The Rockets were bound to snap their losing streak. No matter how bad the team is, it just wasn't probable that they would finish the season with only one win. However, it was pretty unlikely that it would happen against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in the Chicago Bulls. Even unlikelier was doing it without star prospect Jalen Green.

Green exploded out of the gates with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, 2-of-2 from the free throw line, and 1-of-2 from three-point range before having to leave with a left leg injury. However, Houston didn't slow down. Instead, they outscored the Bulls 32-25 in the second quarter and seemed to reach a level defensively that they wouldn't have been able to reach with Green.

“Definitely feels good,” said Stephen Silas after the game. “More than the win, it just feels good for the guys. It feels so good for [Danuel] House. It feels so good for [Kevin Porter Jr.]. It feels so good for [Christian] Wood who struggled from the free throw line and made two huge free throws down the stretch and made a great play off the roll to a corner pass. It feels great for Garrison [Matthews], Armoni [Brooks], and Eric [Gordon], who has been a stalwart through this whole thing. So yeah, it feels good to win. But it feels so much better for those guys. Like I said before the game, it's really just about them. And I couldn't be more proud.”

Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. also made his return to the Rockets' rotation today and played really well in Green's absence, tallying 14 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds.

“I was really happy with the way Scoot played,” said Silas of Porter Jr. “We really just been talking a lot about his ability to help other guys. He had nine assists tonight and stayed in the game. His focus, even in those moments where he thought he got fouled, he just stayed with it and didn't have one of those moments he kind of dipped out of it and then came back..”

On his first night with a healthy roster, Silas interestingly enough chose not to play center Daniel Theis and instead started a lineup with Christian Wood at center, Jae'Sean Tate at power forward, Eric Gordon at small forward, Green at shooting guard, and Porter Jr. at point guard. The Rockets had been struggling with floor spacing all season with their two big lineups and this new lineup provided the team with a ton of what they were missing.

Wood got to play his natural position at center and be an effective screen and dive guy. Jae'Sean Tate seems more effective at power forward. And Eric Gordon just adds a spacing threat that the Rockets badly needed in their starting unit. Gordon is also Houston's second best player so that certainly helps Houston start games better.

“We were able to get deep up in the lanes and make passes, hockey assists, assists, open threes, and drives,” said forward Danuel House after the game. “That's the key. Because now you can get to the free throw line, you can get shot attempts, and you're not turning over the ball. Those things are really huge for us. It's something that the coaching staff did their research and homework on and wanted to mix some things up.”

Coach Silas used the lineup primarily to take advantage of Wood's matchup against the Bulls. The secondary benefits are kind of hard to ignore though when you're thinking about the Rockets moving forward this season.

“[Wood] is a good pick and pop player, he can play off closeouts, he can roll to the rim,” said Silas on the new lineup. “And he needs to be at the five more. But I was also pretty confident with Eric, Jalen, and Scoot on the floor together. Little bit more playmaking and little bit more space.”

Silas would not commit to Wood at center as the long-term solution and instead said the Rockets will go in an entirely different direction with their starting lineups this season.

“It's hard to say,” said Silas. “It's just one game. Because there will be teams that will have a bigger five and we'll have to adjust. As far as us having a set starting lineup, I think it's trending towards no and being more based on who we're playing and what their strengths are and less about us.”

To say this was a weight off the Rockets' shoulders as a team is an understatement. At 15-straight losses, this was the franchise's second longest losing streak and every game was becoming progressively more must-win. This will allow them to play basketball without all the pressure.

“Great,” said House on the win. “Unbelievable. Exciting. So many words could be said for that one question. But we're grateful for it. We can't hang out hats on it. We did a great job tonight. We still have a lot more games left. We just need to go to the drawing board and continue to carry this momentum.”

After a rough season, House had a pretty exceptional performance tonight, scoring 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, 4-of-4 shooting from three-point range, and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. From a raw impact standpoint, House was also a +9 in 16 minutes.

“I just tried to be me,” said House. “I haven't been able to be myself lately. I've been harder on myself for no reason. But I was able to be myself, play within my limits, and have fun.”

The Rockets play six out of their next seven games at home and four of their games are against teams with a win percentage of 33.3% or lower. Houston should be able to take this momentum and pick up at least one other win during this stretch.

“It's a long season,” said House. “A lot of things can happen within the midst of the season. The only thing we can really control is our effort we can put into getting better everyday. Guys have been putting in extra work and working overtime to make sure that we were prepared and ready for this moment.”