The I-10 Rivalry: Rockets vs. Spurs History & Game Info

When Do the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets Play Next?

San Antonio Spurs tickets and Houston Rockets tickets can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.

Are the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets Rivals?

Yes, the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are rivals. The “I-10” rivalry, named for the highway that separates the Spurs and Rockets, has been a rivalry out of respect and Texan NBA bragging rights.

Who are the San Antonio Spurs’ Biggest Rivals?

Along with the Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs are rivals with the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs also have a strong rivalry with the other Texas-based NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks.

Who are the Houston Rockets’ Biggest Rivals?

Besides the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets’ biggest rivals are the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors. The Rockets-Warriors rivalry stems from these teams meeting in the NBA Playoffs in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Game Results Between the Spurs & Rockets

San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets games are always a high point of the season for Texas and diehard NBA fans alike. We put together a table of the most recent Spurs-Rockets head-to-head matchups to help fans relive the I-10 rivalry throughout the years.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets History

The San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets rivalry started when the Spurs moved from the American Basketball Association (ABA) to the NBA during the 1976-77 season. Since then, the Spurs and the Rockets have been in the same division throughout all the NBA’s realignments and expansions.

At first, the San Antonio Spurs were placed in the NBA’s Central Division in 1976, the same division the Houston Rockets were in. The Rockets and Spurs were then both placed in the Midwest Division in 1980 until the 2004 expansion and realignment, where both teams were placed where they currently sit, in the Southwest Division. Constant divisional battles, as well as both teams being located in Texas has led this rivalry to be named the I-10 rivalry, named for the highway that separates Houston and San Antonio.

The Spurs and Rockets were equally matched during the first couple decades of playing each other. Their first NBA Playoff matchup came in 1980 when the Rockets defeated the Spurs 2-1 in the Eastern Conference First Round. Both teams met again in the NBA Playoffs the following year, with the Rockets again winning 4-3 in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Spurs and Rockets were so evenly matched in the first two decades of playing each other that the first season that saw a sweep by either team was 22 years after they started competing, in the 1988-89 season when the Rockets won all six games against the Spurs.

The competitiveness continued through 1995, when the Spurs and Rockets once again met in the NBA Playoffs and the Rockets won 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals. A 1998-2001 11-game win streak by the Spurs was the largest consecutive winning streak by either team. The final time the Spurs met the Rockets in the NBA Playoffs was in 2017, when the Spurs beat the Rockets 4-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The games between these two divisional and Texan rivals are rarely met with contention. These teams battle it out and retain mutual respect for their long and historic rivalry.

As of 2023, the Spurs have the advantage over the rivalry with a regular season record of 117-94 over the Rockets. However, the Rockets retain a postseason advantage, with a record of 12-10.

Where Do the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs Play?

The Houston Rockets play their home games at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Toyota Center has been the home to the Houston Rockets since it opened in 2003.

The San Antonio Spurs play their home games at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Also home to the world-famous San Antonio Stock & Rodeo Show, Frost Bank Center has been the home to San Antonio Spurs since it opened in 2002.