Rockets Set to Outrun Bulls in the Windy City
Built to Outrun. 45-Piece. Passing Batman and Robin.
After Houston’s previous win over Golden State, James Harden finished with the most points through 8 games to start a season since… the Michael Jordan, in 1988-1989. Saturday night, the Rockets head to the House Michael Built to face the Bulls, pitting them against a team they were built to outrun. Houston leads the league in pace of play. Chicago has been burned by fast teams all season. Eric Gordon is returns tonight for the Rockets. There’s no reason Houston shouldn’t win easily Saturday night. Obviously, if they come out with no energy and have a performance like the Miami Disaster, anything could happen. I think the Rockets have learned their lesson. Entering tonight’s contest, Houston had 2 days off in a row for the first time all season. It’s given the team needed time to work on their defensive schemes, and hopefully reassess their effort as a group. Eric Gordon and anyone else feeling banged up had to time to heal. Look for a Rockets taming of the young inexperienced Bulls tonight.
What’s seemingly become a nightly possibility, James Harden breaking records, could happen again tonight. Ironically, Harden has a chance to pass two Bulls legends on Saturday night, while playing in Chicago. It’s not a big game. The Rockets are heavily favored, even with a letdown (especially on the road) possibly lurking. The stage doesn’t matter for Harden. He loves to hoop. You won’t see Harden taking a game off for “load management.” Not anytime soon. He even scoffed at the idea earlier this week. Hopefully, the extra day off gave the Beard time to find his shooting rhythm. If the Beard can muster a 45-piece tonight, he’ll pass Jordan for most points in NBA history through 9 games to start a season. 45’s also the number Jordan wore when he came back from retirement. It’d be only fitting to see the Beard drop 45 points, in rhythm with his jumper again. Harden is 22 points away from passing Scottie Pippen on the NBA’s All-Time scoring list. A feat that probably will happen tonight. I wouldn’t bet against the 45-Piece. Comparable to 25 points for the average player, Harden is more than capable of dropping 45 on a weak Bulls team.
Houston’s had two days off. Hopefully, they’ve used the extra time to focus on approaching games with more energy. Schedule gods have been kind to the Rockets early in the season, Houston’s only played two teams with a winning record. However, they’ve lost to both teams (Bucks and Heat). The Rockets two road wins have come by single digits, over the Wizards and Grizzlies. Two bottom feeders for their respective conferences. Houston should tame the Bulls easily tonight. Chicago is another one of the worst teams the league has to offer in today’s NBA. In the NBA of the 90’s, the Bulls were the most dominant team of the decade, winning six championships. The reason: the most feared duo in NBA history: Scottie Pippen played Robin to Michael Jordan’s Batman… perfectly (that famous Laker duo, Kobe and Shaq, both wanted to be Batman). Chicago started that whole duo trend which is now all the craze in the league today: find a superstar… and team up. Except Jordan and Pippen were both drafted by the Bulls. Two superstars drafted by the same organization, playing together in their primes. Talk about rare. It resulted in six titles in eight years for the city of Chicago. That’s rare. Tonight, Harden has a chance to pass Batman and Robin with another heavy scoring night. More importantly, Houston needs to show the effort on defense from the opening tip. Otto Porter Jr., Chicago’s best three-point shooter is out with an injury tonight. Expect Lauri Markannen to be a pest in the paint against Houston tonight. The young big man can beat his man from inside and out. Chiacgo’s young stud Zach Lavine will look to drive much of the night. Houston needs to be set for his attacks on the rim. A big night from the Bulls’ young up-and-coming All-Stars is the best Chicago has for an upset. Otherwise, the Rockets should blast off against this young Bulls team. Houston needs to show maturity, put away Chicago’s hopes early, and afterwards… they can admire a 45-Piece from… the James Harden.
United Center: Chicago, Illinois
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (5-3): Black
Chicago Bulls (3-6): Red
TV: 7 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW