Who’s Playing
Atlanta @ Houston
Current Records: Atlanta 42-39; Houston 20-61
What to Know
The Houston Rockets need to shore up a defense that is allowing 118.05 points per game before their contest Sunday. They will square off against the Atlanta Hawks at 3:30 p.m. ET at Toyota Center. These two teams are out to turn their luck around after having lost tight contests in their previous games.
The Rockets lost 117-115 to the Toronto Raptors this past Friday on a last-minute jumper from Toronto’s shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. with 0:04 left to play. Houston was up 36-20 at the end of the first quarter but couldn’t hold on to the lead. One thing holding Houston back was the mediocre play of shooting guard Jalen Green, who did not have his best game: he finished with only eight points on 3-for-10 shooting and turned the ball over five times in his 36 minutes on the court.
Speaking of close games: it was a hard-fought matchup, but Atlanta had to settle for a 113-109 loss against the Miami Heat this past Friday. Point guard Trae Young put forth a good effort for the losing side as he had 35 points and eight assists.
The losses put Atlanta at 42-39 and the Rockets at 20-61. The Hawks are still in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs, so these next one game are critical for them. Houston has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Houston is the clear underdog, so they’re hoping it’s the size of the fight that determines this one. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread, however, as they are currently on a three-game streak of ATS wins.
The Rockets didn’t have too much breathing room in their matchup with Atlanta in the teams’ previous meeting last December, but they still walked away with a 132-126 win. Will Houston repeat their success, or does Atlanta have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
How To Watch
- When: Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
- TV: ATTSN Southwest
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $22.21
Odds
The Hawks are a big 12-point favorite against the Rockets, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Hawks, as the game opened with the Hawks as a 10.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -108
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Series History
Houston have won seven out of their last 13 games against Atlanta.
- Dec 13, 2021 – Houston 132 vs. Atlanta 126
- May 16, 2021 – Atlanta 124 vs. Houston 95
- Mar 16, 2021 – Atlanta 119 vs. Houston 107
- Jan 08, 2020 – Houston 122 vs. Atlanta 115
- Nov 30, 2019 – Houston 158 vs. Atlanta 111
- Mar 19, 2019 – Houston 121 vs. Atlanta 105
- Feb 25, 2019 – Houston 119 vs. Atlanta 111
- Mar 25, 2018 – Houston 118 vs. Atlanta 99
- Nov 03, 2017 – Houston 119 vs. Atlanta 104
- Feb 02, 2017 – Atlanta 113 vs. Houston 108
- Nov 05, 2016 – Atlanta 112 vs. Houston 97
- Mar 19, 2016 – Atlanta 109 vs. Houston 97
- Dec 29, 2015 – Atlanta 121 vs. Houston 115
Injury Report for Houston
- Eric Gordon: Out for the Season (Groin)
- John Wall: Out for the Season (Not Injury Related)
- Dennis Schroder: Out for the Season (Shoulder)
- Christian Wood: Out for the Season (Hamstring)
Injury Report for Atlanta
- Lou Williams: Out (Back)
- John Collins: Out (Finger)
- Chaundee Brown Jr.: Out (Covid-19)
