Houston Rockets vs Chicago Bulls: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - December 20th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22

The Houston Rockets take on the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Monday. The Bulls hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference with an 18-10 record so far this season. Meanwhile, the Rockets are in a rebuilding mode with their young talent having fun at the other teams' expense.

The Houston Rockets embarked on an impressive seven-game winning streak a few weeks ago. They have defeated teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks this season and are coming off a win against the Detroit Pistons.

The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, have had two of their last three games postponed. They are coming off a morale-boosting victory against the LeBron James-led LA Lakers in their last game. DeMar DeRozan took over in the fourth quarter and crushed the hearts of every Laker Nation fan.

Houston Rockets Injury Report

The Houston Rockets have listed Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green both out for the matchup due to a thigh contusion and a hamstring strain, respectively. Armoni Brooks is out due to soreness in his left ankle while Daishen Nix is sidelined due to two-way contract obligations with the NBA G-League.

Player Name:	Status:	Reason:
Armoni Brooks	Questionable	Left Ankle Soreness
Jalen Green	Out	Left Hamstring Strain
Kevin Porter Jr.	Out	Left Thigh Contusion
Daishen Nix	Out	G-League - Two-way

Chicago Bulls Injury Report

DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls against the Houston Rockets

The Chicago Bulls have six players in health and safety protocols, including star guard Zach LaVine. Patrick Williams continues to miss time due to a dislocated wrist in his left hand and is expected to miss the rest of the season. His rehabilitation process requires a four-to-six month period.

Player Name:	Status:	Reason:
Zach LaVine	Out	Health and Safety Protocols
Troy Brown Jr.	Out	Health and Safety Protocols
Ayo Dosunmu	Out	Health and Safety Protocols
Alize Johnson	Out	Health and Safety Protocols
Stanley Johnson	Out	Health and Safety Protocols
Matt Thomas	Out	Health and Safety Protocols
Patrick Williams	Out	Left Wrist Injury
Derrick Jones Jr.	Questionable	Hamstring Injury

Meanwhile, Derrick Jones Jr. is questionable due to a hamstring injury.

Houston Rockets vs Chicago Bulls: Predicted Lineups

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets will likely deploy the lineup from their last game. Garrison Matthews and Eric Gordon now run the backcourt instead of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green. Josh Christopher will likely start as the power forward while Jae'Sean Tate retains his small forward role. Finally, Christian Wood will be the center and Alperen Sengun will come off the bench. Kenyon Martin Jr. will get the most minutes off the bench along with Sengun.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls will have limited rotation capability and will likely use the same lineup for this matchup as they did for the LA Lakers. Alex Caruso will start instead of coming off the bench in place of Zach LaVine as the shooting guard. Jevonte Green will likely start as the small forward. DeMar DeRozan will shift to the power forward position while Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vucevic retain their usual point guard and center roles. Coby White and Alfonzo McKinnie will get the most minutes off the bench.

Houston Rockets vs Chicago Bulls: Predicted Starting 5s

Houston Rockets

G - Garrison Matthews | G - Eric Gordon | F - Jae'Sean Tate | F - Josh Christopher | C - Christian Wood.

Chicago Bulls

G - Lonzo Ball | G - Alex Caruso | F - Jevonte Green | F - DeMar DeRozan | C - Nikola Vucevic.