Rockets dominate second half, exposing Hawks' depth issues and mounting injuries after a strong first-half showing.
The Atlanta Hawks came home Thursday night carrying momentum, confidence and little margin for error. What they didn’t have was depth, freshness or enough answers once the game tilted after halftime.
Less than 24 hours after an emotional road win over Boston, the Hawks fell 104-86 to the Houston Rockets, undone by second-half execution issues and the cumulative toll of injuries. Atlanta played without Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, two of its most important frontcourt pieces, and the absences became increasingly apparent as the game wore on.
Despite those challenges, the Hawks stayed competitive early. Atlanta played with purpose in the opening two quarters, sharing the ball and defending well enough to trail just 43-42 at halftime. The game shifted quickly after the break as Houston asserted itself physically and dictated tempo.
The Rockets controlled the third quarter, outscoring Atlanta 35-24 and turning a tight contest into a double-digit deficit. Long rebounds repeatedly favored Houston, and extra possessions led to a steady stream of paint touches and kick-out threes. A Reed Sheppard three later stretched the margin to 20, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Atlanta’s offense stalled as the floor shrank. Hawks coach Quin Snyder said the breakdown showed up clearly in how the Hawks were forced to attack.
“We’ve got to score, and it’s reflected in how many times we got our shot blocked and how many 3s we got,” Snyder said.
He pointed to recognition issues that surfaced as Houston leaned into cross-matching and interior size.
“We talked a lot about getting the lane and having your eyes out, and their cross matching was an issue for us,” Snyder said. “They were inside with a big most of the game. It’s hard for us to recognize that in some pick-and-roll situations.”
Offensively, Atlanta leaned heavily on its bench. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 23 points, providing steady scoring when the offense struggled to generate clean looks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 20 points, while Corey Kispert chipped in 17.
Houston was powered by Kevin Durant, who finished with 31 points and repeatedly punished Atlanta from the middle of the floor. Snyder explained why Durant’s positioning made him especially difficult to contain.
“When he’s at the nail at the foul line, it’s very difficult to double-team him,” Snyder said.
He added that helping too aggressively created problems elsewhere.
“A lot of times, they’ll shoot before the double comes,” Snyder said. “When you do commit two players to him, that’s when you get hurt on the glass.”
The Hawks’ defensive challenges were magnified by missing personnel. Johnson was held out with left calf tightness, while Okongwu remained sidelined after suffering a dental fracture in Wednesday’s win at Boston. Snyder acknowledged how significant those absences were.
“Not having Jalen and O is substantial,” Snyder said. “Their ability to create advantages is something that we rely on defensively.”
One of the few sparks for Atlanta came late in the fourth quarter, when Christian Koloko jumped a loose ball and finished a breakaway dunk. Koloko, making his first start with the Hawks, spent much of the night battling Houston center Alperen Sengun in a physical matchup that reflected the Rockets’ interior edge.
Kispert said finding rhythm without two frontcourt anchors proved difficult.
“Houston does a great job of putting their hands on you and slowing you down,” Kispert said. “There were periods of time during the game where you kind of had that flow going and stuff. But missing a guy like JJ and O, it takes a while to get used to that and we just couldn’t get out of the mud today.”
The loss snapped Atlanta’s four-game winning streak and underscored the difficulty of navigating injuries on short rest. The Hawks now turn the page quickly, heading to Indianapolis for a Saturday matchup with the Pacers as they look to stabilize and regain momentum.