24 Mar 2026

Sengun triple-double not enough for Rockets

Chicago came out firing and never really let go. In front of 21,395 at United Center, the Bulls beat the Houston Rockets 132-124 in NBA regular-season action, riding a blistering start and a three-point edge that held all night. Sofascore users saw it coming early: a 41-21 first quarter put the Bulls in cruise control, even as Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun kept Houston within reach.

Fast start in Chicago

The Bulls opened with 41 in the first, shooting 13-of-23 from the field and 7-of-10 from three while dishing 10 assists. Collin Sexton, Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and Josh Giddey all connected from deep as Chicago’s spacing took hold immediately. By halftime it was 65-48, and the Bulls had already spent 22 minutes in front.

They led for 43:20 overall and stretched the advantage to as many as 22. Houston’s defense never found the line between contesting the arc and protecting the paint, and Chicago kept punishing every late rotation.

Rockets ride Sengun and KD back into it

Ime Udoka’s team answered after the break with a 39-point third quarter. Sengun was almost automatic inside, finishing 16-of-19 from the field, while Durant piled up buckets from everywhere and dropped five threes. Kevin Durant ended with 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting and a Sofascore Rating of 8.2, but his nights like this rarely come with a minus-18.

Sengun delivered a massive 33-13-10 triple-double and a league-leading-type Sofascore Rating of 9.3. Reed Sheppard added 13 and six assists, but Houston’s 11-of-41 from three (27 percent) left too many points on the table.

The shooting math and the extras favored Chicago

Billy Donovan’s group lived at the line and from deep. The Bulls went 19-of-38 from three and 23-of-28 on free throws, outscoring Houston by 16 combined points in those two areas. They also won the glass 45-41, shared it well with 30 assists, and committed fewer turnovers (14 to 17).

Scoring was balanced. Collin Sexton poured in 25 points (4 threes, 9-of-10 FT; Sofascore Rating 7.9), Matas Buzelis added 23 with five triples (Sofascore Rating 7.0), and Leonard Miller brought 17 and 9 rebounds off the bench. Josh Giddey posted a 15-13-7 line and a Sofascore Rating of 7.9, Tre Jones had 15 and 6 assists (7.7), and Jalen Smith’s efficient 15 and 2 blocks (7.6) mattered late.

Key numbers you’ll quote later

– Time in front: Bulls 43:20, Rockets 2:12. Biggest lead 22 for Chicago.
– Bulls threes vs. Rockets threes: 19-of-38 (50 percent) to 11-of-41 (27 percent).
– Free throws: Bulls +8 makes (23-of-28 vs 15-of-24).
– Houston’s stars were brilliant but isolated: Durant 40, Sengun 33-13-10. Chicago countered with six players in double figures.

For full box score, shot charts, live momentum and every Sofascore Rating from the NBA 25/26 season, fire up Sofascore. It’s the quickest way to relive this one and track every Bulls and Rockets performance in real time.