ATLANTA — — Dejounte Murray and Trae Young barely looked like they were playing their first game together.
Murray had 20 points, 11 assists and five steals in his Atlanta debut on Wednesday night, teaming up with Young for a tantalizing preview of what the Hawks can expect from their new backcourt tandem.
“My goal is for me and Trae to make this team better,” Murray said after a 117-107 win over the pesky Houston Rockets.
On season opener night in Atlanta, there were no complaints from the sold-out crowd.
Murray, an All-Star acquired from San Antonio in the Hawks’ biggest move of the offseason, was a bit more critical of the team’s performance.
Even with four of Atlanta’s starters scoring at least 20 points, the Hawks struggled to put away a team that had the NBA’s worst record in the past two years.
“I feel like the game was too close,” said Murray, who rated his performance “6 out of 10.”
Young had 23 points and 13 assists. For one night, at least, a pair of star point guards showed they could coexist — and involve their teammates, for good measure.
“The Atlanta Hawks aren’t me and Trae, but we set the tone,” Murray said. “We will improve.”
Murray became the first player since Spud Webb in 1985 to complete a double-double on his Atlanta debut. But his biggest impact may have been on the defensive end, where he’s tasked with helping the Hawks solve one of their biggest problems a season ago.
The last of his steals came after knocking down a three-pointer.
Murray swept the ball from Jalen Green and sent Onyeka Okongwu for a throw-in that pushed the lead to 102-92 with less than 5½ minutes to go.
“We challenged Trae and all the guys to improve defensively,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “That’s the key to the season.”
The Rockets were trailing by Kevin Porter Jr, with 21 points, two days after signing a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension to help lead Houston’s major rebuilding project.
John Collins, who has been the subject of relentless trade speculation this offseason, led the Hawks with 24 points. De’Andre Hunterhis future in Atlanta solidified by a four-year, $95 million extension, with 22 points.
The Hawks are hoping to return to the form that took them to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
Atlanta slipped to ninth in the East a season ago and needed to win two playoff games just to qualify for the playoffs. The Hawks didn’t last long in the playoffs, losing top seed Miami in five games.
The Rockets, who had the NBA’s worst record the past two seasons, sent a youthful roster that included No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr.
The former Auburn star had 17 points and seven rebounds in his promising NBA debut.
“We were a bit scrappy,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “But I loved our fight, I loved our competitiveness.”
YOUTH ROCKETS
Of the 13 players who dressed for Houston, only two had more than three seasons of NBA experience.
It showed.
“There were a few times where I sat down and said to our assistants, ‘Man, we’re so young,'” Silas said, managing to smile.
Most notably, the Rockets had 16 turnovers, which the Hawks turned into 28 points. Houston scored just 13 points on turnovers.
“It was the transition points that hurt us the most,” Silas said. “I’m encouraged, even though we lost.”
TIPS
Rockets: Another first-round pick, Tari Eason, had eight points and seven assists in 15 minutes off the bench. … Houston outshot the Hawks 54-38. … Daishen Nix (back pain), Jae-Sean Tate (left ankle pain) and rookie TyTy Washington (left knee sprain) were unavailable for the start of the regular season.
Hawks: The team’s two rookies — first-rounder AJ Griffin and second-rounder Tyrese Martin — didn’t play. … Atlanta had 30 assists and only nine turnovers. … G Bogdan Bogdanovic was the only Atlanta player not dressed for the opening game. He continues to recover from surgery on his right knee in June.
NEXT
Rockets: Return to Houston for their Friday night home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Hawks: Host the Orlando Magic Friday night in the second of three straight home games to start the season.
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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
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