After a season-long homestand of seven games, the young and struggling Houston Rockets will hit the road for their next three games, starting with Monday night’s game at Chicago. It’s the start of a road back-to-back, with another game looming Tuesday in Boston.
The Rockets don’t enter with much momentum, having lost five consecutive games to finish out that homestand. The veteran-laden Bulls, by contrast, have won three straight — though they’re still a relative disappointment for the 2022-23 NBA season as a whole. Even after that recent surge, Chicago enters at four games below .500.
Arguably the biggest source of optimism for the Rockets is rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr., who scored a career-high 24 points in Friday’s close loss to Dallas. Over his last 15 games, the lanky 19-year-old prospect is averaging 13.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 44.2% overall shooting and 39.3% from 3-point range.
- Date: Monday, Dec. 26
- Time: 7 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Houston Rockets (9-23)
- Guard: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: KJ Martin
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Alperen Sengun
Chicago Bulls (14-18)
- Guard: Ayo Dosunmu
- Guard: Zach LaVine
- Forward: DeMar DeRozan
- Forward: Patrick Williams
- Center: Nikola Vucevic
Projected lineups are based on each team’s previous game.
Houston’s injury report lists Jae’Sean Tate (right ankle soreness) as out and Eric Gordon (left thumb contusion) as questionable. Gordon did miss Houston’s previous game on Friday versus Dallas, and he typically sits out half of all back-to-backs for the Rockets.
The Bulls will be without Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery) and Alex Caruso (right acromioclavicular sprain, concussion protocol), while Javonte Green (right knee soreness) and Derrick Jones Jr. (left ankle sprain) are both doubtful for Monday night at United Center.
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