Houston @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2017 ) Atlanta 113, Houston 108

The road has provided plenty of comfort for the Houston Rockets in the early days of the NBA season, as they look for their sixth victory in seven away games on Friday night in Atlanta against the struggling Hawks. Houston found its shooting stroke from outside Wednesday, knocking down 19 3-pointers in pulling away for a 119-97 triumph over the New York Knicks as James Harden continued his hot start to the season with 31 points and nine assists.

“It’s a lot easier to make a 3 when you’re up seven instead of down seven,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters after the Rockets snapped a two-game losing streak, boosted by six 3-pointers from Harden and a 16-0 second-quarter run. The Hawks have not won since opening night, losing their seventh consecutive game in Wednesday’s 119-109 defeat at Philadelphia. “We’ve got to find a way to eliminate the slow start,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer told the media after the Hawks fell behind 25-8 in the first quarter. The Hawks have allowed 109 points or more in five of their eight games.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (6-3): Harden is off to a fantastic start, averaging 26.6 points and 9.2 assists while reaching at least 20 points and seven assists in all nine games so far. Guard Eric Gordon has scored 17 points or more in each of his eight games, averaging 23.9 points in 33 minutes. The Rockets have made 68 3-pointers and 74 2-pointers in their past four games, and on the season 54.1 percent of Houston shots have come from 3-point range.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (1-7): Guard Dennis Schroder again shouldered most of the offensive burden in Wednesday’s loss, scoring 25 points for his third consecutive 20-plus point output since returning from an ankle injury. Opponents are shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range in the past three games. Forward Ersan Ilyasova will be sidelined for at least a week with a left knee bone bruise, and guard Malcolm Delaney sprained his right ankle against the 76ers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Through Wednesday the Hawks ranked second in the NBA in free-throw percentage (83.2 percent).

2. Houston, which finished 37-5 a season ago when making 15 or more 3-pointers, is 3-0 in such games this season.

3. The Rockets have lost seven in a row to the Hawks, their last victory coming on Nov. 27, 2013 in Houston.

PREDICTION: Rockets 114, Hawks 98