Chicago Bulls vs. Houston Rockets: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Houston Rockets used a 13-0 fourth-quarter run to knock out the Chicago Bulls 101-90 Wednesday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
James Harden poured in 27 points, and the Rockets earned a 50-28 edge in the paint even without Dwight Howard (knee) available.
Chicago trudged to a 34.8 percent clip from the field, forced a meager six turnovers and were unable to score any points off the limited Houston giveaways. Jimmy Butler carried the Bulls with 27 points.
According to Adam Wexler of KPRC-TV, Chicago's shooting was the team's third-worst output of the year, while it was the third-best by the Rockets defense.
Houston earned a split in the season series and grabbed a one-game lead for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with the victory.
| Derrick Rose | C- |
| Pau Gasol | D |
| Jimmy Butler | B |
| Joakim Noah | C- |
| Rest of Team | C- |
| James Harden | A- |
| Josh Smith | B+ |
| Terrence Jones | C |
| Trevor Ariza | A |
| Rest of Team | B- |
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose: C-
It's taken nearly 50 games, but Derrick Rose has started to flash signs of his elite athleticism on a regular basis. Against Houston, the former MVP legitimately took flight for the first time in quite a while.
But Rose continued to struggle from the three-point line yet launch a large volume anyway, misfiring on seven of nine attempts. He's connected on a putrid seven of 40 triples over the last five games. Rose ultimately recorded 23 points.
Pau Gasol: D
Early on, Pau Gasol didn't give maximum defensive effort since he was only guarding Joey Dorsey. However, Gasol's performance wasn't ugly for a couple minutes; rather, it stayed terrible.
Despite receiving four days off before the showdown, the power forward appeared to be exhausted. Gasol finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but his league-leading 31st double-double was one of his least impactful of the year.
Jimmy Butler: B
The All-Star small forward was tasked with chasing Harden around the court, but it simply wasn't his night on that end of the floor. Butler's offense, however, was a different story.
"Jimmy Butler caught Cory Brewer slipping. https://t.co/AX1h7CXezt
— Adam Jun (@oAdamJun) February 5, 2015"
He exploded for 11 points during the third frame, which helped Chicago close a 16-point lead to just five. Without Butler, the Bulls wouldn't have had a chance to steal a road win. He tallied 27 points, six boards and two steals.
Joakim Noah: C-
The Bulls' spunky center, Joakim Noah, capitalized on Howard's absence and snatched 10 rebounds in his first 11 minutes. Noah worked out of the high post and crashed the glass hard, dishing three assists and tipping out six offensive boards.
However, Noah's scoring impact was virtually nonexistent. He struck out from the field with an 0-of-8 clip and added a single free throw. Noah snagged a season-high 19 rebounds.
Rest of Team: C-
Taj Gibson was superb off the bench, chipping in 12 points and 10 rebounds, but he was really the only useful reserve. Kirk Hinrich and Nikola Mirotic combined to shoot 2-of-14 from the floor and 2-of-7 from long distance.
Though Aaron Brooks received stitches, per ESPN's Nick Friedell, he returned to the game. However, Brooks was entirely mediocre down the stretch and hampered Chicago's chance at a comeback.
Houston Rockets
James Harden: A-
Harden was a menace throughout the opening half. Fresh off his second consecutive Western Conference Player of the Month honor, the left-hander displayed ridiculously smooth crossovers to manipulate the Chicago defense.
The shooting guard netted 21 points before the halftime buzzer, though he cooled off immensely after the break and clanged five straight shots. Harden still registered 27 points on a 9-of-20 mark from the floor.
Josh Smith: B+
Wednesday night was the kind of situation where Houston needed Josh Smith to step up. With Howard out and a usually tough Chicago frontcourt on the attack, the Rockets required a stout interior defense. Smith provided exactly that.
Smith played a superb all-around game, managing nine points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. He was still overzealous as a shooter, but Smith made up for most offensive deficiencies with his defense.
Terrence Jones: C
In his fourth game back, Terrence Jones was still clearly out of rhythm with the rock. It's an understandable development, but his inconsistency remained an issue.
Jones mishandled a couple passes and simply seemed uncomfortable for most of the game, though he was visibly more aggressive on two drives in the fourth quarter. The third-year pro contributed four points in 14 minutes.
Trevor Ariza: A
The small forward had an under-the-radar type of night, but Trevor Ariza was undoubtedly productive. He boosted the Rockets with 14 points in the final frame, connecting on six of seven attempts.
Ariza buried a trio of three-pointers and scored 20 points—his highest total since Nov. 3—including the game-sealing bucket with 56.6 seconds remaining.
Rest of Team: B-
Donatas Motiejunas also took advantage of the porous Chicago frontcourt that showed up Wednesday night, adding 15 points and 10 rebounds. He knocked down seven of his 15 shots.
Corey Brewer threw one gorgeous dime, though he was 0-of-5 from beyond the arc and 2-of-11 overall. Patrick Beverley provided decent defense throughout the win, and Jason Terry posted a team-high plus-21 rating.
What's Next?
Chicago (30-20) continues its six-game road trip, meeting the New Orleans Pelicans (26-23) on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. ET. WGN will televise the showdown regionally, and NBATV will carry it nationally.
The matchup with Anthony Davis and Co. is only the Bulls' third outing in eight days, so Chicago should be well-rested for the clash.
Houston (34-15) hosts the Milwaukee Bucks (27-22) on Friday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. ET. Root Sports Southwest will broadcast the second season meeting between the Rockets and Bucks. Houston earned a 117-103 victory in late November.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR
