A quick rematch can expose whether a bad shooting night hid a workable plan. Atlanta missed 36 of 49 threes in the first meeting, but Quin Snyder also pointed to defensive rebounds as the way to attack Houston's size in space. Fred VanVleet is off Houston's injury report while Steven Adams is out, so the perimeter matchups and the fight on the glass may both look different. Which adjustment actually survives contact with the other team?
The first game ended 121–114, and Atlanta pulled close after trailing by 20. Houston got 19 points from Reed Sheppard in VanVleet's absence; his role in the rematch is still uncertain. Snyder's point about rebounding matters because a clean stop gives Atlanta a chance to run before Houston's big lineup sets its defense. A made three helps, of course, but the quality of those possessions tells us more than a simple shooting bounce-back story. Sources: [Hawks preview](https://www.si.com/nba/hawks/onsi/atlanta-vs-houston-game-preview-injury-report-and-projected-starters-for-tonight-s-game-01m5w9yzam5a) and [Field Level Media's game report](https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/rockets_look_to_sweep_home_and_home_vs_hawks/s1_17045_44473584).
