Editing Houston Rockets (section)

===1976–1982: The Moses Malone era===
In the [[1975–76 NBA season|1975–76 season]] the Rockets finally had a permanent home in Houston as they moved into [[The Summit (Houston)|The Summit]], which they would call home for the next 29 years. During the period, the franchise was owned by Kenneth Schnitzer, developer of the [[Greenway Plaza]] which included The Summit.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/03/business/kenneth-l-schnitzer-70-dies-innovative-houston-developer.html|title=Kenneth L. Schnitzer, 70, Dies; Innovative Houston Developer|first=Robert D. Jr.|last=Hershey|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 3, 1999|access-date=October 25, 2015}}</ref> After missing the 1976 playoffs, [[Tom Nissalke]] was hired as a coach, and pressed the team to add a play-making guard in college standout [[John Lucas II|John Lucas]] and a rebounding center through [[Moses Malone]], who he had coached in the ABA.<ref name=up>{{cite magazine |title=Up, Up, and Away|author=Curtis, Gregory|magazine=Texas Monthly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iSsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA141|date=July 1977|pages=141–6}}</ref> The additions had an immediate impact, with the [[1976–77 NBA season|1976–77]] Rockets winning the Central Division and going all the way to the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] Finals, losing to the [[Julius Erving]]'s [[Philadelphia 76ers]] 4 games to 2.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1975.html |title=1974–75 Houston Rockets |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=May 15, 2008}}</ref> The [[1977–78 NBA season|following season]] had the team regressing to just 28&nbsp;wins due to an injury to captain Tomjanovich, who got numerous facial fractures after being punched by [[Kermit Washington]] of the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and wound up spending five months in rehabilitation.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093209/1/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112210405/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093209/1/index.htm|archive-date=November 12, 2009 |title=Shattered And Shaken |last=Kirkpatrick |first=Curry |date=January 2, 1978 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=May 29, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/ccovtue.htm |title=New start from old wounds |last=Moore |first=David Leon |date=November 26, 2002 |work=USA Today |access-date=May 29, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1978.html |title=1977–78 Houston Rockets |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=May 29, 2008}}</ref> After trading Lucas to the [[Golden State Warriors]] in exchange for [[Rick Barry]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/barry_bio.html |title=Rick Barry Bio |work=NBA.com |access-date=May 29, 2008}}</ref> the Rockets returned to the playoffs in [[1978–79 NBA season|1978–79]], with "The Chairman Of The Boards" Moses Malone receiving the 1979 [[NBA MVP|MVP Award]],<ref name="malonebio">{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/malonem_bio.html |title=Moses Malone Bio |work=NBA.com |access-date=May 15, 2008}}</ref> but the team was swept 2–0 by Atlanta in the first round.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1979.html |title=1978–79 Houston Rockets |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=May 29, 2008}}</ref> Nissalke was let go, and assistant [[Del Harris]] was promoted to head coach.<ref>{{cite web|title=History: 1978–80: Malone Shines, But Houston Stumbles In Playoffs |url=http://www.nba.com/rockets/history/history.html#9 |publisher=Houston Rockets |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011220024939/http://www.nba.com/rockets/history/history.html |archive-date=December 20, 2001 |access-date=November 3, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1979, [[George J. Maloof, Sr.|George Maloof]], a businessperson from [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], bought the Rockets for $9&nbsp;million. He died the following year, and while the [[Maloof family]] expressed interest in selling the team, George's 24-year-old son Gavin took over the Rockets. A buyer was eventually found in 1982 as businessman Charlie Thomas and [[Sidney Shlenker]] purchased the franchise for $11 million; the Maloofs would later own the [[Sacramento Kings]] from 1998 to 2013. The Maloof period of ownership marked the first dominant period of the Rockets,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/15/magazine/15MALOOF.html|title=The Flying Maloof Brothers|author=Lindgren, Hugo|work=The New York Times|date=February 15, 2004|access-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref><ref name=thomas/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19820616&id=Do0yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-ucFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5815,2583294|title=Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> highlighted by the team's first Western Conference Championship and [[NBA Finals]] appearance in 1981, their first year after being moved from the Eastern Conference. Prior to the [[1980–81 NBA season|1980–81 season]], the arrival of the [[Dallas Mavericks]] led to an NBA realignment that sent the Rockets back to the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1980/09/26/nba-realignment-hurts-bullets/52b1a110-958b-4657-9157-194620a127fd/ |title=NBA Realignment Hurts Bullets|first=David|last=DuPree|date=September 26, 1980 |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=May 30, 2008}}</ref> Houston qualified for the [[1981 NBA playoffs|playoffs]] only in the final game of the season with a 40–42 record.<ref name="1981nbaseason">{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1981.html |title=1980–81 NBA Season Summary |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> The postseason had the Rockets beat the Lakers, in-state rivals [[San Antonio Spurs]], and the equally underdog [[Kansas City Kings]] to become only the second team in NBA history (after the [[1959 NBA Finals|1959]] [[Minneapolis Lakers]]) to have advanced to the Finals after achieving a losing record in the regular season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=greatestupsets/070406 |title=Is Warriors over Mavs greatest upset ever? |date=May 4, 2007 |work=ESPN |access-date=May 30, 2008}}</ref> In the [[1981 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] facing [[Larry Bird]]'s [[Boston Celtics]], the Rockets blew a late lead in Game 1 and won Game 2 at the [[Boston Garden]]. However, afterwards the team failed to capitalize on the early success against the favored Celtics, and eventually lost in six games.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19801981.html |title=Celtics Return to Glory |work=NBA.com |access-date=May 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222181104/http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19801981.html |archive-date=February 22, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

While new owner Charlie Thomas expressed interest in renewing with Moses Malone,<ref name=thomas>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/16/sports/nuggets-rockets-are-sold.html|title=Nuggets, Rockets Are Sold|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 16, 1982|access-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref> who had been again chosen as MVP in [[1981–82 NBA season|1981–82]],<ref name="malonebio" /> the Rockets traded him to the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] for [[Caldwell Jones]], as a declining regional economy made the Rockets unable to pay Malone's salary.<ref name="matteroftime" /> When the Rockets finished a league worst 14–68,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1983.html |title=1982–83 NBA Season Summary |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> Celtics coach [[Bill Fitch]] was hired to replace outgoing Del Harris,<ref name="matteroftime">{{cite magazine|title=It's Just A Matter Of Time|last=Cotton |first=Anthony |date=October 31, 1983 |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> and the team won the first pick of the [[1983 NBA draft]],<ref name="matteroftime" /> used to select [[Ralph Sampson]] from the [[University of Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1983.html |title=1983 NBA Draft |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> Sampson had good numbers and was awarded the [[NBA Rookie of the Year]] award,<ref name="sampsonstats">{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sampsra01.html |title=Ralph Sampson Statistics |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> but the Rockets still finished last overall, again getting the top pick at the upcoming [[1984 NBA draft]], used to select [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] from the [[University of Houston]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1984.html |title=1984 NBA Draft |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref>