The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Saturday night for their home opener to face the Houston Rockets. Both teams were coming off wins on their first night of a back-to-back, with the Hawks defeating the Charlotte Hornets and the Rockets defeating the San Antonio Spurs.
It would be a test for the Hawks, as the Rockets were coming in 2-0 and were supposed to be one of the better teams in the league.
The Rockets were without Fred VanVleet in this one, while the Hawks had their normal rotation on board.
Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker helped the Hawks score their first points at home.
The Rockets kept a small lead throughout the quarter, but the Hawks always had an answer. Alexander-Walker kept the Hawks in it with three 3-pointers in the quarter.
Not only did Alexander-Walker have the points, but he was perfect in his playmaking for the team as well.
Johnson kept the Hawks close with this 3-pointer.
Going into the second, the Hawks trailed 30-26.
Alexander-Walker continued his hot shooting in the second quarter with the help of this hustle from Lu Dort.
Kingston Flemings got a head full of steam and converted on this layup.
The Hawks did go through a dry spell on offense, and it was due to the Rockets’ defense, but also missing good looks. That led the Rockets to build a double-digit lead at one point, and the Hawks found themselves fighting back for most of the quarter.
Going into halftime, the Hawks trailed 59-48.
The third quarter was important for the Hawks to come out strong. Alexander-Walker got the call, and threw down this huge dunk on Kevin Durant in transition.
Unfortunately, that didn’t bother the Rockets as much, and they continued to put the pressure on the Hawks, building their lead to 16 points.
The Hawks tried to get back into it and went on a mini run, but the Rockets answered back and brought their lead up to 20. They didn’t keep it for long, as the Hawks hit a pair of 3-pointers to bring down their deficit.
Right at the buzzer, Johnson was able to finish a blocked Alexander-Walker shot for a tip-in, and they went into the fourth trailing 92-81.
The Rockets put their foot on the gas to start the quarter, forcing the Hawks into turnovers and converting on the other end. That alone helped them build their lead back up to almost 20 points.
Daniels was able to hit a 3-pointer late in the fourth.
The Hawks tried to make a final run, and it looked like they were going to make it a game after the Rockets struggled to get the ball several times.
Johnson finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and 16 assists; Alexander-Walker finished with 18 points, and Daniels finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.
The Hawks will be back in action on Monday night to face the Rockets again.
