Three Takeaways From the Rockets' 4-0 Start: A Defense That Flipped at Halftime, Sengun in the Paint, and a Fast Break Reborn

The Houston Rockets are 4-0 for the first time in 12 years after Monday's 120-110 win over Atlanta, and the game turned on a defensive correction. Led by 15 points from CJ McCollum and 14 from Jalen Johnson, the Hawks scored 66 points in the first half and shot 49 percent as a team, carrying a three-point lead into the break. "It felt like we were just following them around," Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said. "Didn't bring a lot of physicality to it. Not a lot of communication at times. Losing McCollum and certain guys in transition, getting wide open looks. It was a point of emphasis at halftime." Atlanta scored just 19 points on 32 percent shooting in the third quarter and 44 points on 37 percent shooting for the half, with McCollum held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting after halftime. Udoka credited a simpler scheme: "Went back to more traditional coverage. Put (Alperen Sengun) on the five, and I think that helped us."

Sengun owned the other end. He drained a three on his very first shot attempt of the night; all 14 of his shots that followed came from the paint, and he converted 10 of them, finishing with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 steals. "He was huge," Udoka said. "He carried us through a good stretch of the third. Really got himself going. Six steals, and he was all over the place. He was a dog down there." Sengun is averaging 24.5 points on 58 percent shooting through the first four games and is shooting 77 percent inside the restricted area, after converting 68 percent and 65 percent of those shots the last two seasons. Kevin Durant pointed to the spacing around him - and to opponents still guarding him one-on-one: "Teams are playing him 1-on-1 in the post, at the elbow thinking that they can stop him. They must've read a lot of bad articles about him this summer." Sengun credited Fred VanVleet's return to initiating the offense: "Last year I had to do all that stuff. Now I can get the rebound, give it to Fred, run and get to my spot. We play faster too. I save a lot of energy with that, too."

The third change is pace. The Rockets finished with nine fast-break points against the Hawks on Saturday night; on Monday they finished with 26, and they are averaging 21.5 fast-break points per game - third most in the league - after averaging 14 last season. Atlanta committed only 13 turnovers, but 11 of them came off steals, and Houston converted live-ball turnovers into run-outs all night.

"Those live ball turnovers, we're getting out (in transition)," Udoka said. "That was another emphasis of ours, how we were poor at times in transition in the past and kind of cleaning those up, but I just think it's a result of guys being more confident with the handle and the pass, and it feels like we just have more options as far as leading the break, playing with that fast pace, and our guys are getting out running." Houston, tied for the NBA's best record, takes the formula on the road to Milwaukee on Wednesday night.