It’s been a strange season for the Rockets. A Western Conference finalist last season, Houston is now fighting for a playoff spot at the bottom of the standings. A possible turning point came last time out when Houston set a NBA record by hitting just 3 of 34 threes, and still won.
You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
LOOK AHEAD
It could be a silver lining to what has been a lost season for the Rockets, who need wins anyway they can get them now. The league’s most disappointing team got themselves in the record book Wednesday by shooting just 3 for 34 from three-point range. And they won. One would be tempted to say the 100-95 decision over New Orleans spoke more about the many shortcomings of the Pelicans. The team that won 56 games and made it to the Western Conference finals a season ago, sits below .500 at 30-31 and hanging onto the No. 8 spot in the playoff race. Houston starts what could be a season-saving five-game road trip Saturday.
Good luck trying to figure out the Chicago Bulls. Swept on their two-game road trip to Florida, the Bulls carry a four-game losing streak into Saturday’s primetime showdown with Houston. Their current slide comes on the heels of a three-game win streak that seemingly had them poised to make a run in the East. Before that successful run, Chicago experienced five straight losses. So, it’s been difficult to get a read on this club. The Bulls have dropped 11 of 15 games since Jan. 31 and are a .500 club at 30-30, currently outside the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
INJURIES
Clint Capela was true to his word. The Rockets center missed three games with an ankle sprain and said he was going to play Wednesday night. He did, and scored four points with five rebounds in 16 minutes.
Things may finally be looking up for the injury-ravaged Bulls. Leading scorer Jimmy Butler could return as early as Saturday, according to coach Fred Hoiberg, putting him ahead of the original timeline. Predictably, the Bulls struggled without Butler, losing seven of 10 games, including the one in which he got hurt. Taj Gibson tweaked a hammy in Orlando and his status for Saturday is unknown.
KEY MATCHUP
Though he is sometimes blamed for the Rockets disappointing record, James Harden is the single bright spot in Houston’s otherwise frustrating season. Coming off an MVP caliber run a year ago, Harden struggled to start the season. After about a month of play, however, Harden started playing as well as anyone in the league. Harden currently averages 28.7 points per game, good for second best in the NBA. He also ranks first among shooting guards in assists and second in rebounds. He averages nearly a triple-double, demonstrating that he’s the reason for the Rockets limited success instead of the sole reason for the team’s underperformance. Harden plays nearly 38 minutes per game, the second-highest average in the league. Not because the coaching staff wants him out there so long, rather because the Rockets are unable to do anything without him.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Chicago’s loss to the Magic on Wednesday wasn’t as bad as others this NBA season, as far as the point deficit goes. But the defensive effort, coupled with its showing in a 129-111 loss to the Heat on Tuesday, brings up stronger words to sum up the team’s recent play: embarrassing. The Bulls haven’t just lost these past two games, they’ve been embarrassed on the defensive end. And that’s not good as the explosive Rockets and Harden enter the UAC. Both teams have been disappointments to this point in the season after they had strong postseason aspirations coming into the year. The Bulls have had major injury concerns and could have Butler back as early as this weekend. Derrick Rose returned from a brief absence and was happy about his performance despite the team’s loss. Things could be looking up for the Bulls much quicker than the Rockets.
Chicago 109, Houston 104
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The contest between the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls will take place Saturday, March 5, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. ET at the United Center. Watch the game live on ABC.
