The Houston Rockets are undefeated and sit atop the Western Conference -- one of only two undefeated teams in the NBA entering Monday's play. And while a good start was anticipated, with the team healthy and fortified, the pieces have fit even better than expected.
And now, with the Jalen Williams injury in Oklahoma City, it's possible that the Rockets can get into more of the top-two conversations, especially since they've already beaten the Spurs. They've been explosive on offense thus far, with Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith, Jr., and Alperen Sengun all producing big statlines: the return of Fred VanVleet has returned everyone to their normal roles, and all are creating plays on offense.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks have looked good in their own right, certainly better than the winless Heat and Knicks have in the East.
Their only loss?
To the Rockets on Saturday night.
In that game, Durant scored 22, while Reed Sheppard scored 19 while making 5-of-11 three-pointers, settling into an energizer role.
Monday, the Hawks get another opportunity -- this one in their building.
Atlanta has also been efficient offensively so far, ranking fourth in the NBA in offensive rating, while the Rockets are third. That offense allowed the Hawks to cut a 20-point deficit down to five on Saturday night, before Houston closed it out.
A Rockets win would get the franchise to 4-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 season. How long ago was that? That lineup featured James Harden, Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley. That team finished 56-26.
Houston will be somewhat shorthanded, with veteran guard Marcus Smart expected to sit due to a left forearm strain. VanVleet, however, returns -- he is being worked back in slowly after last season's torn ACL, so he didn't play Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Rockets went 14-35 from three without their "general" on the floor -- and might get even better looks on Monday night. Atlanta will need another productive night from Jalen Johnson, who had 26 points, nine rebound and eight assists in the last matchup.
The Hawks fortified their depth in the offseason with Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins both coming over from the Thunder, and Wiggins in particular had good moments (and 16 points) on Saturday.
It's another good early test for both sides, with the Rockets getting a couple of softer games afterward (in Milwaukee and Dallas) as the road trip continues.
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