Three Big Takeaways From The Atlanta Hawks 121-114 Loss to the Rockets

The Hawks saw their three game winning streak snapped last night in a loss to the Rockets

Mar 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) passes the ball during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks went on the road last night to face the Houston Rockets in hopes of extending their winning streak to four games, but that is not what happened. A poor first half dug the Hawks a hole that they could not climb out of in the second half, despite outscoring the Rockets by 10 points in the second half.

So what are the big takeaways from last night's loss?

1. Three Point Shooting was the No. 1 reason the Hawks lost this game

Three-point shooting was not the only reason the Hawks lost the game last night to Houston, but I would argue that it is the main one. Atlanta was 11-39 from three (28%) in last night's game, and the Rockets' zone defense caused plenty of problems for Atlanta's offense. If you are playing a team that is playing a heavy zone like that, you have to shoot the ball well, and the Hawks did not. Atlanta went 6-12 from three in the fourth quarter, which should show you how poor the Hawks shot the ball through the first three quarters. Zaccharie Risacher, Mouhamed Gueye, Caris LeVert, Dominick Barlow, and Garrison Matthews combined to shoot 2-20

2. Onyeka Okongwu was the only reliable big last night

Right now, the Hawks are missing Clint Capela and Larry Nance and are having to rely on Dominick Barlow to fill in for Onyeka Okongwu. Barlow has had really good moments, such as Sunday against the 76ers, but it was a rough nine minute stint for him last night vs Houston. Barlow was -11 last night, scoring only two points and grabbing three rebounds. He was ineffective in the matchup against Houston's big men last night and it resulted in Okongwu playing over 38 minutes last night.

3. Houston dominated second chance points in the first half

As a part of the dreadful first half for the Hawks, the Rockets beat them up on the glass and scored 20 second chance points in the first half. While the Rockets scored zero second chance points in the second half, the numbers in the first half helped the Rockets get the win.

Additional Links

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