Rockets Aim to Shoot Young Hawks Out of Town
Talented Youngsters. Home Stretch. No More Trap Games.
Coming off a statement win over the Champs, Houston looks to bring the momentum back home. The Rockets face off against the Atlanta Hawks tonight at Toyota Center. The Hawks are one of the youngest teams in the league and boast one of the top 3 rookies in Trae Young. Atlanta’s star prospect has really hit a stride in the 2nd half of the season after getting off to a slow start. The Hawks don’t have a lot of talent, but they’re young and improving. Dewayne Dedmon is one of the most efficient stat-padders in the league. Atlanta’s big man won’t overwhelm the Rockets with talent, but he’s gritty and does the dirty work. Clint Capela is still working his way back to full-speed since his return. Houston’s big man needs to patrol the paint and get to the loose balls before Dedmon, John Collins, or other Atlanta players swing in for a rebound. The Hawks are one of the worst teams in the NBA, and the Rockets should be able to take care of business at home.
Speaking of home, 7 of the next 11 games are at Toyota Center. The Rockets have a nice home stretch awaiting them where they can make some move on the teams ahead of them as they try and claim the 3rd seed. OKC sits currently in 3rd place, 4 games ahead of Houston in the standings. However, the Thunder face upcoming games against elite opponents in Denver and Philly. Houston can gain some ground, as their schedule is weak compared to OKC’s. The Rockets have 3 middling eastern foes to take care of (Hawks, Hornets, Heat) and they can notch a step closer to one of the top 3 seeds. Houston needs to take care of the league’s bottom-feeders. Sadly, it’s been the squad’s Achilles heel all season. Hopefully, the focus from Saturday night’s win will carry over to the final stretch of the season.
Houston faces a different sort of test tonight as they host the “below-average” Atlanta Hawks. A mental test. The Rockets have no business losing this game. Yes, Harden and Shumpert are questionable to play. But, Harden or no Harden, the Rockets proved last game they can beat anyone on any night. Houston’s problem has been showing up for games like tonight’s, against Atlanta. A bad team coming in, the Rockets can’t just lackadaisically show up and expect to win. They need to start getting up for these bad teams, the way they got up for Saturday night’s statement win. And tonight, the Rockets can take a step in that direction with a victory tonight. A win that sends a message: no more trap games. They’ve got one tonight. Houston’s lost a fair share of trap games this season. It’s time that trend comes to an end, with a different sort of statement win.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Atlanta Hawks (20-40): White
Houston Rockets (34-25): Black
TV: 7 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW