Hawks vs. Rockets Recap: Houston Wins Again as 11 Plays Cash

Houston beat Atlanta 120-110 at home to finish the second leg of a home-and-home. The Hawks led 66-63 at the half in a game with 20 lead changes, but the Rockets won the third quarter 28-19 and never gave it back, pushing the lead as high as 22. Alperen Sengun had 29 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists, and Houston scored 64 points in the paint. Eleven DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Rockets moneyline (-218 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: Houston had won the first leg 121-114 in Atlanta without VanVleet and Adams, and now had the home floor against a Hawks team missing Gueye and Veesaar.
• What happened: A 10-point win after trailing at the half.
• Worth watching: Rematch spots where we already saw the matchup play out are worth a close look.

ALT: Rockets over 113.5 points (-195 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: Houston had gone over 113.5 in each of its last 5 and 9 of its last 10, scoring 128, 114 and 121 in its last three.
• What happened: 120 points, 6.5 over. Houston went 26-of-32 at the line.
• Worth watching: Paint scoring and free throws carried it on a night the Rockets made just 8 threes.

Kevin Durant 9+ rebounds + assists (-143 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: He had cleared 9+ in 8 of his last 10 and 16 of his last 20.
• What happened: 9 rebounds and 3 assists for 12.
• Worth watching: The boards did most of the work here.

Kevin Durant 33+ points + rebounds + assists (-109 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: 33+ in 8 of his last 10 and 15 of his last 20.
• What happened: 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists for 34 in 30 minutes, 1.5 over.
• Worth watching: He got there in 30 minutes, which matters on nights Houston builds a lead.

Jabari Smith Jr. 21+ points + rebounds (-104 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: 21+ in 8 of his last 10 and 16 of his last 20.
• What happened: 16 points and 12 rebounds for 28 in 39 minutes.
• Worth watching: 39 minutes and a double-double. With that workload, his combo lines stay in play.

ALT: Jabari Smith Jr. 5+ rebounds (-231 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: 5+ boards in all of his last 10, including 5 in 33 minutes against Atlanta on Saturday.
• What happened: 12 rebounds, 7.5 over.
• Worth watching: A low alt with that kind of floor is a steady piece for a ticket.

Tari Eason 17+ points + rebounds (-126 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: 17+ in 8 of his last 10 and 14 of his last 20.
• What happened: 13 points and 8 rebounds for 21 in 33 minutes.
• Worth watching: He has been clearing this combo with room.

ALT: Amen Thompson 15+ points (-199 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: 15+ in all of his last 10 and 18 of his last 20.
• What happened: Exactly 15 in 28 minutes, without attempting a three.
• Worth watching: He landed on the number. His scoring comes inside, so his minutes are the thing to watch.

CJ McCollum 18+ points + rebounds (-122 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: 18+ in 7 of his last 10 and 14 of his last 20.
• What happened: 20 points and 1 rebound for 21, with 4-of-7 from three.
• Worth watching: This combo leans almost fully on his scoring.

ALT: Onyeka Okongwu 5+ rebounds (-281 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: 5+ boards in 9 of his last 10, and 6 in 26 minutes against Houston on Saturday.
• What happened: 9 rebounds and 11 points in 29 minutes.
• Worth watching: The price is steep, but the floor has held.

ALT: Jalen Johnson 18+ points (-252 at DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: 18+ in each of his last 5, and 26-9-16 against Houston on Saturday.
• What happened: 21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in 36 minutes.
• Worth watching: He remains Atlanta's main option, which keeps his scoring floor high.

Trends to watch

• Houston's 64 points in the paint and 32 free-throw attempts show how the Rockets win without threes. Their team total does not need a hot shooting night.
• Sengun's 29-9-9 makes his combo lines worth checking against thin frontcourts.
• Atlanta was outscored 57-44 after halftime. Hawks second-half numbers are worth tracking over the next few games.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. For more on these markets, see moneyline and player prop, or get more at /nba.