Dejounte Murray Scores 34 Points in Return to the Lineup As Atlanta Defeats Houston 122-113

The Hawks are back in action this Monday night against the Chicago Bulls

After going on the road and getting a win against Philadelphia last night, the Hawks returned home to face the Rockets and while both teams were shorthanded tonight, Atlanta found a way to overcome and get a win. The Hawks have now won six of their last eight games and are building some momentum heading towards the All-Star break. 

The Hawks might have been shorthanded at most spots, but they were able to get Dejounte Murray back and his return to the lineup was huge. Murray had one of his best games of the season, finishing with 34 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. He got to the free-throw line 15 times which was twice as much as any other player on either team. 

Coming into the game, the Hawks knew that they were going to be without De'Andre Hunter, Bruno Fernando, Wesley Matthews, and Patty Mills. Atlanta had nine available players and AJ Griffin is the only one that did not get any minutes. 

Like the Hawks, Houston was down some key players tonight, though their missing players were more impactful. Fred VanVleet, Alperen Sengun, and Cam Whitmore were among the guys missing from Houston's lineup. 

Despite missing those guys, Houston still had Jalen Green and the former No. 2 overall pick is capable of going off for a huge scoring night. He did just that and more, earning a triple-double, but it was not going to be enough for the Rockets to overcome their absences. 

Trae Young, Murray, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu were the starters for the Hawks. 

Houston started Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, and Jeff Green. 

The game started off exactly how the Rockets wanted though. They have one of the best defenses in the NBA and even without those players, guys like Dillon Brooks made life tough on Atlanta's ball handlers. 

A huge development tonight was the play of Kobe Bufkin. He did not do anything game-changing tonight, but he played solid defense in his nearly 16 minutes of game action, and Hawks head coach Quin Snyder had nothing but praise for him after this game. 

The Rockets went on a 9-0 run after the Hawks led 15-12 and they rode that to a 31-19 lead after the first quarter. Atlanta shot 30% from the field and 17% from three. It was one of their worst first-quarter performances all season. 

The second quarter was the exact opposite. Atlanta's offense dominated and they seized control for the rest of the game. The Hawks outscored the Rockets 38-18 in the second quarter and  Houston shot 27% from the field and 22% from three in the quarter. 

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray vs the Rockets / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The second half was tightly played, with Atlanta only outscoring the Rockets 65-64, but Houston never really threatened to win the game. The Hawks held the advantage in free throw attempts and the Rockets turned the ball over 17 times. The teams shot comparatively but those were the biggest differences. Houston did hold a big edge in rebounding tonight 58-41.  

The Hawks would go on to win 122-113. It was against a shorthanded team, but a win nonetheless. 

It was not just Murray that had a big game for the Hawks. Saddiq Bey had 24 points and six points, Jalen Johnson had 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Trae Young had 18 points and eight assists. 

Atlanta shot 46% from the field and 34% from three. They were 28-37 from the free-throw line. 

This was one of the better defensive games from the Hawks. They never allowed the Rockets to get back in the game or shoot the ball well. 

The Hawks are playing well and this Monday's game vs the Bulls is a big one for them. Chicago is one game ahead of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference Standings and if the Hawks want to move up in the standings, they could really use this game. That game will tip off at 7:30 on Monday in Atlanta. 

WATCH: Everything From Dejounte Murray After Hawks Win Over Rockets

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