The Atlanta Hawks squared off against the Houston Rockets on January 29 at State Farm Arena, and their outing didn’t seem to go the way they wanted it to. The Hawks were fresh off a win against the Boston
Celtics, defeating them 117-106, and the Rockets recently lost to the San Antonio Spurs, but Houston defeated Atlanta 104-86, losing by double digits.
Jalen Johnson’s Absence
Hawks’ forward Jalen Johnson did not play against the Rockets last night due to calf tightness. Johnson has been averaging 23 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game this season.
Johnson’s offensive production was definitely missed as they struggled to get things going in the second half. Hawks’ guards CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker picked up the slack, with McCollum having 23 points and Alexander-Walker scoring 20. Forward Corey Kispert was third in scoring with 17 points.
The Hawks did well in the first half, keeping the score close — their backcourt got hot early, and they were only down one at 43-42. The Rockets were ranked in the top five in scoring defense, so the Hawks would have had to make the most of their offensive possessions, but Houston’s defensive prowess rang true. But things got away in the second half with players like Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr. having productive games.
Hawks’ Defensive Struggles
The Hawks’ defense struggled against the Rockets, with Kevin Durant scoring 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting. The Hawks had a tough matchup guarding Durant on the perimeter.
Size differential could’ve been an issue for the Hawks as well. Houston was able to take control of the paint with 59 total rebounds to the Hawks’ 46. Houston forward Jabari Smith Jr. had five blocks while guard Reed Sheppard had 13 points.
In the postgame press conference, Hawks head coach Quinn Snyder said that when Durant is “at the nail of the foul line, it’s very difficult to double team there.” Also emphasizing that when Durant is doubled, that hurt them in rebounding.
Hawks Injuries
To the Hawks’ credit, they did well in the first half, but things just went negative in the second half. But they also have quite a few injuries with Jalen Johnson not playing due to a calf issue. Onyeka Okongwu, Zaccharie Risacher, and Kristaps Porzingis did not play either.
In the postgame presser, Snyder iterated that Okongwu and Johnson are among their better players. Against a team with a size differential, such as Houston, this was evident in rebounding.
The Atlanta Hawks will go against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. For the Hawks, a key to getting back on track for the rest of the season is getting players healthy and having their core players available.
Atlanta is now 24-26 and ninth in the Eastern Conference.
