Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks: Final Summer League Game Preview

Here’s what to expect from the Houston Rocket’s final summer league game against the Atlanta Hawks.

On Wednesday evening, things didn’t go as planned for the Houston Rockets. Houston fell to the Denver Nuggets 87-81 behind Torrey Craig’s 27 point, 11 rebound explosion. Then, on the following night, the Brooklyn Nets eliminated Denver 85-74 (that makes me feel a bit better).

The Rockets will now play a consolidation game against the 2-2 Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta was eliminated by the New Orleans Pelicans in a 105-95 game on Wednesday. John Collins certainly wasn’t to fault for Atlanta’s defeat. The Wake Forest power forward finished the game with 25 points and 9 rebounds on 11-15 shooting. Taurean Prince also chipped in 18 points as the second year forward looks to shoulder more responsibility with Paul Millsap and Thabo Sefolosha signing out West.

Players to watch for

Troy Williams has been the best player on the Rockets Summer League team from the beginning. In four games, he has averaged 24.3 points and 2.3 steals on 46.2 percent shooting. The 6’7″ forward has shown an ability to score in transition, at the free throw line and from beyond the arc. He is fifth in points per game in the summer league and has played well enough for a spot on Mike D’Antoni’s roster.

Isaiah Taylor is another player that has given Houston solid minutes. In his last game he filled the stat sheet with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals. Isaiah Taylor is averaging 13.8 points and his 7.8 assists per game trails only Lonzo Ball in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Zhou Qi is due for a big game. In his debut against the Nuggets, the former CBA player scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. The next game against Cleveland, he finished with 2 points and 3 rebounds and hasn’t found his rhythm since. Zhou is averaging 6.5 points and 4 rebounds on 33.3 percent shooting. For a player that just signed a multi-year deal with the Rockets and has been compared to Yao Ming, he’s been somewhat of a disappointment thus far.

For the Atlanta Hawks, keep your eyes on John Collins. He’s averaging 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds on 64.4 percent shooting. He’s been hard to stop and will look to continue his dominating performances as Atlanta hopes that they have their next Paul Millsap.

Next: Houston Rockets: Chris Paul to Throw Out First Pitch at the Astros

Where to watch

The Houston Rockets will take on the Atlanta Hawks on ESPNU, Friday at 4:00 Eastern. You can also watch online on WatchESPN.

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