Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks game preview

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 24: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on October 24, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks will complete their season series tonight at the Toyota Center.

The Rockets should get Fred VanVleet back tonight and maybe Marcus Smart. Steven Adams remains out. The fact that Houston still beat Atlanta without three key members of their rotation is impressive. The final few minutes of the fourth quarter caused PTSD, but unlike many instances last season, the Rockets held on.

With this being a home-and-home, Atlanta is likely to come out the more desperate team. No one likes losing to the same team twice in a row. The Hawks also probably felt that if the game was just one or two minutes longer, they would have completed the comeback. Still, with the game in Houston, the Rockets could try to get greedy. For Atlanta, they will feel like they won’t shoot 27% from deep again.

Houston only has one back-to-back against the same team again this season, and it will happen in late March with two games in two nights in Portland.

7:30pm CT

Space City Home Network

Steven Adams: OUT

Marcus Smart: GTD

Mo Gueye: OUT

HOU -5.5

Check here for updates

Rockets: 0

Opponents: 1

Wednesday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks