Rockets 120, Hawks 110: Sengun's near triple-double keeps Houston perfect
A 14-0 fourth-quarter run turned a two-point game into a rout as Houston moved to 4-0 and swept its home-and-home with Atlanta.
Houston is 4-0, and the formula is starting to look repeatable: survive a punch, then land a bigger one. The Rockets beat the Atlanta Hawks 120-110 on Monday night in Houston, their second win over Atlanta in three days after taking the first meeting 121-114 on Saturday.
How it happened
Atlanta actually controlled the early going, leading 35-32 after one quarter and 66-63 at the half behind CJ McCollum, whose 15 first-half points were the most of any player at the break, per Peachtree Hoops. The Hawks even nudged ahead by a point in the third before Alperen Sengun answered with five points in a 9-0 Houston burst that made it 85-76.
The real break came early in the fourth. Atlanta ran off seven straight, capped by a Nickeil Alexander-Walker three, to close within 95-93 — and Houston responded with a 14-0 run, with threes from Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason, to blow it open at 109-93, according to the AP.
The numbers
Sengun finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, flirting with a triple-double. Kevin Durant added 22, and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points and a team-high 12 boards. For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson led with 21 and McCollum finished with 20.
What it means
Houston did all this without Marcus Smart (forearm strain) and Steven Adams (strained leg muscle), both out for a second straight game. Coach Ime Udoka said Smart could return as soon as Wednesday's game in Milwaukee, while Adams is expected to miss at least another week. For the Hawks, the pattern is the concern: competitive for three quarters in both meetings, then outscored when it mattered. They get a quick shot at a reset when Miami visits Atlanta on Wednesday.