Takeaways and Player Grades: Shorthanded Hawks Have a Rough Loss at Home to Houston

The Hawks lose a rough one at home.

Jan 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) shoots against the Houston Rockets in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks took on the Houston Rockets in a game that didn't look like it was going to be much of anything as far as expectations go, as the Hawks were without a few of their key contributors.

Final tonight pic.twitter.com/da0AfREKp3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 30, 2026

1. Defense wasn't the answer

For much of the game, Atlanta struggled to keep Houston off the glass, and that would come back to hurt them in the second half, as the Rockets ended up taking a commanding 22-point lead. The Rockets made the Hawks pay by scoring 24 second-chance points, scoring 23 points off turnovers, and out-rebounding the Hawks by 17. Things started to take a real turn for the worse when Atlanta began giving up easy three-pointers to the Rockets, and Kevin Durant, along with the rest of the team, caught rhythm in the third quarter.

2. Slow start continued into the second half

an offensive clinic right now between the hawks and rockets pic.twitter.com/ZQi58IG1pb

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) January 30, 2026

While both teams offenses struggled to start, the real problem for Atlanta was the fact that they didn't really have much going outside of CJ McCollum, who carried the offense besides Nickeil Alexander-Walker. In the game, the Hawks shot abysmally, hitting under 40% from the field and 31% from three-point range, and turned the ball over 12 times. Another eye-opener was that the Hawks' ball movement was down: the team usually averages over 30 assists per game, but went well under that with only 19 tonight.

3. Lack of depth

An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tonight's game vs. Houston:

N’Faly Dante (right knee, torn ACL): Out
Jalen Johnson (left calf tightness): Out
Onyeka Okongwu (dental fracture): Out
Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles tendinitis): Out
Zaccharie Risacher (left knee, bone… pic.twitter.com/ERKfxhlz2m

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 29, 2026

The main issue in this game was Atlanta's lack of depth, which was evident from the start, as the Hawks never really got into a rhythm on either end of the court. The Hawks were so unmatched out there that Houston exploited their lack of size, creating easy scoring opportunities. Easily the craziest stat to put things in perspective is that Clint Capela is averaging three points per game this season and has not scored double-digits at all this year, including the preseason, scored 10 points tonight.

Player Grades

Jan 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the basket against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dyson Daniels: C

Stats- Four points, six rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one turnover

This game was a struggle for Daniels, as he struggled with his three-point shooting and overall field shooting. This was definitely a forgettable performance for him despite his defensive contributions, as he went 2-12 from the field and 0-3 from three-point range.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: C+

Stats- 20 points, five rebounds, one assist, and three turnovers

While Nickeil had the second-highest scoring total, he struggled to get his shot to fall efficiently, finishing at 37% from the field and recording three turnovers.

CJ McCollum: B+

Stats- 23 points, five rebounds, two assists, three turnovers

McCollum led the way for the Hawks tonight. He got to his spots offensively and scored efficiently when he had the opportunities. The only thing he struggled with tonight was turnovers.

Corey Kispert: A-

Stats- 17 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block

Kispert played a solid game tonight and was one of the Hawks' more consistent and efficient players. His long-range shooting and ability to get some needed stops were why he was rated the highest tonight.