Hawks’ passing holds up, but cold shooting sinks home opener against Houston

By Rodney Holloway

Recap & analysis · Hawks · October 26, 2026

The Hawks kept finding another possession and another pass. They couldn’t find enough makes. Houston left State Farm Arena with a 121–114 win on October 24, handing Atlanta a home-opener loss despite an offense that produced 35 assists.

The shooting gap was clear. Atlanta made 13 of 49 three-point attempts, a 26.5 percent night. Houston went 14-for-35. The Rockets needed 14 fewer attempts to make one more three, leaving the Hawks with a lot of perimeter possessions that produced nothing.

Atlanta did give itself second chances. Its 17 offensive rebounds helped sustain a game in which it attempted 96 shots to Houston’s 89. That work matters: an offensive rebound can turn an empty trip into another look without requiring a stop at the other end. It also cannot guarantee the next shot goes in.

Inside the arc, there was more to build on. The Hawks finished with 58 points in the paint and 20 fast-break points. Those categories can overlap, so adding them together would exaggerate their contribution. Taken separately, they show Atlanta had ways to score without waiting for its outside shooting to recover.

Houston made Atlanta pay at the line, converting 21 of 23 free throws against the Hawks’ 15 of 21. A six-point difference there was substantial in a seven-point game.

The assist total makes this loss more interesting than a simple complaint about ball movement. Atlanta recorded assists on 35 of its 43 made field goals. That says teammates were involved in the baskets it did score; it does not establish the quality of every missed three.

The next review should separate shots worth taking again from possessions that need a different finish. Atlanta generated extra opportunities. Turning more of those opportunities into points is the immediate job.

By the numbers

Dyson Daniels at an Atlanta Hawks meet-and-greet, January 25, 2025. Archive portrait, not game action. Photo: 404×404. Image source. CC BY 4.0; resized and displayed with crop