Fight Night: How Rockets' Third-Quarter Scuffle Led To Victory Over Hawks - Notebook

A third quarter scuffle helped the Houston Rockets overcome a 16-point deficit during a home victory against the Hawks.

HOUSTON — Coach Stephen Silas said last year's Houston Rockets team would have gotten blown out by the Atlanta Hawks. But given the fight of the team during the 2022-23 campaign, the Rockets overcame a 16-point deficit to take a 128-122 victory over the Hawks.

"We do not have those dips and play like we had last year," Silas said. "We were basically getting blown out. And we don't have that anymore. We are not a finish product. But it's an important thing to find success." 

Silas said he did not feel good about the team's energy Friday night, and nothing felt right midway through the third quarter. But the Rockets began to snap out of their rut due to the taunting of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young. 

Murray drilled a triple in the face of Jabari Smith Jr., as the shot accounted for his seventh 3-point basket. But right when he connected on the shot, Murray thumped the back of Smith's head.

On the Hawks' next offensive possession, Young's 3-point field goal resulted in him and Murray mocking the Rockets down the court. A scuffle began once Smith confronted Murray. The dispute led to Murray, Smith, Young and Jalen Green receiving technical fouls.

But after the altercation, the Rockets outscored the Hawks 54-32 for the remainder of the night. 

"I did not do anything right when it happened but once the play stopped, I had to say something," Smith said. "I just wanted to check him on it. We bounced back and responded with a win."

After he scored a career-high during Sunday's loss to the Golden State Warriors, Smith finished with 21 points on 6-of-17 shooting and nine rebounds. 

With five players who scored in double-figures, the Rockets outlasted the pairing of Murray and Young. Atlanta's All-Star backcourt scored a combined 83 points, with Young leading the way with 44. Murray finished with 39 points in the loss.

"There's maturity that comes with every experience that we have," Silas said. "To go through everything that we went through in this game, it shows maturity and character."

The return of Garry Bird

Garrison Mathews was the Rockets' unsung hero. He came off the bench and scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Despite connecting on three of his five shots from behind the arc, Mathews' most important basket came with 51.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

With the Rockets holding a 122-119 lead over the Hawks, Mathews converted a circus shot to give Houston a two-possession lead. Mathews said he was surprised by the layup he made but was pleased to step up in the closing minutes.

"He is a pro," Silas said. "He hasn't been in the playing group. And he continues to work hard on his game. He has remained positive, and tonight is what a pro looks like. He made some really big plays for us."

Should K.J. Martin start over Eric Gordon?

K.J. Martin received his fifth start of the season. And for the third time, he replaced Eric Gordon due to groin management. Each time Martin has started in place of Gordon, the Rockets can become the fast-paced team they desired to be during training camp.

But Martin's skill set appears more serviceable when playing as a starter. He finished with 21 points while recording a career-high 15 rebounds — his second double-double of the year.

While averaging 19.3 points and 8.6 rebounds, the Rockets are 1-2 when Martin replaces Gordon in the starting lineup.

Quick Hits

- Kevin Porter Jr. recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 assists.

- Green finished with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. His play against the Hawks marked the first 30-5-5 game in Green's career.

- After missing 15 games due to a knee injury, Bruno Fernando returned to the lineup. He scored seven points and pulled down three rebounds in 16 minutes.

Final Words:

"We're obviously excited [after the win], and I was happy for them," Silas said. "But that is the beauty of the NBA. You have another one tomorrow."

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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