Houston needed control, and that’s exactly what they got. From the opening stretch, the Rockets dictated tempo, owned the glass, and made Atlanta work for every decent look. It wasn’t always pretty in the half-court, but the effort and physical edge never dipped, and that wore the Hawks down as the night went on.
At the center of it all was Kevin Durant, who continues to look like a player operating on a different level than most of the league. When the offense stalled, he steadied it. When Atlanta tried to speed things up, he slowed it back down. The result was a wire-to-wire type of performance that felt comfortable long before the final buzzer.
Kevin Durant: A+
Game Stats: 31 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 3 TOV, 12-22 FG, 3-8 3PT, 4-4 FT, 34 MIN
There aren’t many guys left who can control a game without looking like they’re trying, but Durant is still one of them. Atlanta threw length at him, threw help at him, even tried crowding him early in possessions. Didn’t matter. He just kept getting to his spots and rising up like it was a warm-up drill. When Houston needed a bucket to kill any hint of momentum, he handled it himself.
Amen Thompson: B+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 4-9 FG, 1-4 FT, 35 MIN
Amen Thompson is chaos in sneakers, and mostly the good kind. He was flying in for blocks, poking balls loose, and turning rebounds into instant fast breaks. The free throws are still rough, yeah, but the pressure he puts on the defense in transition makes up for a lot.
Josh Okogie: B+
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3PT, 1-2 FT, 34 MIN
Okogie played like the game owed him money. Crashing the boards, chasing loose balls, sneaking in from the perimeter for rebounds over bigger guys – that was his night. When he’s also knocking down corner threes, he turns from “energy guy” into a real problem.
Jabari Smith Jr.: B+
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 5 BLK, 3 TOV, 5-12 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 32 MIN
Smith’s shot wasn’t blazing, but defensively, he was a menace. Five blocks doesn’t even tell the full story – there were a couple more plays where Hawks players flat-out changed their minds mid-drive because he was waiting. He’s at his best when he’s active like this, flying around instead of floating.
Reed Sheppard: B+
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 5-14 FG, 3-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, 26 MIN
Sheppard doesn’t play scared, which you love from a young guard. Missed a few he probably wants back, but he never stopped shooting when open. Also had a couple smart drive-and-kick plays that don’t show up loudly in the box score but kept the offense humming.
Clint Capela: B+
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 4-4 FG, 2-2 FT, 18 MIN
Capela kept it simple and effective. Catch, go up strong, dunk or lay it in. On defense he parked himself in the paint and made life uncomfortable. No wasted motion, no forced shots – just solid, grown-man minutes.
Alperen Sengun: B
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 13 REB, 4 AST, 2 TOV, 3-14 FG, 3-4 FT, 28 MIN
This was one of those frustrating Sengun scoring nights where shots that usually drop just… didn’t. Hooks rolled off, little flip shots bounced out. But to his credit, he didn’t disappear. He kept battling on the glass and still made a few slick passes that led to easy points.
Jae’Sean Tate: B
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 3 REB, 1 TOV, 1 STL, 2-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 19 MIN
Tate’s minutes were mostly about muscle and effort. He bodied up defensively and did some of the dirty work, but the offensive rhythm just wasn’t there for him in this one.
Aaron Holiday: C+
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB, 1-4 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, 8 MIN
Quick stint, hit a three, kept things moving. That’s about all you can ask in limited run.
Jeff Green: N/A
Game Stats: 0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2 MIN
Just a quick cameo. He didn’t get enough floor time to really settle in, and the one shot he took didn’t drop. One of those blink-and-you-miss-it appearances.
Isaiah Crawford: N/A
Game Stats: 2 MIN
Very short run, not much opportunity to make a mark. Mostly just held his spot and stayed within the flow.
JD Davison: N/A
Game Stats: 2 MIN
Another short appearance without many touches. Hard to leave a real imprint in such a brief window.
