The Chicago Bulls (25-25) and Houston Rockets (36-17) are set to clash at the Toyota Center on Friday, Feb. 3 as the 2016-2017 NBA regular season continues.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 8:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
Chicago is somewhat on a roll with a two-game winning run at the moment. The team has also won four of their last six matches to draw even at the .500 mark, enough for seventh in the East, two games above current eighth-seeded team Charlotte Hornets.
The Bulls crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 128-100, in their most recent game last Wednesday on the road at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, as per Fox Sports.
Jimmy Butler top-scored for head coach Fred Hoiberg's squad with 28 points on 11-for-17 field goal shooting with a 6-for-8 clip from the charity stripe. He also had four rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Dwyane Wade backed him up with 18 points, seven boards, seven assists, and two steals while Robin Lopez chipped in 14 points and two rebounds. Jerian Grant was the fourth starter to score in double digits with 12 points, three boards, and three assists.
Two players netted in double figures off the bench, namely Cristiano Felicio and Doug McDermott who both fired 11 points.
Meanwhile, the Rockets continue to play inconsistently these days with four losses in their last six outings. The team has maintained their third spot in the Western Conference standings, though, as they are now four games behind the San Antonio Spurs and three-and-a-half games ahead of the equally struggling Los Angeles Clippers.
Houston is coming off a heartbreaking 113-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night also on their home floor of Toyota Center, ESPN reported.
The Rockets led by 13 at the end of the third quarter, but the Hawks went on a 40-point explosion in the final period to hand head coach Mike D'Antoni's side the disappointing loss.
James Harden had another monster game with 41 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and four steals while Clint Capela added 22 points, nine boards, and two steals. Ryan Anderson fired 11 points with two rebounds and two assists.
Eric Gordon contributed 13 points, three boards, and three assists coming off the bench.
Prediction
The Bulls are 10-14 on the road this season while the Rockets are 18-6 at home. A bounce back win for Houston is predicted.