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The Atlanta Hawks have the main ingredient required for breakout success in the NBA and that’s a bona fide star on the rise: Trae Young.
The Atlanta Hawks have the main ingredient required for breakout success in the NBA and that’s a bona fide star on the rise: Trae Young.
Aside from Young, the Hawks are loaded with talent and now have the added confidence of defeating the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in the postseason. However, do they have what it takes to get over the hump and actually make it to the NBA Finals?
Below, check out our preview for the 2021-22 Suns campaign.
HOW????
The Atlanta Hawks have been doing everything they can tonight to win Game 4 and avoid going down 3-1 to the Bucks in the Eastern Conference.
They’ve also been doing it without their star, Trae Young, who is out with an ankle injury.
They opened up a 20-point lead in the second half and this bucket by Clint Capela was just two points but it’s a shot that had everyone in awe because we just don’t see this type of stuff in a NBA game.
Capela somehow swished a shot from behind the backboard in the fourth quarter and it was beautiful.
Check this out:
Fading out of bounds.
Shot clock expiring.
Behind the backboard.UNREAL shot from Clint Capela 🤯 #ThatsGame pic.twitter.com/4t8a2PL8kR
— NBA (@NBA) June 30, 2021
I will echo that HOW!?
Just incredible.
NBA fans had reactions:
Big names such as James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Clint Capela, and PJ Tucker have all had their moments in the spotlight.
The Houston Rockets had the league’s worst record in the 2020-21 season, but they still have plenty of ties to the 2021 NBA playoffs.
A crippling wave of injuries, coupled with the forced departure of superstar guard James Harden, led to an abrupt decline for a franchise that entered 2020-21 with the league’s longest streak (eight years) of consecutive playoff berths. Many players who have recently moved on are well-known and disproportionately veterans, since Houston had a clear “win now” emphasis in trying to build a title contender around Harden.
As a result, while the Rockets aren’t in the 2021 playoffs, there has been no shortage of references to the franchise. Star players such as James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul have all held key roles, as have former coaches and executives like Mike D’Antoni and Daryl Morey.
With the 16-team playoff field now down to four in the conference finals for the East and West, here’s a look at how names from the last four Houston rosters (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21) have fared.
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Game 5 should be fun.
The Atlanta Hawks head to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday with a commanding 3-1 lead in their opening round series with the Knicks. And after an impressive two-game showing in Atlanta, the Hawks are feeling awfully confident about ending the Knicks’ season in Game 5.
Clint Capela, specifically, had no problem saying as much on Tuesday.
In response to a question about dealing with the Knicks’ physicality, Capela didn’t hold back as he took a shot at the Knicks’ attempts at physical play. He said, “They are trying to play tough, push our guys around and talk (expletive), but we can do that too.”
He added that the Hawks were ready to send the Knicks on “vacation.”
Clint Capela: "We can push guys around too and we can talk shit as well and get a win with it, so what are you going to do about it? … "
"We'll send you on vacation." pic.twitter.com/xjLmjod2Aj
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) June 1, 2021
The obvious bulletin-board material was then relayed over to the Knicks players, and in Tuesday’s media appearances, both Julius Randle and Derrick Rose had similar answers.
They claimed to not care about whatever Clint Capela had to say.
Rose said that he was too old — he’s only 32! — to get into it.
Derrick Rose says he's "too old for that s—" in regards to Clint Capela's comments:
"I'm 32 years old, I never talked s— like that in my life and I'm not gonna start now once Clint Capela starts talking crazy." pic.twitter.com/8MMzj81dL5
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2021
Randle had zero hesitation before saying “don’t care” to the Capela question.
CLINT CAPELA: “Now we're coming to your home to win this game again. And send you on vacation."
JULIUS RANDLE: “Why would I give a hell what Clint Capela has to say?"
(Via @sny_knicks)
pic.twitter.com/PDuWJhYUC0— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 1, 2021
Of course, they’re saying that now. But we’ll have to see if those remarks play a part in Wednesday’s Game 5 at MSG when the two teams actually take the court.
https://youtu.be/UxjnPPyOLD8
Houston enters having covered the spread in five straight games, including Friday’s outright win. Atlanta has playoff seeding on the line.
In a season defined by widespread injuries and player absences for the Houston Rockets, it feels only fitting that 2020-21 will conclude on Sunday with more than half of the team’s roster unavailable.
In the pregame injury report, 10 of the team’s 17 players under standard contracts are listed as out with long-standing injuries. It’s easier to list the seven regulars who are playing: Kelly Olynyk, Jae’Sean Tate, DJ Augustin, KJ Martin, Anthony Lamb, Armoni Brooks, and D.J. Wilson (who finally exited health and safety protocols). Houston is meeting the NBA’s minimum threshold of at least eight active players with the additions of Cameron Oliver and Cam Reynolds, who are on hardship exceptions.
Yet, even with the absences of marquee players such as Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr., John Wall, and Eric Gordon, the short-handed Rockets have somehow found success as the NBA’s regular season winds down — even versus playoff teams. They were arguably a missed late call from taking down the defending champion Lakers in Los Angeles, and led by Olynyk and Tate, they defeated the Clippers on Friday in Houston.
