Houston beat Atlanta 120-110 on Oct. 26 to stay unbeaten at 4-0. A 14-0 fourth-quarter run decided it, and Sengun's +29 was the best mark on either side.
Oct. 26, first half
Atlanta led 35-32 after one quarter and 66-63 at the break. The Hawks never led by more than six, but the game would not settle: it had 20 lead changes and nine ties. Before halftime, Houston's best answer was an 8-0 push early in the second quarter that turned a 41-38 deficit into a 46-41 lead. CJ McCollum kept Atlanta level and finished 4 of 7 from deep.
Oct. 26, third quarter
Defense swung the game. Houston held Atlanta to 19 points in the quarter and scored 28, turning a three-point halftime deficit into a 91-85 lead. A 9-0 run from 76-75 to 84-76 forced a Hawks timeout. Sengun ran both ends all night: 11-for-15 from the field, 6 of 8 at the line and six steals. His six turnovers were the only flaw in a 29-9-9 line that grades an A-minus.
Oct. 26, fourth quarter
A two-point game became a blowout in just over two minutes. From 95-93 with 9:03 left, Houston scored 14 straight to lead 109-93 by 6:52. An 8-0 burst followed, reaching 117-95 for the 22-point high. Udoka closed with Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason. Eason led the quarter with eight points, and Sheppard and Smith added six each. Atlanta's late 8-0 reply only cut the margin.
Oct. 27
The plus-minus column tells the story. VanVleet was +15 in 29 minutes. Smith gets a B-plus: 16 points, 12 rebounds and five assists across 39 minutes, at +12. Kevin Durant gets a B: 22 points, 9 of 10 at the line and four blocks, offset by 6-of-13 shooting and four turnovers. Amen Thompson was the only Rocket with a negative mark at -3. He shot 6 of 8 but gave the ball away five times.
Oct. 28
Houston visits Taylor Jenkins' 1-3 Bucks, and both teams come in on one day of rest. Marcus Smart's left forearm was upgraded from out on Oct. 27, with Oct. 28 as his estimated return. Steven Adams remains out, with Nov. 2 as the target. At 4-0, Houston holds the West's top seed and sits 2.5 games clear of 11th, with 78 games left.
Who led the Rockets in the 120-110 win over the Hawks?
Alperen Sengun had 29 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and six steals. He was +29 in 37 minutes, the best mark in the game.
When is Steven Adams expected back for the Rockets?
Adams is out with a right calf injury. His estimated return date is Nov. 2, when Houston hosts Boston.
