1972–73 Houston Rockets season

The 1972-73 NBA season was the Rockets' 6th season in the NBA and 2nd season in the city of Houston.^[1]

1972–73 Houston Rockets season
Head coach	Tex Winter (fired) Johnny Egan
General manager	Ray Patterson
Owners	Wayne Duddlesten Billy Goldberg Mickey Herskowitz
Arena	Hofheinz Pavilion
Results
Record	33–49 (.402)
Place	Division: 3rd (Central) Conference: 5th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	KHTV
Radio	KPRC
< 1971–72 1973–74 >

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1972 NBA draft

Roster

Houston Rockets roster v t e
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From F 24 Marin, Jack 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Duke SG 40 McKenzie, Stan 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) NYU F/C 20 Moore, Otto 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Texas–Pan American G 23 Murphy, Calvin 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Niagara G 14 Newlin, Mike 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Utah F 6 Smith, Don 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Iowa State F 45 Tomjanovich, Rudy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 218 lb (99 kg) Michigan G 11 Walker, Jimmy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Providence	Head coach Johnny Egan Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended   Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
y-Baltimore Bullets	52	30	.634	–	24–9	21–17	7–4	17–5
x-Atlanta Hawks	46	36	.561	6	28–13	17–23	1–0	10–12
Houston Rockets	33	49	.402	19	14–14	10–28	9–7	9–13
Cleveland Cavaliers	32	50	.390	20	20–21	10–27	2–2	8–14

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT
1	z-Boston Celtics	68	14	.829
2	x-New York Knicks	57	25	.695
3	y-Baltimore Bullets	52	30	.634
4	x-Atlanta Hawks	46	36	.561
5	Houston Rockets	33	49	.402
6	Cleveland Cavaliers	32	50	.390
7	Buffalo Braves	21	61	.256
8	Philadelphia 76ers	9	73	.110

Record vs. opponents

1972–73 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CLE	DET	GSW	HOU	KCO	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SEA
Atlanta	—	3–4	1–5	5–1	2–2	3–4	2–2	1–3	4–4	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–3	6–0	3–1	4–0	3–1
Baltimore	4–3	—	1–5	5–1	0–4	8–0	2–2	3–1	5–2	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–3	5–1	2–2	4–0	4–0
Boston	5–1	5–1	—	7–0	3–1	5–1	3–1	3–1	5–1	3–1	4–0	2–2	4–4	7–0	4–0	4–0	4–0
Buffalo	1–5	1–5	0–7	—	2–2	1–5	1–3	0–4	1–5	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–6	7–1	1–3	2–2	2–2
Chicago	2–2	4–0	1–3	2–2	—	3–1	3–4	3–3	4–0	5–2	1–5	2–4	3–1	4–0	4–2	5–1	5–1
Cleveland	4–3	0–8	1–5	5–1	1–3	—	1–3	1–3	4–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–6	6–0	1–3	1–3	3–1
Detroit	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	4–3	3–1	—	2–4	1–3	3–3	1–5	2–5	1–3	3–1	4–2	6–0	2–4
Golden State	3–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	3–3	3–1	4–2	—	3–1	4–2	3–4	1–5	2–2	4–0	2–4	5–1	4–3
Houston	4–4	2–5	1–5	5–1	0–4	3–4	3–1	1–3	—	0–4	1–3	1–3	1–5	5–1	2–2	2–2	2–2
Kansas City-Omaha	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–5	2–2	3–3	2–4	4–0	—	1–5	1–6	0–4	3–1	3–3	4–2	4–2
Los Angeles	1–3	3–1	0–4	4–0	5–1	3–1	5–1	4–3	3–1	5–1	—	3–3	2–2	4–0	6–1	6–0	6–0
Milwaukee	3–1	2–2	2–2	4–0	4–2	3–1	5–2	5–1	3–1	6–1	3–3	—	2–2	3–1	5–1	5–1	5–1
New York	3–3	3–3	4–4	6–1	1–3	6–0	3–1	2–2	5–1	4–0	2–2	2–2	—	6–1	3–1	3–1	4–0
Philadelphia	0–6	1–5	0–7	1–7	0–4	0–6	1–3	0–4	1–5	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–6	—	0–4	1–3	1–3
Phoenix	1–3	2–2	0–4	3–1	2–4	3–1	2–4	4–2	2–2	3–3	1–6	1–5	1–3	4–0	—	5–2	4–2
Portland	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–5	3–1	0–6	1–5	2–2	2–4	0–6	1–5	1–3	3–1	2–5	—	3–4
Seattle	1–3	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–5	1–3	4–2	3–4	2–2	2–4	0–6	1–5	0–4	3–1	2–4	4–3	—

