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NBA professional basketball team season
The 1980–81 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 .
[ 1]
[ 2]
1980–81 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)
––
South Carolina
SF
00
Garrett, Calvin
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
––
Oral Roberts
G
6
Henderson, Tom
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
––
Hawaiʻi
F
11
Jones, Major
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
––
Albany State
G
30
Leavell, Allen
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
––
Oklahoma City
C
24
Malone, Moses
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
––
Petersburg HS (VA)
PG
23
Murphy, Calvin
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
––
Niagara
F/C
5
Paultz, Billy
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
––
St. John's
SF
50
Reid, Robert
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
––
St. Mary's (TX)
F
42
Stroud, John
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
––
Mississippi
F
45
Tomjanovich, Rudy
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
218 lb (99 kg)
––
Michigan
SF
32
Willoughby, Bill
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
––
Dwight Morrow HS (NJ)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
In the 1980–81 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 40–42 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]
Notes
z , y – division champions
x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents [ edit ]
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
—
2–4
2–4
1–5
2–0
1–1
4–2
2–0
1–1
1–5
1–1
0–2
1–5
3–2
2–4
1–5
0–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–0
1–4
Boston
4–2
—
5–1
4–1
2–0
2–0
4–1
1–1
2–0
3–3
1–1
2–0
3–3
6–0
5–1
3–3
2–0
2–0
2–0
2–0
1–1
1–1
5–1
Chicago
4–2
1–5
—
5–1
1–1
1–1
5–1
1–1
1–1
3–2
2–0
1–1
3–3
3–2
3–3
2–4
0–2
0–2
0–2
1–1
1–1
2–0
5–1
Cleveland
5–1
1–4
1–5
—
2–0
1–1
3–3
1–1
0–2
2–4
0–2
0–2
0–6
3–3
0–5
0–6
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
0–2
1–1
4–2
Dallas
0–2
0–2
1–1
0–2
—
3–3
0–2
2–3
0–6
0–2
0–6
0–5
0–2
1–1
1–1
0–2
1–4
1–4
1–5
2–3
1–4
1–5
0–2
Denver
1–1
0–2
1–1
1–1
3–3
—
2–0
3–2
2–4
1–1
4–2
3–2
1–1
1–1
0–2
1–1
1–4
2–3
2–4
3–2
3–2
2–4
0–2
Detroit
2–4
1–4
1–5
3–3
2–0
0–2
—
0–2
1–1
2–4
1–1
0–2
1–5
3–3
1–5
1–4
0–2
0–2
0–2
1–1
0–2
0–2
1–5
Golden State
0–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
3–2
2–3
2–0
—
3–2
1–1
5–0
1–5
1–1
1–1
2–0
0–2
2–4
2–4
1–4
2–4
3–3
4–1
1–1
Houston
1–1
0–2
1–1
2–0
6–0
4–2
1–1
2–3
—
1–1
2–4
2–3
0–2
2–0
0–2
0–2
1–4
3–2
3–3
1–4
4–1
4–2
0–2
Indiana
5–1
3–3
2–3
4–2
2–0
1–1
4–2
1–1
1–1
—
2–0
0–2
2–4
5–1
3–2
0–6
1–1
0–2
2–0
1–1
0–2
1–1
4–2
Kansas City
1–1
1–1
0–2
2–0
6–0
2–4
1–1
0–5
4–2
0–2
—
0–5
1–1
2–0
1–1
0–2
3–2
3–2
2–4
3–2
2–3
5–1
1–1
Los Angeles
2–0
0–2
1–1
2–0
5–0
2–3
2–0
5–1
3–2
2–0
5–0
—
0–2
2–0
2–0
1–1
2–4
3–3
2–3
3–3
