BOXSCORE || PHOTOS || QUOTES || VIDEOS
Rockets (30-31), Pelicans (23-36)
HOUSTON – Attempting to get back in the conversation within the Western Conference playoff race, New Orleans was three minutes away from a victory on Houston’s home floor, but couldn’t close it out in crunch time. The Rockets went on a 13-2 run, continuing to take advantage of what was a total of 23 Pelicans turnovers, en route to turning aside their visitors. New Orleans dropped six games behind eighth-place Houston, a gap that’s essentially seven games because the Rockets wrapped up the head-to-head tiebreaker 3-1. The hosts shot a historically bad 3/34 from three-point range, but still made enough plays with the outcome at stake to prevail.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Corey Brewer sank one of two free throws with eight seconds remaining, giving Houston a five-point advantage. New Orleans did not have any timeouts remaining, forcing the Pelicans to hurry up the floor with the ball and launch a wing three-pointer that misfired just before the final buzzer. Earlier in the final minute, Houston’s Patrick Beverley made the biggest shot of the night, a corner three-pointer that put the Rockets up 97-95.
