The Chicago Bulls are set to take on a tough Western Conference opponent in the Houston Rockets tonight. This will be the first time these two teams face each other this season, and there’s no reason to lean on past matchups, because the Rockets look completely different from a year ago. The biggest change, of course, is the addition of Kevin Durant.
Houston is considered one of the favorites to win the West, and maybe even a contender for the NBA title. But right now, they’re in the middle of their worst stretch of the season. They’ve lost four of their last five games and are currently riding a three-game losing streak. A common theme in those losses has been Houston getting outworked, losing the fast-break points and the second-chance points, the very things the Bulls dominated in their win over Dallas. If that trend continues, Chicago should look to capitalize by trying to replicate what they did against the other Texas team.
However, the Bulls are already super shorthanded and will also be missing Coby White tonight, who will be sitting out to preserve himself for the second night of the back-to-back.
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesGame Info
The Houston Rockets (22-14) host the Chicago Bulls (18-20) – 7 p.m. CT on CHSN (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio).
Chicago Bulls
Tre Jones Isaac Okoro Matas Buzelis Jalen Smith Nikola VučevićHouston Rockets
Reed Sheppard Amen Thompson Kevin Durant Jabari Smith Jr. Alperen ŞengünGame Lines
The Bulls are the 13.5-point underdogs to win in Houston, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Dallas Wave the White Flagg! Bulls 125, Mavericks 107 – January 10, 2026What To Watch For
In their 125–107 win on Saturday, the Bulls delivered a dominant showing in three key statistical areas: points in the paint, fast-break points, and second-chance points. These categories are the bread and butter of the Chicago offense, which thrives on getting the best possible shot on every possession. While the Bulls should once again rack up points in the paint, the other two stats depend heavily on effort, defensive energy and work on the offensive glass. Chicago doesn’t need to beat the Rockets on talent; they can beat them on effort and come away with a promising result.Saturday night dub at home.@Plus500 | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/JER0mASS8q
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 11, 2026 However, the Bulls will be without White again tonight. He is taking a precaution by sitting out the first game of this back-to-back, with the Bulls playing again tomorrow. Coby had a strong showing on Saturday, his first good game since returning. He finished with 22 points, four rebounds, and three assists. With White out of the lineup, Chicago will most likely go back to its double-big starting unit, which was very successful in a small sample size. It will be interesting to see whether that was a fluke or truly lightning in a bottle. With Jalen Smith, the Bulls are a different animal. They are 0–7 without him and 18–13 with him. When he’s on the floor, the Bulls’ lineups are at their best. The two-man combinations of Smith with Okoro and Smith with Vučević both own the team’s best offensive ratings, and he shows up at the top of most of Chicago’s strongest lineup groupings. In the two games he has started this season, the Bulls won both. He’s been able to provide the kind of traditional big-man presence you don’t always get from Vučević at this stage of his career.Tre Jones & Jalen Smith join Matas, Ice, and Vooch in our starting lineup tonight vs. New Orleans.Stream ➡️ t.co/dLgvAjfc2T pic.twitter.com/a55ZLuiKMK
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 31, 2025 The Rockets entered the season knowing they had a point guard problem. Or, more accurately, a lack-of-point-guard problem. Fred VanVleet tore his ACL before the first game of the year. Since then, their lineup has been inconsistent, sometimes using Reed Sheppard in that role and other times not having a true point guard on the floor at all. Even so, they rank top five in offense and top ten in defense, making them a formidable force in the league. They’re also the best offensive-rebounding team in the NBA, largely because of the sheer size they throw out every night.Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL, sources tell @ShamsCharania. Get breaking news alerts from Shams through the ESPN app: t.co/QEjDpr2WVy pic.twitter.com/q2fqrr17iP
— ESPN (@espn) September 22, 2025 However, the Rockets’ kryptonite is their inability to shoot the ball from behind the arc. They’re almost dead last in the league in three-point shooting and also sit in the bottom ten in assists. If Chicago, who aren’t exactly defensive savants, can force the Rockets into taking more threes or smother players enough that they’re forced to set up teammates instead of playing hero ball, that could be the recipe for success. And hopefully, head coach Billy Donovan sees that too. twitter.com/BrickCenter_/status/2010571390274113771?s=20Injury Report
Chicago Bulls
Yuki Kawamura DAY-TO-DAY (lower leg) Noa Essengue OUT (shoulder) Coby White OUT (injury management) Josh Giddey OUT (left hamstring) Zach Collins OUT (right first toe)Houston Rockets
Tari Eason OUT (ankle) Dorian Finney-Smith OUT (injury management) Fred VanVleet OUT (ACL)Hence then, the article about pre gamin bulls vs rockets 7 pm ct projected lineups how to watch more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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