Rockets vs. Bulls game thread: Big men in the middle

Most nights in the NBA, the Rockets don't figure to be at too much of a disadvantage with Dwight Howard on the sidelines for the next month.

Tonight is not those nights. The Chicago Bulls have the deepest, biggest frontcourt in the league, with Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. They aren't jelling quite as Bulls fans expected them to, but they are also facing Joey Dorsey and not much size elsewhere among the Rockets bigs.

Other teams in the West have begun to falter a tad, meaning the Rockets can lose games like tonight and not tumble too far in the standings. But that doesn't meant they have to. An aggressive transition game and big numbers from James Harden just might do the trick tonight.