Hawks Beat Rockets in Season Opener

The Atlanta Hawks start the season 1-0 after defeating the Houston Rockets at home.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Summary

The Atlanta Hawks started the season with a bang for the second straight year. The Hawks defeated the Houston Rockets 117-107 in front of an energized State Farm Arena crowd.

Every fan wanted to see the official debut of the Hawks All-Star backcourt, and they were not disappointed. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray both notched double-doubles. 

Even better, the two point guards elevated their teammates. John Collins led the Hawks with 24 points and eight rebounds. De'Andre Hunter poured in an efficient 22 points. With the exception of Clint Capela, every starter scored 20+ points.

The DJ and JC pick and roll 😍 pic.twitter.com/kSJEra4OKl

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 20, 2022

While Capela did not make much noise in tonight's game, his backup did. Onyeka Okongwu tallied 13 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes of action. 

The Hawks did a good job of limiting turnovers but got dominated on the boards. That will surely be a point of emphasis for head coach Nate McMillan going forward.

Both teams shot the ball poorly. However, there was no shortage of highlights. The young Rockets team uncorked several highlight dunks in the first half. Fresh off a new contract, Kevin Porter Jr. led the way with 21 points and seven assists.

The Hawks are back in action on Friday night. Top draft pick Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic make the trip up I-75 North to visit their Southeastern Division rival.

Stats

Hawks Leaders

John Collins - 24 PTS, 8 REB

Trae Young - 23 PTS, 13 REB

De'Andre Hunter - 22 PTS, 3 REB

Rockets Leaders

Kevin Porter Jr. - 21 PTS, 7 REB

Jabari Smith Jr. - 17 PTS, 7 REB

Jalen Green - 16 PTS, 5 REB

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