The Atlanta Hawks led the Houston Rockets by as many as 16 points, with a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Star players, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray had 44 and 39 points, respectively, but the Rockets rallied in the fourth quarter to top the Hawks on the road, 128-122. Atlanta’s offense stalled out in the fourth quarter and were outscored 34-18 in the final frame.
The Rockets used multiple 20-point efforts to top the Hawks, with Jalen Green leading the way with 30 points, Kenyon Martin Jr. & Jabari Smith Jr, finished with 21 each, and Garrison Matthews provided an unlikely 20-point contribution from the bench. Taking away the 83 combined points from Young and Murray, the rest of the Hawks only combined to score 39 points.
Atlanta started the game rough allowing 38 points in the first quarter alone, with essentially no
defensive effort being displayed. While fans have been calling for more playing time for Onyeka Okongwu, Clint Capela’s absence at the starting center position was glaring. Atlanta was out-rebounded in this one a whooping, 59-28, it is a little impressive they even held a 16-point lead.
In the second quarter, Young and Murray picked things up and gave the Hawks a 3-point cushion heading into halftime. Things were going well for the Hawks again in the third, as Young continued his offensive tirade, and Murray chipped in with his scoring and defense. A 9-2 run gave Atlanta a 16-point cushion with just 7 minutes left in the third. After that point, Atlanta’s offense dissipated and the Rockets clawed their way back to etch out the victory.
Players like John Collins and De’Andre Hunter, both of whom had high expectations for this season, failed to contribute much of anything in over 30 minutes of action. Both players combined for just 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Hunter, who just came off the biggest offseason of his career, after inking a 4-year, $90 million extension, has been out-played for the most part, by rookie A.J. Griffin. Griffin was the only other Hawk to finish with double-digit scoring, finishing with 11 points in just 23 minutes.
The Rockets were a mere 3-14 coming into this game, so this is a bad lost for the team all the way around. Atlanta looks to get back on track against a streaky-Miami Heat team at home this Sunday. This is the first meeting between the two clubs since last year’s playoff’s, in which Miami beat Atlanta 4-1. Tip-off for this one is at 5:00 p.m. eastern, from State Farm Arena.
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