The Atlanta Hawks returned home Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back, where they fell to the Houston Rockets 86-104.
Entering the matchup, the Hawks carried plenty of momentum. In their last effort, which took place just the night before, Atlanta went into TD Garden and picked up a dominant victory over the Boston Celtics.
That night, while providing Hawks fans with a world of optimism, ultimately came at a cost. Not only did Onyeka Okongwu get a nasty elbow to the face, resulting in a dental fracture, but Jalen Johnson aggravated his calf.
Already at a physicality and talent disadvantage, the Hawks were set to face the Rockets without their two most reliable frontcourt players. Against a team that dominates the glass and operates primarily in the mid-range, Atlanta needed all of their available offensive weapons to light it up if they wanted any chance at picking up their fifth-straight win.
There was room for hope, however, as Houston came into the night facing similar circumstances. Also on the second night of a back-to-back, the Rockets were at no sort of rest advantage over the home team.
Alperen Sengun, their all-star starting center, was listed as a game-time decision ahead of the matchup. He ultimately played, putting Atlanta at a clear disadvantage down low.
Despite everything potentially holding Atlanta back, they made sure this game was a competitive one. Right out of the gates, Nickeil Alexander-Walker set the tone for the night.
This one was competitive, until it wasn't...
He was driving to the basket at will, scoring ten of Atlanta's first 12 points. After the Hawks got out to a 7-0 lead, however, the Rockets were able to stabilize their high-scoring effort. The rest of the quarter (and first half as a whole) was a defensive showdown.
Neither team was able to get out to a sizable lead in the first 24 minutes. The first quarter ended with a score of 23-23, while the Rockets won the second frame by just one point. It was a very low-scoring effort in the first half, with both teams entering the second half with less than 44 points.
This same defensive effort from Atlanta, however, wasn't replicated in the third. Kevin Durant decided to turn it up a notch, leading his team to a dominant offensive quarter. The Rockets outscored the Hawks 35-24 in the third quarter, capturing the lead and all momentum entering the final frame.
The shorthanded Hawks were simply unable to recover. Once Houston took real control of the lead, they kept their foot on the gas, physically dominating the home team and picking up an important victory.
While losses should never be celebrated, the Hawks have little reason to hang their heads. After winning four games in a row, a loss on the second night of a back-to-back without several crucial pieces isn't the end of the world.
Atlanta is back in action on Saturday night, where they'll look to regain momentum against the struggling Indiana Pacers.