| Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets | |
|---|---|
| History | |
| Post Season Meetings | 20–15 (LAL) |
| 1981 Western Conference Quarterfinals | Rockets won, 2-1 |
| 1986 Western Conference Finals | Rockets won, 4-1 |
| 1990 Western Conference Quarterfinals | Lakers won, 3-1 |
| 1991 Western Conference Quarterfinals | Lakers won, 3-0 |
| 1996 Western Conference Quarterfinals | Rockets won, 3-1 |
| 1999 Western Conference Quarterfinals | Lakers won, 3–1 |
| 2004 Western Conference Quarterfinals | Lakers won, 4–1 |
| 2009 Western Conference Semifinals | Lakers won, 4–3 |
The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers rivalry began in the 1980s during the Lakers' "Showtime" era (though it had roots in 1967, when the Rockets began play in San Diego, over 100 miles to the south of Los Angeles; poor performance and low attendance led the Rockets to move to Houston in 1971). The two teams have met seven times in the postseason. In the 1980s the Rockets or the Lakers represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Since 1980 the Lakers have won 8 NBA championships appearing in 14 NBA Finals, while the Rockets have won 2 NBA championships appearing in 4 NBA Finals.
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The two met in the first round of the 1981 NBA Playoffs (best 2 out of 3), where the Lakers came in as the defending NBA champions led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to face the Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone, who struggled to reach the postseason with a 40-42 record. The Rockets won Game 1 111-107, but the Lakers won Game 2 111-106. The Rockets won the decisive Game 3 in L.A. 89-86 in one of the biggest upsets in NBA history, a team that had not even won half their regular season games had defeated the defending NBA world champions. The Rockets went on an improbable run to the NBA Finals before losing to the Boston Celtics. The Rockets remain the only team under .500 to appear in the NBA Finals.
The two met again in the 1986 Western Conference Finals where the Lakers, led by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, were again the defending NBA champions and faced the Houston Rockets led by the "Twin Towers" of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Unlike 1981, the Rockets were a formidable foe winning 51 games and the Midwest Division title. After the Lakers won Game 1 the Rockets won four straight games, eliminating the Lakers in Game 5. Game 5 was one of the most memorable games in playoff history. With the game tied at 112 and a fraction of a second left, Ralph Sampson made a 12-foot no-look off-balance miracle jumper at the buzzer to give the Rockets their second trip to the NBA Finals. The Rockets went on to lose to the Celtics again in six games.
The two met again, this time in 1990 in the first round. The Lakers were playing their first postseason in the "Showtime" era without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with rookie Vlade Divac taking his place. The Lakers won the first two games in Los Angeles before the Rockets won Game 3, but the Lakers eliminated the Rockets in the fourth game, and the Lakers finally got their revenge on their rivals. The Lakers however were eliminated in the West Semifinals losing to the Phoenix Suns in five games.
The Rockets and Lakers met again in 1991 in the first round. This time the Lakers were led by new coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr., a former Rocket. The Lakers won 58 games in the regular season but for the first time since 1981 did not finish with the best record in the west. The Rockets, despite having Hakeem Olajuwon miss 26 games, finished with an impressive 52 wins, and Rockets coach Don Chaney was named the NBA coach of the year. However, the Lakers swept the Rockets 3-0 in the series and the Lakers went on to the NBA Finals but lost to the Chicago Bulls in five games. The 1991 NBA Finals proved to be the last NBA Finals appearance of Magic Johnson and James Worthy. Since winning the 1986 Western Conference championship the Rockets have lost five straight seasons in the first round.
The 1996 first-round meeting between these two teams featured the first time that the Houston Rockets were the defending NBA champions. During the season Magic Johnson made a comeback attempt, playing in his first NBA regular season game since 1991. The Lakers were primarily led by Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel, Vlade Divac and Cedric Ceballos. The Rockets were led by future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. At the time, this matchup was one of the most hyped first-round matchups in NBA history. The Rockets and Lakers split the first two games in Los Angeles. However, the Rockets won the next two games in Houston and won the series 3-1. The Rockets went on to be swept in the Western Conference Seminfinals by the Seattle Supersonics. This series marked the last time Magic Johnson played an NBA game.
