The Houston Rockets kept their unbeaten start rolling Tuesday night, beating the Atlanta Hawks 120-110 behind a heavy dose of efficiency, physicality, and Alperen Sengun doing just about everything.
Houston controlled the game with a 53.1% shooting night, a 52-35 edge on the boards, and nine blocks. The Rockets also built a lead that got as large as 22 points, then held off Atlanta’s push to finish the job.
Sengun was the centerpiece. He piled up 29 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and six steals, giving Houston a little bit of everything in one of the most complete performances of the night. He shot 11-15 from the field, made his lone three, and went 6-8 at the line while constantly pressuring Atlanta’s defense.
Kevin Durant added 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and four blocks in 30 minutes. He went 6-13 from the floor and hit nine of his 10 free throws, giving Houston a steady scoring option and a strong defensive presence around the rim.
Jabari Smith Jr. also chipped in with a double-double, while Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard each scored 13 points off the bench. Eason added eight rebounds, two assists, and three blocks, and Sheppard finished with four assists and two steals to help keep the Rockets’ attack moving.
Atlanta got solid nights from Jalen Johnson, who scored 21, and CJ McCollum, who added 20, but the Hawks never quite matched Houston’s pace or force. The difference showed up in the details: the Rockets scored 32 points off turnovers, held a 26-20 edge in fast-break points, and dominated the paint 64-56.
Houston’s work on the glass was especially telling. Jabari Smith Jr. led the team with 12 rebounds, while Sengun and Durant each had nine and Eason grabbed eight in 33 minutes. The Rockets collected 40 defensive rebounds to Atlanta’s 22, limiting second chances even though the Hawks did grab 13 offensive boards.
The shooting numbers told the rest of the story. Houston hit 43 of 81 shots, while Atlanta made 42 of 98 and shot just 28.2% from three. The Rockets only made eight of 27 from deep, but they made up for it by getting to the line, finishing 26-for-32.
There was one blemish on the night: Houston turned it over 22 times, compared with Atlanta’s 13. Even so, the Rockets’ defense and efficiency were enough to keep the result comfortably in their favor.
For Houston, the formula was clear again - Sengun driving the offense, Durant adding veteran polish, the bench supplying energy, and the team winning the physical battle.
In Other News...
Rockets Rotation Still Has One Big Problem Even With Marcus Smart Close
Marcus Smart could be back in the lineup as soon as the upcoming game against Milwaukee after missing two games with a left forearm strain, which would at least give Houston another veteran ballhandler and defender at a time when the rotation has been in flux. Even so, the Rockets are still sorting out the shape of the backcourt and frontcourt around him, and coach Ime Udoka has already started laying out how the minutes might shift if Smart is cleared.
The bigger issue remains up front, where Steven Adams is still out and the Rockets have to keep patching together their center rotation. Udoka mentioned Clint Capela and Jabari Smith Jr. as part of that solution, while Reed Sheppard appears set for a larger role behind Fred VanVleet, but the balance of those pieces is still unsettled and leaves Houston with one obvious area to monitor even if Smart is ready to return. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Rematch Gets More Interesting If One Veteran Guard Returns
The Rockets have opened 3-0 and already handled the Hawks once without a couple of important names in the backcourt, a reminder that this start has come with some roster flexibility built in. Even so, the group around Kevin Durant has made it clear how much steadier Houston can look when the veteran guards are available, especially as the season begins to ask for more than just early energy.
Marcus Smart now carries a questionable tag for the rematch with a forearm injury, which adds another layer to a game that already has a different feel because of the way the first meeting played out. Smart and Fred VanVleet both sat out that win over Atlanta, and if Houston can get even one of them back in uniform, the rematch becomes a far more revealing test of where this team stands. [Read more 🡒]
Amen Thompson Is Giving The Rockets A New Reason To Believe
Houstons hot start has given the Rockets plenty to feel good about, and Amen Thompson has been at the center of it. The 3-0 record has the team sitting atop the Western Conference, and Thompson has helped set the tone with a stronger all-around presence, including career-best rebounding numbers early in the season. His recent five-year extension only adds to the sense that the Rockets are building around a core that is starting to look as promising as advertised.
The latest reminder came in the final moments against San Antonio, when Thompson delivered a crucial block that helped close out a 114-110 win over the Spurs. Plays like that are the kind that change how a young team is viewed, especially when they come from a player whose impact keeps showing up in bigger spots. For the Rockets, Thompson is no longer just part of the future - he is becoming one of the reasons they can believe in the present. [Read more 🡒]