Bulls beat Rockets 125-120; Oladipo solid in Houston debut
Victor Oladipo #7 of the Houston Rockets gets off a shot around Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 18, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. CHICAGO โ Zach LaVine scored 33 points, and the Chicago Bulls overcame a strong effort by Victor Oladipo in his Houston debut, beating the Rockets 125-120 on Monday night. Oladipo looked good in his first game for Houston, pouring in 32 points. Bulls: The Bulls held out rookie forwards Patrick Williams (bruised right hip) and Otto Porter Jr. (strained lower back). Bulls: The Bulls play at Charlotte on Friday before the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers visit on Saturday.
The NBA preseason begins, with empty arenas as the stages
Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford talks to players during a timeout in the first half of the team's NBA preseason basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. The NBA preseason โ a truncated 49-game, nine-day sprint โ opened Friday with a five-game slate, action returning to NBA arenas for the first time in exactly nine months. Fridayโs games:KNICKS 90, PISTONS 84At Detroit, R.J. Barrett scored 15 points and Toppin finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in his debut as the Knicks won their preseason opener. Julius Randle scored 11, while Elfrid Payton and Nerlens Noel each scored 10 for New York. Svi Mykhailiuk and Saddiq Bey led the Pistons with 14 points apiece.