Atlanta Hawks to face Rockets in Houston
By John Buhler
The 20-13 Atlanta Hawks look to get back in the win column when they face the 16-16 Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Tuesday night on a back-to-back.
The Atlanta Hawks had their six-game winning streak snapped on Monday night, falling to the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, 93-87. Atlanta remains two games back of the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference and in first place of the Southeast Division by half a game over the Miami Heat.
Atlanta has a great shot at redemption on Tuesday night as they will play the 16-16 Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center. Tipoff is at 8:00 PM ET and the game will air on Fox Sports Southeast.
Houston has clawed their way back to respectability after their dreadful start to 2015-16, which involved firing former head coach Kevin McHale who not even a year ago took the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals. The Rockets are in seventh place in the West and have played better ball under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
More from Atlanta Hawks
- Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
- Atlanta Hawks Look to Continue Momentum Tonight Against Portland
- Joel Embiid Leads Sixers Over Hawks On Monday Night
- Atlanta Hawks: John Collins Playing His Best Basketball Of Season
- Atlanta Hawks Win Second Straight Against the Dallas Mavericks
While the Houston Rockets are an above .500 team at home this season (10-7), their luck against Eastern Conference opponents hasn’t been as good (6-9). The Atlanta Hawks have slightly better than .500 records on the road (8-7) and against the Western Conference (8-6) in 2015-16.
The Atlanta Hawks swept the season series over the Houston Rockets last year, including a surprising win at the Toyota Center when the Hawks started to gain momentum towards a 60-22 regular season.
For Atlanta to get back to its winning ways, the Hawks will need to do a far better job of taking care of the basketball. Their 22 turnovers on Monday night was ultimately the reason behind the team losing to the Pacers on the road, thus snapping their six-game winning streak.
Houston is a team with great size in the low post and has many players that love to shoot three pointers. Hanging tough on the glass as well as sound perimeter defense will go a long way in getting the Atlanta Hawks back in the win column on Tuesday night.
Next: Atlanta Hawks' winning streak snapped by Pacers, 93-87
Should the ball security issues not play a part in this game for the Atlanta Hawks, they can get their 21st victory of the season in Houston on Tuesday night and keep pace with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. All-around good defense and a decent night shooting from the field could elevate the Atlanta Hawks against an improving Houston Rockets team. Let’s Go Hawks!