6–0
3–2
1–1
Milwaukee
5–1
3–3
3–3
6–0
2–0
1–1
5–1
1–1
2–0
4–2
1–1
2–0
—
5–1
3–3
3–2
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
2–0
2–0
4–1
New Jersey
2–3
0–6
2–3
3–3
1–1
1–1
3–3
1–1
0–2
1–5
0–2
0–2
1–5
—
0–6
1–5
1–1
2–0
0–2
0–2
1–1
1–1
3–3
New York
4–2
1–5
3–3
5–0
1–1
2–0
5–1
0–2
2–0
2–3
1–1
0–2
3–3
6–0
—
3–3
1–1
1–1
0–2
2–0
2–0
2–0
4–2
Philadelphia
5–1
3–3
4–2
6–0
2–0
1–1
4–1
2–0
2–0
6–0
2–0
1–1
2–3
5–1
3–3
—
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–0
2–0
2–0
4–2
Phoenix
2–0
0–2
2–0
1–1
4–1
4–1
2–0
4–2
4–1
1–1
2–3
4–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
—
3–3
3–2
6–0
5–1
5–0
1–1
Portland
1–1
0–2
2–0
1–1
4–1
3–2
2–0
4–2
2–3
2–0
2–3
3–3
0–2
0–2
1–1
1–1
3–3
—
2–3
4–2
4–2
2–3
2–0
San Antonio
1–1
0–2
2–0
1–1
5–1
4–2
2–0
4–1
3–3
0–2
4–2
3–2
1–1
2–0
2–0
0–2
2–3
3–2
—
4–1
3–2
5–1
1–1
San Diego
1–1
0–2
1–1
1–1
3–2
2–3
1–1
4–2
4–1
1–1
2–3
3–3
0–2
2–0
0–2
0–2
0–6
2–4
1–4
—
5–1
3–2
0–2
Seattle
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–0
4–1
2–3
2–0
3–3
1–4
2–0
3–2
0–6
0–2
1–1
0–2
0–2
1–5
2–4
2–3
1–5
—
4–1
1–1
Utah
0–2
1–1
0–2
1–1
5–1
4–2
2–0
1–4
2–4
1–1
1–5
2–3
0–2
1–1
0–2
0–2
0–5
3–2
1–5
2–3
1–4
—
0–2
Washington
4–1
1–5
1–5
2–4
2–0
2–0
5–1
1–1
2–0
2–4
1–1
1–1
1–4
3–3
2–4
2–4
1–1
0–2
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
—
1980–81 game log Total: 40–42 (home: 25–16; road: 15–26)
October: 4–5 (home: 2–2; road: 2–3)
November: 7–8 (home: 3–3; road: 4–5)
December: 5–9 (home: 3–3; road: 2–6)
January: 8–7 (home: 6–3; road: 2–4)
February: 9–5 (home: 6–3; road: 3–2)
March: 7–8 (home: 5–2; road: 2–6)
1980–81 schedule
1981 playoff game log
First Round: 2–1 (home: 0–1; road: 2–0)
Conference semifinals: 4–3 (home: 1–2; road: 3–1)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Series
1
April 7
@ San Antonio
W 107–98
Moses Malone (27)
Moses Malone (10)
Reid , Murphy (6)
HemisFair Arena 13,319
1–0
2
April 8
@ San Antonio
L 113–125
Calvin Murphy (34)
Moses Malone (12)
Robert Reid (10)
HemisFair Arena 12,128
1–1
3
April 10
San Antonio
W 112–99
Moses Malone (41)
Moses Malone (15)
Reid , Murphy (4)
The Summit 16,121
2–1
4
April 12
San Antonio
L 112–114
Robert Reid (33)
Moses Malone (9)
Reid , Henderson (6)
The Summit 16,121
2–2
5
April 14
@ San Antonio
W 123–117
Calvin Murphy (36)
Moses Malone (13)
Tom Henderson (7)
HemisFair Arena 16,114
3–2
6
April 15
San Antonio
L 96–101
Moses Malone (36)
Moses Malone (10)
Reid , Henderson (7)
The Summit 16,121
3–3
7
April 17
@ San Antonio
W 105–100
Calvin Murphy (42)
Moses Malone (16)
Tom Henderson (8)
HemisFair Arena 16,114
4–3
Conference finals: 4–1 (home: 2–0; road: 2–1)
NBA Finals: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)
1981 schedule
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]
Player
GP
GS
MPG
FG%
3FG%
FT%
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
PPG
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