Rockets Visit Chi-Town for a Battle with the Bulls
Great Lakes Trip. Drive for Five. Dangerous Animal.
Fresh off their first win of the NBA Cup’s Group Stage, a dominant victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Rockets hit the road for a quick two-game Great Lakes trip. Houston battles the Bulls tonight in Chicago before heading to Milwaukee on Monday night to wrap up the trip. The Rockets are also seeking a season-high fifth straight win tonight. Chicago is 5-8 on the season, as they’re coming off a blowout road loss to the still-undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, whose 14-0 start has been the talk of the league so far this year.
This is a game the Rockets should win, and it’s the first of a back-to-back. Tomorrow night’s tilt in Milwaukee against a Greek Freak who’s heating up will be much more difficult. Houston is simply better than this Bulls team, but if the Rockets don’t come out with intensity, they could be upset in Chicago. Tonight’s opponent for Houston is a much more dangerous animal than they may initially appear.
The Bulls are a better squad than their record states. Chicago has already played the Cavs twice this season, and their schedule has been difficult to start the year. They also plenty of talented players, in Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Patrick Williams, and Josh Giddey. Any of those guys are capable of scoring 20 points on any given night. LaVine has superstar potentiall, but injuries among other factors have kept him from reaching that status. White is one of the most improved players from last season. And Giddey is a newcomer from the Oklahoma City Thunder. And Vucevic has especially played well against Houston throughout his career. Keep an eye on his matchup with Alperen Sengun tonight, as the Wizard has his hands full against one of the more underrated All-Star caliber players in the NBA in Vucevic.
In their last game, the Rockets had 31 assists. As long as Houston continues to move the basketball and play as a team, they should be able to secure their fifth straight win tonight. Be prepared for a close game, as the Rockets and Bulls usually seem to go down to the wire in Chicago. But hopefully Houston can put this game away early, and demonstrate that their recent dominance is no fluke. The Rockets’ drive for five straight wins begins tonight, as they prepare to run with the Bulls in the first of a back-to-back set in the Great Lakes.
United Center: Chicago, Illinois
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (9-4): Red
Chicago Bulls (5-8): White
Tip-Off: 6:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass