The Houston Rockets entered Monday hoping that unexpected time off (thanks to two postponements related to a winter storm) could allow them to hit the reset button after a long losing streak.
Against Zach LaVine and the surging Bulls, it didn’t quite happen that way. Sparked by a 46-point eruption in the third quarter, Chicago (14-16) won for the fourth time in five games with Monday’s 120-100 blowout (box score) at Toyota Center. It’s the eighth straight loss for the Rockets (11-18), all since the reinjury to Christian Wood’s right ankle.
The last time Houston had a longer losing streak than eight games was a 15-gamer early in the 2000-01 season.
LaVine led Chicago’s balanced effort with 21 points, and he hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range (66.7%). Meanwhile, backcourt mate Coby White scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. David Nwaba led Houston with 22 points, which tied a career-high, and 9 rebounds.
The Rockets were again undermanned, with two starters absent in Wood and Victor Oladipo (right foot strain). Yet, the regulars who did play weren’t close to good enough. Veteran guard John Wall (15 points, 7 assists) shot just 4-of-14 overall (28.6%), while backcourt Eric Gordon (13 points) shot 5-of-18 (27.8%) and 1-of-10 on 3-pointers (10.0%).
Houston returns to action on Wednesday in Cleveland, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central time. For now, here’s a collection of highlights and postgame reaction from Monday’s poor showing.
