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Hawks, Rockets meet in Houston Thursday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 2/2/2017  at  12:04:00 PM
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ATLANTA HAWKS (28-21)

at HOUSTON ROCKETS (36-16)

Tip-off: Thursday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Houston -9.0, Total: 222.0

The Rockets will be going for a third win in four games when they host the Hawks on Thursday.

The Hawks faced the Heat in Miami on Wednesday and ended up losing 116-93 as 1.5-point underdogs. Atlanta must now quickly turn things around and get ready for a matchup with the high-powered Rockets. The Hawks allowed the Heat to shoot 48.4% from the floor on Wednesday, and they’ll need to be a lot better on the defensive end on Thursday. If they do not defend at a high level then Houston will likely destroy them. The Rockets have won two of their past three coming into this one, and they are finally getting healthy again. Houston started off the season fantastically, but the team struggled as guys like SG Eric Gordon (17.3 PPG) and C Clint Capela (11.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG) dealt with injuries. Now that the two of them are healthy, it’s likely that the Rockets will find their groove again. They will definitely be excited to host a Hawks team that is playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Atlanta is, however, an impressive 2-0 both SU and ATS when playing in Houston over the past three seasons. One trend favoring the Hawks when looking at this game is that they are an impressive 19-8 ATS in road games after having lost two of their past three contests over the last three seasons. Houston, however, is 15-6 ATS when revenging a loss versus an opponent this season. SF Thabo Sefolosha (Groin) is doubtful for Atlanta in this game, but Houston will be a full strength.

When C Dwight Howard (13.6 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 1.2 BPG) faced the Rockets on Nov. 5, the big man finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in a 112-97 victory. Howard was clearly amped up to face his former team, and things should be no different on Thursday. This is a good matchup for Howard, as Clint Capela is not strong enough to handle him in the paint. The pace won’t necessarily be favorable, but Howard should be effective with his touches. PF Paul Millsap (17.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG) also played well the last time he faced the Rockets, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a block. Millsap also had an absurd five steals in that game, and he’ll need to be locked in defensively on Thursday as well. The backcourt play will, however, be the x-factor for the Hawks in this game, and SG Kent Bazemore (11.2 PPG, 1.3 SPG) must bring it in this one. Bazemore has had an up-and-down season, but he had 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals the last time he faced the Rockets. He has also played very well recently, averaging 18.8 PPG on 49.3% shooting from the floor and 48.0% shooting from three over the past five contests. If he can keep that up then he will have justified the big payday he received last summer. Bazemore does, however, need to lock in defensively here, as he will be guarding the dangerous James Harden.

The Rockets have won two of their past three games, and they’re hoping to recapture the magic they had in the first half of the season. One guy that will need to step his game up in order for that to happen is SG James Harden (28.4 PPG, 11.5 APG, 8.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG). Harden was ridiculous while Houston played its best basketball early in the season, but he is shooting just 41.5% from the floor and 29.3% from three over the past five games. If Houston is going to start winning games at a high clip again then Harden must be more efficient as a scorer. He will be excited to get out and face the Hawks on Thursday, though. When he faced them in November, Harden had 30 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and three steals. He’d be happy to have another outing like that in this one. Eric Gordon and PF Ryan Anderson (14.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG) will also need to come through offensively on Thursday. If the two of them are not hitting their outside shots then it’ll be tough for the Rockets to win this one. The team will also need a solid performance from Clint Capela, but he will mostly need to thrive on the defensive end. If he is dominated by Dwight Howard once again then it’s hard to imagine Houston coming out on top.


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