The Chicago Bulls (14-18) return home to the United Center to take on the Houston Rockets (9-23) for the first of two this season.
Chicago’s riding a wave of momentum after knocking off the New York Knicks, 118-117, Friday in Gotham City. The victory was the Bulls’ third straight to close-out a four-game road trip. Zach LaVine led the way with 33 points, and DeMar DeRozan added 25 with seven rebounds and 10 assists while Nikola Vučević chipped in 21 points and 12 rebounds.
As a team, the Bulls shot 48 percent from the field and went 14-of-31 (45.2%) from the 3-point line. The game was a see-saw battle throughout. But with the clock ticking down towards zero, DeRozan hit a clutch 22-footer just before the buzzer to quiet the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd.
The Rockets, on the other hand, have lost five-in-a-row, and seven of their last 10. In their last outing against Dallas just before Christmas, Houston came up six-points short, 112-106. Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 24 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, with sophomore Jalen Green adding 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Center Alperen Sengun also chipped in 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
As a team, the Rockets shot 45 percent from the field but were cold from the 3-point line, shooting eight-of-26 (30.8%).
As for this evening, here are a few things to look for as the Bulls attempt to stay on track with another victory (7:00 pm CST tipoff – NBC Sports Chicago):
CAN CHICAGO’S BIG 3 KEEP ROLLING?
Chicago’s Big 3 of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević are on quite a roll. No Chicago trio has accomplished what these three have done over the last four games, as each has recorded 20+ points in each contest. Over this stretch, DeRozan is averaging 26.5 points on 51.9% shooting, with LaVine posting 24.5 points on 52.2% shooting, and Vučević delivering 23.3 points on 60% shooting.
Each member of the “Windy City Power Trio” has delivered game-changing plays down the stretch leading to wins over the last week, starting with a pair of clutch treys from Vučević late in the fourth quarter at Miami, followed by LaVine wheeling and dealing inside the paint and out on the perimeter at Atlanta the following night, topped by DeRozan’s cold-blooded, game-winning dagger to the heart of the Knicks at MSG this past Friday.
The Bulls have gone 4-2 (.667) this season when all three players post 20+ points and are 11-6 (.647) over the last two years.
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Although the Bulls come in tonight with a 5-6 record in December, statistically speaking, the team has been putting up some fairly impressive numbers this month.
Chicago ranks 4th in the NBA in shooting at 50.7% in December and is tied for 5th overall on the season at 48.3%. The Bulls are also shooting 39.3% from behind the 3-point arc this month (5th), while dishing 25.9 assists (8th) and scoring 115.5 points (10th).
WAITING FOR BLASTOFF
Although the Rockets have beaten Chicago in seven of their last 10 meetings, the Bulls have won its last two home games against Houston by an average of 10 points per. Last season the teams split the annual two-game series, each winning on its home floor.
Offensively, Houston is led by second-year guard, Jalen Green, with a team-best 21.3 points while shooting 40.9% overall and 30.7% from three-point land. Point guard Kevin Porter Jr. is next at 18.7 points, shooting slightly better at 42.3% overall and 31.5% from behind the arc, and he’s also the team leader in assists at 5.5 dishes.
Defensively, Houston is allowing 115.3 points per game which ranks 21st in the league. Opponents are shooting 47.4% (20th) and 36.5% (22nd) from behind the three-point line against the Rockets.
On the boards, however, Houston sits in the Top 5 of the NBA, averaging 46.8 rebounds (4th), and an NBA-best 13.7 on the offensive glass. That glass cleaning has also led to an NBA-leading 17.4 points per game on second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Rockets have outrebounded opponents by double-digits 11 times this season, including by 20+ twice. So, if the Bulls are going to continue to stack victories with another one this evening, they’re going to need to work hard on the defensive boards to keep the Rockets in check and force them to get their points somewhere else besides easy put-backs of missed shots.