Rockets aim to continue Hawks' misery (Nov 03, 2017)
ATLANTA -- The Houston Rockets take a seven-game losing streak against the Atlanta Hawks going into Friday night's game, including four losses in a row at Philips Arena.
The Hawks' team that the Rockets will face has little resemblance, though, to the one that has had the upper hand during that streak.
Atlanta, in a major rebuild after a 60-win season just three years ago, has lost seven straight games following an opening victory at the Dallas Mavericks and is lacking the offensive weapons to keep up with the free-firing Rockets.
Houston is 6-3 despite being without guard Chris Paul, their key offseason addition, since a 122-121 road victory over the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors to open the season.
Paul's knee injury will keep him sidelined for at least two more weeks, but the Rockets regained their shooting touch from behind the 3-point arc in a 119-97 victory at the New York Knicks on Wednesday that ended a two-game losing streak.
Houston made 19 treys and scored 76 points in the middle two quarters while beating the Knicks for the 23rd time in the past 25 games behind 31 points and nine assists from guard James Harden.
Coach Mike D'Antoni credited his team's defense for getting the offense going. The Rockets took 52 3-point attempts.
"You feel better about yourself, you feel better about your team, and things will come easier knowing that it's not life or death because you're getting stops on the other end," he said.
The Rockets have had little success against the Hawks the past few seasons despite big offensive games from Harden.
Houston lost to Atlanta by scores of 112-97 and 113-108 last season although Harden scored 30 and 41 points.
The Rockets' last victory over the Hawks? It was 109-102 in Atlanta on Nov. 2, 2013.
Atlanta, which has gone to the playoffs the past 10 seasons, no longer has the likes of Paul Millsap or Al Horford or even Dwight Howard to offer an inside presence against the Rockets.
The Hawks don't have an outside shooter anymore like Kyle Korver, either.
The best they have to offer is young guard Dennis Schroder, which should at least make for an interesting matchup with Harden.
Schroder, who scored 25 points in the 119-109 loss at the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, is averaging 22.7 points and 6.7 assists to Harden's 26.6 points and 9.1 assists.
The Hawks fell behind by 17 points in the first quarter at Philadelphia, battled back and then went nearly six minutes to start the fourth quarter without scoring.
"I think we kind of backed up. You can't be like that," Schroder said. "You've got to be better, more aggressive. ... Stick to the game plan and win some games. I'm not going to stop until we get it."
Complicating things for the Hawks is that they're without three injured rotation members -- Ersan Ilyasova (knee), Miles Plumlee (quad) and DeAndre Bembry (wrist).
"It's been tough, but we've shown flashes," swingman Kent Bazemore said. "Hopefully we'll start getting some W's."
