The Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets are playing live on the NBA schedule on Wednesday night and the matchup from the Toyota Center is on ESPN and streaming online from the WatchESPN website past 8 pm ET as Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler take on James Harden as he tries to get things done without Dwight Howard in the lineup.
The Bulls come into the game after a loss against the Phoenix Suns and they are currently on a road trip through the west and will play against the Pelicans next after the Rockets. The Bulls are in first place in the central division, but not by much after the way the Cavaliers have played of late. The Bulls appeared to be the runaway faves of the division earlier in the season, but they slumped just as the Cavs have won 10 straight games.
The Cavs have made multiple trade deals and now the team is in a much better position to make a run in the playoffs. Adding Timofey Mozgov and JR Smith have helped things out on offense and defense and has given LeBron James more support on the roster. The Bulls come in looking to get things going and they are matching up against a Rockets team that will be without Dwight Howard for a month. Derrick Rose has been playing well and has remained healthy and now the Bulls will try and bounce back after the slow January.
The All-Star break is coming up soon and it couldn't be a better time for the Bulls, as they have been dealing with injuries to Joakim Noah, Doug McDermott and Mike Dunleavy this season. Pau Gasol has been playing amazing for a player his age and he now is starting the All-Star game and Jimmy Butler has also played at a high level. Butler ha emerged as a star and he is leading the team in scoring and he has the chance to win the most improved player award with how he has been doing this season.
The Bulls were ranked last in the league in scoring last season, but this year they are in the top 10 and have been averaging over 100 points per game. The team has been slacking a bit on defense compared to last season, as they were ranked first in points allowed per game and are just 19th this season. The team is second in the league in rebounds per game and now they matchup with another strong offense team in the Rockets.
The Rockets come into the game ranked seventh in the league in scoring with 102 points per game and they are 12th in defense. The team comes in after a loss against the Pistons and they will next play against the Bucks on the schedule.
Check here for the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets live coverage.