Rockets Aim to Shoot Down Hawks in Young’s House
A Dozen Deep. Surging Defense. Balancing Act.
Entering the final dozen games of the season, the Rockets are healthy and ready to make their final playoff push. On Tuesday night they take on the Hawks in Atlanta, in the first set of a back-to-back. The Hawks are a bad team, with a record of 24-47, but have improved as the season’s gone along. And they have star-rookie Trae Young, who leads freshmen in points and assists since the All-Star break. Young has made the Rookie of the Year race more interesting with his improvement along the season. Dallas’ Luka Doncic will probably still win ROY, but Young has made it interesting with his stellar play over the last few weeks. Young put on a display in Houston in the two teams previous matchup, scoring 36 points. Houston withstood his offensive onslaught, and held on for the win. The squad will look finish with the same result in Atlanta.
The Rockets surge in play has been due to their health and defense. Houston can now go a dozen deep with their rotation. Coach Mike D’Antoni rested Kenneth Faried and Austin Rivers in the previous game as he begins to tinker with the lineup to see which rotation will be most effective for the playoffs. James Harden’s been struggling with his shooting, ever since suffering a wrist injury in his first game back from the break. The rest of the team has been rolling, and everyone, including Harden, has been playing exceptional defense.
Houston has turned up the notch on the defensive end. In their previous 8 games, the Rockets have held opponents under 110 points in each contest. In that span, they’ve had the 4th ranked defense. The Rockets will always be a solid offensive team. Their defense was the aspect that got them within one win of the Finals last year. Now, it’s starting to get back to that level. Look for the Houston to shut Atlanta down. Despite their record, Atlanta’s had a better second half of the season and is 8-4 at home against teams from the West. The Rockets need to get a big lead early so D’Antoni can experiment with the rotation and guys can continue to rest and prepare for the playoffs.
Mike D’Antoni has a balancing act on his hands. How to make find playing time on a Houston roster that goes a dozen deep. It’s his biggest challenge. D’Antoni will continue to experiment as the Rockets try and put the best rotation together for the playoffs. A postseason that’s lining up to be the most competitive the West has seen in years. The Rockets have been gearing up, going 11-2 since the All-Star break. On Tuesday night in Atlanta, Houston looks to continue their surge and make it a dozen wins after the break.
State Farm Arena: Atlanta, Georgia
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (44-26): Red
Atlanta Hawks (24-47): Blue
TV: 6:30 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW