The Houston Rockets (15-51, 9-23 Home) will try to slow down one of the league’s top shooting teams when they host the Chicago Bulls (30-36, 12-21 Away) on Saturday. Chicago outplayed the Denver Nuggets 117-96 at Ball Arena on Wednesday. Zach LaVine had a standout performance with 29 points.
The Bulls are 11th in the Eastern Conference. Houston lost on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, falling to the Indiana Pacers 134-125 in overtime. Jabari Smith Jr. had 30 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort, carrying the team. The Rockets are 15th in the Western Conference.
The teams are meeting for the final time this season. Houston will be seeking a season sweep against Chicago after triumphing in the only earlier game 133-118 at United Center in December 2022.
Kevin Porter Jr. led the Rockets with 36 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. DeMar DeRozan had 31 points and nine assists in the loss.DeRozan and LaVine, averaging 24.9 and 24.7 points per game, respectively, have led the Bulls in scoring this season.
DeRozan also has dished 5.1 assists per game. Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic is grabbing 11.3 rebounds per game. Jalen Green’s 21.8 points per game have powered the Rockets on offense. Alperen Sengun is tallying 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
The Bulls are shooting 49.0% from the field, ranking as one of the NBA’s most accurate field goal shooting teams (5th). The Bulls are 3-7 in their last 10 visits to Toyota Center. In the last 10 games, Chicago is 4-6 with an average margin of +3.2 (109.5-106.3).
For the season, the Bulls are averaging 113.1 points per game, compared to 112.5 for opponents. Houston has a 2-8 record over the last 10, allowing 122.1 points per game on average while scoring only 111.1 (-11.0 margin).
BULLS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points per game:
Zach LaVine: 31.2 | 24.7 | +6.5
Rebounds per game:
Zach LaVine: 3.2 | 4.7 | -1.5
ROCKETS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points per game:
KJ Martin: 15.4 | 12.1 | +3.3
Kevin Porter Jr.: 12.3 | 18.5 | -6.3
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Chicago Bulls -7.5 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
