On Saturday night, the Atlanta Hawks played against the Houston Rockets in an exciting basketball game that ended with a score of 122-113 in favor of the Hawks. The Hawks were led by Dejounte Murray, who scored an impressive 34 points, helping the team overcome a slow start to secure the victory.
The Hawks, who had reportedly considered trading Murray before Thursday’s deadline, have now won six out of their last eight games, indicating that they made the right decision in keeping him on the team. Trae Young, who had 18 points and eight assists, Saddiq Bey, who scored 24, and Jalen Johnson, who added 21 points, also played key roles in the Hawks’ victory.
On the other side, Jalen Green had a triple-double with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Rockets, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win. Jeff Green also had an outstanding performance, scoring a season-high 19 points, and Aaron Holiday added 18 points against his former team.
Murray had an excellent all-around game, with seven assists and six rebounds, while going 12 for 15 from the free-throw line, setting a career high for free-throw attempts. Speaking after the game, Murray credited his success to “just playing my game and they gave me some calls.”
Bey also played a significant role in the game, hitting a crucial 3-pointer from the corner with just under two minutes left to give the Hawks a 118-109 lead, which they maintained until the end of the game. Bey has been in excellent form recently, shooting at least 40% from beyond the arc in his last four games. Hawks coach Quin Snyder praised Bey’s tenacity, saying “We said, `Keep shooting, keep shooting, keep shooting.’ He’s tough. The fact that he is continuing to shoot the ball even when he doesn’t see it go in, that shows that. His defensive consistency shows that.”
The Hawks outscored the Rockets 38-18 in the second quarter after a slow start in the first quarter, where they missed their final eight field goal attempts and shot only 29% from the floor.
Both teams were missing some key players due to injuries, with the Rockets without their leading scorer and rebounder Alperen Sengun, starting guard Fred VanVleet, and rookie wing Cam Whitmore. The Hawks were also missing key starters De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela. However, the team was able to give Kobe Bufkin, their first-round draft pick, some playing time, and he delivered with a 3-pointer, three rebounds, and three points in 15 minutes of play.