Atlanta closes within two before the Rockets regain control and send the Hawks home at 2–2.
By Rodney Holloway
The Hawks had a chance to reverse the game early in the fourth quarter Monday. Instead, Houston pulled away for a 120–110 victory, handing Atlanta its second consecutive defeat.
The result leaves the Hawks 2–2, as confirmed by the NBA’s official recap.
The comeback stopped short
According to Field Level Media’s report carried by Reuters, Atlanta led 66–63 at halftime and later recovered to within 95–93 in the fourth. Houston then built a 115–95 advantage during a 20–2 surge.
That sequence explains why the final ten-point margin understates the damage of Atlanta’s fourth-quarter stretch. The Hawks had reduced the game to one possession, then lost the opportunity to dictate the finish.
Jalen Johnson supplied 21 points and nine rebounds. CJ McCollum added 20 points. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
More than a scoring problem
Atlanta’s task during an opponent’s run is twofold: find a productive offensive possession and defend long enough for that possession to matter. One basket cannot stabilize the game if the following trip immediately restores the deficit.
That is the broader lesson of the failed comeback. Recovering ground and holding ground require different kinds of execution. The Hawks managed the former long enough to threaten Houston, but could not sustain the latter.
Atlanta next hosts Miami on Wednesday. The response to the first difficult stretch of that game will be worth watching as closely as the opening lineup.
Related: Atlanta’s earlier home loss to Houston.
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