Game log

1972–73 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 13	@ Cleveland	109–108	Rudy Tomjanovich (21)	1–0
2	October 14	@ Buffalo	121–113	Mike Newlin (25)	2–0
3	October 17	@ New York	95–103	Marin, Walker (21)	2–1
4	October 20	Atlanta	108–120	Jimmy Walker (29)	3–1
5	October 21	Chicago	130–97	Calvin Murphy (18)	3–2
6	October 25	N Los Angeles	112–107	Don Smith^[a] (23)	3–3
7	October 27	Detroit	118–130	Jimmy Walker (30)	4–3
8	October 31	@ Atlanta	106–105	Jack Marin (26)	5–3
9	November 1	@ Philadelphia	108–104	Rudy Tomjanovich (23)	6–3
10	November 3	Atlanta	114–108	Cliff Meely (21)	6–4
11	November 4	N Detroit	118–108	Otto Moore (30)	7–4
12	November 7	@ Los Angeles	109–122	Mike Newlin (30)	7–5
13	November 10	@ Phoenix	109–115	Jimmy Walker (24)	7–6
14	November 11	N Philadelphia	114–112	Jack Marin (30)	7–7
15	November 14	@ Baltimore	103–104	Jack Marin (31)	7–8
16	November 16	@ New York	100–119	Jack Marin (22)	7–9
17	November 18	@ Kansas City–Omaha	117–127	Jimmy Walker (26)	7–10
18	November 21	@ Chicago	105–113	Jimmy Walker (30)	7–11
19	November 22	Golden State	104–132	Jack Marin (27)	8–11
20	November 25	Seattle	109–114	Jack Marin (28)	9–11
21	November 28	N Baltimore	90–108	Murphy, Walker (23)	9–12
22	November 29	N Baltimore	102–94	Jack Marin (21)	10–12
23	December 1	@ Baltimore	96–103	Jack Marin (20)	10–13
24	December 2	Kansas City–Omaha	114–109	Jimmy Walker (32)	10–14
25	December 5	@ Golden State	101–108	Rudy Tomjanovich (22)	10–15
26	December 8	Portland	108–114	Jimmy Walker (24)	11–15
27	December 12	@ Buffalo	94–95	Marin, Moore (20)	11–16
28	December 15	@ Baltimore	91–94	Jimmy Walker (21)	11–17
29	December 16	@ Detroit	123–112	Jimmy Walker (30)	12–17
30	December 17	@ Cleveland	110–109	Jack Marin (35)	13–17
31	December 20	N New York	124–102	Jimmy Walker (25)	13–18
32	December 22	Philadelphia	103–116	Jack Marin (29)	14–18
33	December 26	Phoenix	110–113	Rudy Tomjanovich (31)	15–18
34	December 27	Los Angeles	104–136	Mike Newlin (24)	16–18
35	December 29	Milwaukee	114–101	Jack Marin (25)	16–19
36	January 2	Boston	130–110	Jimmy Walker (25)	16–20
37	January 3	Boston	112–123	Mike Newlin (29)	17–20
38	January 4	@ Chicago	97–111	Rudy Tomjanovich (26)	17–21
39	January 6	@ New York	106–116	Jack Marin (24)	17–22
40	January 7	@ Cleveland	97–102	Marin, Walker (22)	17–23
41	January 9	@ Atlanta	114–120	Tomjanovich, Walker (25)	17–24
42	January 10	@ Boston	107–128	Calvin Murphy (20)	17–25
