The Houston Rockets ended a 15-game losing streak by beating the Chicago Bulls 113-118 in a heart-stopping final. The hero of the night was Danuel House Jr. with 18 points, all of them in the second half, and a perfect 4 of 4 on triples.
“It has been great. I’m very excited. It has been incredible, “said House Jr.” There are so many words to say for that question. We are grateful for that, but we still cannot be satisfied, “he added.
Coach Stephen Silas called his impact “huge” after not allowing him a single minute in the entire first half. “He’s been in and out of the rotation. And he played only eight minutes in the previous game. But I wanted to get him to continue believing that his work is paying off, and tonight has really made a difference, “he said.
The Texans are 2-16, being last in the West, and against the Bulls they connected 50% in shots from the field, and a remarkable 47.2% in triples with 17 of 36 attempts.
Christian Wood contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists; Kevin Porter Jr. reaped 14 points, 6 rebounds and 9 basket passes on his return to the floor; and No. 2 Draft number Jalen Green had 11 points in the first quarter before retiring with a left foot injury.
“We feel very good for having scored those 17 3-pointers. Previously we had only gotten 25% instead of that 47%. We were on our site. It just seemed like better positions because we were hitting them, ”Silas explained.
For the Bulls, Zach LaVine led the offense with 28 points and 11 of 22 in shooting from the field, his second loss in a row. Lonzo Ball added 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and DeMar DeRozan had 17.
For his part, Nikola Vucevic returned to play after overcoming COVID-19 with a new double-double under his belt: 14 points and 13 rebounds. The key to the crash was in the third quarter when the Rockets beat Billy Donovan’s 18-35.
“We went out to play, and before we knew it, we were down 10 points when we were up 10 before,” Donovan said. “I have to help this group solve this. We are a good team, but not good enough not to show up and only play a single period in an NBA game, “he added.
The Bulls rowed against the tide during the fourth quarter and closed the gap until they reduced their deficit to only three points (108-111) with 47 seconds left. LaVine hit a final three-pointer that gave them wings, but Garrison Matthews (12 points) decided the game for the Rockets with two final free throws.
(Cover photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
