Atlanta @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 3, 2017 ) Houston 119, Atlanta 104

The Houston Rockets set a franchise record for victories in a season by defeating New Orleans on Saturday and can reach the 60-win mark for the first time when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. James Harden bounced back from a rough shooting effort in a victory over Detroit on Thursday to score 28 points and hand out eight assists in the 114-91 triumph against the Pelicans.

The Rockets' eighth consecutive win gave them a 4 1/2-game lead over Golden State in the race for first place in the Western Conference with nine contests remaining. "Yeah, I just told them, they didn't care," coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters regarding the franchise wins record. "I'm kinda happy. They absolutely did not care. ... They want it all." Clint Capela dominated inside with 18 points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots for Houston, which has matched the second-longest streak in franchise history with 15 straight wins at home. The Hawks are 1-3 on their six-game road trip and have lost eight of nine overall after falling 106-94 at Golden State on Friday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston)

ABOUT THE HAWKS (21-52): Playing the defending champs on the second night of a back-to-back set presented a challenge for Atlanta, but it led by as many as 15 points early on and was within four of the Warriors midway through the fourth quarter. "We did a great job in the first half on both ends: executing on offense and getting stops defensively," rookie John Collins told reporters. "Sad we couldn't come out with the 'W' in the second half, but it's always tough when you come to Oracle (Arena)." Taurean Prince led the way with 20 points, but he was 6-for-18 from the floor and is 12-for-41 over his last three games.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (59-14): While many of Houston's regulars were able to take it easy down the stretch in Saturday's lopsided win, point guard Chris Paul sat for the second straight game due to a hamstring injury. D'Antoni indicated that there is a chance Paul could play on Sunday, although fill-in Eric Gordon is averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 assists over his last two contests. Ryan Anderson, who scored 16 points off the bench in Saturday's win, will sit out the second night of the back-to-back set in order to rest, while Nene is expected to see his first action since March 15.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Harden is 3-for-19 from 3-point range over his last two contests.

2. Capela is 1-for-9 from the foul line over a four-game stretch.

3. Atlanta has won each of its last three visits to Houston.

PREDICTION: Rockets 108, Hawks 97