The Houston Rockets fell to the Chicago Bulls in a game they were supposed to win. They lost to the Eastern Conference strugglers despite Kevin Durant posting 40 points.
The Rockets trailed by as many as 22 points early in the game but chipped away at the lead little by little.
They gave themselves a chance late in the game, tying the score at 118 with 1:40 remaining on the clock.
Defensive lapses, however, allowed Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis to each hit a three-pointer.
Durant did not give up. He hit a quick three, but the Bulls answered with another from Jalen Smith. The Rockets star then made another shot from beyond the arc, cutting the deficit to just one possession, 121–124, with 30 seconds to go.
That’s when more lapses undid their comeback. Buzelis hit a layup, leaving just 10 seconds on the clock and giving the Bulls a five-point lead.
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The game may have been decided earlier, however, if the referees had made the correct call. The Last Two Minute Report for the Rockets–Bulls game has been published, and while there was only one incorrect non-call, it could have ultimately ended the Rockets’ run.
The L2M admitted it made an incorrect call on Durant’s defense against Leonard Miller with 19 seconds remaining. Miller lost the ball when Durant “wrapped both hands around Miller’s body.”
The Bulls still won, and for the Rockets, it was their 12th loss against a team below .500. That is tied for the most among all teams, according to ESPN.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka blasted his team’s effort in the loss.
“We didn’t respect the game or the opponent, and the only way they score 41 is if we’re playing the way we did on both sides,” he said.
The Rockets fell from No. 3 to No. 6 in the Western Conference standings after the defeat. They will continue their road trip against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, and New Orleans Pelicans.
