The Houston Rockets (25-22) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (16-28) 112-11 on Monday.
In a testament to the collective improvement the Pelicans have shown since a 1-11 start, the team nearly pulled out a victory despite only getting 19 minutes out of All-Star Anthony Davis due to a concussion. With their main source of offense down, two of the most valuable bench players in the league stepped up to keep New Orleans within striking distance until the scoreboard showed triple zeros. Jrue Holiday equaled the combined scoring total of the starting five with a 32-point tally, while Ryan Anderson contributed 22 points over the extra playing time he received in Davis' stead. Despite the impressive performances, it was ironically a missed 33-foot three-point jumper from Holiday as time expired that sealed the Pelicans' fate on a night when their valiant effort fell just short.
Houston shot 47.5 percent from the field, as well as 48.7 percent from beyond the arc. James Harden was an intergral contributor to both figures, tallying a near triple-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, a steal and a block. His scoring haul included three three-pointers. Trevor Ariza played an impressive all-around game, managing 31 points, five rebounds, three assists, a team-high three steals and a block. He also defended Davis well while the latter was on the floor. Patrick Beverley stuffed the stat sheet, registering 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Clint Capela filled in for Dwight Howard for a third consecutive game, collecting 10 points and five rebounds. Marcus Thornton paced the Rockets' reserves with 12 points, a pair of assists and a rebound.
With the victory, Houston remains in fourth place in the Western Conference's Southwest Division. They head to San Antonio to take on the Spurs in Wednesday tilt.
Holiday added nine assists, six rebounds and three steals to his team-high scoring total. Anderson hauled in nine rebounds and recorded one block to supplement his 22 points. Veteran Toney Douglas was the third Pelicans reserve to post double-digit scoring, and the third-highest scorer on the team as well, managing 18 points. He also added six assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block. Norris Cole spearheaded the starting five with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, the only member of the first unit to reach double-digit points. Backcourt mate Tyreke Evans notably contributed only five points, two rebounds and two assists over a scant 16 minutes on the court, as Holiday's success garnered him an abundant 36 minutes of floor time and kept Evans a spectator for extended stretches.
With the loss, New Orleans remains in last place in the Western Conference's Southwest Division. They're at home again on Thursday to face off against the Sacramento Kings.
