Hawks vs Rockets: Game Preview, Betting Odds, Projected Starting Lineups For Today's Las Vegas Summer League Game

After opening up their Summer League action with a win over the Miami Heat, the Hawks had a convincing victory against the Phoenix Suns yesterday in their second Las Vegas game. Whereas they needed a big comeback in the fourth quarter to win against the Heat, they controlled the game against Phoenix and won by 18 points.

Phoenix lost both Ryan Dunn and Khaman Maluach to injury before the game started, so the Hawks had an advantage on the boards due to Phoenix's suddenly thin frontcourt. They exploited it - they out-rebounded the Suns, 46-34, and several members of Atlanta's frontcourt had great games. The Hawks also had a much better offensive approach - they moved the ball well and did a nice job of cutting into open space against a Suns team that struggled to rotate effectively. That led to Atlanta shooting an improved 46% from the field, 43% from three-point range, and 71% from the free-throw line,

They have an interesting matchup against the Houston Rockets' SL squad today. The most interesting prospect on Houston's team is point guard Reed Sheppard, who is trying to make a case for the starting lineup after a quiet rookie season. It's been a mixed bag from Sheppard, but the Hawks are going to be attempting to slow him down and go 3-0 in Las Vegas before they face Memphis on Thursday.

Game Preview

One of the more underrated objectives for the Hawks this summer is to find a worthy backup point guard for Trae Young. Former SL standout Keaton Wallace did some nice things in his rookie year for the Hawks and he is not playing Summer League this season, so it can be assumed he'd factor into the competition. However, Bufkin's injury history meant that he needed to have a encouraging Summer League and he followed up a strong game in Miami with a decent effort against Phoenix. Although he didn't score close to 29 points like he did against the Heat, Bufkin racked up nine assists against only one turnover, pulled down six rebounds and still managed to score 10 points despite missing all of his threes. His three-point shooting is admittedly concerning as he's now 2-14 from behind the arc and his shooting hasn't been efficient, but he's shown improved decision making and he's stacking games after a long lay-off from injury. Sheppard is a good defender and Bufkin has a chance to show out against a possible starter in the NBA next season.

Houston really struggled against a physical Detroit defense in their last Summer League game, losing 98-83. That's a good sign for the Hawks, who forced 17 turnovers from Phoenix and shot 39% from the field while only shooting 33% from three-point range. Forward Jack White, who finished with 3 blocks and 2 steals, was a defensive force and could be in line for a repeat performance. Hawks first-round rookie Asa Newell also had a very encouraging game, recording a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 4-5 from deep and only turning the ball over once. Nine of the boards he grabbed were offensive rebounds, indicating that he should be a contributor towards Atlanta scoring more second-chance points next season. Jacob Toppin continued his strong start to Summer League scoring 15 points and grabbing eight boards. All three of them should have significant roles against the Rockets today.

Nikola Durisic has been an interesting player to watch in Summer League thus far. After signing a three-year standard deal, the Serbian forward struggled in the opener against Miami due to racking up eight fouls and struggling on defense. He had a much cleaner game against Phoenix, finishing with a team-high +29 and scoring 16 points to pair with 4 rebounds and 2 stocks (1 steal, one block). His three-point shooting still needs to be better in order for him to see NBA time, but he did hit his only attempt of the game and showed off some of the passing touch that made him such a intriguing prospect. He'll be a player to watch today against Houston.

Outside of Sheppard, the Hawks would do well to focus on limiting Kevon Harris. a former member of the College Park Skyhawks. Harris had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists on 6-of-12 shooting against the Pistons and has been a big part of Houston's offense. Despite being a 5'11 guard, Kennedy Chandler is also a tenacious defender who applies a lot of rim pressure. He had 2 steals and 2 blocks while finishing with 13 points. Even though Houston is 0-2 in Summer League action, Atlanta's defense against Sheppard is still a useful evaluation opportunity for this roster and the Rockets cannot be easily dismissed.