HOUSTON – On Tuesday, March 25, the Houston Rockets hosted the Atlanta Hawks at the Toyota Center in Houston.
After leading by double digits for most of the game, Atlanta brought the margin within just four with a 20-4 run to start the fourth quarter. However, the Rockets recovered offensively and narrowly avoided disaster, walking away with a 121-114 victory.
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In the postgame press conference, Rockets’ head coach Ime Udoka said mental lapses allowed the Hawks to make a game that looked like a blowout competitive down the stretch.
‘[There were] a lot of mistakes,” Udoka said. “Lack of urgency, lack of killer instinct. I mean, you can only say it so many times: ‘Let’s put our foot on the pedal. [We have a] 20-point lead...’ You come out and don’t execute, obviously you give them life and it’s not good enough.”
Houston’s Jalen Green was the game’s biggest star, finishing with a 32-point, 11-rebound double-double. He slashed through Atlanta defenders all night, converting multiple highlight dunks and flashy layups through contact.
After the game, Green said the team’s collective scoring ability allows himself and other players to dominate offensively on any given night.
“We’ve been saying we’re a deep team,” Green said. “Anybody can get it going; anybody can have a good night, and that’s what keeps us together.”
The win moves the Rockets to 47-26 overall, which keeps them in second place in the Western Conference with a two-game lead over the Denver Nuggets.
SEE ALSO: Rockets clinch postseason berth for first time since 2019-20 season
Tonight’s contest was Houston’s second and final matchup with the Hawks in the 2024-25 regular season. Their first meeting was in Atlanta back on Jan. 28, when the Rockets avoided another late collapse and held on for a 100-96 win.
Next up, the Rockets will visit Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz on March 27. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.
Game recap
First quarter
Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason scored in the game’s first minutes to give the Rockets a 9-2 lead, but the Hawks went on a 12-0 scoring run fueled by baskets from Zaccharie Risacher. Houston took a timeout to stop the bleeding.
The Rockets’ offense woke up following the stoppage, and Houston quickly retook the lead. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Green converted a tough layup, which he followed up with a steal and another layup, plus a foul. The sequence ignited the Houston crowd, and the Rockets held a 30-23 advantage after one.
Second quarter
The Rockets carried their momentum into the second quarter, with a three from VanVleet and an and-one layup by Alperen Sengun setting the tone. Houston opened the quarter on a 10-3 scoring run that triggered an Atlanta timeout.
Things didn’t improve much for the Hawks after the huddle, and an unanswered three-ball from Aaron Holiday and tip-in from Eason forced yet another Hawks’ timeout in the 45-26 ballgame.
The Hawks finally found some offensive rhythm following the second timeout, with Georges Niang and Trae Young contributing to a brief scoring run that cut the Rockets’ lead down to 15.
Young’s sharpshooting continued to inch the Hawks’ deficit closer to single digits, but the Rockets ended the half on a 9-4 scoring run to take a 65-48 lead into the locker room.
Green led Houston at the half with 14 points. Young was Atlanta’s leading scorer, finishing with 13.
Third quarter
The Rockets kept their foot on the gas at the start of the third quarter. With the lead already at 20, Risacher threw an errant pass near mid-court that was intercepted and turned into a dunk on the other end by Green.
Later in the third, Green snuck by Atlanta’s Terance Mann with a nasty spin move along the left baseline. The lane cleared out, and Green caught serious air for a filthy slam that made the crowd go crazy.
Houston led 94-74 after three quarters.
Fourth quarter
Atlanta came out swinging to start the fourth quarter, and Houston’s once comfortable advantage quickly evaporated. A pair of threes from Mann and baskets from Risacher and Onyeka Okongwu contributed to a 20-4 scoring run that made it a 98-94 ballgame. The Rockets took at timeout with 7:20 to play.
With their backs on the ropes for the first time since the opening quarter, the Rockets needed a spark. They found offense in Green, who scored on back-to-back possessions to extinguish the Hawks’ momentum. Risacher responded, but Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. buried two straight triples to make it a 108-97 game in favor of the Rockets.
Buckets from Sengun eventually made the score 114-105 with just under two minutes to play, and it seemed like the Rockets were fully back in the driver’s seat. However, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels connected on three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, and another triple from Niang eventually made the Rockets’ lead just 117-114 with 22 seconds remaining.
Luckily for Houston, Fred VanVleet was sharp at the line when Atlanta was forced to foul, and the Rockets held on for the 121-114 win.
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