NBA | Rockets vs Bulls Positives despite Harden situation
On their Houston Rockets debuts and after lengthy spells on the sidelines, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins gave the franchise a reason to be hopeful, despite James Harden‘s trade request.
The pair, who have nine All-Star appearances between them, combined for 27 points as they helped their team to a 125-104 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Wall last played on December 26, 2018, due to heel and Achilles problems, while Cousins also missed all of last season with an ACL injury that has kept him out of action since June 13, 2019.
The pair are delighted to be back on court, and doing it together makes it even more special as they have been friends since their days together at Kentucky University.
“It’s a really cool feeling. I’m glad I’m able to share the floor with a guy I consider my brother,” said Cousins.
Rockets fans will be glad to be able to focus on the impact of their team’s new stars, especially given that it looks unlikely that Harden will don a Houston uniform again.
Coach Stephen Silas is cautiously optimistic about what his new arrivals will bring to the team.
“It’s step by step with those guys. We really didn’t know what to expect when those guys walked through the door, [with] both of them coming off of injuries,” said Silas.
“They both played very well tonight, they both looked really good. They were fun, Hopefully, this is something we can build off of, but it’s a day-by-day thing.”
Regardless of where Harden‘s future lies, Silas was keen to be positive about the players who do want to play for him.
“It shows that it’s still a really good team here, regardless of the circumstances that are floating around the team right now. It’s still a really good team in place, a lot of talent,” said Silas.
For the Bulls, the standouts were Coby White with 15 points and ex-Sevilla guard Tomas Satoransky, who finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and six dimes.
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