Rockets at Bulls
Reigning MVP James Harden is slated to return to the lineup when the Houston Rockets visit the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Harden has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, but Houston didn't miss the star guard while notching a 119-111 victory over Brooklyn on Friday.
Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni termed Harden as probable for Saturday's game and said he could have returned Friday if the club wasn't playing on consecutive nights. "He wouldn't play a back-to-back, anyway, not coming right off what he had," D'Antoni told reporters. "I think that's the main reason, and one extra day is good for him." Chicago has lost three straight games and let an 18-point, second-quarter lead slip away on Friday before dropping a 107-105 decision to Indiana. "We got another chance (Saturday) night, and you can't allow a game like this to carry over and be a hangover game," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters afterward. "Sounds like the Houston team is getting Harden back, and they won (Friday). We have to come out with good energy and effort."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T Sportsnet-Southwest (Houston), WGN (Chicago)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (2-5): Point guard Chris Paul recorded season highs of 32 points and 11 assists while small forward Carmelo Anthony scored a season-best 28 points in helping Houston end a four-game losing streak. Anthony, who made six 3-pointers for the second time in three games and has topped 20 points on three occasions, said ending the slide was due to the team reflecting on its problems. "We had to watch it, we had to look at it and we had to kind of just hold ourselves accountable to what's going on out there," Anthony told reporters. "Look our own selves in the mirror as individuals, as a team, figure out what we wanted to do, and we did that."
ABOUT THE BULLS (2-7): Chicago has lost its last two games by a total of three points after allowing 149 while being clobbered by Golden State in the first contest of the losing streak. "At the end of the day, it's a loss," Bulls shooting guard Justin Holiday told reporters after Friday's setback. "But you can do something when you're a little closer. When you're down by historic numbers, there's nothing you can do." Reserve guard Antonio Blakeney scored a career-best 22 points against Indiana, but his last-second tying attempt was swatted away by Pacers center Myles Turner.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets went 2-0 against the Bulls last season and have won the last four meetings.
2. Hoiberg said second-year PF Lauri Markkanen (elbow) still is a few weeks away from making his season debut.
3. Houston C Clint Capela recorded 22 points and 13 rebounds on Friday for his fourth straight double-double.