Preview: Rockets, Bulls hope to bounce back Saturday, December 22, 2007 10:21 AM PREVIEW | BOX SCORE | RECAP | HOUSTON ROCKETS TEAM PAGE | CHICAGO BULLS TEAM PAGE | SPORTSBOOK Houston (12-14) at Chicago (9-15) 8:30 pm EST CHICAGO (Ticker) - The slumping Houston Rockets aim for their first win in three games when they visit the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. On the first stop on its four-game road swing, Houston dropped a hard-fought 112-111 double-overtime decision to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. "We did a lot of good things, we just didn't get a chance to finish it," Rockets Rick Adelman said. "They made two big shots at the end." Rockets center Yao Ming had 26 points and 19 rebounds as he tried to pick up the slack left by teammate Tracy McGrady, who sat out with a sore left knee. Houston has captured 12 of the last 16 meetings against Chicago, including a sweep in the season series a year ago. The Bulls are coming off another lackluster performance, a 107-82 setback to the Boston Celtics on Friday with Ben Gordon leading the way with 19 points. "You hope for more," Chicago coach Scott Skiles said. "It just seemed like we gave in to it a little bit. And against a team like that they are going to sense that, (and) you're going to be in trouble." Chicago's Ben Wallace missed his second straight contest with bone spurs in his left foot. The former Defensive Player of the Year leads the club in rebounds with 8.7 per game.
The MyBulls email said that Gray was going to start. Wallace/Smith end up as the starters. Skiles has yet to grow a brain inside that head of his. We should hire the guy who writes the MyBulls email as our coach.
Bulls out to a quick 8-2 lead. Wallace blocks a Yao dunk attempt. Bulls guards off to a hot start, 2-2 with 2 steals.
Houston's not playing very well lately. They need a strong game from TMac and Yao. Battier has to shut down Deng.
I really want a reporter to ask where Hinrich is dribbling to. The guy really knows how to suicide bomb our offense.
This is where Skiles is lacking as a coach. He doesn't know how to play matchups. Yeah, Gray struggled against Yao. But why not put Gray back in when they took Yao out? Let Gray abuse the short skinny guy in a mismatch?
Costanza should put in Gray and force feed the post. Scola has no shot at stopping Gray. Skiles' brain doesn't work like that though. He only likes creating mismatchs that the other team can take advantage of.
This team is downright ugly to watch. This ought to put an end to the myth that defense wins games. Playing defense is always good, but you really have to have a good offense or it's meaningless what else you do.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Dec 22 2007, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>This team is downright ugly to watch. This ought to put an end to the myth that defense wins games. Playing defense is always good, but you really have to have a good offense or it's meaningless what else you do.</div> Playing defense doesn't win games, but playing good defense does. Giving 84 points through 3 quarters isn't good defense. Thats downright horrible. I have to blame this on Smith and Wallace primarily. Aaron Gray is the only one on the team that seems to know how to play help defense by moving his feet. Wallace/Smith give some completely useless help defense that doesn't alter anything.
The bulls are playing defense just fine, though they tend to give up on it when the offense isn't going, too. Joe Smith is -1 this game, basically leading the team in +/-. Gordon is -20, thanks to playing with the 2nd unit early in the game.