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Place your legal, online sports bets in VA, CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.
Unlike the Clippers, who rested several regulars on Friday such as Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Pat Beverley, the Hawks are likely to play aggressively on Sunday night. Atlanta is in a very tight race with New York (39-31) and Miami (39-31) for the No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 playoff seeds out of the Eastern Conference. Earning the No. 4 spot would secure home-court advantage for at least one round of the playoffs.
Atlanta is much healthier than the Rockets, by comparison, listing Cam Reddish (right Achilles soreness) as Sunday’s only confirmed absence. Onyeka Okongwu (right shoulder soreness) is questionable, while Kevin Huerter (left ankle) and Tony Snell (right Achilles) are probable.
With that in mind, the Hawks will likely start their usual starting five of Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Solomon Hill, John Collins, and Clint Capela. The Rockets could counter with their recent grouping of DJ Augustin, Armoni Brooks, Jae’Sean Tate, KJ Martin, and Kelly Olynyk.
https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=iNQSRLyxSj-1312768-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on
The Rockets enter Sunday having covered the spread in five consecutive games, including Friday’s impressive win over the Clippers. While Houston is severely short-handed, its current roster is filled with young players who are playing hard in a bid to earn roster spota for 2021-22.
However, the Rockets have also benefited in that recent run from opponents who were either resting marquee players entirely (Paul George, Kawhi Leonard) or were willing to “call off the dogs” in the fourth quarter to try and manage the workloads of their top players.
The Hawks have clinched a top-six seed in the East, which means they won’t have to play again until the start of the NBA’s 2021 playoffs next weekend. The bet here is that Nate McMillan uses Sunday’s game as a tuneup and plays aggressively to try and secure the best possible seed.
Prediction: Hawks 123, Rockets 109
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
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Note: This post first appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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Atlanta is likely to play hard, since they’re in a tight race with New York and Miami for the East’s No. 4 through No. 6 playoff seeds.
In a season defined by widespread injuries and player absences for the Houston Rockets, it feels only fitting that 2020-21 will conclude on Sunday with more than half of the team’s roster unavailable.
In the pregame injury report, 10 of the team’s 17 players under standard contracts are listed as out with long-standing injuries. It’s easier to list the seven regulars who are playing: Kelly Olynyk, Jae’Sean Tate, DJ Augustin, KJ Martin, Anthony Lamb, Armoni Brooks, and D.J. Wilson (who finally exited health and safety protocols). Houston is meeting the NBA’s minimum threshold of at least eight active players with the additions of Cameron Oliver and Cam Reynolds, who are on hardship exceptions.
Yet, even with the absences of marquee players such as Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr., John Wall, and Eric Gordon, the short-handed Rockets have somehow found success as the NBA’s regular season winds down — even versus playoff teams. They were arguably a missed late call from taking down the defending champion Lakers in Los Angeles, and led by Olynyk and Tate, they defeated the Clippers on Friday in Houston.
Here’s when you should tune in to watch Sunday’s game:
Houston Rockets (17-54)
Atlanta Hawks (40-31)
Unlike the Clippers, who rested several regulars on Friday such as Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Pat Beverley, the Hawks are likely to play aggressively on Sunday night. Atlanta is in a very tight race with New York (40-31) and Miami (39-31) for the No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 playoff seeds out of the Eastern Conference. Earning the No. 4 spot would secure home-court advantage for at least one round of the playoffs.
Note: This post first appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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HoopsHype selects a starting five, along with a bench, for the 2020-21 season made up entirely of players we consider to be underrated.
With talk of which NBA players are the most underrated right making the rounds on social media this week, we thought it would be a good time to come up with our own All-Underrated Team for the 2020-21 season, both a starting five and an accompanying bench to go along with it.
In total, we picked 15 players at different positions who we believe still don’t get enough respect, be it from fans or the media at large.
Below, check out our All-Underrated Team for the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
Miles Bridges may have had his best dunk ever on Sunday with a monster slam on Clint Capela.
This has been the year of Miles Bridges dunk highlights. The former Spartan didn’t participate in the dunk contest this year, but he has still been showing off all season with some of the craziest dunks I’ve ever seen.
On Sunday against the Hawks, he might have gotten his best in-game dunk ever. In a game where Bridges led the Hornets with 23 points, he put Hawks center Clint Capela on a poster with a thunderous one-handed slam. Bridges put the extension all the way back for one of the most disrespectful, impressive dunks I think I’ve ever seen.
Watch it below:
😱 MILES BRIDGES, OH MY GOODNESS. 😱@hornets 99@ATLHawks 99
2:23 left: https://t.co/TSNteoSTTr pic.twitter.com/gazQLBb2IL
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2021
And here’s a slowed down version:
Another 👀 at Miles Bridges' FEROCIOUS slam! pic.twitter.com/l7oCedhIOF
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2021
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Capela didn’t play in Atlanta’s first visit to Houston since the February 2020 trade, but he did receive a tribute video and fan ovation.
