ROCKETS DEFEAT BULLS

Rockets hold off Bulls 117-114 behind Jalen Green’s 28 points

Rockets Jalen Green
Jalen Green led the way for Houston! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Jalen Green scored 28 points and the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to six straight games with a 117-114 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

Green also added six rebounds for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun scored 24 points while adding 15 rebounds. Fred VanVleet shot 8 for 20 (5 for 14 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 23 points.

Coby White led the way for the Bulls with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Tre Jones finished with 19 points and six assists for Chicago.

VanVleet put up 18 second-quarter points for the Rockets, who trailed 65-60 at halftime. The Rockets took the lead for good with 5:52 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer from Green to make it a 100-98 game.

Takeaways

Bulls: The loss snapped a four-game winning streak. ... It was the opening game of a six-game road trip. ... Josh Giddy, day to day with an ankle injury, was out. But White (toe) started.

Rockets: With Tari Eason out because of injury management for his lower leg, Jabari Smith Jr. moved into the starting lineup. ... The Rockets improved to 25-10 at home. ... VanVleet had 21 first-half points for Houston, including a fadeaway 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the half.

Key moment

Green hit a 3-pointer that gave Houston a 100-98 lead with 5:52 left in the game, then followed it up with a layup and the Rockets never trailed again.

Key stat

The Rockets outrebounded the Bulls by 18 (54 to 36).

Next up

The Rockets will host the 76ers on Monday.

The Bulls visit the Jazz on Monday.

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Yainer Diaz is looking more comfortable at the plate. Composite Getty Image.

After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.

That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.

Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?

Signs of life

There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.

Looking ahead

The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.

McCullers is officially back!

Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.

Steering the ship

Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.

The plot thickens

Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.

All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.

We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!

*ChatGPT assisted.

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