43	January 12	New York	104–103	Smith, Tomjanovich (20)	17–26
44	January 13	Cleveland	123–115	Calvin Murphy (20)	17–27
45	January 17	N Golden State	117–123	Don Smith (21)	17–28
46	January 19	Cleveland	108–104	Mike Newlin (24)	17–29
47	January 20	Portland	130–115	Meely, Murphy (19)	17–30
48	January 21	New York	103–107	Mike Newlin (25)	18–30
49	January 25	N Milwaukee	125–129	Rudy Tomjanovich (29)	19–30
50	January 26	@ Boston	126–139	Calvin Murphy (27)	19–31
51	January 28	Atlanta	108–116	Jimmy Walker (28)	20–31
52	January 30	@ Portland	123–120	Rudy Tomjanovich (31)	21–31
53	January 31	@ Seattle	109–118	Rudy Tomjanovich (25)	21–32
54	February 2	@ Los Angeles	109–126	Mike Newlin (30)	21–33
55	February 3	@ Phoenix	123–132	Rudy Tomjanovich (27)	21–34
56	February 4	N Buffalo	130–118	Jack Marin (30)	22–34
57	February 6	N Philadelphia	117–123	Rudy Tomjanovich (35)	23–34
58	February 9	Kansas City–Omaha	121–116	Jack Marin (35)	23–35
59	February 10	@ Atlanta	91–103	Rudy Tomjanovich (24)	23–36
60	February 13	@ Kansas City–Omaha	118–132	Mike Newlin (34)	23–37
61	February 16	@ Milwaukee	103–105	Rudy Tomjanovich (29)	23–38
62	February 17	Phoenix	111–127	Rudy Tomjanovich (28)	24–38
63	February 18	Chicago	110–99	Rudy Tomjanovich (22)	24–39
64	February 21	N Seattle	107–139	Rudy Tomjanovich (37)	25–39
65	February 23	N Philadelphia	116–138	Jack Marin (30)	26–39
66	February 25	@ Detroit	112–129	Mike Newlin (24)	26–40
67	February 27	@ Buffalo	112–105	Mike Newlin (29)	27–40
68	March 3	@ Atlanta	125–136	Rudy Tomjanovich (32)	27–41
69	March 4	Milwaukee	116–101	Jack Marin (19)	27–42
70	March 7	N Cleveland	100–118	Rudy Tomjanovich (25)	27–43
71	March 9	Baltimore	109–104	Murphy, Newlin (21)	27–44
72	March 10	Cleveland	116–131	Rudy Tomjanovich (34)	28–44
73	March 11	Atlanta	118–129	Jack Marin (35)	29–44
74	March 15	@ Golden State	125–141	Rudy Tomjanovich (37)	29–45
75	March 16	@ Portland	128–141	Rudy Tomjanovich (28)	29–46
76	March 18	@ Seattle	112–121	Tomjanovich, Walker (27)	29–47
77	March 20	N Boston	89–94	Rudy Tomjanovich (21)	29–48
78	March 21	@ Baltimore	118–110	Rudy Tomjanovich (26)	30–48
79	March 23	@ Philadelphia	132–112	Rudy Tomjanovich (28)	31–48
80	March 25	Boston	125–121	Mike Newlin (36)	31–49
81	March 27	N Buffalo	121–111	Rudy Tomjanovich (25)	32–49
82	March 28	N Buffalo	138–122	Calvin Murphy (31)	33–49

Notes

1. Changed his name to Zaid Abdul-Aziz in 1976.

References

1. 1972–73 Houston Rockets