HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets secured a 121-114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, led by an impressive performance from Jalen Green, who notched up 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet also made significant contributions, scoring 21 points by shooting 5 of 14 from the field, sinking three of his eight shots from beyond the arc, and flawlessly hitting all eight of his free-throw attempts. Additionally, Tari Eason played a pivotal role on the boards, collecting 14 rebounds.
On the opposing side, Dyson Daniels emerged as a key figure for the Hawks, amassing 19 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals. Trae Young also played a crucial role for Atlanta, adding 19 points and 12 assists to their efforts.
The Rockets asserted control over the game midway through the first quarter and sustained their advantage throughout. By halftime, they had built a comfortable lead, sitting at 65-48 with Green contributing 14 points during this period.
Houston maintained a substantial 20-point advantage after the third quarter. The Hawks, however, managed to close the gap to 98-94 with 7:20 remaining, courtesy of a 17-2 run. Despite being outscored by the Hawks by 10 points in the second half, the Rockets held strong until the final buzzer.
Takeaways highlighted the fact that the Hawks, despite having won three consecutive games prior, struggled with their shooting, making only 15 out of 49 attempts from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Rockets bolstered their standing in the Western Conference, reinforcing their position as the No. 2 seed. Currently, with a record of 47-26, the Rockets have now pulled two games ahead of the Denver Nuggets and have clinched 10 victories in their last 11 matchups.
A crucial moment in the closing seconds saw VanVleet converting four out of four from the charity stripe, solidifying the Rockets’ lead after Georges Niang hit a three-pointer that brought the Hawks within striking distance at 117-114 with just 22 seconds on the clock.
A key statistical performance for Houston was their accuracy from the free-throw line, where they converted 26 of 29 attempts.
Looking ahead, the Hawks are set to travel to face the Miami Heat on Thursday night, while the Rockets will head to Utah for a matchup against the Jazz on the same evening.