A quick look at the final score wouldn't point to the Atlanta Hawks nearly escaping with their third victory of the season against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, but they were seriously close.
After trailing significantly for much of the evening, the home team didn't go down without a fight.
At the very least, their late-game performance gave fans new hope after what was a mostly uninspiring showing. They caught Houston off guard with their late third and fourth quarter attacks, and nearly stole a win. A missed layup from Jalen Johnson calmed the Rockets' nerves, as a made basket would've put the Hawks within a single possession.
Atlanta now has a perfect chance to build off of their impressive late-game climb.
Hawks will run into a familiar foe in their next scheduled game
Up next: Hawks and Rockets, once again. This time, it's taking place in Houston. This will be Atlanta's third away game of the season, compared to just one at home. It's certainly no easy start to the year for Quin Snyder's group.
After their recent back to back, Atlanta had a full day to prepare for their next matchup, assessing what went well and what went wrong. There was certainly more of the latter in their home defeat to the Rockets.
They shouldn't leave everything behind from that battle, though, as again, there were glimpses of excellence.
Late in the third quarter, their threes finally began to fall at a consistent clip. They performed a stretch of spirited offense that cut the Houston lead to just 11 points before the beginning of the final frame.
And even after a rough start to the fourth, Atlanta didn't let go of the mentality that's brought them back from large deficits in the past. Dyson Daniels hit his first three of the season with four minutes remaining, and it seems that right after that moment, a switch flipped.
Houston picked up the win, but Atlanta made them sweat. Now, they get to flip the narrative.
Hawks must make a key statement with a win on Monday night
It's crazy that a season series is reaching its conclusion already. It's only the fourth game of the new year.
Being in opposite conferences, the Hawks and Rockets only face each other twice a season. This upcoming battle will be the final time they run into each other, unless, of course, they meet in the NBA Cup Championship or NBA Finals.
Atlanta certainly doesn't want to get swept.
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