Fourth place in your conference? That’s all? C’mon, Dwight! You could’ve done that back home!

After plugging the dam for two conference foes’ leaking seasons at the Highlight Factory, our Atlanta Hawks fly west to meet up with America’s Favorite Center, Dwight Howard, and the Houston Rockets (8:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth, CSN Houston), the league’s top scoring team at 108.7 points per game.

After spurning his hometown team and a few other suitors this summer, Howard hasn’t disappointed for the Rockets (10-5), ranking second in the NBA for rebounds (13.2 RPG) and fourth in blocks (2.3 BPG) while averaging a modest 17.7 points in deference to James Harden (24.2 PPG, 6^th in NBA). With The Bearded One sidelined with a sore foot, Howard’s remained deferential in the past two games, leaving the offense to the likes of Aaron Brooks (26 points versus Minnesota) and the pair of Chandler Parsons and Omri Casspi (33 combined points against Memphis).

If Harden remains on the bench for an extra game, look for Dwight to take a little more charge on the offensive end. The size advantage with Al Horford, who can’t afford early foul trouble, is self-evident, while Gustavo Ayón and Pero Antić aren’t striking any more fear into hearts as Nikola Pekovic, or even Kosta Koufos.

Dwight’s penchant for temperamental behavior when things aren’t going his way has already reared its head. Much like the Hawks, the Rockets blew a comfortable second-half lead to Dirk, Monta and the division-rival Mavericks last week, despite Howard’s 33 points in a losing effort, and as the end was near Howard lobbed the ball after the whistle into the stands, costing him 25 stacks after a fine from the league office.

Houston cannot afford foul trouble by Howard, who has yet to foul out this year. Greg Smith remains sidelined with a knee sprain, and Head Coach Kevin McHale would be left to rely on two bigs whose skills he’d very much like to merge into one player. Omer Asik (4.2 PPG, career-low 48.6 FG%) remains imposing defensively, but still has hands of stone, and is already looking for a way out of H-Town, now that he’s been benched after failing to work out at power forward after 82 games last season starting for the Rox at the 5. Donatas Motiejunas has very good offensive moves, but gets clumsy on the other end of the floor.

With the Rockets’ offensive scheme built around the contact-savvy Harden, and Hack-a-Howard (54.1 FT%) defenses deployed against them, Houston takes six more trips to the free throw line (35.1 FT attempts per game) than any other NBA team. Although the Rockets are only hitting free throws at around a 70% clip, the Hawks (18.3 personal fouls per game, 3^rd lowest in NBA) are too thin talent-wise to have players in foul trouble tonight. Much of the jailbreak Atlanta experienced last night came after DeMarre Carroll had to sit with foul trouble from D’ing up Arron Afflalo.

Terrence Jones has put up with overlooking commentary regarding the Rockets’ need for a true power forward, and has been rewarded with the starting spot for taking it all in stride and performing well at the position. In his last seven games as a starter in place of Asik, the second-year forward has averaged 14.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.7 BPG while also proving capable of stepping outside for deep shots (46.7 3FG%). He’s struggling on defense and with free throw shooting since starting, but he’s done as well alongside Howard as anyone could have expected from either Asik or Josh Smith. Paul Millsap can help out the Hawks offensively, by attacking the rim early and drawing help from Howard away from Al and the driving Jeff Teague.

Teague’s Hawks are down to 1-5 when he scores 15 points or less. Up against Jeremy Lin (two 30+ scoring outings already this year, career-high 16.3 PPG), Patrick Beverley, and/or Brooks, any of whom can go off at any time, Atlanta’s point guard corps is slimmed even further with Shelvin Mack’s sprained ankle keeping him out of action. Teague must carry the Hawks offense, using screens to open up paths to the hoop, but must be judicious when drawing contact in the lane. Houston does turn over the ball a bunch (18.1 TOs per game, most in NBA), so Atlanta must execute a goof-free transition game to stay competitive throughout.

Teague’s ability to produce offense will be strained further without Kyle Korver and Lou Williams available. Korver’s dealing with bruised ribs and Williams is resting on his back-to-back game restriction, so it will be up to Cartier Martin, John Jenkins, and Carroll to spread the floor. The Hawks’ wings struggled last night keeping Afflalo and Orlando’s swingmen in check, and that task gets tougher against Dwight’s BFF (sorry, Smoove) Parsons (career highs of 16.7 PPG, 52.5 FG%, and 3.8 APG) and a rejuvenated, Hanukkah-celebrating Casspi (career-high 38.6 3FG%). Horford’s Dominican Republic teammate Frenchy Garcia continues to shoot poorly (career-low 37.0 FG%), but may get some floor time tonight for defensive purposes if the Rockets can build up a comfortable lead.

Go Hawks!

~lw3