Chicago Bulls vs. Houston Rockets Preview: Bulls, Rockets Fight for Final Playoff Spot in Respective Divisions
The Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets will be playing for the final playoff berth in their respective divisions, as they face each other for the second time this season.
The said game will be taking place on Thursday, March 31st, at the Toyota Center in Houston. The first time both teams played against each other was last March 5th in Chicago, where the Bulls emerged victorious via an eight-point margin, with a final score of 108-100.
Guard Jimmy Butler put on a solid performance, ending the night with a double-double. He scored 24 points, along with 11 rebounds and 6 assists, shooting 6 out of 13 from the field, through 38 minutes of playing time. Big man Pau Gasol also made significant contributions, scoring 28 points, along with 17 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals, shooting 9 out of 18 from the field, through 38 minutes of playing time.
For the Rockets, James Harden also put up impressive numbers on his stat sheet, ending the night with 36 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, shooting 10 out of 26 from the field, through 39 minutes of playing time.
As a team, the Bulls prevailed on key aspects of the game, outrebounding the Rockets, 53 to 40, and scoring 24 fast break points, as opposed to their opponent's total of 19.
The ninth-seeded Chicago Bulls recently snapped their four-game losing streak with a win against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Tuesday. And for Butler, it was an important victory, especially since it was against a formidable playoff contender.
"We needed this win. It was big for us to get a win here on the road against a playoff team. Hopefully this starts a trend for these last eight or nine games," Butler said in an NBA.com report.
The Bulls hold a record of 37-37, while the eighth-seeded Rockets banner a win-loss slate of 37-38. Like Chicago, Houston is also coming off a recent victory, against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
