1988–89 Houston Rockets season

The 1988–89 NBA season was the 22nd season for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association, and their 18th season in Houston, Texas. The city of Houston also hosted the NBA All-Star Game at The Summit this season. During the off-season, the Rockets acquired Otis Thorpe from the Sacramento Kings, signed free agent Mike Woodson, and hired Don Chaney as their new head coach. At mid-season, the team signed free agent Walter Berry, who was previously released by the New Jersey Nets.

The Rockets won seven of their first ten games of the regular season, then posted a six-game winning streak in December, and held a 28–18 record at the All-Star break. Despite a 7-game losing streak between February and March, the team finished in second place in the Midwest Division with a 45–37 record, and earned the #5 seed in the Western Conference.

Akeem Olajuwon averaged 24.8 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game. In addition, Thorpe averaged 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Sleepy Floyd contributed 14.2 points, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and led the Rockets with 109 three-point field goals, Woodson provided the team with 12.9 points per game, and Buck Johnson contributed 9.6 points per game. Olajuwon also finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

In the 1989 NBA playoffs, the Rockets lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in four games in the Western Conference First Round, losing Game 4 at home by just two points, 98–96.

Following the season, Purvis Short signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets, and Berry left to play overseas in Italy after only three seasons in the NBA.