The 1991–92 NBA season was the Rockets' 25th season in the National Basketball Association, and 21st season in the city of Houston. The Rockets started the season defeating the Los Angeles Lakers at The Summit in double-overtime 126–121, and got off to a fast start winning nine of their first twelves games. However, they would start to struggle losing five consecutive games afterwards. By February 21, they hovered at .500 with a mediocre 27–27 record when head coach Don Chaney was fired and replaced with Rudy Tomjanovich. Under Tomjanovich, the Rockets would win eleven of their first 15 games. However, they struggled losing ten of their last 15 games including three straight to close the season finishing third in the Midwest Division with a 42–40 record, missing the playoffs by just one game behind the 8th-seeded Lakers, who were without Magic Johnson who had retired due to HIV. Hakeem Olajuwon and Otis Thorpe were both selected for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game. Following the season, Buck Johnson signed as a free agent with the Washington Bullets.