The Atlanta Hawks are the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve alternated wins and losses over their past eight games. The young Houston Rockets, who have become increasingly competitive in recent days and weeks, would love to extend that trend for the visitors in Friday night’s matchup at Toyota Center.
The game could feature the return of young center Bruno Fernando to the Houston rotation after missing several weeks with a knee injury, though it remains to be seen whether Fernando will reclaim his prior spot in the starting lineup in place of Alperen Sengun.
The Rockets enter on four days of rest, since they haven’t played since Sunday’s strong showing versus the defending NBA champion Warriors — who needed historic nights by future Hall of Fame guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to narrowly hold off Houston.
However, the Rockets will be on night one of a back-to-back, since they also host Oklahoma City on Saturday. That could play into some of the rotation decisions for head coach Stephen Silas.
When and How to Watch
- Date: Friday, Nov. 25
- Time: 7:00 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (3-14)
- Guard: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: Eric Gordon
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Alperen Sengun or Bruno Fernando
Atlanta Hawks (11-7)
- Guard: Trae Young
- Guard: Dejounte Murray
- Forward: De’Andre Hunter
- Forward: John Collins
- Center: Clint Capela
Projected lineups are based on a combination of each team’s latest game notes and up-to-date injury reports.
Injury reports
Houston’s latest injury report lists Jae’Sean Tate (right ankle soreness) as out for Friday’s game. Those in question include Alperen Sengun (doubtful, right groin soreness), Bruno Fernando (questionable, left knee soreness), Josh Christopher (probable, left shoulder soreness), and Jalen Green (probable, right big toe soreness).
The Hawks are without Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee injury recovery), while Jarrett Culver is probable (right hip contusion).
