1997–98 Houston Rockets season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Rockets' 31st season in the National Basketball Association, and 27th season in Houston. The Rockets went on a nine-game winning streak early into the season winning 12 of their first 17 games. However, they began to show their age and the wear and tear of long playoff runs as they played mediocre basketball all season. Hakeem Olajuwon missed most of the first half of the season with a knee injury only playing just 47 games. The Rockets finished fourth in the Midwest Division with a 41–41 record, and qualified the playoffs as the #8 seed. In the first round of the playoffs, in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, the Rockets took a 2–1 series lead over the top-seeded Utah Jazz. However, they would lose the series in five games. Charles Barkley sat out Game 5 with a torn triceps muscle as the Jazz defeated the Rockets 84–70.
This marked the final season for Clyde Drexler, as he retired to take over the head coaching job at the University of Houston, ending his fifteen-year career. Also following the season, Kevin Willis was traded to the Toronto Raptors, and Mario Elie signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs.Offseason
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 24 | Rodrick Rhodes | SG | United States | USC |
| 2 | 29 | Serge Zwikker | C | Netherlands | North Carolina |
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Playoffs
West First Round
Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets
Last Playoff Meeting: 1997 Western Conference FinalsPlayer statistics
Season
Playoffs
Transactions
