featured-image

Recap: Rockets at Pelicans - 10/14/2014

The Rockets suffered their first loss of the preseason as the Pelicans formidable frontcourt powered New Orleans to a 117-98 victory.

Anthony Davis took advantage of a Rockets lineup missing Dwight Howard for the second straight game, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 points in the first 6 minutes. Overall, the Pelicans started red hot, hitting 80% of their field goals in the first quarter.

Troy Daniels followed up his big game Monday by hitting his first 3 three-pointers after checking in late in the first and Kostas Papanikolaou even got the best of the Pelicans' big man when he hit a scoop shot under Davis' outstretched arms. However, Davis and former Rocket Omer Asik proved too much for the Rockets to contain as the Pelicans built a 66-52 lead by halftime.

Houston came out firing in the third, going on a 25-11 run to cut the Pelicans' lead to single-digits, but the Pelicans rallied to close the quarter on a 7-0 run to build a 15-point lead that the Rockets wouldn't threaten in the fourth. Six Pelicans scored in double figures compared to only 3 for Houston.

"We didn't have [James Harden and Dwight Howard], but the guys that we did have didn't compete hard enough...every component that you look at they were better at it than we were," Coach Kevin McHale said.

The Rockets head to the Rio Grande Valley for a preseason matchup with the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.