The Atlanta Hawks are coming off their first loss of the season. Atlanta fell at home to the Houston Rockets, 121-114. Now, the Hawks travel to Houston looking to bounce back.
Hawks Three Keys For Tonight Against Houston
Atlanta sits at 2-1 with wins over the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets. The Hawks must do three things to take down the Rockets and split the season series.
The Hawks Must Match The Rockets’ Physicality
Things got chippy in Atlanta when these teams played last Saturday night. In the second quarter, Houston picked up three technical fouls, and the Hawks got one of their own.
In fact, the Rockets drew 10 personal fouls on Atlanta in the second quarter alone. It may have gotten to their heads, as the Hawks shot just 1-for-10 from three and had only two free-throw attempts. Meanwhile, Houston shot 9-for-10 from the line and made four threes in the quarter to boot.
Head Coach Quin Snyder acknowledged the adjustments his team had to make to attack the Rockets’ big lineup:
“The best way to attack [Houston] is in space,” Snyder said. “They’re so big, and they spread out when you get in the half court. You have to take those shots.”
Despite how big Houston is in comparison to Atlanta, they held their own on the boards. The Rockets won the rebound battle by one, but the Hawks grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to 13 for Houston. With that said, Snyder also noted the importance of rebounding on the defensive glass. If Atlanta can get on the glass and force live-ball turnovers, they get more transition opportunities, where the Hawks thrive.
The Hawks Have To Make Open Shots
A positive from the first game against the Rockets was Atlanta’s ability to generate open shots in the half-court. The issue is that they couldn’t hit the long ball if their lives depended on it. The Hawks shot just 26.5% from three (13-of-49).
The good news is that output is unsustainably low. In the first two games of the season, Atlanta shot 39.5% from three (32-of-81). Even still, some of the Hawks’ biggest threats on offense have yet to get it going. Jalen Johnson (14.3%) and Onyeka Okongwu (15.4%) are shooting abysmal percentages from three to start the season.
Making open shots is imperative if Atlanta wants to avoid huge deficits early. Bad nights shooting the ball will happen throughout the season, but there is enough talent on this team to avoid it becoming a trend. In all fairness, the Rockets enter the game surrendering the fifth-lowest opponents’ three-point percentage (29%).
The Hawks Must Limit Foul Trouble
Houston made a big run in the second quarter, in large part by attempting eight more free throws than Atlanta. Amen Thompson, in particular, was living at the free-throw line. For his career, Thompson is a 73.4% shooter at the line. So far this season, he is up to 86.7% from the line—a career-high mark.
Overall, the free-throw line was fairly even. The Hawks only committed two more personal fouls, which led to only two more free-throw attempts. However, a physical team like Houston will want to work the ball inside. The Rockets rank 28th in the NBA in three-point attempts per game (32).
If Atlanta can defend without fouling and grab defensive rebounds, they will be in great shape. The Hawks don’t have the personnel to match up with the Rockets’ big lineup, but they can match the physicality without Houston living at the free-throw line.
The Last Word
Ahead of tonight’s game, Atlanta’s injury report remains the same. Both Henri Vessar (torn ACL) and Mo Gueye (foot fracture) remain out.
A player health update presented by @emoryhealthcare for tomorrow’s game at Houston:
Jock Landale (nasal fracture): Available
Mouhamed Gueye (left foot fracture): Out
Henri Veesaar (torn right ACL): Out https://t.co/xfFm6OxVfG— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2026
For Houston, Steven Adams (ankle) and Fred VanVleet (knee) remain out. Marcus Smart (forearm) was listed as questionable, but is now out as well.
The Hawks have lost five straight games to the Rockets. Their last win over Houston was on Feb. 10, 2024, a 122-113 win in Atlanta.
Photo Credit: Colin Hubbard, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect