It’s not certain whether New Orleans forward Dante Cunningham is 100 percent healthy after dealing with an illness that kept him out of Saturday’s win over Milwaukee, but the 6-foot-8 veteran will be available to play Monday against Houston, according to Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry. However, with Cunningham just returning from an ailment that also limited his minutes in Thursday’s victory vs. Detroit, Gentry will stick with Alonzo Gee at the starting small forward spot.
Gee is coming off a 12-point, six-rebound performance against the Bucks, filling in for Cunningham next to Anthony Davis in the starting lineup. The University of Alabama product has also played well recently as a reserve, averaging 8.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in New Orleans’ four most recent wins, all in the Smoothie King Center.
“He will play,” Gentry said of Cunningham’s status vs. the Rockets. “I still don’t know how he’s feeling (but) I’m sure he’ll play some.”
Other notes from pregame of the Southwest Division meeting in the Crescent City:
Houston center Dwight Howard will miss his third straight game due to an ankle injury. In Sunday’s win over Dallas, the Rockets started James Harden, Patrick Beverley, Corey Brewer, Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela. …
Gentry listed transition defense and keeping Rockets perennial All-Star Harden off the foul line as keys to facing Houston. The Pelicans are 1-1 against the Rockets this season and have fared decently in limiting Harden to a total of 14 free throws. Gentry: “The big thing is transition defense. You’ve got to get back against these guys. And you have to have good individual defense on Harden. You have to try to make him beat you over the top and keep him off the foul line. If he’s going to shoot 14, 15 free throws (in one game), you’re probably going to find yourself in a little bit of trouble. If we can hold him to six or eight, that’s a good night, really.” …
Once again, the Pelicans are hosting a visitor that just played the previous day. However, Gentry dismissed the idea that facing a team in a back-to-back is a huge advantage, partly because many of them have started in Houston, just a five-hour drive to New Orleans and brief flight. Gentry: “Their back-to-backs have been in Houston. You can walk from here to Houston. It’s not like flying all the way across the country. It’s an hour flight. I don’t see any advantage (for New Orleans) whatsoever, other than that they played the night before.”