For the first time since the February 2020 trade that sent him from the Rockets to Atlanta, veteran big man Clint Capela made his NBA return when the Hawks visited Houston on Tuesday night. Now 26 years old, Capela played nearly six seasons with the Rockets after being selected in the first round of the NBA’s 2014 draft.
Capela was questionable going into the game with left heel pain, and ultimately, he did not play. He did, however, make the trip with his teammates and watched from the bench, and he received a nice ovation from approximately 3,500 socially distanced fans at Toyota Center.
Capela began his Houston tenure as backup behind Dwight Howard before ultimately taking over the center position and becoming an upper-tier starter. In six seasons, Capela averaged 12.2 points (63.4% FG), 9.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game, and he also became known for work in the Houston community with his CC15 Foundation.
The Rockets qualified for the Western Conference playoffs in each of Capela’s six seasons with the team, and they were the only West team to win at least one playoff series in each of the last four seasons. In the first three of those runs, Capela was the starter at center.
Capela was ultimately traded for Robert Covington as part of an emphasis on 3-point shooting and defensive versatility, with Houston choosing to play without a traditional center. After the season, Covington was then dealt to Portland as part of a series of transactions that brought Christian Wood to Houston — effectively replacing Capela with Wood. While Wood has played very well in that role, the combination of his severely sprained right ankle and James Harden’s forced departure has transformed the Rockets from a perennial contender into one of the NBA’s worst teams.
Clint Capela, a genuinely nice human being gets a nice welcome back to Toyota Center pic.twitter.com/lmfRbeKYNF
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 17, 2021
This season, Capela is averaging 14.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 29.5 minutes per game. Entering Tuesday, Capela ranked first in the NBA in rebounds, third in blocks, and ninth in field-goal percentage, and his improving Hawks (19-20) had won five straight games.
That’s in stark contrast to his old team, which is currently on a 16-game losing streak — its most since moving to Houston in 1971.
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👋 @CapelaClint pic.twitter.com/F8cyQ6D9Ec
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 17, 2021
In Clint Capela’s first return to Houston, his former team is attempting to avoid tying its franchise record for consecutive losses.
For the first time since the February 2020 trade that sent him from the Rockets to Atlanta, veteran big man Clint Capela will return to Houston when the Hawks visit Toyota Center on Tuesday. Now 26 years old, Capela played nearly six seasons with the Rockets after being selected in the first round of the NBA’s 2014 draft.
When the trade was made, the Rockets were perceived title contenders, whereas the Hawks were in something of a rebuilding state. That’s not the case 13 months later. Atlanta (19-20) has won five straight games and is in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference standings, which has them on course for a potential berth in the 2021 playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Rockets (11-26) will attempt to avoid tying a franchise record of 17 straight losses — set by the expansion San Diego Rockets in the 1967-68 season. With 16 straight defeats, they’re already on the longest skid since moving to Houston in 1971.
A big part of Houston’s problem has been injuries, and it’s unclear if the Rockets will be significantly better off on Tuesday than they have been in recent games. Star center Christian Wood (right ankle sprain) had his status upgraded, but only from out to doubtful. The news is better for Danuel House Jr. (right knee contusion), who moved from out to questionable, but not as good for John Wall (left knee contusion), who remains out.
Even if the door is only slightly ajar, the possibility of a Wood return offers at least some hope. The Rockets are 0-16 since Wood’s Feb. 4 ankle sprain, but they were 7-1 in the previous eight games.
Christian Wood says he’s “real close, I’m right there” in terms of being able to return to the lineup and while he’s listed as doubtful for tomorrow night, he has not ruled out playing: “There’s a chance. I’ll just have to see how I feel tomorrow when we do shoot around.” #Astros pic.twitter.com/bKkvXI3g0l
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 15, 2021
The Rockets could need something out of Wood to compete inside versus Capela, who is averaging 14.8 points (59.7% FG), 14.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 29.5 minutes. Capela ranks first in the NBA in rebounds per game, third in blocks and ninth in field-goal percentage.
Yet, while Capela will certainly be in attendance Tuesday and is likely to receive a tribute video, it’s not a given that he will play, either. Capela is listed as questionable with left heel pain, as is Onyeka Okongwu (right adductor soreness). The Hawks will be without Kris Dunn, De’Andre Hunter, and Cam Reddish due to longer-term injuries.
Here’s when you should tune in to see Tuesday’s game:
Houston Rockets (11-26)
Atlanta Hawks (19-20)
Trae Young ranks just outside the NBA’s top 10 in points per game (26.4), and he’s No. 3 in assists (9.2). With Wall out and Wood doubtful, Young should provide Atlanta with a clear playmaking edge.
It’s the first game of a back-to-back for the Rockets, who host Golden State on Wednesday. That could factor into availability decisions for Houston coach Stephen Silas, since it might not be advisable for players with nagging injuries to be immediately thrown into a back-to-back.
Note: This post first appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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Not much improvement in Rockets injury report. Christian Wood upgraded from out to doubtful. John Wall still out. Danuel House Jr. upgraded to questionable but Ben McLemore added as questionable with a sprained ankle and David Nwaba moved to out. If all out, back to 8 players.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 15, 2021
https://twitter.com/BenDuBose/status/1371586178047217664