The 1999 first-round matchup featured a star-studded lineup for both teams. The Lakers were led by the trio of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Glen Rice. The Rockets were led by a future Hall of Fame frontcourt led by Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Scottie Pippen. The 1999 matchup featured Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal meeting for the first time since the 1995 NBA Finals. The Lakers won the first two games at home, but led by Charles Barkley's triple double the Rockets took game 3. The Lakers won game 4 and eliminated the Rockets. The Lakers went on to be swept by the San Antonio Spurs who went on to win the NBA championship. However, the Lakers hired former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson and won three straight NBA titles. This matchup was the last postseason series for Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley.
Shaquille O'Neal received some media flak for mocking Chinese speech when interviewed about newcomer center Yao Ming, but he was able to downplay the media attention to the event. Yao himself stated he did not find it offensive, but could see how others might misinterpret the remark as a racist comment. ESPN's highest-rated regular season contest was the first matchup between Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming in Houston. The game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets scored a 3.82 cable Nielsen rating. The Rockets would win the game 111-107.
The two teams met again in the 2004 NBA Playoffs with the Lakers the favorite to win the NBA championship. The Lakers added future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton to go with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. The Rockets were a young team led by All-stars Yao Ming and Steve Francis, both making their postseason debut. At this time it is the only postseason meeting between Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers won game 1 thanks to a Shaquille O'Neal putback dunk in the final seconds. Jim Jackson missed a 3-pointer that would have won game at the buzzer. The Lakers won game 2 easily, taking a 2-0 lead to Houston. The Rockets won Game 3 led by Steve Francis's first-ever playoff triple-double. It would be the first postseason victory for the Rockets since Game 3 of the 1999 NBA playoffs against the Lakers. The Lakers won game 4 in a 91-87 overtime thriller. Steve Francis hit a jumper with under a minute remaining to send the game into overtime. The Rockets held an 87-83 lead with less than two minutes left. The key play was a Kobe Bryant three-point play to not only give the Lakers the lead but foul out Rockets center Yao Ming. The Lakers blew out the Rockets in Game 5 and won the series 4-1. The Lakers went on to the NBA Finals but were shocked by the Detroit Pistons in five games. The Lakers in the offseason traded away Shaquille O'Neal. The Rockets also traded one of their players from the series, trading Steve Francis for Tracy McGrady in a seven-player deal. The Rockets and Lakers renewed their rivalry when they met in the second round of the 2009 NBA playoffs.
The Rockets and Lakers met again during the playoffs in 2009. The Lakers were heavy favorites to win and had won the season series 4-0. In Game 1, the Rockets shocked the Lakers with a 100-92 victory, in which Yao Ming scored 8 consecutive points in the final minutes after hurting his knee. The Lakers won the next two games to take a 2-1 series lead. In Game 3, Yao Ming suffered an injury to his foot in the fourth quarter that was later reported to keep him out for the rest of the postseason. However, the Rockets defeated the Lakers 99-87 in Game 4 in what was later deemed as Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks' "coming-out party." In Game 5, the Lakers crushed the Rockets in Los Angeles 118-78, but the Rockets earned a 95-80 victory in Game 6, which drew 7.35 million viewers, making it the most-watched basketball game ever on ESPN. However, the Lakers decisively took Game 7 89-70 en route to a 4-3 series victory. They would go on to win the NBA championship against the Orlando Magic. The Rockets were the only team in the 2009 playoffs to force a 7-game series against the Lakers. In the offseason, the Lakers signed Rockets forward Ron Artest in free agency. This caused Lakers forward Trevor Ariza, who was a key part in the Lakers' championship, to sign with the Rockets.
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