41)
Moses Malone (15)
Reid ,
Murphy (4)
The Summit 16,121
2β1
4
April 12
San Antonio
L 112β114
Robert Reid (33)
Moses Malone (9)
Reid ,
Henderson (6)
The Summit 16,121
2β2
5
April 14
@
San Antonio
W 123β117
Calvin Murphy (36)
Moses Malone (13)
Tom Henderson (7)
HemisFair Arena 16,114
3β2
6
April 15
San Antonio
L 96β101
Moses Malone (36)
Moses Malone (10)
Reid ,
Henderson (7)
The Summit 16,121
3β3
7
April 17
@
San Antonio
W 105β100
Calvin Murphy (42)
Moses Malone (16)
Tom Henderson (8)
HemisFair Arena 16,114
4β3
Conference finals: 4β1 (home: 2β0; road: 2β1)
NBA Finals: 2β4 (home: 1β2; road: 1β2)
1981 schedule
Player statistics
Season
Player
GP
GS
MPG
FG%
3FG%
FT%
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
PPG
Moses Malone
80
40.6
.522
.333
.757
14.8
1.8
1.0
1.9
27.8
Calvin Murphy
76
26.5
.492
.235
.958
1.1
2.9
1.5
0.1
16.7
Robert Reid
82
36.1
.482
.000
.756
7.1
4.2
2.0
0.8
15.9
Rudy Tomjanovich
52
24.3
.467
.235
.793
4.0
1.6
0.4
0.1
11.6
Mike Dunleavy
74
21.7
.491
.063
.839
1.6
3.6
0.9
0.0
10.5
Allen Leavell
79
21.3
.471
.118
.832
1.7
4.9
1.2
0.2
8.1
Billy Paultz
81
20.5
.507
.000
.490
4.8
1.3
0.3
0.9
7.4
Bill Willoughby
55
20.8
.523
.766
4.1
1.2
0.3
0.6
6.3
Calvin Garrett
70
23.4
.453
.333
.806
3.8
1.9
0.7
0.1
6.1
Tom Henderson
66
21.4
.413
.000
.821
1.6
4.7
0.8
0.1
5.3
[6]
Playoffs
Player
GP
GS
MPG
FG%
3FG%
FT%
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
PPG
Awards and records
Awards
Records
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(January 2011 )
Transactions
Trades
Free agents
Additions
Player
Signed
Former team
Subtractions
See also
References
Franchise Arenas Personnel G League affiliate Retired numbers NBA championships Rivalries Culture and lore
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s