Rockets Roll Out Fully Loaded Starting Five for Hawks Rematch

The Houston Rockets are rolling out their heavy hitters for Monday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, officially starting Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.

Seeing Durant's name next to Thompson in a Houston starting five still feels like a glitch in a video game franchise mode, but here we are. This is not a drill, and it is definitely not a load management night.

"Underdog NBA reported the lineup alert on X."

For anyone sweating player props or building fantasy lineups, this Underdog NBA update is the exact clarity you want before tip-off. No late scratches, no mysterious pregame soreness, just a fully operational lineup ready to run it back.

Houston just dropped 121 points on these same Hawks on Saturday to secure a seven-point road win. Rolling out this exact starting five at home signals they smell blood in the water for the rematch.

Thompson is quietly turning into an absolute monster on the wing. He is averaging 17.7 points and 10.3 boards while finally shaking off the ankle and quad issues that bugged him earlier in the calendar year.

Meanwhile, VanVleet is still out here orchestrating the chaos. He might be shooting a frosty 37.8 percent from the floor, but his 5.6 assists per game keep the offense humming while Durant and Sengun do the heavy lifting.

This specific combination of players is a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses. You have Sengun operating out of the post, Durant doing Durant things from the midrange, and Thompson crashing the glass like he has a personal vendetta against the rim.

If Atlanta does not make a massive defensive adjustment tonight, this Houston core is going to run them out of the building again. Keep an eye on Sengun's assist numbers as the Hawks inevitably panic and double Durant.