Rockets (20-7), Pelicans (9-19)
HOUSTON – New Orleans lost a game to a Southwest Division rival Friday, as well as its best player in the second half due to injury. The Pelicans hope Anthony Davis’ absence from a left leg contusion doesn’t extend to any additional games, with a Sunday visit to San Antonio next on the schedule.
En route to winning its ninth straight game, Houston set the NBA record for three-point makes by knocking down 24. The Rockets also fired an incredible 61 times from deep, surpassing the previous record by a wide margin (50). The hosts’ prolific night began with a 72-50 halftime lead and they nearly cleared the century mark by the end of three quarters, up 97-79. James Harden also passed Hakeem Olajuwon for most triple-doubles in Rockets’ history with 15.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
After New Orleans cut what had been a 24-point deficit down to 14, Houston opted to bring several key players back into the game to ice the victory, including James Harden. The Pelicans actually had a chance to slice it to an 11-point margin on a Buddy Hield right-wing three-pointer, but the shot rimmed out. Shortly thereafter, Mike D’Antoni called timeout and changed his on-court lineup.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Exactly a week after he went for 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Clippers, rookie forward Cheick Diallo delivered another productive game on the road. The second-round pick finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes of action. He also produced a highlight-reel block on a Sam Dekker drive to the hoop and shot 4/5 from the field.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
With Davis sidelined, Terrence Jones notched 10 points in the third quarter, as New Orleans actually cut slightly into Houston’s advantage on the scoreboard. The Pelicans held a 29-25 edge in that period, with Jones doing most of his damage in the paint and on the boards (6 rebounds). Jones registered 16 points and eight rebounds overall.
