On January 19, the Houston Rockets hosted the New Orleans Pelicans in a marquee NBA regular-season matchup. With a balanced team effort, Houston gradually pulled away in the fourth quarter, at one point holding a 19-point lead. Despite a late Pelicans rally, the Rockets secured a 118-110 victory, earning their second consecutive win, while the Pelicans fell to two straight losses, anchoring the league’s bottom spot.
Key Performances
- Rockets: Jabari Smith 32 PTS 8 REB (season-high), Sengun 21 PTS 8 REB 4 AST 5 STL, Durant 18 PTS 6 REB 8 AST, Amen 20 PTS 8 REB 6 AST, Adams 5 PTS 10 REB, Shepard 11 PTS.
- Pelicans: Zion 20 PTS 5 REB, Bae 11 PTS, Quin 15 PTS 4 REB 5 AST, Murphy 21 PTS, Misi 10 PTS.
Milestone
Kevin Durant surpassed Dirk Nowitzki’s 31,560 career points, moving into 6th place all-time on the NBA scoring list, with a chance to climb even higher this season.
Game Recap
Houston opened strong, jumping to a 19-8 lead. Though the Pelicans battled back, the first quarter ended 32-30 in favor of the Rockets. Through the first half, Houston scored 30+ points in consecutive quarters and led in three-pointers 9-3, taking a 64-54 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, both teams scored under 30 points, but Houston maintained an 87-80 lead entering the fourth. The Pelicans narrowed the gap to just 5 points, but Jabari Smith’s three-point shooting reignited the Rockets’ offense. With clutch scoring and steals from Sengun and Durant, Houston extended the lead to 19 points and closed out the game 118-110.
