The

1987–88 NBA season The 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their second straight Championship, beating the Detroit Pistons in seven hard-fought games in the NBA Fina ...

was the Rockets' 21st season in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

and 17th season in the city of

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

.1987-88 Houston Rockets
/ref> The Rockets finished fourth in the Midwest Division with a 46–36 record.

Akeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon ( ; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian and American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston R ...

was selected for the

1988 NBA All-Star Game The 38th National Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on February 7, 1988, at Chicago Stadium in Chicago. The East won the game 138-133 and Michael Jordan (who scored a game-high 40 points) was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valua ...

. In the first round of the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

, the Rockets lost in four games to the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

:z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Regular season

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 ,
9:30p.m. CST , @ L.A. Lakers
L 92–101
, Olajuwon (26) , Olajuwon (11) ,

Conner Conner or Conners may refer to: People * Conner (surname) * Conner (given name) * Conners (surname) Places * La Conner, a town in the state of Washington, United States * Mount Conner, Northern Territory, Australia * Conner, Apayao, a municip ...

,
Leavell (4) , The Forum
17,505 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 ,
7:30p.m. CST ,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

W 101–93
, Olajuwon (19) , Olajuwon (16) , Leavell,

Maxwell Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...

(3) , The Summit
16,614 , 4–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 9 ,
6:30p.m. CST , @

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

L 94–104
, Olajuwon (17) ,

Sampson Sampson may refer to: Military * , several Royal Navy ships * , several US Navy ships * Sampson-class destroyer, a World War I US Navy class * Sampson Air Force Base, near Seneca Lake, New York, closed in 1956 * SAMPSON, a multi-function radar ...

(9) , Leavell,
McCray (7) ,

The Omni Omni Coliseum (often called The Omni) was an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378 for basketball and 15,278 for ice hockey, hockey. It was part of the Omni Complex, now known as the CNN Cente ...

16,451 , 6–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 10 ,
7:00p.m. CST ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

L 83–97
, Olajuwon (21) , Olajuwon (15) , Short (5) , The Summit
16,611 , 6–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 12 ,
8:30p.m. CST , @

L 96–118
,

(19) ,

(11) ,

,
McCray (3) ,

Salt Palace The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, more commonly known as the Salt Palace, is a convention center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Named after Utah's 11th governor, Calvin L. Rampton, the moniker "Salt Palace" was previously used by ...

12,212 , 7–5 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 18 ,
7:30p.m. CST ,

W 98–93
, Leavell (20) , Olajuwon (14) , Leavell (8) , The Summit
16,611 , 11–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 23 ,
7:30p.m. CST ,

W 122–103
, Floyd (27) , McCray,
Olajuwon (13) , McCray (9) , The Summit
16,611 , 12–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 24 ,
7:30p.m. CST , @

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

L 100–105
, Olajuwon (24) , Olajuwon (14) , Leavell (7) ,

Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion, Dallas, Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Ass ...

17,007 , 12–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 25 ,
6:30p.m. CST , @

W 101–91
, Carroll (25) , Olajuwon (14) , Floyd (6) ,

Pontiac Silverdome The Pontiac Silverdome (also known as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, the fi ...

26,498 , 13–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 28 ,
7:30p.m. CST ,

W 117–107
, Olajuwon (31) , Olajuwon (11) , Floyd (11) , The Summit
16,611 , 16–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 35 ,
4:00p.m. CST , @ L.A. Lakers
L 110–121
, Olajuwon (24) , Olajuwon (9) , Floyd (7) , The Forum
17,505 , 20–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 40 ,
7:30p.m. CST , @

W 108–92
, Olajuwon (29) , McCray (12) , Floyd (8) ,

17,007 , 23–17 , - align="center" , colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff", All-Star Break , - style="background:#cfc;" , - bgcolor="#bbffbb" , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 43 ,
7:30p.m. CST ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

W 129–120
, Olajuwon (30) , Olajuwon (16) , Floyd (7) , The Summit
16,611 , 26–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 48 ,
7:30p.m. CST , L.A. Lakers
L 96–111
, Olajuwon (20) , Olajuwon (20) , Floyd (6) , The Summit
16,611 , 29–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 51 ,
7:30p.m. CST ,

L 106–108
, Floyd (22) , McCray (13) , Floyd (11) , The Summit
16,611 , 31–20 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 54 ,
8:30p.m. CST , @

L 112–113
, Olajuwon (27) , McCray (13) , Short (5) ,

12,444 , 32–22 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 56 ,
7:00p.m. CST , @

L 110–118
, Olajuwon,
Short (22) , Olajuwon (12) , Leavell,

Reid Reid is a surname of Scotland, Scottish origin. It means "red". People with the surname * Alec Cunningham-Reid (1895–1977), British politician * Alan Reid (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Reid (disambiguation), multiple people * Alexan ...

(7) ,

17,007 , 33–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 64 ,
9:30p.m. CST , @ L.A. Lakers
L 95–117
, Carroll (16) , Olajuwon (10) , Leavell (6) , The Forum
17,505 , 38–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 68 ,
6:30p.m. CST , @

L 110–117
,

Johnson Johnson may refer to: People and fictional characters *Johnson (surname), a common surname in English * Johnson (given name), a list of people * List of people with surname Johnson, including fictional characters *Johnson (composer) (1953–2011) ...

(18) , McCray (10) , Floyd,
Short (5) ,

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (later ...

14,890 , 40–28 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 72 ,
7:30p.m. CDT ,

W 113–107
, Olajuwon (22) , Olajuwon (15) , Olajuwon (6) , The Summit
16,611 , 42–30 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 78 ,
12Noon CDT , L.A. Lakers
W 127–119
, Olajuwon (38) , Carroll (10) , Floyd (9) , The Summit
16,611 , 45–33 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 79 ,
7:30p.m. CDT ,

L 96–104
, Olajuwon (33) , Olajuwon (9) , Floyd (8) , The Summit
16,611 , 45–34 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 81 ,
8:30p.m. CDT , @

L 107–125
, Carroll (24) , Olajuwon (12) , Floyd (7) ,

12,444 , 45–36

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 ,
7:30p.m. CDT , @

L 110–120
, Olajuwon (34) , Olajuwon (14) , Floyd (11) ,

17,007 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 ,
2:30p.m. CDT , @

W 119–108
, Floyd (42) , Olajuwon (26) , Floyd (9) ,

17,007 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 ,
7:30p.m. CDT ,

L 92–93
, Olajuwon (35) , Olajuwon (12) , Floyd (5) , The Summit
16,611 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 ,
7:00p.m. CDT ,

L 97–107
, Olajuwon (40) , Olajuwon (15) , Floyd (9) , The Summit
16,611 , 1–3 , -

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...

* Rodney McCray,

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Regular season

Playoffs

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Transactions

References

See also