October 27, 2026 at 5:37 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Rockets Take the Rematch From Hawks, 120-110

By How we produce articles

Alperen Sengun had 29 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 steals, and Houston pulled away with big runs in the third and fourth quarters to beat Atlanta for the second time in three days and move to 4-0.

The Houston Rockets beat the Atlanta Hawks 120-110 on Monday night at Toyota Center, two days after winning the first meeting 121-114 in Atlanta. Alperen Sengun led the way with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 steals, and made 11 of his 15 shots. Kevin Durant added 22 points and 9 rebounds. Houston is 4-0.

The game was close for a long time. The lead changed hands 20 times, and Atlanta led 66-63 at halftime after scoring 35 points in the first quarter. Houston took over in the third. A 19-4 run turned a tight game into an 89-78 lead. Early in the fourth, a 22-2 run put the Rockets up 117-95 with 4:44 left, their biggest lead of the night. Atlanta's 15-3 finish only made the final margin look closer.

Houston won with its size and at the free-throw line. The Rockets outrebounded Atlanta 52-35 and made 26 of 32 free throws, while the Hawks went 15 of 21. Houston made only 8 threes, but shot 53 percent from the field. Jabari Smith Jr. played a team-high 39 minutes and had 16 points and 12 rebounds, the only double-double of the night. Amen Thompson scored 15 on 6-of-8 shooting, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard each had 13 off the bench, and Fred VanVleet had 5 points and 5 assists.

That was the last regular-season meeting between the teams. They play in opposite conferences, so the Rockets take the season series 2-0.

Atlanta falls to 2-2 after opening with wins over Orlando and Charlotte. Jalen Johnson had 21 points and 9 rebounds and made 10 of his 12 free throws, and CJ McCollum scored 20. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Aaron Wiggins each had 12, but the Hawks shot 43 percent and could not keep up after halftime.

Sources

All game reports