Shorthanded Pelicans End Losing Streak With Gritty Victory Over Rockets

New Orleans ends its three-game losing streak with a 110-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. The Pelicans learned before the game that Zion Williamson and Herb Jones would not play due to injury. Without them, New Orleans relied on Jonas Valanciunas to carry them late in the game. Valanaciunas finished with a team-high 25 points and 14 rebounds.

The Pelicans knew they had to be aggressive without the toughness of Herb Jones and Zion Williamson in the lineup. After committing three turnovers in the first two minutes of the game, the Pels settled down offensively, and the team went on a roll. New Orleans made six three-pointers in the opening period after making just ten all game against the Celtics on Monday.

CJ McCollum, who has struggled shooting in the last three games, made three three-point shots in the opening period. He made four total in the last three contests. Jalen Green kept the Rockets within striking distance with 13 points in the first quarter, but the Pels led 33-25 heading into the second quarter.

Turnovers allowed the Rockets to keep pace, scoring eight points off the Pelicans 11 first-half mistakes. Hoston reserve wingman Cam Whitemore scored as many points (10) in the first half as the entire Pelicans bench. New Orleans pounded the Rockets inside by outrebounding Houston 25-13 in the first 24 minutes of play. The Pels finished 8/18 from beyond the arc and led 61-54 at the break.

New Orleans seemed poised to run away with the game after a quick 10-3 run to start the game. The Pelicans had their biggest lead, but could not fully pull away. Jalen Green poured in eight third-quarter points for Houston to keep them within five points heading into the fourth quarter. Green had a game-high 28 points after three quarters. The Pels extended their rebounding edge 42-22.

Valanciunas saved his best for the fourth quarter. He scored 11 of the Pelicans' 26 points in the final period to dispel the Rockets' comeback bid. After the Pels went up by 20 midway through the quarter thanks to a 15-0 run, Houston fought their way back within eight points late in the game. The Pels closed the Rockets out with a Trey Murphy III three-pointer and a Valanciunas dunk.

New Orleans dominated the restricted area all night, outscoring the Rockets 50-36. Houston came into the game as the No. 4 rebounding team in the league, but the Pels outrebounded them 56-29. Coach Willie Green told reporters in the last matchup with the Rockets that they were "tougher" than the Pelicans. On Wednesday, New Orleans answered the call. The Pelicans play Friday night against the San Antonio Spurs before returning home to face the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.